01 · 8 MIN · BEGINNER
Meet the seven notes
Open the harmonium, find Sa, and hear how the home note anchors a melody.
→Full course
35 lessons in four levels
Every lesson has notes you can play, Gurbani checked word for word, and a matching tool or Shabad. 15–20 minutes a day is enough.
1
Level 1: Foundation
12 lessons · 1–2 months
See the lessons
2
Level 2: Growing
8 lessons · 2–3 months
3
Level 3: Refining
8 lessons · 3–4 months
4
Level 4: Mastery
7 lessons · A lifetime
For parents and teachers
- For children from about 7 with a grown-up nearby, teenagers and adults. No music knowledge needed.
- You need a harmonium if you have one; otherwise the on-screen harmonium works for every lesson.
- 15–20 minutes a day. Move on only when an exercise plays three times without a mistake.
- Free, with no sign-up. Nothing you record leaves your device.
- Raag forms and reets differ between traditions: confirm raag, reet and maryada with your Kirtan teacher.
Starter · 4 mini-lessons
A 10-minute taste before Lesson 1.
These four mini-lessons are the first taste of Level 1 of the full course. They use D as Sa.
02 · 10 MIN · BEGINNER
Follow a melody
Learn three short timed phrases, one at a time, from the printable starter sheet.
→03 · 15 MIN · PRACTICE
Try the harmonium
Practise one phrase slowly with the glowing keys, then join the three together.
→04 · 12 MIN · SINGING
Sing with the Shabad
Join clear words, a steady breath and a comfortable melody.
→The little practice room
Feel each note before you sing it.
Big keys, clear sounds, and one friendly phrase at a time. Tap any note below, or let the lesson play the pattern slowly.
1
Listen firstThe note plays clearly before you try.
2
Copy the patternFollow the light, one key at a time.
3
Sing it your wayRepeat or slow the phrase whenever needed.
Your first Sargam
Slow practice · 60 bpmListen for this note
SaD4 · Sa
Sa Re Ga MaReady when you are
Try itFree practice tools
Practise every day with tanpura, tabla and more.
Thirteen tools that work on any phone or computer, in English and Punjabi. Nothing is uploaded.
TanpuraA steady Sa drone to sing with.Tabla Taal PlayerKeherva, Dadra, Teentaal at any speed.On-screen HarmoniumEvery key shows its sargam.Sur PracticeSing and see if you are in tune.Alankar TrainerPalte up and down in any raag.Ear Training QuizHear Sa, name the swara.Raag LibraryAll 31 raags of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji.Shabad NotationSargam with words; play and print.
A special practice tool
Find the notes in a Gurbani Kirtan you love.
Choose an audio or video file from your device. The Key Finder follows the melody and shows the harmonium keys in Sargam, Gurmukhi, and Western note names. Your Gurbani Kirtan audio stays on your device.
“One note at a time, the Shabad finds a home in the heart.”Listen · learn · sing together
The book
Harmonium & Gurbani Kirtan — the printed book is coming soon
Every chapter is already free here as a lesson. Follow the WhatsApp channel to hear when the book and the Riyaz Diary are ready.
Meet the harmonium — interactive (tap its parts and hear what they do)
Lesson zero · Meet your instrument
Before the first note, know the harmonium.
See the part. Hear what it does. Tap a label to learn its name, job, and what a young learner should do.
Tap a numbered glow on the harmonium
Air moves through the instrumentSound comes out
1
Bellows · ਧੌਂਕਣੀ
Your left hand moves the outer bellows to send air inside. Use a long, gentle stroke; the bellows hand gives air while the other hand chooses notes.
Try: press one key and keep its sound even while the bellows move slowly.
A good seat makes practice easier
Set up your body before the bellows.
Sit on a cushion or chair—choose what feels steady. Keep the harmonium stable, your shoulders soft, and the playing wrist level. Stop if anything hurts; ask a grown-up to adjust the height.
1Sit tall but not stiff. Let both shoulders drop.
2Place the keyboard in easy reach. Keep your elbows soft.
3Rest curved fingers lightly on the keys; do not hit them.
4Let the bellows hand move freely. Keep the instrument from sliding.
A grown-up should help with latches, unfamiliar stops, or moving a heavy harmonium. Never touch the reeds inside.
Ready to learn together
The playing posture
01 → 02Give each hand one clear job.
01
LEFT HAND · BELLOWS
Keep the elbow gently bent. Rest the thumb on the upper-left wooden corner; use the index, middle and ring fingers to move the bellows.
02
RIGHT HAND · KEYS
Curve your fingers softly. Press each key with the finger pad, using only a little pressure.
Keyboard map · one octave
Find C by the pair of black keys.
Black keys repeat in groups of two and three. C is the white key just to the left of a pair. Tap any key to hear it. This is a note map; these starter lessons use D as Sa.
12semitones in one octave7 white · 5 black
← C is left of the pairD · lesson Sa→ next C
Tap a key to hear its note.
Bellows hand
Rest your thumb on the upper-left wooden corner. Use the index, middle, and ring fingers to move the bellows with a gently bent elbow.
Playing hand
Chooses and gently presses the notes. Keep fingers relaxed and close to the keys.
Try the steady-air challenge
With one main stop open, hold a comfortable note. Move the bellows slowly for four long counts; do not pump on every note. If the tone wobbles, slow down and make the stroke smaller.
First sound · 2 minutes
The long Sa
With a grown-up nearby, open one main stop, press one comfortable key, and count slowly to eight. Keep the air and sound as even as you can. This web demo plays a reference Sa; your real harmonium is the practice instrument.
