How to Write Hindustani Classical Songs

You want a bandish that lands like a punchline in a crowded mehfil. You want a melody that unfolds like a confession and lyrics that feel like someone stole your diary. Hindustani classical music lives in improvisation, tradition, and an almost embarrassing depth of feeling. Writing within that world means respecting the rules that give it shape while also adding your voice so the piece breathes like it belongs to right now.

This guide is for curious songwriters who love melody and story and who want to create original compositions in the Hindustani classical style or strong bandishes to perform or collaborate on. Everything is explained without assuming you already speak tabla or Sanskrit. We define key terms as we go and give real life scenarios so you can understand how to compose like a classical artist without sounding like a clueless tourist. Expect practical templates, lyric tricks, notation tips, vocal ornamentation explained plainly, and exercises you can use today.

What Is a Hindustani Classical Song

Hindustani classical music is an umbrella for a tradition of north Indian art music that uses ragas for melody and talas for rhythm. It is primarily improvisational. A fixed composition in this tradition is called a bandish. Bandish means a composed piece of music that provides a framework for improvisation. Think of a bandish like a skeleton and the improvisation like the skin and muscles that make it move in performance.

Forms you will encounter

• Dhrupad A very old, austere form with strong emphasis on alaap and rhythmic discipline. Usually slow and meditative.
• Khayal The most common modern form used by classical vocalists. It combines long alaap and expansive improvisation with a composed bandish that appears in a slow and a fast tempo.
• Thumri Lyrical and romantic or devotional. It places more weight on expression and words than strict raga purity.
• Tarana Uses mnemonic syllables such as ta na dere and focuses on rhythmic interplay and speed.
• Dadra and Tappa Shorter semi classical forms with their own rhythmic feels and lyrical styles.

If you are coming from pop, think of raga as a key plus mood plus a set of allowed melodic moves and tala as the time signature but with personality. The bandish is the song hook. Improvisation makes the hook feel like it keeps revealing itself.

Basic Terminology You Must Know

We will define terms using plain language and one example so you never get lost when a teacher starts speaking fast.

• Raga A raga is a melodic framework. It includes a scale but also rules about which notes to emphasize and characteristic phrases. It creates a mood. Example Raga Yaman is often evening romantic and uses a raised fourth note.
• Tala Tala is the rhythmic cycle. It is a repeated pattern of beats. Example Teental is 16 beats grouped four four four four. Each tala has a sam which is the first and strongest beat of the cycle.
• Bandish The composed song inside a raga and tala. It has a mukhda which is the first phrase that anchors the listener and an antara which often functions like the second verse.
• Mukhda The opening line or musical phrase of a bandish that returns and is easy to identify.
• Antara The secondary phrase that usually moves higher or explores a different part of the raga.
• Alaap Slow, rhythm free exploration of the raga. Voice or instrument paints the raga slowly before the bandish appears.
• Sargam Singing note names. Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni Sa corresponds roughly to do re mi fa so la ti do.
• Vadi and Samvadi Vadi is the most important note in a raga. Samvadi is the second most important note. They are like melody magnets.
• Bols The syllables used for tabla or percussive syllables in tarana and compositions.
• Sahitya The lyrics of the bandish. Words are often in Hindi, Urdu, Brajbhasha, or Awadhi but can be in other languages if you respect the style.
• Gharana A lineage or school of style. Gharana matters for feel and ornament use but is not a rule that prevents freshness. It is a local accent you study and optionally borrow from respectfully.

How to Choose a Raga

Choosing a raga is like choosing an outfit for an emotional mood. You want the raga to match the feeling of the lyrics and the context of the performance. You also want a raga that fits your vocal range. Some ragas are intimate and plaintive. Others are bright and declarative. Picking wrong can make your lyrics awkward or your melody boring.

Quick way to choose

1. Decide the mood you want. Calm and devotional. Night time longing. Playful mischief.
2. Pick two candidate ragas that match that mood. Example for longing try Bhairavi or Yaman depending on day night context.
3. Sing a cheap hummed melody in each raga for five minutes. See which one lets your phrase breathe naturally.

