Basic Principles
Acquire an understanding of how the core principles of Khayal music evolved and changed across eras. Acquire a critical vocabulary, understand and discuss how the music works.
Online course • Hindustani music appreciation
Ras - Aasvaad / रसास्वाद
Become an informed rasik of Khayal (Hindustani Classical Vocal) music!
This unique online course takes you on a whirlwind listening tour across eras, gharanas, and master musicians, after grounding you in the fundamental principles and history of the genre.
Discover iconic and rare recordings, get a grasp on how raag, taal, bandish, and improvisation work across gharanas. Gain a scholarly perspective on the music and its history.
Acquire taste, and join a robust community of connoisseurs, led by Srijan Deshpande.
Seats are filling up fast!
About the Course
12 Live Weekly Sessions on Zoom
Each class will be about 2 hours in length and will include detailed explanations of the evolution of the foundational concepts and aesthetic principles of Khayal music through the eras. Everything will be demonstrated through live singing and recordings of the masters. Guided listening with expert comments is an important part of this course, and questions and vigorous discussions are welcome!
Recordings and Recommendations
Particpants will be exposed to rare and choice recordings from the archives of the Samvaad Foundation in addition to select music on YouTube and from around the internet. All participants will gain access to expertly curated playlists on the various themes of the course. For those with a scholarly bent of mind, there will be many recommendations for extra reading, ranging from serious musicology to fun musician stories!
An Always-Growing Community
Between sessions, the cohort will continue to be in touch through a WhatsApp group on which we will share music and continue our conversations. The group will be kept alive even at the end of the course, and the community will continue to grow as more and more cohorts complete the course.
Guided Listening
Discover rare archival music and uncover gems hidden within widely available music, through expertly curated playlists. Learn to appreciate gharana nuances and special featuers, to acquire taste.
Meet Maestros
Discover the cults and cultures within Hindustani music. Get to know the greats and their music intimately, discover quirky and colourful musicians, and understand the culture of the music.
Research Based
Acquire a scholarly, research-based grounding in this music’s history, culture, and aesthetics: Where did it come from and where is it going? How does it fit in the larger scheme of things? Ask the big questions.
Trailer
Curriculum
Session-wise course outline
Sessions 01-02
Ancient History
How to think about ancient Indian music and the beginnings of Khayal within it
Sessions 03-04
The Rise of Khayal
We trace the long and complex history of the rise Khayal, and its move from the courts to the cities
Sessions 05-06
Modernity / Gwalior
Khayal enters the modern era, and the gharanas emerge, beginning with the complex flow of the Gwalior gharana
Sessions 07-08
Agra
Discover how the evocative Agra gharana diverges from its Gwalior antecedents, who its greats were, and what their aesthetic goals were
Sessions 09-10
Kirana
Deep listening to the great masters of the sur-premi Kirana gharana and its associated gharanas, and contrasting their music with Gwalior and Agra
Sessions 11-12
Jaipur / Course Conclusion
Delve into the exquisite architecture of the Jaipur gharana, and conclude with a comparative analysis of the gayakis of the major Khayal gharanas
Ready to join?
Enroll to access live sessions, recordings, and the community.
Testimonials
Participants of Cohort 1 speak about Ras Aasvaad
Hi my name is Madhuvanti Bhide and I am a student of music and have been in the music field for a long time. For the past several weeks, I have been enjoying Ras Asvaad very much. My interest in signing up was to revisit the history of music and to go back to its roots. But from the very first session to the last, it was more than 100% . The amount of information shared by Srijan is just beyond what I thought it would be.
Srijan’s way of teaching was very clear, understandable, engaging and interesting. He chose story-telling and that kept everyone’s attention. Not a single session was boring, in fact throughout the course, we didn’t want the sessions to end. Srijan gave innumerable, well-researched examples of papers, books, and videos for reference. There were many opportunities for all of us to share our thoughts, comments, and questions too.
Before every session, Srijan would send reminders about the class starting, so there was discipline , structure and fluidity to the course. In case we missed a session a recording of the session was always available. The flow of the course was so subtle and smooth, it was like a Raag Progression.
I had many light bulb moments, as I learned something I didn’t know, some surprising moments, and many moments of learning. The entire course was very enriching. Along with learning the history of music, it was an eye-opening experience as we learnt the whys and hows of various styles. Srijan also sang and demonstrated the differences between various styles.
I highly recommend jumping on this train that takes us from ancient times to now. There’s so much that is covered and navigated so fantastically. This course will help me to give references of history, different artists, and different styles while I teach my students and share the info I learnt in the Ras Asvaad course. Madhuvanti Bhide , 27 March 2026
Madhuvanti Bhide27 March 2026Back to topEnroll nowJoin the next cohort
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