What is the Bearing Edge Suppose to be for the Tabla Drum?
Mar 14, 2002 03:17 p.m.
What is the Bearing Edge Suppose to be for the Tabla Drum?
Hi,
I bought my first tabla set and it was in poor sounding condition- they drums sounded like badly tuned bongos! However, the tabla is rosewood and the bayan is brass; I took it apart to learn more about it and have found that the wooden tabla drum has a flat bearing edge; this is unlike bearing edges of other drums where the edge is rounded or angled; even the bayan has a curved bearing edge; is this normal for the tabla? If it is, how does this contribute to the tabla sound? If not, what should the bearing edge be like for optimum sound?
Re:What is the Bearing Edge Suppose to be for the Tabla Drum?
Mar 28, 2002 10:26 p.m.
llyal (Mar 14, 2002 03:17 p.m.):
What is the Bearing Edge Suppose to be for the Tabla Drum?
Hi,
I bought my first tabla set and it was in poor sounding condition- they drums sounded like badly tuned bongos! However, the tabla is rosewood and the bayan is brass; I took it apart to learn more about it and have found that the wooden tabla drum has a flat bearing edge; this is unlike bearing edges of other drums where the edge is rounded or angled; even the bayan has a curved bearing edge; is this normal for the tabla? If it is, how does this contribute to the tabla sound? If not, what should the bearing edge be like for optimum sound?
Thank you,
--Llyal
Hi. It is normal for the bearing edge of the tabla to be flat. There are sometimes variations on this, though, such as a totally square edge, or a rounded edge, or an angled edge (on the inside). Unfortunately, I'm not aware of any comparative studies on the matter.
Re:What is the Bearing Edge Suppose to be for the Tabla Drum?
Apr 08, 2002 07:32 p.m.
Hi,
Thanks for the response. I gave it more thought and think that a flat bearing edge is not a good idea. You will get two points of contact on the skin from the bearing edge when the skin vibrates, which would dampen your tone. I am going to sand the outside edge rounded like i have seen on another tabla set to see if thst improves the sound - since i got these tablas cheap, i can afford to experiment!. This will make a single point of contact on the head like on other drums, as well as give me the smallest vibrating head area i can get, which will make tensioned tuning easier on the drum head.