Real life scenario

You want to write a love bandish that sounds like a late night message that never got sent. Try Raga Yaman if you want a regal evening tenderness. Try Raga Bhairavi if you want a more raw, heart on sleeve feeling. Sing an opening line like mujhe teri yaad satati hai sung in both ragas and notice which version feels like it belongs to your voice.

Picking the Right Tala

Tala sets the groove and space for lyrical phrasing. You must think in tala like a poet thinks in meter. Each tala has its sam which is the anchor. When the mukhda hits the sam it lands like a punchline. If your lyric keeps missing the sam the listener will feel off even if they cannot explain why.

Common tala choices

• Teental 16 beats. Very common in khayal. Feels steady and balanced.
• Ektaal 12 beats. Good for expansive phrases with a slightly different symmetry.
• Jhaptaal 10 beats. Has a more angular feel.
• Dadra 6 beats. Great for light romantic or semi classical bandishes.
• Keherwa 8 beats. Often used for lighter compositions and some fusion.

How to test a tala for your bandish

1. Set a tabla loop or metronome to the tala. Tap the sam with your foot so you always know where it is.
2. Sing the mukhda slowly and place the main lyric stress on the sam. If the words feel crowded, choose a tala with larger groups of beats or rework your lyric meter.
3. Practice aligning the end of phrases to sam so the listener hears the resolution.

Writing the Sahitya: Tips for Classical Lyrics

Sahitya means words and poetry. Classical lyrics are often short and evocative. They leave space for the singer to paint. They rely on imagery and repeated motifs. The language choices and dialect create color. A thumri often uses Brajbhasha for its rustic flavor. Ghazal borrows Urdu for melancholy and irony. Khayal bandish can use highbrow or folk words depending on gharana and mood.

Lyric building template

1. Write one sentence in plain modern speech that states the emotional idea. Example I miss you at night.
2. Turn that sentence into two short poetic lines that have meter to fit your chosen tala. Keep them concrete. Use object, time, and an action. Example The lantern guttered at dusk. Your name whispered in the tea steam.
3. Create a mukhda phrase that can be repeated and that lands on the sam. Make it melodically catchy. Example mukhda mujhe teri yaad sataati hai.
4. Write an antara that raises the melodic energy and adds a new image or detail. Save the reveal for the antara so the mukhda remains the earworm.

Prosody rules

• Match stresses in words with strong beats. If a heavy syllable lands on a weak beat, rewrite so phrasing feels natural when sung.
• Avoid long clauses that require complex breath control early in the line. Classical singing demands breath planning.
• Use repetition and ring phrases. Repeating a short line across cycles helps memory and gives the improviser a landing space.

Relatable example

Imagine sending a text that says I miss you. A bandish should not be a literal text. It should be the scene behind the text. Example: mukhda The streetlight writes your name on the balcony. antara I fold the letter three times and keep it in my palm.

Structure of a Bandish

A typical khayal bandish has two main parts the mukhda and the antara. The mukhda is the head phrase and is often repeated many times. The antara explores higher notes or alternate melodic ideas.

• Mukhda The hook. It lands on the sam. It can be short and repeated or contain a small melodic sentence.
• Antara The second movement. Often rises in pitch or explores the middle octave. It provides contrast.
• Often a bandish will appear first at vilambit tempo slow tempo for exploration then in drut the faster tempo for virtuosic display.

Tip for modern composers

If you come from a popular songwriting background you can treat the mukhda like a chorus and the antara like a verse. But do not force four line stanzas into a tala that does not support them. Classical phrasing breathes differently.

Melodic Craft: Raga Rules Without Being a Robot

Each raga has rules such as its arohana or ascending scale and its avarohana or descending scale. It also has characteristic phrases and note emphasis. You must learn the rules so you can bend them with intention. Breaking raga rules without reason sounds like a mistake. Breaking them with purpose sounds modern and powerful.

How to create a melody in a raga

1. Write your mukhda melody using only notes allowed in the raga. Sing slowly along with a tanpura drone so the raga center stays present.
2. Emphasize the vadi and samvadi notes. These are the emotional anchors.
3. Include one characteristic phrase of the raga early so the listener understands the mood. This is called chalan or signature movement.
4. Keep melodic lines singable. Classical voice ornamentation can add complexity later. The composed skeleton should feel natural when sung straight.

