S. Balachander's Music Blog

Page 3


Sitar, Surbahar and Chandraveena - A Musical Comparison

Posted on 12 February, 2021 • 5 min read

There is a recurring theme in music, and in Indian Classical music, in particular: musical instruments change and evolve to keep pace with…


Raga Shukla Bilawal - Alapana and Pallavi

Posted on 31 January, 2021 • 5 min read

In this session, I present Raga Shukla Bilawal on Chandraveena. Shukla Bilawal is a morning Raga and belongs to the Bilawal family of Ragas…


Raga Bhoopali - Major Pentatonic

Posted on 02 January, 2021 • 5 min read

Raga Bhoopali also called variously as Bhupali, Bhoop, Bhopali or Mohanam, is one of the oldest scales in Indian music. It is an audava or a…


Taladhyaya - A Chapter on Indian Rhythmic System

Posted on 10 October, 2020 • 7 min read

Rhythm is an integral part of nature. Our breathing, pulse rate, swaying of a pendulum are all governed by a certain rhythmic structure. As…


Pallavi - Can any poetry be a Pallavi?

Posted on 09 October, 2020 • 8 min read

Pallavi is the primary format for developing and showcasing a Raga with rhythm and lyrics, in Indian Classical Music. Background Recall from…


Veena and Vani - An Ancient Tradition

Posted on 26 September, 2020 • 5 min read

In the tradition of Indian Classical music, वीणा (Veena), वाणी (Voice) and वेणु (Bamboo flute) represent a time honoured trio of mediums for…


Raga Charukauns - Raga Charukesi with a twist!

Posted on 23 August, 2020 • 3 min read

A fundamental and important concept in Indian Classical Music is the distinction between: a scale (referred to as a Melakarta or Murchhana…


Raga Alapana - A glimpse into its structure

Posted on 19 August, 2020 • 8 min read

Raga Alapana is the primary format for introducing and developing a Raga in Indian Classical music. Background In an earlier post, we posed…