Live Recording Of An Upcoming Fusion Band, KASP - Instrumental Fusion Options

[bibhas]

And Bibhas Ji.....Aap kab hamen apni Baansuri sunane waale hain??? And wanted to ask you something more......I'm very keen on learning the basics of the Baansuri.....have got two at home... (Dad has started learning just 6 months back....his first ever try at learning music....AT THIS AGE!!!!! Preety Ji......Suna aapne??? ) And I'm very keen to learn the basics.....aage kuch toh trykar hi loonga....lekin pehle basics toh seekhna hai....Can you help me out in any way??? [/b]

Absolutely Shyam. But first let's get some specifics right. What kind of bansuri is it ( 6-hole, 7-hole, 8-hole ?) and more importantly what style are you interested in learning ? If it is carnatic, I won't be of much use but if it is Hindustani, I can do my bit. Let me know.

[Talaikya]

:THE LOOK: Why don't I hear a flute at the other place??? :THE LOOK:

[bibhas]

:THE LOOK: Why don't I hear a flute at the other place??? :THE LOOK:

Bahut Jald T, Bahut Jald. Maine apna first item record bhi kar diya hai. Usko ek baar memo recorder mein se comp mein utaar ke doosri jagah pe pesh karoonga.

[gkshyam]

Bibhas: Well.....just re-confirmed it for you......Well......it is an 8-holed Flute. (there is another flute also.....which unfortunately Dad has taken to office.....But as far as I know that is also an 8-holed flute only.....) And yes.....I am very interested in learning Hindustani style......Toh Guruji......kab shuruwaat kar rahe hain???

PS: Any other detials if you want, can confirm the same for you.

T'Ji: Dekha aapne...Bibhas kaise 'suspense' build up kar rahe hain?? Ahbi bhi sirf 'ITEM' keh rahe hain......abhi tak yeh nahin bataaya ki woh surprise 'different' item hai kya....Well..With Bibhas.....it could be anything...right???

[bibhas]

Bibhas: Well.....just re-confirmed it for you......Well......it is an 8-holed Flute. (there is another flute also.....which unfortunately Dad has taken to office.....But as far as I know that is also an 8-holed flute only.....) And yes.....I am very interested in learning Hindustani style......Toh Guruji......kab shuruwaat kar rahe hain???

PS: Any other detials if you want, can confirm the same for you.

Shyam,
An 8-holed flute is designed for playing in carnatic style. While it can be used for playing hindustani as well, the fingering is going to be very different as compared to the standard hindustani fingering. Hindustani flutes are typically 6- or 7-holed with Sa played as top three holes closed. Carnatic flutes are typically smaller and Sa is played with top two holes closed. Since you're already trained in classical music, you should be able to play the notes by "ear", so I don't think it'll be a problem. However, if you're serious, I'd recommend getting a hindustani flute as it becomes easier later on with meend etc.
Bibhas

[Talaikya]

T'Ji: Dekha aapne...Bibhas kaise 'suspense' build up kar rahe hain?? Ahbi bhi sirf 'ITEM' keh rahe hain......abhi tak yeh nahin bataaya ki woh surprise 'different' item hai kya....Well..With Bibhas.....it could be anything...right??? [/b]

Dekha... suna... a wonderful surprise indeed. Aap ki technical difficulties sulhjhi ki abhi bhi uljhan hi uljhan hain??

[aahat]

[b] Hi all....Thanks Again for your replies....Really means a lot to me!!!
Aahat Ji: Toh aap kal office mein baithkar yeh gaana sunte rahe???? Wah....Isse bada taareef hamari aur kya ho sakti hai.....Glad to know that you like it so much......Well....I had promised you at TV-Life.....that I will upload it for you......Kyun..Waada Nibhaaya na??? (Will see what can be done about the Video.....Lets see if someone at HF comes up with a Combo-Thread of "Beastality & Sur Mein Na Sahi".....Might be more 'apt' for me to put it up there.....Hehehe.....as no one has seen me as yet.... ......or else....PM toh hai hi....Lets See what progress happens on that front anyways.... )

I am eager to see the video too. I am shifting to another place, so have been busy with other things. And will be out too for a couple of weeks or so. So please PM me if you happen to post your performances.

[gkshyam]

Wow Bibhas!!!! That was fantastic......great to finally hear you.... .....Looking forward for more!!!

Well, as I mentioned I'm definitely serious about learning Hindustani.......Have checked the other flutes too........ (there were total 3.....sorry)......the second one.....is a 'small-sized' one....but with 8-continuous holes........and the third is a long,big one (Like the first one) ........but is having the 8 holes "spaced out" in a Three-Three-Two pattern.......... Are these pointers of any help???? (can the last one be used as a 6-holed flute as well......just asking....going by the deliberate pattern used in the making....) Or else.....will go in for a 6/7 holed flute........Do advise me.....after going through the 'observations' mentioned above...

