Learn
New to the sitar? Start at the top and work down — this path is built so each piece leans on the one before it. Already have a question in mind? Jump to whichever section covers it; every article stands on its own too. Prefer lessons, tools, games, and songs mixed into one guided sequence, or want to see what "done" looks like? Try the tabs below.
New to sitar? Start with the FAQ — cost, timelines, whether you need a teacher, and everything else people ask before their first lesson.
All three levels
Foundations
You can get a real sound out of the instrument and read what a raga is telling you.
- Read all 15 posts across "Start here" and "Learning to read a raga"
- Score 70%+ practicing at least 1 raga's aroha, avaroha, and pakad on Practice
Raga Player
You can perform a raga's core material and place it inside a real performance.
- Read all 23 posts, adding "How a performance comes together" and "Building real technique"
- Score 70%+ on at least 5 ragas
- Try every game at least once
Performer
You've worked the whole curriculum and built real repertoire.
- Read all 31 Learn posts
- Score 70%+ on at least 10 ragas
Definition of done, by section
Start here
You can sit comfortably with the instrument, get a clean sound from any of the twelve swara positions, and describe what riyaz and ear training actually involve.
Learning to read a raga
Given a new raga's aroha and avaroha, you can name its thaat and identify its vadi and samvadi without looking them up.
How a performance comes together
You can follow a real performance's arc — alap into gat — and hear a tihai land, and explain what a mukhda is doing.
Building real technique
Your alankars stay even as tempo increases, and you can hear the difference meend and gamak make in a recording.
Caring for your instrument
You know what counts as routine maintenance you can do yourself, and what genuinely needs a technician.
History and lineage
You can place a recording's broad era and style, and explain why gharana matters to how a raga gets played.