some (obvious) tips:
1)Try to always have a clear Te Te.
for example, when playing :
Dhate tedha tete dhadha tete dhage tinna gena. . .
make sure your tete always comes out clean and a good way to practise I find is with swarshala. First I play slow, say at 60 bpm, and then double to 120 and then quadruple to 240bpm. Now, bcause swarshala(being a computer program) will always play 'te' the way it is defined to be played, it will always come out clean and all we have to do is try to achieve that clean sound even when playing at 240(which makes even more important that it must be clean). But it must be a real tete when playing fast and not just some kind of "skimmed tete".
2) Always play Dhere Dhere on your everyday practise.
If you do so then you will have a great asset!
3)When playing phrases like dhere dhere kitataka, always make sure that you are actually playing the last ka well clean(very important when playing fast). Make sure you are always concious of that last ka. Start by making sure you can hear it well when playing slow or fast.
. . .and then we may just be great players in ten years time.
rod
It's not so easy. It comes with alot of practice, i know. But I am finding this hard to achieve. The Te Te i mean.
I don't know if it's my tabla or what, but I have to strike the TE TE with force. and it's hard. I do get it sometimes. but if im playing TEREKETE my last "TE" doesnt sound.
and as a result i cant play fast.
i practice and practice. yes, some improvement. but such a long time!
Yes, it is very difficult(te te) in the beginning but it will come. Two things you must keep in mind.
1) Because it is very difficult it will only come with a lot of practise. So, practise and practise and prakar. . .tise. . .
2) You have to believe that you can become just like any of the great
players out there. And for that you need your heart and head(intelect) to be working together. . .and lots of prakar. .tise. .
Tabla is just like studying higher maths. You can only be a genius in it when it takes over you completely. Just lkike maths, without constant study and love for it you are simply stuck!
A bad pair of tabla can be a pain in arse indeed but, it also can force you to put more power in your strokes which can be good when you get a better tabla. . .but have to admit that they are not much fun at all.
David's Book Advanced Theory of Tabla(probably the best out there)
has some interesting examples on te te's where stresses are aplied to different te's on a string of te te's(sixteen te's with emphasis on the first, fourth, seventh, ninenth twelth and fifteenth beat).
. .but before that, just play a simple tete for a year or two!!
A suggestion: no matter where you are or what you're doing. . play teTeteTeteTe all the time. do it on your desk at work. when practicing on tabla, make sure the entire finger--not just the tip--is making contact with the drum. Slowly but surely my execution of these bhols is getting better.
also keep your knuckles relaxed and use your wrist!
Yes, Terekete = Tirakita.
DhereDhere (=DhiraDhira) is a completely different bol, try to move the right hand in the same way you move it for TeteTete, but don't play with the fingers but with the palm of the hand in the center of the puddi, add a Ge in Bayan in the first beat, the result should be a water-like sound.