Talaikya Ji: hmm....Jaise hamne doosre thread mein kaha,.......abhi tak poori tarah se uljhan se baahar nahin nikal sake.....par....shaayad...ab bahut jald nikal jaayenge......Fir u/l karne ki kya der hai Waise......aapne bilkul theekh kaha......humne woh 'surprise item' aaj hi suna......that was simply tooo good ..wasn't it??? Well.....as I said earlier.....with such a talented guy like Bibhas....it could just be anything......And he proved me so right.....now eagerly awaiting "more surprises" from him

Aahat: Thanks so much sir!!! Will definitely let you know through PM, if I happen to upload anything (Or else, better still, what if I PM you the video itself??? ) (waise......hope you aren't confused.....this is not a music video......this is a live concert video.... )
And I'm sure you are going to be laughing like mad on seeing it......I've 'moved' my head throughout like anything......(still feels so embarassing to see myself like that.....never knew before that I used to 'move' my head so much while playing..... ) and hence PM seems a much 'safer' option....than u/l at the forum.....what say??? (the laughter and my embarrasment is restricted to one person alone na.....and I don't end up being 'publicly' laughed at... )

[bibhas]

Wow Bibhas!!!! That was fantastic......great to finally hear you.... .....Looking forward for more!!!

Well, as I mentioned I'm definitely serious about learning Hindustani.......Have checked the other flutes too........ (there were total 3.....sorry)......the second one.....is a 'small-sized' one....but with 8-continuous holes........and the third is a long,big one (Like the first one) ........but  is having the 8 holes "spaced out" in a Three-Three-Two pattern.......... Are these pointers of any help???? (can the last one be used as a 6-holed flute as well......just asking....going by the deliberate pattern used in the making....) Or else.....will go in for a 6/7 holed flute........Do advise me.....after going through the 'observations' mentioned above...

Shyam,
Thanks for the nice words- both here and "there". Based on what you describe, all 3 are carnatic flutes. The reason why the hole placement differs on the bigger flute is simply to get the notes right. As I said, you can certainly start off with the big flute, see how you like it and then buy a hindustani flute. Being in Bombay, you can certainly get very good qualty hindustani flutes.
Ok, here is Lesson #1.
Hold the flute sideways and position the blowing hole. The blowing hole should be almost at the exact center of the lower lip. The flute should be placed under the lip and not 'on' the lip. It actually doesn't matter whether you hold the flute on the left side of your body or on the right side. Don't hold the flute too hard. Try to pull both your little fingers down. It automatically increases the pressure of the ring finger on the flute. Curve your fingers along the body of flute. It helps in a better grip. Press the flute firmly on the lower side of the lip. When you cover the holes, try to do so with the middle of the fingers rather than the fingertips (it becomes easier to learn this way when you move on to long bass flutes). When you open all the holes, use the little finger of the hand away from the blowing hole to support.
First thing to do is to try to produce a consistent note from the flute in shruti. Close the first two holes near the blowing hole and blow smoothly. It takes a while before sound comes, keep practicing and try to change the angle between your lip and the flute. I'm sure your dad can help you with the grip and blow since he's already learning it. Once you are able to play a note, try to tune an electronic (or a real) tanpura to that note. That will be your Sa. (For a hindustani flute, the Sa is played by closing the first three holes). Now try to play the Sa consistently trying to match its tune with the Tanpura. Once you achieve this, we can go to Lesson # 2.

[Talaikya]

Talaikya Ji: hmm....Jaise hamne doosre thread mein kaha,.......abhi tak poori tarah se uljhan se baahar nahin nikal sake.....par....shaayad...ab bahut jald nikal jaayenge......Fir u/l karne ki kya der hai Waise......aapne bilkul theekh kaha......humne woh 'surprise item' aaj hi suna......that was simply tooo good ..wasn't it??? Well.....as I said earlier.....with such a talented guy like Bibhas....it could just be anything......And he proved me so right.....now eagerly awaiting "more surprises" from him

Aahat: Thanks so much sir!!! Will definitely let you know through PM, if I happen to upload anything (Or else, better still, what if I PM you the video itself??? ) (waise......hope you aren't confused.....this is not a music video......this is a live concert video.... )
And I'm sure you are going to be laughing like mad on seeing it......I've 'moved' my head throughout like anything......(still feels so embarassing to see myself like that.....never knew before that I used to 'move' my head so much while playing..... ) and hence PM seems a much 'safer' option....than u/l at the forum.....what say??? (the laughter and my embarrasment is restricted to one person alone na.....and I don't end up being 'publicly' laughed at... )[/b]

Yep... waiting for more surprises from Bibhas ji and Shyam ji Ghanshyam ji!! Well... go ahead and upload the video, a little nodding/ bobbing/ moving of head doesn't faze us you know, and I am sure you can laugh at yourself na?? You sound like you could... , bring it on!!

