A few years old, but I just came across it and think it's well worth a watch.
Deeper than the usual 'split your 1 hr practice into X segments', Ashwin talks in detail of how to tailor practice to your own particular deficiencies. And a lovely example of his gayaki ang approach to learning to play a bandish.
I joined Ashwin Srinivasan's Fluteschool (https://ashwinflute.com/) very briefly last year when I was a beginner, and didn't stay long because I found the material difficult. I even posted a brief review here, where I praised the content but had a couple of minor issues.
One was that I thought there was a lack of progression between his beginner course (which starts from scratch) and the rest of the courses. This was why I didn't continue with it.
The other issue I had was how inactive the platform was - there's a forum but very very few posts, so you don't really get any sense of engagement.
Well recently I rejoined, in need of new learning material. I have to say it's pretty great now I've advanced enough to handle it. The videos are well produced (the sound in particular is much better than 90% of the random youtube bansuri tutorials you find). There's lots there. It's a bit lacking in compositions and only 2 raags are deeply covered (Bhoopali & Yaman), but what is there is excellent, and it's quite inspiring to hear Ashwin play even apparently 'boring' exercises with deep intention & beauty. His courses are now the core of my daily practice.
The forums though are still almost entirely unused. Posting there is like throwing a pebble into a canyon. Puzzling really as it's all so excellent you'd think there would be a lot of bansuri learners keen to converse. Maybe people are too busy with other stuff. Perhaps the market is small because most people able to afford a subscription live where they can find an in-person teacher instead.
Anyone else using fluteschool? Do you enjoy it as much as I do?
Does anyone else find that Yaman is (beautifully) ambiguous 'harmonically' (scare quotes because I know I'm importing a European music concept which doesn't properly apply).
Sometimes when I hear it played, especially during the alaap at times when there isn't yet much of an emergent melody, the Ni is leaned on, and Sa deemphasized, I hear the 'root' shift towards Ni. The whole thing then sounds less plainly 'lydian'-like and with a gorgeous ambiguous feel. Then later as more melody and rhythm kicks in, the 'real' root (ie. Sa) reasserts itself, which movement is in itself a kind of resolution different from that of notes revolving around a fixed Sa. I suppose it's felt (by me) as a kind of modulation, albeit different from that of Western music.
Anyone else hear it like this? If so, are there similar 'harmonic' ambiguities with other raags you could point out? Is there any Indian ICM terminology related to this to contrast with my European-derived concepts (roots, tonal centres, harmony, key modulation etc).
I've asked here before about addition and use of a thumb pancham hole. A 7th hole, creating teevra ma, closed with the pinky is a more common option, especially on smaller flutes (my C has it, my bass E doesn't [1]).
The main differences I can think of are:
Anything else, or strong reasons to consider one over the other (or neither for that matter)? Any idea why the 7th hole is more common?
[1] not quite true - my E bass has a 7th hole on the other side of the flute. For thigh operation as I understand it. It's pretty awkward to use.
Anyone have a link to a good source of basic info on Indian music rhythms to hand? I'm not planning to play any drums, but I often find it hard to identify taals in things I listen to (teental is about it).
There are lots of sites/videos etc, but all the ones I know assume knowledge the reader/viewer may not have - eg. they'll tell you teentaal is 'Dha Dhin Dhin Dha' etc, without any info on what the syllables 'dha' etc refer to.
I know a few terms (eg. sam & khali), but still have no idea if just finding the number of beats in a cycle, and hearing the sam & khali are enough to identify a taal.
I'd be grateful for any recommendations.