Maharashtra HSC Instrumental Music study plan

Define thaat and melakarta and state, in writing, the structural difference between the two systems and why Bhatkhande's ten thaats are a classification tool rather than a scale list.

List all ten thaats with their aroha and avaroha, and mark which swaras are komal or tivra in each, from memory, without consulting notes.

Classify each prescribed raga into its thaat and identify whether it is sampurna, shadav or audava in aroha and avaroha.

For each prescribed raga, write aroha, avaroha, vadi, samvadi, anuvadi, vivadi and time of day in a single table.

Sing or play the pakad of each prescribed raga and explain in one sentence which phrase distinguishes it from its nearest neighbour raga.

Compare prescribed ragas in pairs that share a thaat and write the exact swara phrase that separates each pair.

Identify komal/tivra and shuddha variants of the same note across ragas and state how each changes the raga's chalan.

Analyse how aroha-avaroha alone can mislead, and give examples where the pakad or chalan carries the identifying information.

Answer three written 5-mark comparison questions under timed conditions without notes.

Write the theka with bols in correct notation for each prescribed tala, marking sam, tali, khali and vibhag.

Recite each theka in tali with hand claps and khali with a wave, keeping a steady laya with a metronome.

Compute and write layakari in barabar, dugun, tigun and chaugun for each prescribed tala, showing where each bol falls relative to sam.

Compose one simple palta or bol-bant composition in each prescribed tala and notate it fully.

Explain the difference between sama, visama, atit and anagat entry in rhythmic terms with a written example.

Write the same short composition in both Bhatkhande and Paluskar notation and list the symbol-level differences between the two systems.

Transcribe two recorded compositions by ear into swaralipi, marking matra, vibhag and sam correctly.

Read the basic elements of staff notation: staff, clef, note values, rests and bar lines, and map sargam syllables onto a simple staff example.

Notate one composition with tala markings and check it for internal consistency of matra count.

Describe the structural features of khayal, dhrupad, dhamar, tarana, gat, thumri, bhajan and light/film song, and state which are nibaddha and which are more free.

Trace the broad historical sequence of Indian music from Vedic chant through Prabandha to the modern khayal, naming the main stages in order.

Summarise the contributions of the major acharyas and theorists studied, with one concrete contribution attributed to each.

Compare two gharanas of your instrument or vocal tradition in terms of repertoire emphasis and stylistic treatment.

Write short structured notes distinguishing a composition type from its nearest similar form.

Label the parts of your instrument on a hand-drawn diagram and explain the function of each part.

Demonstrate and write down the correct tuning procedure, including reference pitch and how to check tuning by ear.

List maintenance routines and common faults with their remedies for your instrument.

Practise raga elaboration in a fixed sequence of alap, jod or vistaar, then composition with improvisation, recording each session.

Practise sight-reading a short unseen swaralipi passage and a simple tala accompaniment cycle.

Map each prescribed raga to its probable rasa and explain the musical features, such as vadi and time of day, that support that association.

Write a critical appreciation of a recorded performance, covering raga treatment, tala control, improvisation and presentation.

Perform a full mock practical: raga elaboration, composition with improvisation and tala accompaniment, timed.

Review the mock recording and list three specific technical weaknesses with a correction plan for each.

Revise all raga lakshana and comparison tables and self-test by writing pakad and distinguishing phrases from memory.

Re-drill theka, layakari and tala notation until each can be written without reference.

Complete two full-length timed mock theory papers and mark them against the syllabus weightings.

Re-record the practical set and confirm that each identified weakness from week 7 has improved.

Compile a single condensed revision sheet of formulas, symbols and definitions for final review.