Practice Sheets
Traditional riyāz material — svarāvali, alankār and palṭā — set out so you can print a page and work from it. All exercises here are long-established teaching patterns, not copyrighted compositions.
How to use a sheet
Twenty minutes done properly beats an hour done loosely. Tune the tānpūrā or app to your śruti first, and sing every exercise slowly before you sing it fast.
| Step | What to do | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tune, then hold Sa alone until the drone and your voice stop fighting each other. | 5 min |
| 2 | Svarāvali and jaṇṭa — plain ascent and descent, then paired notes. | 5 min |
| 3 | Two alankār at slow speed, one at double. | 8 min |
| 4 | Rāga of the day: pakaḍ, then a short ālāp within one octave. | 10 min |
| 5 | Bandiś or kṛti — sthāyī only, with the tāla counted aloud. | 10 min |
| 6 | End on Sa. Sit for a moment before you speak. | 2 min |
Level 1 · Foundation
Sung in Bilāwal / Māyāmāḷavagauḷa. Accuracy and breath, nothing else.
Level 2 · Intermediate
Add tāla. Count Tīntāl aloud (16 mātrā) and place the first note on sam.
| Exercise | Rāga | Cycle | Aim |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alankār in ekguṇ and duguṇ | Yaman | Tīntāl | Hold the cycle while the subdivision doubles. |
| Ālāp within the middle octave | Bhairav | Unmetred | Reach Ma without touching Pa on the way. |
| Sargam gīt | Bilāwal | Tīntāl | Sing note-names in rhythm without watching the page. |
| Bandiś sthāyī, slow | Darbārī Kānaḍā | Ektāl | One oscillation on Ga, sustained and even. |
| Ṭhekā recitation | — | Jhaptāl, Rūpak | Say the bols cleanly before playing them. |
Level 3 · Advanced
Long-form work. One rāga a week, and a written record of what you actually did.
| Exercise | Focus | Aim |
|---|---|---|
| Vilambit khyāl, full cycle | Vistār | Develop one phrase for four cycles before adding a note. |
| Bol-bāṇṭ | Text and rhythm | Break the composition’s words across the cycle without losing sam. |
| Tān patterns | Speed and clarity | Three octaves at even volume; stop the moment the tone thins. |
| Nirāval / svara-kalpana | Carnatic improvisation | Improvise on one line at two speeds, landing on the same syllable. |
| Layakārī drills | Tempo ratios | 3:2 and 4:3 against a steady cycle. |
Printable sheets
Enrolled students receive the notated sheets for their level from their teacher. Use your browser’s print command on this page for a clean copy of the tables above.
REQUEST STUDENT SHEETSThese are traditional pedagogical patterns in long-standing common use, written out in our own notation and wording. We do not reproduce copyrighted method books, published notation or compositions still in copyright.