Blog – Kapil Srivastava

Saundarya, Charya & Niyam | सौन्दर्य → चर्या → नियम | How Beauty Becomes Practice and Discipline

सौन्दर्य → चर्या → नियम

“सौन्दर्य ही चर्या है। चर्या ही नियम है।” Saundarya hi Charya hai. Charya hi Niyam hai. जब सौन्दर्य भीतर उतरता है, तो वह चर्या बनता है।जब चर्या स्थिर होती है, तो वह नियम बन जाती है। What does this mean? Beauty is something we feel and love.When we truly love something, we naturally want to… Continue reading Saundarya, Charya & Niyam | सौन्दर्य → चर्या → नियम | How Beauty Becomes Practice and Discipline

Why Bluegrass Guitar Finds Its Place in the Guitar Excellence Program

Bluegrass Flat Picking

How Bluegrass flatpicking, alternate picking and crosspicking develop a different dimension of the lead guitarist With the release of Blackberry Blossom, following our earlier performance of Free Born Wild, and with more repertoire in the pipeline, Bluegrass music finds its place within the Guitar Excellence Program (GEP). But why Bluegrass? Why would a guitar program… Continue reading Why Bluegrass Guitar Finds Its Place in the Guitar Excellence Program

Mandolin for Guitarists | Why It Became Part of the Guitar Excellence Program

Mandolin for Guitarists - Why It Became Part of the Guitar Excellence Program

The Mandolin Module in the Guitar Excellence Program – Expanding a Guitarist’s Musical Journey Beyond the Guitar After several years of development, we are delighted to introduce the Mandolin Module as a part of the Guitar Excellence Program (GEP) — our structured guitar learning system developed to build well-rounded musicians through a progressive educational journey.… Continue reading Mandolin for Guitarists | Why It Became Part of the Guitar Excellence Program

Beyond Repertoire: Raga Bhopali on Guitar and the Evolution of Indian Lead Guitar

Raga Bhopali on Guitar

For many guitarists, learning a raga begins with scales. For others, it begins with a composition. But very few experience a structured journey that gradually develops melody, Alaap, Taans, improvisation and performance as independent yet interconnected skills. That question has shaped much of my work over the last two decades. The result is what eventually became… Continue reading Beyond Repertoire: Raga Bhopali on Guitar and the Evolution of Indian Lead Guitar

Building Indian Lead Guitar Through Ragas: Expanding a Melody Through Alaap

Indian Lead Guitar Through Ragas - Guitarmonk

How the transition from Gat → Alaap → Gat transforms a composition into a long-form musical journey For many guitarists, learning a melody is the destination. You learn a composition, memorize the phrases, perfect the technique, and perform it exactly as it was written. Once the melody ends, the performance ends. Indian classical music offers… Continue reading Building Indian Lead Guitar Through Ragas: Expanding a Melody Through Alaap

Can Music Teachers Remain Relevant by Being Average Today?

Future of Guitar Teaching Music Teachers

A student receives one hour. A teacher brings years. Years of practice. Years of mistakes. Years of performances. Years of observing students, solving problems, refining explanations, and discovering what truly helps someone grow. Most people see the lesson. Few see the roots. Recently, I came across an image comparing a music lesson to a tree. The visible… Continue reading Can Music Teachers Remain Relevant by Being Average Today?

Can Your Guitar Course Produce Independent Musicians?

How to be an Independent Musician

How some guitarists learn to play songs by ear while others remain dependent on tabs, tutorials, and teachers. Every guitar course promises something. Some promise faster learning. Some promise certifications. Some promise hundreds of songs. Some promise mastery of scales, chords, and music theory. But there is one question I rarely see asked: Can the course produce an independent… Continue reading Can Your Guitar Course Produce Independent Musicians?

When People Walk Different Paths – a reflection by Kapil Srivastava

This happens mostly with people you love or care about. You want to keep them alongside you, always. You imagine shared journeys, shared milestones, and shared understanding. Weeks pass. Years pass. There is a constant push and pull. You seek a chemistry that perhaps never was, is not, and may never be. You keep hoping… Continue reading When People Walk Different Paths – a reflection by Kapil Srivastava

From Guitar Lessons To Musical Careers: Building The House of Guitarmonk

House of Guitarmonk Dehradun in making..

Can Guitar Learning Be More Than Classes? For more than three decades, my life has revolved around music. Over 21 years have been spent officially building Guitarmonk, preceded by many years of learning, exploring and growing with music as a student. Through Guitarmonk, I have spent years teaching guitar, developing structured learning systems, exploring Indian… Continue reading From Guitar Lessons To Musical Careers: Building The House of Guitarmonk