Veena Lessons
The instrument of the Gods
Veena, Veena, Veena…..this word itself sounds sweet, pleasant & musical. While referring to the musical instruments from time of yore, we are used to the three main musical instruments as Veena, Venu, Mrudangam. While Veena represent sthe string instrument, Venu represents the wind instrument & Mrudangam represents the percussion instrument. These three type of instruments are termed as “ Tata,” Suchira”, and “Avanaddha (Taadana).
Right from the Vedic ages Veena has been acclaimed as the king of Carnatic instruments and is believed to be the only instrument capable of producing music closest to the Carnatic Vocals. It has been glorified to such an extent that it is deemed an instrument of the Gods, and in fact as an incarnation of God. This may be the reason why the Goddess of learning, Saraswati is depicted and adorned with a Veena & called “Veena-Pani”. As all the deities reside in Veena it is Sarva Mangala, because all sins are driven away.“INDIRA PATRIKAA BRAHMA TUMBURNAABHIHI SARASWATEE-DORIKO VAASUKIR JEEVAH SUDHAA MSUH SAURIKA RAVIH-The above Verse describes the deities and their places in Veena.
From the time when Vedas were first written, a Veena player has been known to be the master of Sruthis and Veena was an instrument of choice when chanting “ Veda- Mantras” especially in Sama-Veda. Over the ages Veena developed to consist of 24 frets with 4 strings along the frets and 3 strings at the side. The 4 strings depict the 4 Vedas – 1st String/Sarini: Rigvada; 2nd String/Panchama: Yajurveda; 3rd String/Mandra: Samaveda; 4th String/Anu Mandra: Atharvaveda. All the 4 strings are said to have ”shudda satva guna”. The importance of 24 frets comes due to the sound (Nada) that is produced from them.
From time immemorial Veena has been the guiding star for the development of Indian Music in general. In fact there are many resemblances between the human body (God made Veena) and man made Veena. These secrets are revealed in a book by name, “SANDHYA VANDANEEYA TATVARTHA” and “VEDA PRAKASIKE” written and published by Mr. YEDA TOREY SUBRAMANYA SARMA in the year 1936. The human back-bone (Spinal Chord) stands straight from the Mooladhara (the seat of the body) up to the head. In the top of the head exists the Brahma Randhra. Just like the 24 frets of the Veena, human back bone has 24 divisions. It is said that it is not enough to merely to know how to play Veena but one should know the secrets of the instrument and how it responds to a devoted votary.
the Veena requires a deep understanding of melody and rhythm, as well as a strong sense of creativity and improvisation.
The Veena allows for for a great deal of expressiveness and emotional depth, with the ability to convey a wide range of moods and feelings through its rich, resonant sound.
There is a reason the veena is called the instrument of the gods
A parent's perspective
- Cultural exposure: First and foremost, parents want to expose children born and brought up here in the US to get exposure to a rich cultural tradition with a deep history and heritage. By exposing toddlers to this type of music, we are helping to instill a love and appreciation for culture in them at a very early age.
- Enhanced speech: Most children that grow up in western societies are not able to pronounce quite a few of our syllables – especially rolling the ‘r’s, etc. Learning Carnatic and Hindustani music requires children at an early age to practice these producing these sounds that are unique to our Indian languages.
- Improved cognitive development: Studies have shown that early exposure to music can help improve a child’s cognitive development. This includes areas such as memory, language, and spatial reasoning — irrespective of the type of music — Western, Chinese or Classical Indian music.
- Increased creativity: Both Carnatic and Hindustani music are art forms that encourage creativity and self-expression. By exposing toddlers to this type of music, we are helping to develop their creative minds and encouraging them to think outside the box.
- Improved focus and concentration: Most importantly, learning Carnatic and Hindustani music requires focus and concentration. As toddlers practice and perform, they will develop the ability to focus and concentrate, which are helpful in all areas of their lives.
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Most of our students that attend a trial class are inspired to learn Classical Indian Music.