Sargam bilawal lessons for playing Indian and Pakistani songs with harmonium

What Is Sargam?

Sargam : Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa Dha, Ni, and Sa'

Sargam is a way of assigning syllables to names of the notes in a raga or a musical scale. The sargam syllables are: Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa Dha, Ni, and Sa' in the octave. It is also called a singing exercise with notes. while pressing note of Sa, we sing Sa then Re and we say Re and so on. Sargam is also a vocal exercise in which the notes are used. It has the dual purpose of vocalization and finger practice.

Natural notes (pure or major) are called Shudh notes which are shown as S, R, G, m, P, D, N. The notes, or swars, are Khraj/Shadj, Rekhab, Gandhar, Madhyam, Pancham, Dhaivat and Nikhad. When singing these become Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni, and sargam stands for "Sa-Re-Ga-Ma". Only these syllables are sung, and further designations are never vocalized. When writing these become, S, R, G, m, P, D, N. A sign of apostrophe on the right side of a letter (S') indicates the octave higher, a sign of apostrophe on the left side of a letter ('S) indicates the octave lower. Re, Ga, Dha, and Ni may be either shudh or komal; Ma may be either shudh or tivar and is then called tiver Ma. Sa and Pa are immovable (once Sa is selected),

Don't think there is anything that you can practice that will have as much an impact on your playing as sargam. Take the sargam challenge. Play sargam every night for one month and then re-assess your playing skills afterward.

In other words Sargam is the collection of music notes or the swar of the scale. It has been mentioned earlier how notes of the sargam relate to the western scale. Practicing to play sargam in music is bit like weight training. Basic rules of weight training are to start with simple exercises with lightweights. As you get comfortable with lightweights, you increase repetitions or increase the weight you are lifting. You also focus on muscle group you work on. You go to heavier and more complex exercises after you feel comfortable with the basic exercises. When we say sargam, we don't just mean a scale of notes but it means the act of playing the sargam. Playing the sargam is the single most important thing you can do when you are learning harmonium or keyboard. When beginning to learn harmonium, the teachers should not stress the playing of the sargam too much or enforce it. After all, there is nothing joyous about playing one note after the other in succession, over and over again. Students tend to hate sargam for this very reason. Getting students into sargam is a challenge.

Sargam fixes everything. If your right hand is not strong enough, sargam fixes that. If you are not confident in class, sargam fixes that. If you don't know where the notes are at the beginning, or how to sit properly for long periods of time or need discipline or you are trying to increase your speed or clarity or timing or rhythm or etc; sargam fixes all. Sargam needs great practice, but it doesn't have to be boring. Nothing is more boring than playing the same notes over and over again, so spice up your sargam with some of the variations. This will sound like you are actually playing something.

There are various books written on harmonium or keyboard but no suitable book is available on basics. These books were for advance learning and lessons were difficult to follow. This lesson of sargam is the first effort to produce sargam lessons in easy and with simplified exercises. With these lessons you will be able to play and sing-along with your harmonium or keyboard. All the exercises are produced with simple diagrams and notations. Thanks to great music composer Nisar Bazmi Sahib and all those colleagues who cooperated with me in producing these fundamental lessons.

Sargam Practice

We can learn how to play music with keyboard or harmonium but without practice of sargam we cannot sing-along while playing harmonium or keyboard. Practice of sargam is very important for a harmonium or keyboard singer.

Raga Kalyan Sargam

Every thaat is also a Raga and Raga Kalyan is derived from thaat Kalyan. The derivative ragas out of this structure are grouped under the broad head of Kalyan Thaat. Here its jaati is kept sapooran-sampooran for sargam practice only.

Arohi: S-R-G-M-P-D-N-S’

Amrohi: S’-N-D-P-M-G-R-S

Exercise 1 (Raga Kalyan)

In this exercise we will practice Raga Kalyan notes in madh saptak. Raga kalyan is derived from thaat kalyan. In our notation system tiver notes are shown in capital letters and with red dot. Achal (fixed) notes are also shown with capital letters but with blue dot.