Example

For Raga Yaman keep the raised fourth Ma tivra as a signature note and use phrases that climb to Ga Pa and resolve to Sa. Listen to a lot of recordings in Yaman and pick simple phrases you can weave into your mukhda.

Ornamentation Explained: How to Use Meend Gamak and Murki

Ornamentation is the seasoning of classical melody. It makes a phrase breathe and sing in a human way.

• Meend A glide between notes. Use it to connect notes in a phrase so the line feels like a sentence instead of separate words.
• Gamak A shaking or oscillation of a note. Use it sparingly to show emphasis or strong emotion.
• Murki A fast decorative turn using short notes. Use it for playful relief or to ornament the end of a phrase.
• Kan A grace note with a quick touch on a neighboring note. It gives nuance and color.

How to practice

1. Sing your mukhda plain. Record it.
2. Add one ornament at a time to the recording and listen with the plain version to decide what serves the lyric.
3. Remember voice health. Heavy gamaks and long melismas require training. Do not pretend to be a virtuoso on day one.

Rhythmic Play: Layakari and Tihai

Classical singing interacts with tabla through rhythmic play called layakari and rhythmic cadences called tihai. Layakari means playing with rhythm against the tala such as singing in three notes across two beats. Tihai is a phrase repeated three times that lands on the sam. These tools make your bandish performance dramatic and satisfying.

How to use a tihai in writing

1. Write a short rhythmic motif that fits your raga melody.
2. Repeat it three times so the total length adds up to a number of beats that lines up with the sam. This usually takes simple math and practice with a tabla or metronome.
3. Use the tihai as a punctuation mark at the end of an improvisation to return to the mukhda.

Quick relatable scene

A tihai is like the drop in a party song where everyone jumps on the same word. Imagine the whole mehfil holding breath and then clapping as your tihai lands on sam. That is the moment your bandish gets remembered.

Notation and Documentation

Not everyone reads classical notation. You can document in sargam with short staff like Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni Sa and mark ornaments and tala alignment. Another useful method is to write the lyrics with syllable spacing that shows beat placement. Use a simple table with tala counts to make rehearsal with tabla easier.

Notation template

Record every rehearsal. Your composed bandish will morph in practice. The recording protects your idea.

Collaborating With Tabla and Tanpura

Tanpura provides the drone. Tabla provides rhythmic structure and interaction. When you compose a bandish think about how your lines leave space for tabla answers. Work with the tabla player early so you can place tihais and layakari comfortably.

Practical rehearsal plan

1. Bring a skeleton bandish and a clear tala choice. Sing slowly with tanpura drone.
2. Ask the tabla player to play the basic theka or pattern. Theka means the basic stroke pattern that defines the tala.
3. Try different placements of the mukhda on the sam and adjust lyrics if necessary.
4. Practice one tihai together until the landing feels natural.

Recording and Producing a Classical Bandish

Recording classical music needs space and presence. Keep the arrangement sparse. The tanpura drone should be present but unobtrusive. Tabla should be recorded cleanly and allowed to breathe. Vocals are the main event and should be recorded with a mic that flatters but does not over color the voice.

Modern production choices

• Keep reverb natural. Too much studio reverb hides the micro phrasing that is essential in classical singing.
• Consider a minimal string pad under the tanpura to make the recording accessible for new listeners. Do not add heavy synths that clash with raga phrasing.
• If you produce fusion pieces do not bury the bandish in drums. Keep the mukhda clear and let the tabla interplay shine.

Legal and Cultural Respect

Hindustani classical music is a living tradition. Study and credit your teachers and influences. If you borrow a phrase strongly associated with a guru or gharana mention it. If you quote older compositions get permission where possible and be transparent. Cultural respect matters and audiences notice when you care.

Exercises to Build Bandish Writing Muscle

Exercise 1 The One Line Seed

Write one plain line that states your core idea. Translate it into two short poetic lines. Fit those lines into 16 beats by counting syllables. Sing with tanpura and mark the sam placement. This exercise forces you to think in tala and keeps lyrics tight.

