Hansa Nad
Enjoy these lessons taught by Bansuri Bliss Founder Dr. Kerry Kriger.
Hansa Nad is an old raga, but appears to have been nearly forgotten. Let’s revive it! The scale is quite simple to play, making it a great raga for beginners. Note that this raag differs from both Hansadhwani and Nat Hans (two other evening ragas).
Dr. Kerry Kriger plays some bansuri for the northern lights in British Columbia, Canada, 2009.
Breath Control On Bamboo Flute (Part 2)…And Four Ways To Play The Hansa Nad Scale
In this video, Bansuri Bliss Founder Dr. Kerry Kriger teaches scale exercises in Hansa Nad, an old but rarely heard evening raga.
Dr. Kriger created these exercises so that you can focus on two of the most important aspects of bansuri: scale and breath.
Start with long tone exercises: take a deep breath, then blow just one note for the entire duration of that breath. Go up and down the scale at this very slow speed, which should take a couple minutes.
Next play three notes in one breath (the lower tetrachord). Then take a deep breath and play the upper three notes of the scale (the upper tetra chord). Take a deep breath and head down…three notes per breath.
In the next exercise, we take a deep breath and go all the way up in that one breath. Then take a deep breath at the top and descend in a single breath.
Now take a deep breath and go all the way up AND down in a single breath.
Note that we are not focusing on ornaments (though we can certainly play them). But you should begin by removing all the extras and just focusing on the essentials: scale and breath.
Recorded from Manassas, VA in one take on April 23rd, 2022 during a Bansuri Bliss Members Lesson
Continue Your Hansa Nad Learning
If you seek clear instruction on how to play the bansuri and Indian classical music, you are in the right place! Let us help you achieve your true musical potential.
You can take your learning to a higher level and become a far better musician than you ever thought possible by becoming a Bansuri Bliss Member and gaining access to the world’s largest and best collection of bansuri learning materials, as well as twice-weekly lessons via Zoom and a members-only community of dedicated and talented bansuri players. And of course a lot more Hansa Nad tutorials!
Click the image above to visit the full Hansa Nad course in Bansuri Bliss Academy. Most courses in the Academy grow over time, as new lessons are developed at the request of students, or to help students overcome problems they face. This course was created in May 2022…expect it to grow!