Jugalbandi and Classical Sitar Accompaniment
Music is a conversation. These riyaz sessions explore the rhythmic interplay of the Rampur Senia Gharana tradition through the art of jugalbandi.
A regular riyaz session with Tushar Goyal bhai on tabla. We are trying a few new things in the morning raga, Bilaskhani Todi. Galti Maaf for any mistakes.
Yesterday's riyaz session in Raag Malkauns with Tushar Goyal bhai. I feel that all of us who play the Kharaj Pancham style cannot escape the influence of the great Pandit Nikhil Banerjee's Malkauns. My humble pranams to the master.
Work in progress. I am trying my best to find my way around Komal Rishabh Asavari so that it does not sound like Bilaskhani or Bhairavi. Thanks to Tushar Goyal bhai for his support on tabla.
Recording with the fan switched off is probably more challenging than a three-octave taan. Here is a drut teentaal in Raag Desh with Tushar bhai on tabla.
Raag Kaushik Dhwani is enchanting, but capturing its beauty without being repetitive is a daunting task. Thanks to Tushar bhai, I got to practice this Dhamaar composition of my Bade Guruji, Late Prof. Santosh Banerjee.
Sitting for riyaaz with Prakash ji on tabla after more than a month. We were practicing an Anagat Bandish, a composition where the main phrase lands before the first beat of the cycle.
In riyaaz with Prakash ji. We are practicing for an upcoming performance, working on the calculations and interplay between sitar and tabla.
An amazing jam session with Prakash Da. He is just amazing on the tabla. This bandish is in the beautiful evening raga, Shyam Kalyan.
About Jugalbandi: The Joy of Accompaniment
Playing alongside a tabla player is a delicate game of questions and answers. In these sessions with Tushar and Prakash, we often focus on the anagat, which is the technique of landing our melodic phrases just before the main beat to create rhythmic tension. It is never just about keeping time, but about building a shared flow that feels intuitive to both instruments.
In the Rampur Senia Gharana, the sitar is not a solo instrument but a voice. When I sit for a jugalbandi or a riyaz session, the tabla is not merely keeping the pulse. It is a partner in a conversation that we have been refining for years. Whether we are exploring the depth of a late-night Raga Shyam Kalyan or the intricacies of a drut teentaal in Desh, the goal is always to find a singular musical destination.
The chemistry you see in these videos, often recorded right here in my studio space, comes from hours of silent practice and mutual respect. We often work on specific technical challenges, such as how to keep a complex bandish from becoming repetitive or how to navigate the nuances of Komal Rishabh Asavari without slipping into another raga.
If you are curious about this tradition, you do not need to be an expert to start. My classes focus on this very core: listening, responding, and understanding the grammar of the music. Whether you are a beginner looking to understand the basics of sargam or an advanced student wanting to master improvisation and sangat, we can work on your path. I teach both in-person in Gurgaon and online, keeping the Guru-Shishya parampara as our foundation. Galti maaf if I sound too serious, but this is a lifelong sadhana for me.
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