Hello
What do you think about the book "Learning the Tabla"?
Is this a good book for a beginner?
Is this book very similar to "Fundamentals of Tabla"?
Thanks for your help
I think you you will find this book informative and useful. Together with the CD it should get you started on the right foot if you are a biginner.
My biggest problem when I started without a guru was the great confusion surrounding the bols. The same bol is called differently or played differently (different stiking positions and finger combinations.) in different schools. Once you have learned the basic bols in a given system, you are in a better postion to appreciate the differences beteen any two systems. My suggestion is, start with "Learning the Tabla", master it, and then move on to more advanced things. Some instruction from a teacher will certainly expedite your learning. If you are already an experienced tabla player, however, you may find this book elementary.
I am new to the world of tabla, and I recently purchased this book. I find it very helpful. The basics are well covered and it provides me with moderate challenge. The CD is especially helpful because you get to hear the actual sounds of the bols. I would recommend it but only if you are just starting to learn the tabla.
I know the bols are very confusing, that's been a tough one for all of us. Unfortunately it's not an exact science although it almost seems like one and boy have people tried to make it one.(some have done pretty good)
I've seen everthing from different spellings to little symbols above the notes.
But anyway here is my advice for understanding how bols work.
Think of it as 2 different fields:
1.One field is used to closely describe the specific strokes you can play.
2.The other field is used for reciting .
Which means that the correct bol words may not be used because it doesn't flow as well when spoken. For a quick example you will often say tin na when you play tun na. So understand for the purpose of reciting the bol words may change quite a bit, (not completely out of control) but realize the reason the words are substituted is so that when spoken (often very fast) it flows and feels more like the actual composition being played.
A good example is "ta" when used in reciting can represent many different bols, it's just an easy word that works well when verbally demonstrating how a composition sounds.
On the other hand as far as the first field is concerned you should be able to learn and identify all the specific bols in otherwords almost every different bol you play does have it's proper name Na Ne TIN TUN TA(on the sur), these are the resonant right hand bols TE RE are the dampened bols and there are just a few more for the right hand dere , taran etc. For the left GA is resonant and KA is dampened.
Of course there's quite a bit more to it but that is the basic and I hope that helps.
Pete (Jan 04, 2003 01:54 p.m.):
Hi there!
I think you you will find this book informative and useful. Together with the CD it should get you started on the right foot if you are a biginner.
My biggest problem when I started without a guru was the great confusion surrounding the bols. The same bol is called differently or played differently (different stiking positions and finger combinations.) in different schools. Once you have learned the basic bols in a given system, you are in a better postion to appreciate the differences beteen any two systems. My suggestion is, start with "Learning the Tabla", master it, and then move on to more advanced things. Some instruction from a teacher will certainly expedite your learning. If you are already an experienced tabla player, however, you may find this book elementary.