S R G M P D N

Achal Tiver Tiver Tiver Achal Tiver Tiver

Sit beside harmonium/keyboard properly as explained earlier. First you have to practice Arohi of raga kalyan sargam, which is ascending order as (S, R, G, M, P, D, N, S'). The arohi of sargam will be taught in ten stages. After completing ten stages of arohi you will practice amrohi, which is descending order of a sargam as ('S, N, D, P, M, G, R, S). You have to spend five to ten minutes on each stage for practice. Our practice of arohi and amrohi will be in madh or middle saptak.

Below given diagram is showing raga kalyan notes in all three saptak. Raga kalyan is the best raga to start with. Raga kalyan notes are shown in all three saptak with finger numbers.

Thaat Kalyan notes shown in all three octaves

FINGER & ITS NUMBERS

Thumb 1, finger 2, middle finger 3, ring finger 4, little finger 5

First Stage – Sa ( finger 2)

We will begin our practice in middle saptak that is best for beginners. Press note of Khraj, which is ‘Sa’ with right hand finger number 2. With the voice of harmonium note try to synchronize your voice with it by saying ‘Sa’ for at least five seconds. Keep pressure on the note while pressing bellow of harmonium with your left hand. You have to practice at least 5-10 minutes on this first note of Sargam. In the beginning you may feel difficulty in synchronizing your voice with harmonium but gradually you will overcome this difficulty. Khraj note that is ‘Sa’ is shown in the diagram with a blue dot. All our basic lessons in raga will begin from middle or madh saptak.

Second Stage - Re (middle finger 3)

Press note of Rekhab, which is ‘Re’ with right hand middle finger and do not displace your finger from Khraj note and only decrease its pressure from the note. By pressing note of Rekhab say ‘Re’ and try to synchronize your voice with the voice of harmonium as explained in the first stage. Say ‘Re’ again and again until your voice is fully synchronizes with harmonium. Your finger and middle fingers must remain over the notes. In the picture below Rekhab note is mentioned with red circle. You should keep in mind that all above stages are linked and only one note is added in each stage.

Third Stage - Ga (thumb 1)

Raising your finger from Rekhab note press note of Gandhar (G), with your thumb by twisting your thumb beneath your hand. Do not raise your second finger much higher over Rekhab note and only decrease its pressure while approaching Gandhar. Now again try to synchronize your voice with Gandhar note and repeat this practice again and again at least 10 minutes. In the picture below Gandhar note is mentioned with red circle.

Fourth Stage – (Kalyan Arohi) Sa, Re, Ga (fingers 2,3,1)

In this stage we will practice all three notes together, which we have already practiced. Press Khraj note ‘Sa’ with finger and say this note for about five seconds. Then by pressing note of Rekhab say ‘Re’ for about five seconds and try to synchronize your voice with the voice of harmonium. Raising your finger from Rekhab note press note of Gandhar, with your thumb and say ‘Ga’ for five seconds.

Fifth Stage - Sa, Re, Ga, Ma (fingers 2,3,1,2)

Now we have to learn four swars together and fourth swar is ‘Ma’. Saying note ‘Ga’ from previous stage bring your finger on Madhym note and say ‘Ma’ for about five seconds. Now again bring your finger back on Khraj note ‘Sa’ and after five seconds of vocal synchronizing press note ‘Re’ and keep practicing these four notes again and again with your particular fingers. This repeated exercise from Sa to Ma should not be less than ten minutes of duration. It should be remembered that we would stay on each note for about five seconds.

Sixth Stage – Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa (fingers 2,3,1,2,3)

Keeping in view fifth stage add Pancham note ‘Pa’ in your exercise. By raising your finger from Madhyam note press Pancham note ‘Pa’ with your middle finger and say ‘Pa’ for about five seconds. Keep on practicing Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa again and again for about 10 minutes. Do not forget to stay for five seconds on each note in each exercise while synchronizing your voice with swars.

Seventh Stage – Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha (fingers 2,3,1,2,3,4)

Connecting your link from sixth stage add note ‘Dha’ in your exercise. By pressing ‘Dha’ say this note by synchronizing your voice with it. Now you have to practice Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha for about ten minutes.

Eighth Stage – Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni (fingers 2,3,1,2,3,4,1)

Press Note ‘Ni’ with your thumb by turning your thumb under your hand and say this note for about five seconds. Soon after that position place your finger No.2 again on the Khraj note ‘Sa’ and practice Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni for about ten minutes like previous exercises of Sargam.

