Hello all,
Recently I have had problems balancing the head of the tabla. I am experiencing the typical N-S/E-W problem, where the pitch is higher on two sides. I realize that the head is unbalanced, but I do not know how to solve this problem. The gatta have been struck down as far as they will go, and the ring is no longer responding to the small hammer. I have taken the gatta out in an effort to even out the tasma, but this has not worked either. Is there a step I am missing, or another procedure I need to do to rebalance the head/get the drum back in tune?
respectfully,
Alex
I have not, seen your instrument so it is not possible for me to say for certain what the problem is. However the situation you are describing is often causd by a small invisible tear underneath the chat. There is no repair for this except to replace the head.
However, I strongly recommend you take the drum to a knowlegable person who can look at it and tell you what the problem is for sure.
Alex,
A number of possibilities:
1. The worst, is that the lakadi, or shell, opening is out-of-round. This is caused by the wood being improperly seasoned. This problem is more common than it ought to be and it is the primary reason as with a cracked lakadi, that the instrument should be immediately junked.
Check your tabla head diameter with a pair of calipers along the sharpest outer edge of the chat all around. The difference should be no more than 1/8 of an inch. Another way is to cut a circle drawn with a compass approx. the size of the head out of paper and lay it on top of the head. It should be easy to compare the roundness of your puddi with the paper circle.
2. Another common problem and one that seems to escape even the professionals is that the kundal ring on the bottom is shifted radically to one side of the foot of the tabla. When it is pinching the tasma up against the foot of the lakadi it can throw everything completely out-of-wack. The kundal should be relatively centered and free floating with at least 1/4 inch space between it and the foot of the tabla. This will also help equal the length of the tasma at each point of contact.
These first two points are worth noting when initially purchasing a tabla.
3. Hammering the gatta is pointless if the tasma are even slightly loose or slackened, and hammering the gajra braid should be done only for FINE tuning!! Take out the gatta, pull up all of the excess slack in your tasma a little at a time all the way around from the first knot to the last making sure that the the puddi stays in place and the kundal remains centered. You will have to untie the last not and re-tie it when you are finished pulling up the excess. You should pull the tasma tight enough and equally all the way around until you can can play a clear 'na' about two steps below the tuning you are trying to achieve. Patience and care here is the key to a well-tuned and long-lived instrument. Ideally a tabla can and should be tuned before the gatta are even put back under the tasma. Replace the gatta under one strap beginning with the second strap after the first knot (count one to thirty-two straps total) At this point fine tuning should be achieved by light tapping on the gajara up or down. It is generally preferable initially to hammer up on the gajara to lower the axis that is high than to hammer exessively down on the side that is low to achieve your tuning. After about a week or so, when the tension has evened out or begins settling down you can put another strap over each gatta beginning with the third strap (count one to thirty-two) after the first knot so that one strap for every sixteen points around the puddi has a strap over the gatta. When the gatta is easily moveable below the center of the height of the tabla it's generally a sign that the straps need to be re-pulled. You can place a third or fourth strap over the gatta but at this point you've gone beyond the point of balance that is needed to be achieved between the tension of the gajara and various parts of the puddi, tasma, and kundal. It's a little complicated but if your tuning is dependent on one part then the other parts will be under-utilized and the unit as a whole will be out-of-balance.
A well-constructed well cared-for instrument can keep it's tuning with little or no manipulation for months and even years of daily use.
Alex,
David is correct here and I would concur with his diagnosis. I've seen this happen especially when the gajara is being hammered exessively. The tear which is otherwise invisible underneath the chat will only get worse as you stretch the puddi further.
Bill
David Courtney (Feb 16, 2003 01:17 a.m.):
I have not, seen your instrument so it is not possible for me to say for certain what the problem is. However the situation you are describing is often causd by a small invisible tear underneath the chat. There is no repair for this except to replace the head.
However, I strongly recommend you take the drum to a knowlegable person who can look at it and tell you what the problem is for sure.
David and Bill,
Thank you both very much for your advice. At this point, I feel that the problem is complicated enough that I will seek the help of a professional, as I fear that too much tinkering on my part will unknowingly cause larger problems. I appreciate your detailed advice very much, thanks again.
-Alex
