Beginner's Keyboard at a very affordable Price

Casio offers a new model CTK 1100 / CTK 1150 at a very affordable price. Beginners, who would like to give a try, can purchase this model and make an attempt. In case they succeed, they can up grade for a higher model later. This is also suitable for children to learn & play simple songs. Though the voice quality is not very good., this keyboard has many features like good rhythms, a variety of tones, functions like transpose, in-built chord etc., and it is the right model for beginners to try.

Practice Carnatic basics, varnams & keerthanas with Mridhangam

Carnatic Music learners normally practice the lessons with out any rhythm, or with a Keyboard rhythm. It is advisable to practice the lessons with proper mridhangam rhythm to get the carnatic environment & to enjoy your playing.

Bh.Murali has composed the mridhangam rhythm, and posted the same in his website in the link : http://bhmurali.com/student's_corner2.html

Students of Shreeraagam School of Music can make use of this facility to improve their playing and enjoy music.

Use of Portamento & Legato in some advanced Keyboards

These facilities work better in advanced keyboards like Korg X50, M50 etc.

The portamento facility gives a glide from one note to another, when the second not is played, holding the first one. Though it gives some glide, it can not match with the same glide we get when we play on manual instruments like violin, veena etc.

The legato setting gives some connection between notes, but it gives different effects based on the touch pressure on the notes., and it requires special practice to handle this effect in the keyboard. Sometimes we get very good effects accidentally, and in some other time we do not get the effect. To have a perfect control over the effect, we have to analyse it carefully, applying proper finger pressure. There are some keyboard artists who have done a lot of practice in these areas, but yet bringing 100% correct gamakas is impossible in keyboard, when compared to manual instruments.

Understand the different 'speeds' in Music

I have already explained the different 'speeds' in music.

I speed = 1 note per beat

II speed = 2 notes per beat (double of I speed)

III speed = 4 notes per beat (double of II speed)

IV speed = 8 notes per beat (double of III speed)

Now let us learn to play the phrase given below in 3 different speeds

S R G M | S R G M | S R G M | M G R S ||

Watch the Video & learn.....

Timing in Music Notation

The most important element of music is timing. Music can be written in any language - carnatic, western or anybody's own way of understanding. But it is essential that the notation is written with proper timing.

You can see on the net a lot of song notations written for lyrics. But in most of the notations timing aspect is missing. Without timing, there can be no organised music. If you want to play an instrument with another person (on another instrument), timing is the common factor, based on which you can synchronize your playing with the other person. In an orchestra of several musicians, timing plays a vital role.

Hence anybody who learns/teaches music should do the same with proper timing from the very first lesson itself. The Electronic Keyboard gives good technology support for learning music with timing, with a variety of rhythm (style) patterns.

Tips for Practicing Keyboard

1. Understand the timing first.

2. If you have a vocal recording of the notation, listen to it many times (with the notes on your hand) & try to sing along with the recording before you start practicing the song

3. Try to sing the notes, tapping your hands., (if possible try to memorise)

4. Learn the pharases bit by bit & then combine the bits together.

5. If any bit is difficult, do it as many time you require, and clear the bit.

6. Practice the fingering without rhythm, slowly.

7. Then after gaining confidence, play the sequence with rhythm in slow tempo.

8. Then slowly increase your tempo to reach the expected tempo of the song.