Venkat Ayalur teaches Karnatic Vocal for both beginner and advanced level students. The method of teaching follows the traditional pattern and learning steps – eg., starting with Varisaes, Alankarams, Geethams etc for the beginners. Both online and in-person options are available, based on the location of the students and the preferred mode of instruction.

Lessons are provided in PDF files along with audio to help in practising the lessons. In addition, specific guidance is provided by giving audio snippets as and when required to support the process of learning.

Once the basic lessons are done, the overall learning steps include the following over a period of time:

• A structured set of lessons (Varnams, Krithis, etc) with an increasing level of complexity and selection of Ragas.
• Exercises to improve voice control (voice culture) using specialised exercises.
• “Akaram” exercises using Varisaes, Varnams etc.
• Talam lessons with examples on how to improve one’s sense of Layam.
• Alapana, Kalpana Swaram singing.
• Helpful hints on how to identify ragas from alapana snippets and swarams.
• Ragam Quiz using alapana segments and swaram sequences.
• “Guided Listening” exercises of live concerts / recordings.
• Concert Planning and Preparation.

Please contact thru email: venkat.ayalur@gmail.com.

For Online Classes, the following are the guidelines: (1) A good broadband connection is a must. If you primarily use mobile data, it may not work that effectively. Hence a sample session to test the connectivity is always recommended. (2) A laptop or a tablet device to be used. Using mobile phone as the primary device for classes is not feasible. (3) Audio quality of the mic / speaker should be good, and this is very important. If the built-in microphone / speakers of the device does not work satisfactorily, you may need to use an external microphone / speakers. (4) A digital tanpura / shruti box is required. Using tanpura app from mobile phone for short term or occasional use is fine; but long term, the student has to procure a shruti box.

The following is a sampler of comments from students (in UrbanPro portal):

“Very good, clear, organised guidance in Carnatic music. Sir makes an effort to accommodate classes as per my varying schedule.”

 “…What amazes me is not only his knowledge about the ragas and composers but also his understanding of the Saahithyam and the meaning of all the compositions. This shows his passion and love for music. He is the most pleasant guru I have ever had. He has a good read of my pace of learning so he is able to pace my learning well. Super glad that I have him as my guru…”

“…..I feel blessed to have him as my teacher. His structured way of teaching with the focus on the nuances of ragas gives very good clarity on how I should approach the Kritis. He also chooses Kritis best suited for me. This also improves the confidence. Hence, I can learn the singing with increasing complexity over a period of time.”

“It has been my privilege to learn from my music guru Shri Venkat Ayalur sir. He is a epitome of patience, dedication and has complete mastery over this art form. I strongly recommend that anyone keen on learning Carnatic music vocal especially the working professionals should consider enrolling for his classes….”

“…He is extremely professional and understands and supports the needs and limitations of working people. His knowledge of music (both theory and practical) is vast and extensive. It includes varnams and krithis by various composers and some rare compositions. He takes the extra efforts to clarify notations, lyrics and their meanings by referring back to relevant books. His teaching methodology is unique and customised to suit the learning pace of the respective students.”

“….He’s quite good in his approach and I’m quite satisfied with my learning. He’s very patient and customises the class as per my level of learning. He also ensures that I get a strong hold on the theory and meaning of the song, giving me better ability to render the song appropriately. Apart from normal classes, he provides me with enough exercises to train my vocal chords better. “