I like this tune – It’s GREAT practice for learning how to use different instances of a Sur in the same composition.
It’s TOUGH ( for me anyway ) – forces me to try and stay sharp … which . as you can see I’m not quite there yet.

I also tried converting it from it’s original fast 4 beat/8 beat rhythm into a relaxed 14 beat cycle .

All in good fun. Hope you like it.

Beant Singh said it’s a modified version of a composition he heard from recordings of Ragi Samund Singh Ji.


It’s Quite upbeat , and yet touching If you read the meanings – I love it . Anyway , here’s whatever I remember from what Beant Singh sang + a few improvisations + a few mistakes. Link to the Shabad & It’s interpretation in English: http://www.sikhitothemax.com/page.asp?ShabadID=299

Heard this on youtube a week ago from a Dharna sung by Sant Sujan Singh ji . ( 4:14 onwards )
Apparently the tune’s originally from an old hindi film. I like it , so I tried playing it.

Personally I’m happier with the Audio recording in my previous post, but this still feels quite OK, so I’ve put it up.

I read in the book Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell, that true mastery of a skill is only achieved after about 10,000 hours of practice. Makes great sense.
After some rough calculations, I’m guessing that I have only about 800 hours worth of practice, including all my lessons.. hahah. ( But in all fairness, I spend quite a lot of time listening to Indian Classical Music. Ustad-ji says listening and trying to pick up nuances from other great musicians is very, very important. )

I’ve come up with 2 conclusions.
1) I can really appreciate the effort and dedication that professional musicians must to put into their practice.
2) As an enthusiast, I’m very grateful for whatever I can do now.

Mishr* – means “joined” or in this context: “mixed”.

I have observed: when there are embellishments added to a composition which don’t fit in with the generally accepted rules of that Raag, people will add Mishr to the name of the Raag. For example, when announcing what she will be singing, a performer may say Raag Mishr Darbari instead of Raag Darbari if she will be bending the rules.
Performers will also often say “this is a semi-classical piece based on Raag Darbari.”

There are also more elaborate and creative Raag mixes used in traditional Sikh music. One example from our Gurbani is Raag Gauri bhi* Sorath bhi. Which is a Mishr (joining) of Raag Gauri and Raag Sorath. I have heard a tape of the late legend, Bhai Avtar Singh Ji singing this particular combination.
When ascending along the scale – he used the notes and patterns for Raag Gauri, but when descending – he used the notes and patterns for Raag Sorath. It’s quite difficult to handle and requires much training.

Bhi* – pronounced bhee – means “also”.

Back to Raag Megh:
I heard this tune on a pretty old tape of Bhai Gurbaksh Singh Gambhir singing the Shabad: “Vin Bolia Sabh Kich Jaanda Kis Aagai Keechai Ardaas?” – it’s not Title Raag though.

I love this tune, especially when playing/singing it and thinking of what the words mean – It’s so relaxing that it gives me goosebumps.

by the way: Megh ,pronounced MAYgh, means Cloud/Clouds. Listening to Raag Megh generally generates a cooling and soothing feeling.

But of course, Ustadji Plays Raag Megh much better than I do.

The tracks have not been given any fancy made-up names. The names you see below are the names of the Raags (Ragas) used.

The suffixes 7bt , 11bt, 10bt indicate the number of beats in the rhythm cycle used.

If you’re new to Indian classical music – this album should give you a basic sense of the variety, complexity, spontaneity, and spirituality present. Maiya Singh ji’s playing style is particularly expressive.

I think all the tracks are also great for when you want to focus, relax, or sleep.

My personal favorites are Raag Megh -10 beat & Raag Alhaiya Bilawal – 10 beat.



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All audio tracks are for personal use only.
If you would like to use any of the tracks or part of the tracks as components in a personal project you are doing – please include a link to This page in your credits.
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Jam Session/Lesson Recordings

Instrumental Music for Free Download (for Personal Use only)
Right Click and choose “Save As” or “Save Link As” to save to your Computer

Ustadji Maiya Singh on Esraj or TarShehnai & Manav Singh on Tabla
The Idea was to create music that feels good to listen to. Sample tracks have been uploaded to our Myspace page.