Kanjira Lesson (Theme and Variations) with Ken Shorley

Ken Shorley teaches and demonstrates an original "Theme and Variations" for kanjira, the lizard-skin tambourine used in the Carnatic classical music of South India.
Download the PDF of this piece from Ken's website.
(The chart is free to download, but donations are welcome...):
kenshorley.com/downloads
This video is dedicated to Ken's teacher, the great South Indian master drummer, Professor Trichy Sankaran.
#drumlessons #framedrums #handdrumming #carnaticmusic #kanjira #trichysankaran #percussion

[@lumiwilde1022]

This was the BEST Kanjira lesson for beginners ive seen on youtube yet!! the Doom takataka method made is SOOO much easier to follow along.

[@kenshorley]

Thanks so much for your kind words!

[@sarant4901]

Wonderful explanation with lovely practical thanks for teaching to WORLD PEOPLES

[@Flutedhana]

Very simple, useful lessons for beginners like me, Awesome ! strokes, techniques and patterns/grooves are explained in detail. appreciated your teaching skills 🙏 Thanks ken.

[@kenshorley]

Glad you found the video helpful!

[@mrigankasekharbalo8628]

Excellent teaching method with clear explanations. Thank you so much. Heartly request to you, please give more lessons.

[@kenshorley]

Thank you so much for the kind words!

[@janwestphal8047]

Excellent video lesson, Sir! Thanks a lot. I am absorbing everything I can find on kanjira...

[@kenshorley]

So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for the kind words!

[@broadpath7184]

Thank you !- learned a *tremendous* amount from just two of your vids. Greatly appreciate you're being here.

[@kenshorley]

Thanks so much for your kind words! Glad you're enjoying the videos.

[@appjiprahladachar6120]

Very useful for new enterance students and basics class

[@murokaitaro]

Great video. Not enough of these on KZbin. Would love more! Thank you

[@kenshorley]

Glad you enjoyed the video! I have more in the works. I'm just getting a new video studio setup finalized.

[@viswanathanramamurthy5666]

Excellent explanation. Fantastic demonstration. Can't be any better than this

[@kenshorley]

Thank you so much for the kind words! I have more kanjira videos planned for the near future!

[@RonanSkillen8]

Fantastic !

[@kenshorley]

Thanks!

[@retroclassics6668]

A simple play along video! learnt a lot of technical stuff about the kanjira! thanks much @Ken Shorley 😁💓

[@kenshorley]

Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@PatrickGrahamPercussion]

Most excellent lesson, sir!

[@kenshorley]

Many thanks PG!

[@Caligari...]

Thanks Ken ,excellent lesson .

[@kenshorley]

Thanks! Glad you found the lesson useful!

[@adrianoadriano4730]

Masala ! excellent tutorial Ken ..well explained, nice hand ....thanks for sharing, blessings.

[@kenshorley]

Thanks so much! Glad you found the video useful!

[@tambortiz]

Thanks for the lesson MAESTRO! I learned a lot!

[@kenshorley]

Thank you Jose!

[@Ju1Ze]

Thanks so much for the very clearly explanation. I've bought a kanjira last week 👍 and now you gave me good stuff for exercising 🙏

[@kenshorley]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@michaelk.relaxationmusic6850]

Very nice,thank you 🙏

[@kenshorley]

Thank you too!

[@markharris4539]

Good intuitive vid, Ken. I, saw your riqq one as well........ Good stuff mate! 👍 Mark 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@kenshorley]

Thanks for the kind words, Mark! - cheers from Canada

[@onlineuniversity3718]

Exactly what I was looking for. I like how you organised D-T in 0-1-3 format. It makes new learner's easier. Thank you so much. Please create more lessons or let me if they are available.

[@kenshorley]

Hi! Glad you enjoyed the video. I do have more lessons coming, for kanjira and for other frame drums. Thanks for watching!

[@m.s.premkumar7307]

Very good teaching skill, nice and clear easy to follow. Thanks 😊

[@kenshorley]

Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@m.s.premkumar7307]

@@kenshorley I'm blessed to see your utube chanel 🙏

[@BowLabs]

Super video supero teacher ,it was just want i needed,and it was easy to understand. My kanjira is here,Im going to beat him

[@keshavomoily2795]

Very nice lesson

[@kenshorley]

Thank you!

[@viswanathanramamurthy5666]

Lovely explanation

[@kenshorley]

Thank you!

[@lavanyabanda6778]

Super I love this

[@kenshorley]

Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@notsnob]

Отлично!! Спасибо!!!👍

[@kenshorley]

Рад, что вам понравилось видео!

[@nutritioncoachingwithmira]

It's just beautiful. I was trying it on my frame drum today hadn't a clue what a kanjira was. I downloaded the pdf from the website first. Now I know 🙂 thank you for such a beautiful piece.

[@kenshorley]

Thanks Mira for the kind words! I’m glad you’re enjoying the piece!

