Free Courses on Indian Classical Music

Free courses and raga guides for listeners and students.

• Appreciating Carnatic Music

  FreeNPTEL / SWAYAM (IIT Madras)

  An 8-week online course for listeners. Free to enroll; the certificate exam is optional and paid.

  Course page ›

• Appreciating Hindustani Music

  FreeNPTEL / SWAYAM

  An online course for listeners, focused on khayal. Runs in cycles; check the next start date.

  Course page ›

• Music of India (21M.291)

  FreeMIT OpenCourseWare, George Ruckert

  Syllabus, readings and listening from MIT's course, free under Creative Commons.

  Open the course ›

• Music of India: Rhythm and Raga

  FreeKennedy Center Education

  Short videos with discussion questions, made for classrooms.

  Watch the videos ›

• RagaQuest

  FreeRagasphere

  A 34-video animated primer on Hindustani music, in five chapters.

  Start the series ›

• Free melakarta course

  FreeLudwig Pesch, carnaticstudent.org

  All 72 parent scales of Carnatic music, with audio and memory aids.

  Start the course ›

• Rajan Parrikar Music Archive

  FreeRajan Parrikar

  Detailed essays on Hindustani ragas with more than 2,000 audio clips.

  Read the essays ›

• Hindustani Raga Index

  FreeRāga Junglism

  Profiles of more than 1,000 ragas, open access and ad-free.

  Browse ragas ›