Learning how to do keertan is not really that hard. All it takes is some patience and interest and before you know it you will know how to do a few shabads on the vaja. The hard part is becoming a keertaniyaa. It takes a lot of practice and sometimes an inflated ego to make yourself into a very good keertani who can do keertan for at least an hour. You would also have to learn how to wow the sangat and keep them interested and in anand while you do keertan. All of this is possible it just takes some time. But that's just the easy part.
Becoming a khant keertani takes a lot more effort than any thing else and takes a patience that is unparalleled. But here are the steps too becoming a khant keertani!
First thing is always doing ardaas for keertan di daath. You have to genuinely want to do keertan from khant and please Guru Sahib.
It is very important to start early. Someone who has already become a keertaniya and is expected to do keertan for an hour at a time will have a harder time making the transition.
Convince your mind that you have to do keertan from khant and do not make excuses.
If there is keertan darbar every weekend then pick your shabad very early in the week and start memorizing it!
Once the shabad is memorized, practice doing it from memory on the vaja. This is usually where many people find the most difficulty. You have to train yourself to remember the shabad as well as the keys and stay on taal. But nothing is impossible!
Review your shabad before the keertan darbar starts and do ardaas to Guru Sahib again asking for keertan di daath.
When it is your turn to do keertan, put the pothi away, or close the laptop/ipad/tablet. If you leave it open there is chance that your mind will become lazy and look at these things instead of doing the keertan from khant.
Trust Guru Sahib and close your eyes. Now sing!!
At the end of this you will feel very good, and you should. Guru Sahib is very proud.
Now all that is left is doing this over and over again until have a lot of shabads memorized. Remember to review old shabads to make sure that you have that at least somewhat memorized. Never do keertan from the pothi or laptop/ipad/tablet again. If you do then there is a chance that your mind will break its need too memorize shabads.
Good luck, you are on the way to becoming a khant keertani!! May Guru Sahib shower you with massive kirpa!
Preetam Singh
ਸਤਿਗੁਰਬਚਨਕਮਾਵਣੇਸਚਾਏਹੁਵੀਚਾਰੁ॥