[@ishirinee]

Dear Ken: I appreciate everything you do. I love-- - your selflessness to share knowledge, - your well-structured lessons, - the clarity in your presentation, - the effort you put into making such high quality videos, - your humble answers to every question posted to your videos. Thank you! Please keep up the good work. In particular, I enjoy your lessons on Solkattu/Konakol and Kanjira. I'll be delighted if you make videos on Mridangam as well. I plan to learn the (carnatic) mridangam and kanjira from all you beautiful teachers on KZbin. I promise to practice hard. :-) Could you advise me on how to get a good quality new/used mridangam and kanjira in North America without breaking the bank? Thank you. Srini

[@kenshorley]

I am honoured by your very kind words! So glad you're finding the videos useful. There are some affordable kanjira options available in North America (Meinl, Remo for instance) but I have noticed that it's much harder to find mrdangam. I'll keep my eyes open and let you know if I find anything! Thanks again for watching the channel.

[@saintsevalalbanjaratvchann7175]

Very good kanjira play you

[@kenshorley]

Thank you!

[@max-andrewmcmillan4235]

thank you, I was inspired, by that, I play tabla, so the voicing was familiar.

[@kenshorley]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@selvakumar6737]

.i am used your class sir.very nice teaching .thanku sir

[@kenshorley]

Glad you enjoyed the lesson! All the best.

[@samuelgoulddrums]

Great work Ken! I remember you had said you were going to do a series of rhythm videos on kanjira, do you still plan to do that?

[@kenshorley]

Hi Samuel. Yes it’s in the works! Part of my Inner Time project. Some lessons will be free here on KZbin with the full set of lessons, tutorials and exercises available for purchase. I’ll let you know when it’s ready!

[@lospirit]

Thank you so much for all your videos! Do you planning shoot something else about kanjira?

[@kenshorley]

In fact, there's a new kanjira and solkattu video coming out on Thursday!

[@lospirit]

@@kenshorley 🙏

[@AlexKua]

I enjoy your lessons and rhythms a lot, thank you! Saying the sound out loud helps! However, I have a question. How can I connect this with 4 beats metronome or my leg count? Say, the very first "D-TD-Tkttk" along with 1234 - one and two are easy, 4 is ok-ish, but 2& 3& drive my mind crazy, I can't feel it. And then as a result in general, I can repeat this whole rhythm standalone, but cannot play it with other music or counts...

[@kenshorley]

Hi Alex! I think the easiest way is to set your metronome to click every two pulses. When I describe the theme for instance as having a 3,3,2 count, I'm referring to the pulsation. If your metronome clicks every two pulses, it will click four times within that 3,3,2 phrase. This is a hard thing to describe in text, but I hope that helps!

[@pushparanipiner5116]

Wow! I just got my Kanjira and this is my first video, I learned so much! do you teach Zoom lessons for bajans?

[@kenshorley]

Thanks! Yes I will be doing Zoom lessons in the new year. Contact me through my website kenshorley.com for details.

[@pushparanipiner5116]

ok thank you!

[@eileenenglishkaarsemaker1414]

Basic question - but I never seem to "catch" it: To bend the sound, do you press with the left fingers simultaneously with the RH stroke, or slightly afterwards? (or maybe it's even slightly before?). Thanks for all your videos~!

[@kenshorley]

Hi Eileen. It is a subtle move to catch, isn't it? You'll get the best bass bending sound (sometimes called 'gumuki' by Carnatic musicians) by pressing the drum head just after the RH stroke.

[@eileenenglishkaarsemaker1414]

@@kenshorley Oh thanks so much for the quick reply! Very helpful. From a non-morning west coaster who's going to miss your live tamburi mundi work-out.

[@my-spinning-wheel]

Hi Ken -- may I ask where you obtained a genuine lizard skin kanjira? I know you may be unable to say. Obviously it is impossible (rightfully so) to get new ones made, but I am wondering if it is possible to find old ones.

[@kenshorley]

Well, I got my lizard kanjira from my teacher many years ago, before they were illegal to export from India. I don't actually know where to find used ones outside of India.

[@my-spinning-wheel]

@@kenshorley got it,figured it's tricky. The Cooperman ones are great, I'm just curious how the lizard skin feels and sounds.

[@mohankashyap3263]

Hi Ken, Thank you for being my guru (Gurubyoh namaha which means salutation to a guru).i have a question i am using a Kanjira made up of goat skin which is not producing the same sound as your Kanjira is producing especially the doom sound! i sprinkled some water inside yet i am still not happy with the sound. would you suggest a Kanjira with Lizard skin or is this anything to do with my playing? would appreciate your feedback thank you

[@kenshorley]

Hello Satish! There are a number of factors which will affect the sound of your kanjira. The lizard skin drums are excellent although you may need to look for an older drum since they cannot make them anymore because of the endangered status of the monitor lizard. There are also kanjira with synthetic heads which have a very good sound. (Cooperman, Remo, Meinl)

[@mohankashyap3263]

Thank you Ken i live in Toronto hope to meet you some time

[@buhyavarapupoojitha8110]

Sir, kttk has to be played like k(one finger), t(three fingers) and again t(three fingers) and then k(one finger) Am i right? kttk doesn’t sound so.! I’m confused. Kindly let me know.

[@kenshorley]

Hello. No, the phrase kita is one alternating unit (1-3) and the phrase taka (in the context of this phrase) is also played as a 1-3 unit. It seems confusing with the solkattu syllables, but kttk is played as a set of two 1-3 patterns. 1313 = kttk

[@buhyavarapupoojitha8110]

@@kenshorley Thank you Sir 😃

[@sriyai]

🙏