4 characteristics of good Guru - Vishwamohini Editor

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4 characteristics of good Guru

By Shivraj Sawant 1,388 views Tags: Article

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<strong>1. Influences you for riyaz.</strong>
 
Do you feel like practicing day & night after meeting your guru? If Yes, congratulations, you are luckiest person to have such guru.
Influencing student for riyaz is perhaps most important quality of good guru.
 
I remember one incident about Pt. Mukesh Jadhav, when I was learning from him I was full of energy & used to practice for hours.
Even after intense practice my hand was not getting enough flexibility for speed.
 
One day I shared my concern with guruji, my hand is not getting enough flexible even after lot of riyaz.
 
Guruji said, Shivraj,  do you know when we start digging a well to get water, sometimes well get water at less depth with less digging.
Sometimes well do not get water even after digging it many feet, but one day, suddenly that well is full of water, that is nature.
 
Only thing we can do is keep on digging the well, you never know when it will be full of water.
 
As guruji said, it happened, there was a pick time when I was able to play tabla as I wanted it to be.
 
Many years gone this conversation happened, I am still convinced with his advice. I never get disappointed or gave up my riyaz even if I do not get expected outcomes from riyaz sessions. That is the real quality of great guru, he always influences you for riyaz.
 
<strong>2. Knows when to teach</strong>
 
Good guru knows playing music is all about creating experience for yourself and listeners, guru knows that joy of music is real when nikas(tone) of composition is played as it is expected to be. â€œHow you play?â€ is important than â€œHow much you play?â€
 
Good guru never move forward unless you master previous lessons, because stamina, strength, flexibility which you are going to build by practicing previous lessons is pre requisite for next lesson.
 
I also remember one more story shared by my guru Pt. Mukesh Jadhav, when he started learning tabla from Pt. Shantaram Chigri, the first lesson he taught was â€œTa Ta Tin Tinâ€ for three to four months & nothing else. Guruji followed same rule for us, he personally took lot of riyaz of â€œTa Ta Tin Tinâ€ from many students including me and today I am enjoying fruits of those riyaz sessions.
 
<strong>3. Knows what to teach</strong>
 
All human beings have got different physical, mental abilities. Everyone cannot be expert in the same thing.
Same concept is applicable in music. Playing different compositions demands different physical & understanding ability.
 
Good guru knows what are your strengths & weaknesses and based on that he decides what is best for you to learn & master. He helps you to progress with your strengths.
 
<strong>4. Students are good musicians and some are greater than him</strong>
 
In Indian culture we have â€œGuru-Shishyaâ€ tradition where student stays or spends his maximum time at guruâ€™s place in leaning & practicing music/art. And guru is considered as great when his student is more knowledgeable & proficient in art than him.
 
Real guru takes every effort to ensure his students become more knowledgeable & proficient in art than him.
Good guru has many such students.
 
Take example of Taalyogi Pt. Suresh Talwalkar, he has created many good students some of them are Ramdas Palsule,  Vijay Ghate, Satyajit Talwalkar, Supreet Deshpande & many more.
 
Take example of Ust. Alla Rakha, his students are Ust. Zakir Hussain, Pt. Yogsh Samsi, Aditya Kalyanpurkar, & many more.
 
You can find many such examples in Indian classical music.
 
Note : All thoughts shared above are for people who have chosen Music as profession & interested in learning from great Gurus.
It is not for those who are learning music as an extra activity/hobby & becoming a good musician is optional for them.

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