How to Play the Bansuri: A Manual for Self-Instruction based on the teaching of Devendra Murdeshwar

Description

This book is a Kindle version of the 2005 print edition, with a new preface and updated Appendix containing useful, more current information. Whereas the print editions circulated with an accompanying audio cd, the Kindle version includes inline play/pause buttons adjacent to the relevant text for each audio example. The book is designed to offer a comprehensive beginning course in the technique of the north Indian keyless bamboo flute. Profusely illustrated with charts, exercises, photographs of playing positions and decorative material, the manual will enable a person to appropriate authentic raga materials and methods of development, as taught by the late master flutist and flute maker, Shri Devendra Murdeshwar (1923-2000). The method and approach are taken from his own continuation of that of his guru, the innovator of the bansuri in Hindustani music, Pannalal Ghosh (1911-1960). Included are detailed explanations of the fundamentals of a number of essential top- ics in Hindustani music. These include the scalar system; the concept of raga; micro- tonal aspects; the system of teaching and learning; cyclical meter, and others. Inline audio examples demonstrate the notated examples and lessons included in the book, including a full, live-in-concert performance by Mr. Leifer of Raga Yemen, one of the ragas taught in the book. Those interested in learning this approach to the “deceptively simple” keyless, bamboo flute are likely to gain the most practical use from the book. But it may also prove especially useful to those seeking basic understanding of the structure, theory, culture, and pedagogy of the Hindustani (north Indian) approach to flute and to raga music. Review: a very nice introduction of Devendra Murdeshwar style - Even when I am not learning bansuri in this fingering style (finger tip covering holes) the teaching and approach of this book is a well developed path to learn a couple of the most basics Ragas with all the necessary exercises. it is clear though there is no substitution for a real life guru if you are serious about learning Hindustani music, since the transfer from teacher to Student can not be overlooked in this music style. I only missed some CD tracks with other different tonalities but C. I never played a C flute and most examples are related to the equivalent Bhöm silver flute. I have made some transpositions with a separate piece of software, but this should be no necessary if the tracks would be in different keys as most self-learning music books. A very nice reading book too, all related text is easy written and invites the reading. Highly recommended. Riguto Austria Review: Short, Basic, Expensive - This is a 74 page A4 printout, it's not really a 'book'; plus a CD. It introduces the Bansuri, and has 4 basic exercises to learn, and a few short compositions in Raga Yaman and Bihag. So that's about 6 things to play, not much. The CD has about a dozen tracks mostly playing the basic exercises and a couple of follow on exercises in Raga Yaman (he plays a phrase, you play a phrase). This is incredibly basic stuff with very few examples, in a printout rather than a book. Ok, the few pages that there are are good I guess, but it's a testament to how few bansuri books there are that this material costs $50+ rather than what it should cost which is $5.