[gkshyam]

Hehehe.......T'Ji.....well....I sure can laugh at myself.....But I guess I really missed some great amount of fun at the "Beastality" thread that you are talking about......Now...I'm waiting for a combo-thread of Beastality+SurMeinNaSahi.......because that will be more apt a place to u/l the video...... (Btw......Yeh Beastality thread kahaan hai?? Would love to go through it, even if the u/ls arent there..... )

Bibhas........Yes.....I have already started to work on the First lesson that you have given.....Trying to get the sound right......After a few tries......could get the "Sa" out.....but would prefer a better sound, a bit more 'loud' and smooth.........The trial is on.....Lets see how well I get on with it..... [Btw..I'm keeping the flute to the left of my body, feeling more comfortable that way....And another thing......To get the first "Sa"....I was not able to get any proper sound by covering the 2 holes - towards the blowing hole....with the middle of my fingers (which should be my right hand's index and middle finger...Right???) And hence tried again, with the fingertips......But I'm sure.....once I'm more comfortable with handling of the instrument, I'll start using the middle of my fingers.....) Your take and advice on this????

[Talaikya]

Hehehe.......T'Ji.....well....I sure can laugh at myself.....But I guess I really missed some great amount of fun at the "Beastality" thread that you are talking about......Now...I'm waiting for a combo-thread of Beastality+SurMeinNaSahi.......because that will be more apt a place  to u/l the video...... (Btw......Yeh Beastality thread kahaan hai?? Would love to go through it, even if the u/ls arent there..... )

Well, after a while, since some of us were getting a bit uncomfortable with our pictures being there, Pradeep ji waved his wand and "vanished" the thread. Without the uploads, it wouldn't be the same. I'd say let's just move on and we'll find fun along the way eh?

Apt place huh?? Well let's just say... darte ho!! Chit O Chat is always an apt place for anything na??!!

Chalo I'll let you get back to your flute lessons, good luck with them.

[bibhas]

Bibhas........Yes.....I have already started to work on the First lesson that you have given.....Trying to get the sound right......After a few tries......could get the "Sa" out.....but would prefer a better sound, a bit more 'loud' and smooth.........The trial is on.....Lets see how well I get on with it..... [Btw..I'm keeping the flute to the left of my body, feeling more comfortable that way....And another thing......To get the first "Sa"....I was not able to get any proper sound by covering the 2 holes - towards the blowing hole....with the middle of my fingers (which should be my right hand's index and middle finger...Right???) And hence tried again, with the fingertips......But I'm sure.....once I'm more comfortable with handling of the instrument, I'll start using the middle of my fingers.....) Your take and advice on this????

Good start Shyam. I think I know why you had better luck with fingertips than the middle of the fingers. Can you tell me what is the size of the flute you are playing - length and diameter ? Smaller flutes are easy to play with fingertips. No harm, you can play it that way too and if you find it comfortable doing it that way on longer flutes, then that's fine as well. There's no hard and fast rule.

[gkshyam]

BoohooHoo... Thats soo bad.....the thread's VANISHED!!!!!!!! OH No......No wonder when I spent so much time on the Forum search engine, couldn't get anything on that.....(except OUR posts here ABOUT that thread... ) I would have loved to check that out.......Toh kya hua.....pics nahin hai toh......atleast by reading others comments....kuch toh clue milta....(Remember....Shyam - the THINKER??? ) And its always fun to read the posts......

Well......TTG...first...you say....... some of you were getting "Uncomfortable" with JUST your PICS out there......And you are having the guts to pull my leg about uploading a whole video itself.....???? (Video is much much more than a PIC.......yeh toh aapko pata hoga hi... ) (Especialy with me moving my head....so silly......Aap ke pics toh still hoti hai... ) Again.....it isn't that bad.....like 'shaking' the head...and bad body language on stage....(like some of the artistes have)......its just....that...(dunno how and why)..I got a bit too involved....and was 'into' the mood....(more of a 'trance'??? ) and was moving my head as I played.....But yes.....it definitely WAS damn embarassing to know that about myself on watching the video for the first time....I felt very 'wrong' about it....and started working on getting better 'control' of myself ...... ...... (sochiye agar aap meri jagah hote toh kaisa lagta... )

Yes TTG.......you bet......with such a great Guru like Bibhas......you can very well imagine how well the lessons would be going..... Yes Bibhas ...I'm really working hard on it....tremendously enjoying the experience... And just now checked (measured) the dimensions of the flute for you.....Its 18 1/2 Inches in length....and 1 cm in Diameter.... (including the wooden exterior)....Is that info of any use??? Did I measure the right way??? PLsss let me know more on this....

[bibhas]

Yes TTG.......you bet......with such a great Guru like Bibhas......you can very well imagine how well the lessons would be going..... Yes Bibhas ...I'm really working hard on it....tremendously enjoying the experience... And just now checked (measured) the dimensions of the flute for you.....Its 18 1/2 Inches in length....and 1 cm in Diameter.... (including the wooden exterior)....Is that info of any use??? Did I measure the right way??? PLsss let me know more on this....

Yaar, kaahe ko sharminda karte ho, main koi great-wate nahiin hoon. I am already wondering how I will be able to translate the fingering from a 6-hole flute to an 8-hole flute. I am kinda banking on your classically trained ear for that. Measurements seem ok, proves my hypothesis. You'll have better luck using fingertips with this flute, so keep it that way. Like I said, the important thing is playing the note right.
Bibhas
p.s. Come to think of it, instead of taxing my already senile brain, why not use the fingering your Dad uses ? After all, the swaras are same whether it is CM or HM, right ?