Online Carnatic Violin Classes for Senior Students and Professionals

This online Carnatic violin course is designed for advanced students and focuses on high-level techniques and musical expression. It covers important topics to help you improve your violin skills. Here's a simple breakdown of what the course offers:

1. Building Raga Alapana in a Thematic Way
   You’ll learn how to develop a Raga Alapana (melodic improvisation) in a thoughtful and structured way, focusing on the special ornamentations (Gamakas) that make each raga unique. The goal is to express the mood and emotion of the raga by creating smooth, flowing melodies that capture its essence.

2. Presenting Taana with Unique Bowing Techniques
   Taana involves quick, rhythmic notes. In this course, you’ll learn how to play Taana with special bowing techniques that add character and clarity while still keeping the Gamakas intact. These exercises will help you perform Taana with energy and precision.

3. Exploring Birkas in Swarakalpana, Taana, and Alapana
   Birkas are fast musical phrases with intricate ornamentations. You’ll practice playing these phrases in different contexts like Swarakalpana (note improvisation), Taana, and Alapana. The focus will be on playing fast while maintaining the details of the Gamakas, adding excitement to your performances.

4. Presenting Different Nadais in Swarakalpana
   Nadais are different rhythmic patterns. You’ll learn how to use rhythms like Tisra (3-beat) and Khanda (5-beat) in your improvisations. This will help make your playing more interesting and complex, adding variety to your performance.

5. Violin Fingering Exercises for Gamakas and Swift Movements
   You’ll do exercises to improve your finger speed and control, which are key to playing smooth Gamakas and fast phrases. These exercises will help you move more easily between notes, especially in complex ragas.

6. Bowing Exercises for Clearer Playing
   You’ll work on bowing exercises that help you play with clarity and precision. These exercises will make sure that every note and phrase is clear and expressive, improving the overall quality of your playing.

7. Presenting Sarwalaghu Swaras in Swarakalpana
   You’ll learn to play Sarwalaghu Swaras (smooth sequences of notes) in different talas (rhythmic cycles) like Adi Tala, Roopaka Tala, Kanda Chapu, and Mishra Chapu. This will enhance your ability to improvise while staying rhythmically steady and melodic.

Additional Topics:

• Advanced Raga Techniques: A deeper study of complex ragas, their key phrases, and how to improvise within them.

• Concert Preparation: Tips on how to structure your performances, maintain stage presence, and keep the audience engaged.

• Tala Theory & Practice: Detailed study of rhythmic cycles and how to navigate them smoothly during performances.

• Advanced Violin Techniques: Learn advanced skills like playing across all strings, maintaining consistent tone, and using techniques like double stops, pizzicato, and harmonics.

This course will guide you through all these topics, helping you gain stronger technical skills and a deeper understanding of Carnatic violin, preparing you for professional performances.

About the Teacher

Sumanth Manjunath, son of the renowned violinist Dr. Mysore Manjunath, began his musical journey as a child prodigy, giving his first violin concert at just 9 years old. Growing up in a musical household, he received dedicated training from his grandfather, veteran violinist Sri Mahadevappa, his uncle, the celebrated violin maestro Mysore Nagaraj, and his father, Dr. Mysore Manjunath. 

Through years of practice and guidance, Sumanth honed his skills and expanded his knowledge by learning from internationally acclaimed violinists. His musical experiences include performing and collaborating with musicians from various genres like Western classical, jazz, Persian, Arabic, Flamenco, Turkish, and Sufi music.

Sumanth has performed at prestigious venues and festivals around the world, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sri Lanka, Singapore, France, Germany, Sweden, Italy, Switzerland, Portugal, the Netherlands, and Scotland. As a cultural ambassador, the Government of India sent him for special performances in Iran and Sri Lanka. He earned a Master’s in Music with a gold medal from Mysore University and has led numerous workshops at top universities, teaching improvisation on different scales and rhythms.