Hindustani vocal training focuses on building a voice that can: stay in tune with shruti, move smoothly between saptaks, execute fast taans, and sustain long phrases without strain.
Sa and basic practice
Beginners spend a lot of time on:
- Sa practice – singing Sa in different octaves, matching tanpura.
- Sargam patterns – Sa Re Sa Re, Re Ga Re Ga, etc., to build accuracy and agility.
Aakar and vowel work
Aakar means singing on the vowel “aa”. Singers practice:
- Ascending and descending the scale on “aa”.
- Holding long notes steadily.
- Spinning meends and gamaks on vowels.
This is similar to Western bel canto exercises on vowels, but here it is always done against the tanpura drone and raag structure.
Breath and range
Singers learn to:
- Manage breath so long taans and slow alaaps don’t break mid-phrase.
- Develop comfortable access to mandra, madhya, and taar saptaks.
- Transition smoothly between chest and head voice (though the terms may differ).
Differences from Western technique
Western classical emphasizes projection over an orchestra, precise vibrato, and consistent vowel shaping for large halls. Hindustani emphasizes:
- Extreme pitch flexibility (shrutis, meends).
- Ability to linger on a note and slowly slide into others with control.
- Clear diction of Indian languages while doing complex ornaments.
Both systems share fundamentals (breath support, resonance, posture), but their artistic goals shape the details of training.