Online Sitar Learning Sessions for Beginners

If you think sitar is your calling or want to take it up as a hobby, this online beginner’s course will give you the best start. The highlights of the course include -

• Introduction to the instrument - its structure and its history. It will help you in the orientation process. 
• Sitting posture is very important when it comes to music - be it vocal or instrumental. Practice sessions and recitals would require you to sit still in one place and in one posture for hours. Getting used to the right sitting posture will help you become comfortable and grounded so you can focus on playing the instrument.
• How to handle the sitar? This course will help you to become comfortable with the instrument. You will learn how to hold the sitar in the right way while playing. You will also learn how to take care of the sitar.
• As the course proceeds, you will learn to play the basic strokes. You will learn to identify and play the basic musical notes.
• You will learn exercises for both hands and eventually develop better coordination between the two.
• Alankars, jhala, and the different rhythms are taught in detail.
• You will learn to play small compositions of some of the preliminary Ragas including Yaman, Bhairavi, Bhairav, Kafi, and Khambaj.

About the teacher 

Suromani Kajal Chatterjee, a distinguished sitar player and mentor, embarked on her sitar journey at the tender age of 5 under the guidance of her mentor, Guru N. Goswami. Her dedication to art led her to pursue a major in Sitar from Vishva Bharati University, where she also continued as a research scholar under a UGC Project. Throughout her musical odyssey, she received invaluable teachings from esteemed professors such as Pt. Suresh Mishra and Pt. Indranil Bhattacharjee. As a National Fellow, she further enriched her knowledge by receiving guidance from Pt. Dhrubatara Joshi, a renowned disciple of Ustad Enayat Khan and a torchbearer of the Imadkhani-Etawa Gharana.

Chatterjee's passion for teaching sitar dates back to her undergraduate days. She subsequently served as a Lecturer (Assistant Professor) of Sitar at a Graduate College affiliated with Bhagalpur University for approximately four years. Her teaching endeavors extended internationally as she worked as a Music Teacher at an Indian School in Muscat, Oman for a decade. She also contributed her expertise at the Sangit Research Academy of ITC in Kolkata. Currently, she imparts her knowledge and mentorship at Birla High School, Kolkata, continuing her commitment to nurturing the next generation of sitar enthusiasts.