Ninth Stage - Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni, Sa' (fingers 2,3,1,2,3,4,1,2)

Continuing your lessons from previous stage bring your finger on Khraj note ‘Sa’ in the third octave and try to synchronize your voice with the Khraj note while note is pressed. Duration of pressing each note in all above stages is not less five seconds. You should keep in mind that all above stages are linked and only one note is added in each stage.

Tenth Stage - Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni, Sa' (fingers 2,3,1,2,3,4,1,2)

Now you have to practice all these eight swars, which are given below:

Arohi: S, R, G, M, P, D, N, S' Play left to right

Arohi of Sargam is ascending order of Sargam notes. The above sargam initiates from ‘Sa’ note of middle saptak and ends to ‘Sa’ note of third saptak. You should practice arohi of sargam until your fingers are not used to play notes without hesitation and confidence. One should try to practice Arohi without time limitation until perfection arises. Proper synchronizing of voice with swar is very important.

Sargam Exercise 2 (Raga Kalyan Amrohi)

S', N, D, P, M, G, R, S (fingers 2,1,4,3,2,1,3,2)

After getting proficiency in Arohi you have to practice Amrohi, which is descending notes of a Sargam. You also have to practice Amrohi in stages as you already did in Arohi of Sargam but now in descending order from Taar (upper) Saptak towards Madh (middle) Saptak.

Amrohi: S', N, D, P, M, G, R, S Play right to left

Do not forget to stay for five seconds on each note in each exercise while synchronizing your voice with swars. There is also no time limitation for Amrohi practice but it should be continued until you get acquainted with the voice of notes. Fingering will be same as selected in Arohi practice but in reverse order. There must be a gap of one and half second between swars to breath.

First Stage – S', N, D, Ü (fingers 2,1,4)

In all these six stages you will have to practice as explained in earlier exercises of Sargam. You have to remain for five seconds on each note while saying relevant swars and by synchronizing your voice. The gap between each note must be one and half second in this initial stage. Total time of practice must be between 5-10 minutes.

Second Stage – S', N, D, P (fingers 2,1,4,3)

By adding note ‘Pa’ practice all four notes all over again and again for ten minutes and synchronize your voice with swars.

Third Stage - S', N, D, P, M (fingers 2,1,4,3,2)

By adding note ‘Ma’ practice all four notes all over again and again for five to ten minutes and synchronize your voice with swars.

Fourth Stage – S', N, D, P, M, G (fingers 2,1,4,3,2,1)

Fifth Stage: S', N, D, P, M, G, R (fingers 2,1,4,3,2,1,3,)

Sixth Stage – S', N, D, P, M, G, R, S (fingers 2,1,4,3,2,1,3,2)

Now it is the stage of Amrohi, add Khraj note ‘Sa’ in your practice. In the sixth stage there is no fixed time period for practice of swars. You may increase your time if you feel you are not perfect in fingering or vocal.

Sargam Exercise 3 - Arohi Amrohi

It is the time when we will practice complete sargam in ascending and descending order. This exercise is very important for harmonium students for basic music learning. Proper synchronizing of voice with swar is very important in this lesson. It is better to stay on each swar for five seconds and gradually decrease your time to four seconds and in the end half second. At least half an hour continuous practice is important but you can increase your practice time according to your capability. Now you got familiar with sargam notes in ascending and descending order so, we are going to write arohi and amrohi of sargam in normal style. Now notations of raga Kalyan sargam will be written from left to right but will be played according to direction of arrow.

Try to remain on each note for half a second, which is the perfect speed for practice of Sargam. If you get bored then take rest and divide your practice time in parts or play in front of friends or family members.

Note:- Sargam of raga bilawal, bhairav, bhairavi and other ragas will be provided with the sargam e.book. Order now for these ebooks from the most comprehensive website of music teaching.

Our lessons for playing Indian and Pakistani songs with harmonium. Bilawal sargam for singing practice on harmonium. With Hindi Pakistani film songs now learn keyboard harmonium indesi style. Practice raga sargam, sa re ga, with harmonium keys.