Bhajans

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Bhajans

A Journey from Heart To
Heart
BHAJAN WORKSHOP December 2ND, 2008
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AGENDA

• Introduction
• VOICE - food/drink
• SHRUTI - Pitch, Pitch, Pitch!
• RAGA/STYLE - Practice, Practice, Practice!
• TALAM
• BHAVA/Attitude
• Communal Singing
• Remember These Rules

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INTRODUCTION

• "NA SHREYO NIYAMAM VINA"
• "NO PROGRESS WITHOUT RULES AND RESTRICTIONS."
•   

Why bhaajn workshop? Yes bhajan singing is
supposed to be spontaneous but even behind the
seemingly effortless backhand of Roger Federer is
years of backbreaking discipline and practice.
Hence the importance of certain Rules in singing
Bhajans.
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VOICE
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FOOD AND DRINK

• AVOID dairy products, peanuts, refined foods,
  oily food, spicy/acidic foods, caffeine -
  exacerbate reflux/diuresis
• Drink plenty of water
• Include plenty of whole grains, fruits and
  vegetables. Help keep mucous membranes lining the
  throat healthy
• No eating or drinking two hours prior to a
  performance
• FAUQUIER EAR NOSE THROAT CONSULTANTS, PLC

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Basic Techniques

• Avoid throat clearing or forceful coughing
• Do not overuse voice. Avoid talking in noisy
  places
• Exercise regularly - helps to establish good
  posture, muscle tone, stamina and breath control.
• Get rest

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SHRUTI
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BREATHING

• Practice good breathing techniques when singing
  or talking. It is important to support your voice
  with deep breaths from the diaphragm, the wall
  that separates your chest and abdomen. Singers
  and speakers are often taught exercises that
  improve this breath control. Talking from the
  throat, without supporting breath, puts a great
  strain on the voice.
• Increase the space of your vocal chamber by
  singing from as deep a point as you can - NOT
  from your throat!

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SHUT UP AND SING!

• REMEMBER
• TALKING is more of a strain on your voice than
  SINGING (if you're doing it right). In fact,
  Broadway singers are under contract to not utter
  a single word on the day of the show until after
  the performance ends. So . . . if you want to be
  a successful singer you have to learn to breath,
  learn to focus, then shut up and sing!

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SHRUTI

• Difficult bhajans - Bolo Bolo Sabmil Bolo
• Pitch and how to pick the right one especially in
  bhajans which span a wide range (Bolo Bolo Sabmil
  Bolo, Nataraja Hey Tripurari, Jaya Kailasha
  Pathey Shiva Shankara, Bhasma Bhushi, Govinda
  Krishna Jai, Keshava Madhava Sai Narayana..)
• PRACTICE and sing AT ONE SHRUTI
• Madhyam shruti, panchamam
• How to start when harmonium pitch is wrong
• Practice! Go to the highest line of your bhajan
  and try to get it from there
• Prevent this from happening! Tell the harmonium
  player your pitch.

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TALA

• Examples of Bhajans with Difficult Tala
• Jagadishwari Daya Karo Ma
• Shri Kari Kripa Kari

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RAGA
The emotions conveyed by certain sequences of
notes. It is therefore CRUCIAL to sing these
notes!
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RAGA/STYLE

• Sing bhajans with feeling, but on beat!
• Explore the bhajans depth and express it in the
  raga.
• Jaya Ma - what words should be given emphasis.
• Daya Karo Kripa Karo bhajans - slow does NOT
  plaintive.
• Dont sing only sad bhajans.
• BE ZEN and centred.

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Embellishments

• Don't embellish the first time you sing a line
  always do it the second time. E.g. Daya Karo
  bhajans, Parthishwari, Manasa bhajorey
• Less is more. E.g. In  "Deva Senapathe Skanda"
  Don't give the briga for Skanda and for the
   Pahima at the end
• Deenabandhava..the briga is at the end.
• Madhuvana murali , the subtle little turns that
  make madhuvanthi what it is
• Avoid the usual pitfalls of "wrong" brigas
• Sai Prema Dey Shanthi Dey

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Embellishments

• Sathya Dharma Shanthi prema swarupa ..baba vs.
  Deva
• Kasthuri Ranga Kaveri Ranga...
• Komal svars in bhajans
•  Kote - In Anupama sundara, Parthieshwari etc he
  will never touch the final note but will always
  be somewhere just a little below and that makes
  all the difference ) S.Kumar and Ashwath's
  touches etc
• Some pointers on how to do the rapid chorus at
  the end "vana mali's narayana narayana Govinda ,
  shirdi nivasa sai shankara's Jaya jageeshwara , ,
  For allah hu akbar the Laa ilaaha illallah etc...

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PRACTICE

• The right and wrong way to practice - HOW DO I
  PRACTICE?

