RACTICE EXERCISES - NOTES AND FINGER/MIND TRAINING

Once you have learnt the notes SA RE GA MA PA DHA NI SA, you can begin to
practice playing the following sequences of notes below. These sequences are
called "Alankaar" or "Palta" in Hindi and mean "Ornamentation" or patterns of notes.
They can be played at varying speeds once mastered to ornament the music but as
a beginner you should learn them as slowly as possible because this will train your
brain and equip you better for playing them faster later.
The notes in red with an apostrophe before them are notes in the low register or
octave.
Notes in blue are notes in the middle register.
Notes in pink with an apostrophe after them are notes in the highest register.
I demonstrate the exercises in videos below on a G bass flute. If you have a different
flute, they will sound different in pitch.
Exercise 1
Arohan (Ascending):
Avarohan (Descending):

Exercise 2
Arohan:
DN

'P 'D 'N

'P 'D 'N S R G M P D N S' R' G' M' P'

P' M' G' R' S' N D P M G R S 'N 'D 'P

'D 'N S

'N S R

SRG

RGM

GMP

MPD

D N S'
Avarohan:
PMG

P' M' G'

MGR

Exercise 3
Arohan:

N S' R'

S' R' G'

M' G' R'

GRS

R' G' M'

G' R' S'

R S 'N

R' S' N

S 'N 'D

G' M' P'

S' N D

NDP

DPM

'N 'D 'P

'P 'D 'N S

'D 'N S R

'N S R G

SRGM

MPDN

P D N S'

D N S' R'

N S' R' G'

RGMP

GMPD

S' R' G' M'

R' G'

M' P'
Avarohan:
PM

P' M' G' R'

DPMG

M' G' R' S'

PMGR

G' R' S' N

MGRS

R' S' N D

G R S 'N

S' N D P

R S 'N 'D

ND

S 'N 'D 'P

Exercise 4
Arohan:
R' S'

Avarohan:
R RS

'D 'P

'N 'D

S 'N

G' R'

M' G'

P' M'

P' M'

M' G'

G' R'

S 'N

'N 'D

'D 'P

RS

R' S'

GR

MG

S' N

ND

PM

DP

DP

PM

ND

S' N

MG

Exercise 5
Arohan:
G

'P 'N 'D 'P

MDPM
Avarohan:
G

S' G' R' S'

RMGR

'D S 'N 'D

PNDP

'N R S 'N

D S' N D

N R' S' N

SGRS

SGRS

N R' S' N

D S' N D

'N R S 'N

PNDP

'D S 'N 'D

RMGR

GPM

S' G' R' S'

MDPM

GPM

'P 'N 'D 'P

The following exercises require the use of the tongue. So you can play the same
note multiple times but by saying "ta' or "ta-ta-ta" when you blow into the flute. Try
producing the following:
Exercise 6
Arohan:
'P'P
R'R'

Avarohan:
RR SS

'D'D

'N'N

G'G'

M'M'

P'P'

P'P'

M'M'

G'G'

SS

R'R'

RR

S'S'

GG

NN

MM

DD

PP

PP

DD

MM

NN

S'S'

GG

'N'N

'D'D

Exercise 7
Arohan:
'P'P'P'P

PPPP
Avarohan:

G'G'G'G'
PPPP
'P'P'P'P

'P'P

'D'D'D'D

DDDD

'N'N'N'N

NNNN

R'R'R'R'
MMMM

S'S'S'S'

S'S'S'S'

GGGG

SSSS

RRRR

R'R'R'R'

NNNN

RRRR

GGGG

MMMM

G'G'G'G'

DDDD

SSSS

'N'N'N'N

'D'D'D'D

You can also make up your own alankaars. Here are a few more suggestions of
various combinations:
Up:
Down:

SR RG GM........and so on
S'N ND DP........

Up:
Down:

RS GR MG........
NS' DN PD.......

Up:
Down:

SG RM GP.......
S'D NP DM.......

Up:
Down:

GRS MGR PMG........

DNS' PDN MPD........

Up:
Down:

SGR RMG GPM......

S'DN NPD DMP........

Up:
Down:

GSR MRG PGM........

DS'N PND MDP........

Up:
Down:

SGRS RMGR
S'DNS' NPDN

GPMG........
DMPD.......

Up:
Down:

SRSRG
S'NS'ND

RGRGM
NDNDP

GMGMP........
DPDPM........

Up:
Down:

SRGRS RGMGR
S'NDNS' NDPDN

GMPMG.........
DPMPD.........

Up:
Down:

SRGSRGM
S'NDS'NDP

RGMRGMP GMPGMPD.......
NDPNDPM DPMDPMG.......

Many combinations are possible. Just taking the 4 notes Sa Re Ga Ma, we can get
some of the following sequences and more:
SRGM
SRMG
SGRM
SMRG
SGMR
RGMS
SMGR
RMGS
RSGM
RGSM
RMSG
MSRG
GRSM
MRSG
GMSR
MRGS etc etc..........
It is also possible to practice these alankaars with grace notes. A grace note is when
you play a note for a very short time compared with other notes - it is a flicker of that
note. You literally tap the hole of the note - on and off very quickly. For example, you
could play : S R G (R) G - The (R) is the grace note. So when you play this
sequence of notes you will play Sa Re Ga then you will tap your finger on and off the
grace note, in this case the Re hole very quickly then playing Ga normally. Try to
play the grace notes in the following practice exercises:

SRG (R) G

RGM (G) M

SG (R) G R

RM (G) M G

SG (R) GRS

GP (M) P M.................

RM (G) MGR

SRGRG (R) GR
SRG (R) GRS

GMP (M) P..................

GP (M) PMG...............

RGMGM (G) MG
RGM (G) MGR

GMPMP (M) PM.................

GMP (M) PMG................

S ('D) S

R (S) R

G (R) G

P (G) P

D (P) D

S' (D) S'

S' (D) S'

D (P) D

P (G) P

G (R) G

R (S) R

S ('D)