ASSEB HS Skill Sattriya Vocal Music (Borgeet) study plan
ASSEB HS Skill Sattriya Vocal Music (Borgeet) · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
Sattriya vocal technique: voice culture, breath support, posture and tonal production & Historical and cultural context of Sattriya music and the Borgeet tradition
Establish a daily 20-minute breath-and-posture routine (sitting cross-legged as in a Namghar) and log it for seven days
Identify and correct two personal faults in tonal placement (throaty onset, nasal drift) by recording and reviewing three practice takes
Outline the historical timeline of the Sattriya tradition from Sankardeva's era to institutional recognition, noting five dated anchor points
Define ten core vocal-culture terms (breath support, open throat, resonance, sruti, etc.) in your own words
Your checkpoint
A seven-day practice log plus a one-page timeline of Sattriya history with five dated anchor points
Sattriya vocal technique: voice culture, breath support, posture and tonal production & Raga and melodic framework used in Borgeet
Sustain a steady breath column through long phrases of a slow Borgeet without audible breaks, verified on recording
Map the ascending and descending scale of two ragas used in Borgeet and sing each aroha-avaroha cleanly
Practise pitch-matching against a tanpura or drone for ten minutes daily and note intonation drift
Explain in writing how raga choice colours the emotional register of a Borgeet
Your checkpoint
A recorded two-raga scale demonstration with a written note on intonation problems heard
Raga and melodic framework used in Borgeet & Tala, rhythmic cycles and the Khol accompaniment in Borgeet
Analyse three Borgeets for their raga, identifying characteristic phrases and the notes emphasised
Clap and recite the theka of two talas used in Borgeet at slow and medium tempo
Coordinate breath and tala by singing one line per avartana while keeping the hand-clap cycle unbroken
List five ragas commonly associated with Borgeet and one distinguishing phrase for each
Your checkpoint
A tala-and-raga chart for three Borgeets showing raga, tala, avartana count and one signature phrase each
Srimanta Sankardeva and Madhavdeva: composers, contributions and the Borgeet repertoire & Repertoire knowledge: selected Borgeet compositions and their classification
Summarise Sankardeva's and Madhavdeva's distinct contributions to the Borgeet repertoire in a comparison table
Classify ten Borgeets by theme or occasion (devotional, seasonal, prayer, farewell) with the composer named
Memorise the opening lines and composer attribution of eight Borgeets
Explain the traditional account of how Borgeet composition began and its place in the Sattra curriculum
Your checkpoint
A classified list of ten Borgeets with composer, theme and occasion, plus a Sankardeva-versus-Madhavdeva comparison table
Borgeet lyrical content, Assamese language, theme and meaning & Repertoire knowledge: selected Borgeet compositions and their classification
Translate and paraphrase the full text of two Borgeets, marking archaic Assamese words and their modern equivalents
Identify the devotional stance (dasya, sakhya, etc.) expressed in three Borgeets and quote the supporting line
Sing two memorised Borgeets from memory with correct text and no prompting
Note five Assamese words whose meaning changes the interpretation if mistranslated
Your checkpoint
Annotated translations of two Borgeets with a glossary of at least ten archaic Assamese terms
Tala, rhythmic cycles and the Khol accompaniment in Borgeet & Performance practice: solo and group singing, Sattra and Namghar conventions
Perform one Borgeet with khol accompaniment, matching the mridanga strokes to the vocal phrasing
Rehearse the Namghar seating and entry conventions and describe the expected order of a devotional session
Practise group singing, holding your part without overpowering the ensemble, in two sessions
Adjust tempo and volume to a lead singer's cues in a rehearsal and log what changed
Your checkpoint
A recorded performance with khol accompaniment plus a written session-order outline for a Namghar gathering
Performance practice: solo and group singing, Sattra and Namghar conventions & Historical and cultural context of Sattriya music and the Borgeet tradition
Compare solo and group Borgeet presentation, noting differences in ornamentation, tempo and vocal restraint
Describe the role of the Sattra institutions in preserving and transmitting Borgeet, citing three specific functions
Rehearse a full ten-minute set of three Borgeets with spoken introductions
Self-assess the set against a checklist of posture, breath, tala accuracy and text clarity
Your checkpoint
A ten-minute recorded mock performance of three Borgeets with a completed self-assessment checklist
Repertoire knowledge: selected Borgeet compositions and their classification & Raga and melodic framework used in Borgeet & Tala, rhythmic cycles and the Khol accompaniment in Borgeet
Revise the full classified repertoire list and recall composer, raga and tala for fifteen Borgeets
Run two timed mock tests covering all eight domains and review every wrong answer
Re-record one Borgeet from week two and compare intonation and breath control against the earlier take
Consolidate a one-page summary sheet of ragas, talas and key historical dates for final revision
Your checkpoint
Two completed timed mock tests with a corrected-answer log and a one-page final revision sheet
Milestones
Week 2: Can sustain breath through a slow Borgeet phrase and sing two raga scales accurately against a drone
Week 4: Can name composer, theme and occasion for ten Borgeets and explain Sankardeva's and Madhavdeva's differing contributions
Week 6: Can perform one Borgeet with khol accompaniment keeping tala unbroken and text correct
Week 8: Scores at least 70 percent on both timed mock tests and shows measurable improvement in the re-recorded Borgeet