Exercise 2 The Raga Sketch

Pick a raga. Hum a four bar phrase that uses a characteristic phrase of the raga. Repeat and vary by changing one note or adding a murki. Record the phrases and pick the one that feels most you. That becomes your mukhda skeleton.

Exercise 3 The Tihai Drill

Write a short rhythmic phrase of eight beats. Build a tihai by repeating it three times and adjusting so it lands on sam. Practice until you can clap the tihai and have it feel inevitable.

Exercise 4 Sahitya Stretch

Collect three concrete images. Use one for each line of a three line antara. Keep language simple. Avoid abstractions like heart or soul. Use objects actions and times instead. Then sing with tala until phrasing feels natural.

Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them

• Overwriting the bandish with too many words Classical singing needs space. Fix by trimming words and letting ornamentation express the extra emotion.
• Ignoring the sam Missing the sam makes phrases feel loose. Fix by practicing with a tabla loop and placing the mukhda exactly on the sam.
• Trying to show off with ornaments too early Over-doing ornamentation can cover poor melody. Fix by composing a strong melodic skeleton before ornamenting.
• Using a raga you do not know Sounds like a mishmash. Fix by studying signature phrases and singing them until they are in your body.

Examples You Can Model

Simple khayal bandish skeleton

Raga Yaman Tala Teental 16 beats

Mukhda

sam Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni Sa

mujhe teri yaad sataati hai

Antara

raat ke aaine mein tera chehra jaagta hai

Work on melody using only Yaman notes. Keep the mukhda short and make sure it returns often. Use a small murki at the end of the mukhda to mark it.

How to Move From Composition to Performance

Practice with a tanpura and tabla. Learn to breathe with the tala cycle. Decide where you will improvise and where you will return to the bandish. Rehearse the tihai that ends your improvisation and practice it until it is muscle memory. Get feedback from a teacher or elder artist. Classical audiences are generous when they feel you have put in the work.

Can I Write Hindustani Classical Songs in English

Yes with care. The rhythmic syllable structure of English is different from Hindi Urdu and Brajbhasha. Keep lyrics simple and test them with tala. Some English words carry different accent patterns and can clash with tala. Consider using transliteration or mixing a few Hindi words for authenticity. Always prioritize singability and respect for the form.

Action Plan You Can Use Today

1. Pick one mood and choose two ragas that match it. Spend 15 minutes humming in each. Pick the raga that feels comfortable.
2. Decide on a tala. Start with Teental 16 beats or Keherwa 8 beats for a simpler groove.
3. Write one plain sentence that states your emotional idea and turn it into a two line poetic sahitya. Keep words concrete.
4. Compose a short mukhda that fits into one cycle of your tala and lands on the sam.
5. Sing the mukhda over drone and add one ornament such as a gentle meend into the vadi note.
6. Practice with a tabla loop. Find one tihai that closes your phrase and rehearse it 20 times.
7. Record the result and share with one trusted classical musician for feedback.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need years of training to write a bandish

You do not need decades. You need listening and disciplined practice. You must learn raga phrases and tala discipline enough to write a melody that respects rules. A short composed bandish can be written by a focused songwriter within months if they study and collaborate with classically trained artists. Depth comes with time and performance.

Can I mix Hindustani classical elements with pop

Yes. Fusion can be brilliant when done respectfully. Keep the bandish clear and do not overload it with pop production. Use classical ornamentation and tala interactions where they matter. Always credit and collaborate with classical musicians rather than sampling without context.

How do I place the mukhda on the sam consistently

Practice with tabla and a foot tap on sam. Count cycles out loud and mark the sam visually when you write your notation. Simple practice of singing the mukhda starting on sam every cycle will train your internal clock.

Which languages are appropriate for Sahitya

Hindi Urdu Brajbhasha Awadhi and Sanskrit are traditional choices. You can write in English or other languages but pay attention to syllable stresses and musicality. Mixing languages can be powerful if you keep the phrasing natural.

What is the fastest way to learn a raga

Listen to many recordings in that raga focusing on the alaap and bandish. Sing along on sargam. Learn characteristic phrases. Practice them at very slow tempo with a tanpura. Repetition embeds the raga into your voice.

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