Toolkit
The home practice kit
4 things. Mostly free. Makes 15 minutes of riyaz painless.
The essential kit
Ask on day 1: “Which pitch (shruti) should we set the tanpura to?” The wrong pitch builds the wrong habit.
What each one is for
- A tanpura / shruti drone app — the constant reference pitch behind all Indian classical practice.
- A metronome — any standard one to start; a tala-aware app later.
- A recording app — the voice memos app already on your phone is fine.
- A notebook — physical, for sargam notation and the teacher’s instructions.
Working on singing? Try the singing check: sing a few lines and see how you did →
What our family uses
We got these the same way you would. No relationship with the makers.
More about NaadSadhana
AI-Powered The recital-prep step-up
You tell it the pitch, raga and tala, and its “artistic intelligence” builds a full accompaniment for the raga you set — tanpuras tuned to the raga, plus tabla and manjira, drawing on a deep instrument library (27 instruments as of July 2026, including drums and guitars) so it fills in like a real ensemble rather than a bare drone. It’s the one on this list that doubles as recital prep — a student can rehearse, and record video, singing with a full, varied accompaniment instead of a bare loop.
It’s actually a free app with a lot in the free tier — tuner, metronome, tanpuras for 410+ ragas, ragams and scales, karaoke, and a raga explorer — and only its Orchestra and Studio features (the full ensemble and recording/mixing) are the paid subscription. Even those give a 99-second preview you can retry as many times as you like, so you can hear it before you pay. Like everything here, it’s one we use as parents with no relationship to the maker. (It won an Apple Design Award.) One honest caveat: it’s iOS-only.
You only need one all-in-one app
All apps
iTanpura / iTanpura LiteClassic tanpura drone app; full version adds swar mandal + shruti box.Free LiteiOS
- Price
- Lite free (60-second limit); full version — pricing varies, check App Store
- What it does
- Classic tanpura drone app; full version adds swar mandal + shruti box.
- Who it’s for
- Any vocal or instrumental student on iPhone/iPad
- Link
- App Store
Tanpura DroidSimple, reliable tanpura droneFreeAndroid
- Price
- Free
- What it does
- Simple, reliable tanpura drone
- Who it’s for
- Android households wanting a no-fuss drone
- Link
- Google Play
Dhwani TanpuraTanpura that runs in the background; tuning temperaments, 432 HzFreeiOS
- Price
- Free
- What it does
- Tanpura that runs in the background; tuning temperaments, 432 Hz
- Who it’s for
- iOS users who want a free option
- Link
- App Store
iShalaTanpura + tabla + swarmandal practice suitePaidiOS / Android
- Price
- Paid
- What it does
- Tanpura + tabla + swarmandal practice suite
- Who it’s for
- Hindustani students; popular all-in-one
- Link
- swarclassical.com
iTablaProRealistic electronic tabla + tanpura; 100+ raag presets, loop/practice modes, metronome, tuner~$29.99iOS
- Price
- ~$29.99 (late-2024 listing — verify current price)
- What it does
- Realistic electronic tabla + tanpura; 100+ raag presets, loop/practice modes, metronome, tuner
- Who it’s for
- The default riyaz companion for Hindustani vocal/instrument students
- Link
- App Store
iTabla Pandit Studio ProCross-platform tabla + tanpura accompaniment~$12/yeariOS / Android / macOS
- Price
- Subscription ~$12/year
- What it does
- Cross-platform tabla + tanpura accompaniment
- Who it’s for
- Android or multi-device households
- Link
- studio.itabla.com
RiyazStudioTanpura, tabla and lehra recorded from real musiciansPaidWindows / Mac
- Price
- Paid
- What it does
- Tanpura, tabla and lehra recorded from real musicians
- Who it’s for
- Desktop practice setups
- Link
- riyazstudio.com
JalraMridangam + jalra + tambura accompaniment, all talams/pitchesSee storeAndroid / iOS
- Price
- See store listing
- What it does
- Mridangam + jalra + tambura accompaniment, all talams/pitches
- Who it’s for
- Carnatic students
- Link
- Google Play
TalanomePurpose-built Carnatic metronome: tala database, nadai/kalai support, shruti-tunable sounds, custom tala engine (incl. Hindustani taals)Paid, free LiteiOS
- Price
- Paid (free Lite)
- What it does
- Purpose-built Carnatic metronome: tala database, nadai/kalai support, shruti-tunable sounds, custom tala engine (incl. Hindustani taals)
- Who it’s for
- Carnatic students once talam structures matter
- Link
- upbeatlabs.com
Tala KeeperVisual tala internalization toolSee listingiOS + web
- Price
- See listing
- What it does
- Visual tala internalization tool
- Who it’s for
- Students learning to feel the cycle
- Link
- write-up
Any standard metronomePlain beat practiceMany freeAll
- Price
- Many free
- What it does
- Plain beat practice
- Who it’s for
- Everyone, from day one
RiyazReal-time pitch feedback on Carnatic/Hindustani lessonsFree tieriOS / Android
- Price
- Free tier; premium pricing varies — check app store
- What it does
- Real-time pitch feedback on Carnatic/Hindustani lessons
- Who it’s for
- The main “is the practice in sur?” tool
- Link
- riyazapp.com
PadhanisaAI feedback, song-first lessons and games~₹99/monthiOS / Android
- Price
- ~₹99/month, ₹599/year (India)
- What it does
- AI feedback, song-first lessons and games
- Who it’s for
- Casual beginners; low-cost first exposure
- Link
- saregama.com/padhanisa
Chromatic tuner (generic)Pitch reference for tuningMany freeAll
- Price
- Many free
- What it does
- Pitch reference for tuning
- Who it’s for
- Instrument students
No app matches those filters. Clear a chip to see more.
Prices as of Jun 2026. Check the store.
Notation, physical tools and recording
Notation
Indian classical is traditionally oral and sargam-notated, and no dominant dedicated notation app has emerged. The practical answer: sargam in a notes app or Google Docs, plus the teacher’s own PDFs. Western staff tools (MuseScore, free) are only relevant for keyboard/violin crossover students. Ask your teacher what they use before adopting anything.
Physical tools
- Shruti box — a physical drone for environments where an app isn’t practical (group settings, screen-free practice).
- Tanpura drone machine — a dedicated electronic drone box; same job as the apps, no phone required.
- Keyboard — a basic one is useful as a pitch reference, especially for instrument students and adults.
Recording for progress
Self-recording is the cheapest practice upgrade there is. The student hears what the teacher hears — and when the “why are we doing this?” phase hits around month three, you can play back a clip from month one. The difference in pitch alone usually ends the argument. Voice Memos on whatever phone is closest does the job — one take per session, dated. No gear, no cost.