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BHAVA

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Quotations

• Repetition of a divine name or a sacred syllable
  brings the mind into the present where there is
  no past or future, only divine presence.
• These Kirtans are mantras. By repeating those
  names, it creates an automatic pranayama, which
  purifies the mind. The emotions are purified and
  the mind stays on one spiritual object. It
  develops devotion. The ragas are fixed in such a
  way that it charges the atmosphere with spiritual
  energy. It makes a deep print in the mind, which
  brings the memory of God whenever there is
  sadness, pain, or any trouble.
• It doesn't matter which name you use. Faith
  devotion and one-pointed concentration are what
  counts. In all different names, the same reality.
• I do homams or puja for 5 hours. Or one hour of
  singing bhajans. The benefits are exactly the
  same. Bhajans have the ability to immediately
  pull your mind into that state of bliss

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Connecting with the Bhajan

1. Register the Lyrics
2. Register the Tune
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Bhajans

Why ???
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The only purpose of human life is to realize
God - Dharmavahini

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The only purpose of human life is to realize
God - Dharmavahini

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The only purpose of human life is to realize
God - Dharmavahini

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Divinity
Purity
Unity

Good Thoughts
God Thoughts
Chant His Name!
Humanity
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Meditate on the meaning

Know the meaning of every single word
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Knowing the meaning is only 5 of the job !
Dwell on the meaning

What does the Bhajan mean to you?
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Create Your Story

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Create Your Story

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ATTITUDE

• BE THE BEST PERSON and you will be the best
  bhajan singer.
• Dont take yourself too seriously.
• Fear of singing

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COMMUNAL SINGING

• How to become a lead d chorus singer
• Microphone Singing Techniques
• Format of Organization of Bhajans

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Does it matter who leads ?

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I want to lead Bhajans because
Swami can hear my voice only if I sing in the
mike
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SelectShortBhajans

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Myopia or Nearsightedness

Inability of the eye to focus on distant objects
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Hyperopia or Farsightedness

Inability of the eye to focus on nearby objects
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BHAJANAVALIOPIA

Inability of the eye to find SHORT Bhajans in a
Bhajan book
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Is the Bhajan simple?

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Why Short Simple ?
1. God is simple

2. Everyone should be able to sing freely.
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Factors that influence a Bhajan

• Lyrics
• Tune
• Rhythm

Is the Bhajan simple?
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Does the Bhajan suit your voice?

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Have clarity when singing

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Stick to a few Bhajans

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Why clap?

6 Enemies are nesting on ones head like
birds Clapping is indicative of chasing these bad
qualities away ! SO ONE SHOULD CLAP RIGHT FROM
THE START OF A BHAJAN
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So lets Recap RULES FOR SINGING
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• 1.     Bhajan singers must be aware and feel that
  they are singing only for pleasing God and not
  for the others gathered there.
• 2.     Singers must do regular practice and voice
  culture. They must sing only those Bhajans with
  which they are fully confident and which the
  others can easily follow. As much as possible,
  sing Namavalis (Bhajans containing only names of
  Gods) because they are easier to follow and they
  appeal to all.
• 3.       New Bhajans must first be sung (or
  taught) in smaller gatherings so that the
  followers are familiar with it.
• 4.       If possible, research the meaning of
  your bhajan before singing it in order to
  intensify devotion, avoid singing the wrong
  lyrics and annunciate the words correctly.
  Ideally, bhajan singers should be so fluent with
  their Bhajan that the words should flow from
  their heart, without the aid of a Bhajan book.
  Please avoid using a bhajan book for singing
  bhajans. The least one can do is learn the bhajan
  that barely contains 4 lines. This is the
  smallest seva we can do.
• 5.       The scale/pitch or shruthi of the
  Bhajans should be chosen in accordance with the
  singer's voice. Usually, all Bhajans cannot be
  sung in the same scale. If instruments are there
  then they help in choosing the right scale, or
  else the scale has to be related to the previous
  Bhajan suitably.

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Create Your Story

• There must be considerable difference in the
  first and the second speed of any Bhajan - double
  the speed if possible. If the percussionist is
  not helping then clap while singing to help
  people understand that the speed has changed.
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• 7.   Bhajan singing is a prayer. People that are
  leading bhajans are chosen to inspire the
  others to think of Swami. (Exceptions
  aside) They are not to lean against the wall and
  take a relaxed attitude to singing bhajans.  It
  must be considered a privilege. The purpose of
  bhajan singing should be clear in the mind.
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• 8.  Preferably, people that are chosen to lead
  bhajans on a particular day must be seated in the
  order in which they are to sing. Bhajans singers
  should not move up to the front during their turn
  and then move back to where they were originally
  seated.
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• 9.   Seating children is the first few rows, is
  not the best option, since it quite natural for
  them to be distracted. It is better to seat
  children after 3 or 4 rows. This way they can
  learn to follow their exemplary adults. Unless of
  course it is balvikas bhajans.
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•  

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• 10.   A bhajan congregation is not meant for
  anything other than what it is for. It is not to
  be used as a time to sit back and enjoy or
  meditate. If you are not leading a bhajan then
  you must help with providing chorus and be an
  enthusiastic follower. The intention is to offer
  a group prayer to Swami. It must be taken
  seriously
• 11.   Clapping during bhajans is an absolute
  must. It has great significance and it mostly
  helps to break the monotony of a bhajan. Clapping
  should be synchronized and regular single claps
  per cycle in the first speed. The second speed
  clapping could be twice per cycle.
• 12. As much as possible avoid any time delay
  between the ending of one Bhajan and the
  beginning of the next Bhajan.
• 13. The more the number of people attending a
  session the more strict we must be on the choice
  of singers and instrumentalists. That is to say,
  in a very small gathering, like Bhajans with
  family members, we can relax the rules on the
  selection of singers.
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•  

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•  'Community Bhajans should not be treated as a
  pasttime. When thousands of persons join in
  singing Bhajans, they should be fully absorbed in
  the devotional process and the ecstasy of that
  experience. The singing should be vibrant and
  soulful, and not mechanical or drawling and
  uninspiring.'
• - Baba, 8th November 1986
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• Sing responsibly and do it out of Love.
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• THANK YOU
•  AUM SHANTHI SHANTHI SHANTHI