He was taught by his father, Sahabdad Khan, a trained vocalist and self-taught sitar player, but Imdad came to greatly develop and define the family style and techniques.
It is said that in his youth at Etawah, Imdad practiced on the sitar in a state of chilla (isolation) for some twelve years.
Ustad Vilayat Khan himself composed many bandishes using the pen name Nath Piya.
Imdad attained great fame in his lifetime: he served as a court musician in Mysore and Indore, and he was the first sitar player ever to be recorded.
Some of these recordings have been released on CD, on the Great Gharanas: Imdadkhani compilation in RPG/EMI's Chairman's Choice series.