Choose
Pick Sarali, Jantai, sthayi or tala exercises.
Carnatic practice guide
How to use
Sarali Varisai Studio
Explore varisai and tala exercises, choose a Melakarta, and build fluency one speed at a time.
Start with 2 minutes free daily · No login needed₹199/month or ₹1,999/year from Sacred Bansi · Separate subscription for this app
YOUR FIRST SESSION
Start in three simple steps.
Set
Choose a numbered Melakarta, Sa, BPM and practice speed.
Practise
Follow the written groups, held notes and highlighted swaras.
1. Choose a practice section
Choose Sarali Varisai, Jantai Varisai, Upper Sthayi, Lower Sthayi or tala alankaras from the practice-section list. Search for a varisai or tala, then open an exercise to see every row.
Start with Sarali Varisai before moving to repeated-note Jantai patterns or wider octave practice. The exercise keeps its written note groups and tala structure.
Open a favourite using the saved filter when you want to return to the same practice.
2. Choose Melakarta, Sa and speed
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| Control | How to use it |
|---|---|
| Melakarta | Choose a number from 1 to 72. The selected Melakarta supplies the swara variants used by the exercise. |
| Pitch · Sa | Choose a comfortable reference pitch for your voice or instrument. |
| Speed · BPM | Set the metronome tempo with the 30–300 BPM slider or number field. |
| 1st speed | One note per beat. Use this when learning the written pattern. |
| 2nd speed | Two notes per beat, at the same selected BPM. |
| 3rd speed | Four notes per beat, at the same selected BPM. |
| Language, sound & size | English is the default. Choose a regional script such as Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada or Hindi; select Harmonium or Violin, adjust volume, and enlarge the notation if needed. |
3. Read tala groups and held notes
Vertical bars divide the groups of a written tala row. Keep every note or hold in its place rather than skipping over a comma. In Jantai exercises, repeated swaras are separate notes.
S R G M | P D | N S' S' N D P | M G | R S
A standalone comma
, holds the previous swara for one written count. A dash - is a rest. A comma attached to a note, such as 'S, means the lower octave; an apostrophe, as in S', means the upper octave.Play, follow and repeat
- Read the complete exercise. Check its ascending and descending notes, or its written tala rows, before playing.
- Press Play from start. Every new Play begins at the first note. If Count-in is on, listen to the preparation beats first.
- Follow the highlight. The active swara is highlighted as its sound plays. Auto-scroll keeps the current notes in view; Full score returns to the complete exercise.
- Adjust as you practise. Change tempo, pitch, scale, sound or volume without restarting the exercise. Stop playback before choosing another exercise.
- Watch your time. This session counts the current practice; Total practice is the saved time for that exercise. Rounds shows completed repetitions. The timer includes the count-in.
Turn Loop off to play through once. Turn Note sound off to practise against the metronome alone, or turn Metronome off to hear only the swaras.
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Save favourites and create your own practice
Keep favourites close
Open an exercise and select ☆ Favourite. Use the Favourites filter on the library page to see saved choices. Select the star again to remove an item.
Favourites are kept on this browser or device. Sign in with the account you normally use before saving your personal list.
Add, edit and back up
Select ＋ Add to write a personal exercise. Edit / copy creates your own version of a library exercise. Export downloads a JSON backup; Import can bring a supported JSON or text file back into the app.
Custom exercises and practice totals are local. Export important exercises before changing devices, reinstalling the app or clearing browser data. Web imports must be smaller than 256 KB.
Write your own varisai
Select ＋ Add, enter a title, choose the talam and write one row per line. Use a space between notes. Every row must contain complete cycles of the selected tala, including holds and rests.
S R G M | P D | N S' S' N D P | M G | R S
This is a complete Adi example. You can also use numbered variants such as R1, G3 and M1 in the supported note format; the chosen Melakarta controls how the practice is adapted.
Plain-text imports use Adi rows. For other talas, use the Add editor with the correct talam or import a supported exported JSON file. Export personal exercises for safekeeping.
Free practice, accounts and offline use
Start without signing in
All practice features are available for two minutes daily on your device or browser, without login. The allowance resets at midnight, India time. Signing out does not reset that day’s used minutes.
Unlock unlimited practice
Open Account and continue with Google or your registered email. Verify your email if asked. From Sacred Bansi, each practice app offers ₹199/month or ₹1,999/year. Hindustani and Carnatic have separate subscriptions; the same login can be used on web and Android.
Refresh payment status after a payment if access is still pending. Account also shows membership and renewal controls. Complimentary access granted by Sacred Bansi is recognised after signing in with the matching verified email.
Practise offline after setup
Open the web app online once so its app files and exercises can be cached. Internet is needed for sign-in, payment, library sync and checking paid access when opening. After verification, keep the page open to practise cached exercises offline until the verified access expires.
On iPhone or iPad, use Safari → Share → Add to Home Screen. On supported Android or desktop browsers, use Install.
The Android APK supports playback with the screen off. Web browsers may pause audio when locked or in the background; keep the page visible and use Keep screen awake when available.
Common questions
Is 3rd speed three notes per beat?
No. Carnatic 1st, 2nd and 3rd speeds mean 1, 2 and 4 notes per beat respectively. BPM remains the metronome beat speed.
Why did an imported row fail validation?
Check that every note is separated by a space, holds are standalone commas, and each row makes complete cycles of the chosen tala. Plain-text imports are interpreted as Adi rows.
Why did playback begin at the first note again?
This is intentional. Each new Play starts from the first note so you can repeat the entire exercise consistently.
Does changing language change the sound?
No. It changes the written swara labels. Pitch, note encoding and playback stay the same; English is the default.
Why can I not find my favourites on another device?
Favourites, custom exercises and practice history are saved locally. A shared subscription does not automatically transfer those local lists. Export your custom exercises to keep a backup.
What if the sound is silent?
Press Play yourself, enable Note sound, raise the app and device volumes, and check headphones or Bluetooth output. On the web, keep the page in the foreground if your browser suspends audio.
Why is paid access still not showing?
Sign in with the same verified email used for the payment and refresh membership. Hindustani and Carnatic purchases unlock their own app only. Avoid paying again while confirmation is pending.
Ready to practise?
Open the app and take your first small step.