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Veena Classes
About Veena
The National Musical Instrument of India, the history of Veena dates back to 1500 BCE. Veena is considered to be a divine instrument and is one of the three principal musical instruments mentioned in the Vedic literature, the other two being the venu (flute) and Mrindanga.
The sanskrit treatises on music describe veena in great detail. Bharata in his Natyasastra talks of the chitra veena as having seven strings and vipanchi veena as having nine strings. He explains the theory of the 22 sruti-s in an octave with the help of two experimental veenas.
It is a complete instrument that provides the basic components: sruti, laya and sahitya. Its main attraction is the mellow tonal quality which can evoke a meditative atmosphere. For centuries over, playing veena has been considered to be yoga.
Sage Yagnavalkya states, “One who is adept at playing the Veena, with proper control of Sruti (pitch) and Jaati (melody) and has good knowledge of Sound and Rhythm, attains Moksha (liberation) without effort.
Sarangadeva has beautifully elaborated the divinity of veena as:
Darsana sparsane chasya bhoga svargapavargade |
Punito viprahatyadi patakaih patitam janam ||
Danda sambhuruma tantri kakubhah kamalapatih |
Indra patrika brahma tumbam nabhih sarasvati ||
Dorako vasukirjiva sudhamsuh sarika ravih |
Sarvadevamayi tasmad veeneyam sarvamangala ||
The above phrases mean that by seeing and touching the veena, one attains liberation. It purifies the sinner. The danda, made of wood or Bamboo, is Shiva, the string is Devi Uma, the shoulder is Vishnu, the bridge is Lakshmi, the gourd is Brahma, the navel is Sarasvati, the connecting wires are Vasuki, the jiva is the moon and the pegs are the sun. The veena thus represents all the Gods and Goddesses, and is, therefore, capable of bestowing divine blessings, benediction and auspiciousness.
Class Structure
Beginner level
Classes will include lessons focusing on fretting and strumming techniques.
Intermediate Level
Students will be introduced to play simple music compositions on the Veena like adi thala varnams and simple krithis for the very first time at this level. Students will build on their existing skills and techniques to bring out the intricate beauty of each musical composition they learn. On completion of this course, the students will be able to handle the instrument with a higher level of confidence.
Advanced level
Students will learn advanced varnams and compositions, increasing their knowledge of music, building repertoire and techniques needed to transform into a performing artist.
