Please forgive my ignorance, (for asking a silly question)
Is there anybody to guide me?
1. Please explain muscular action (while playing tabla)
2. Besides practice, is there any special technics to play tabla?
3. If yes, does every tabla teacher know about that (or) they have their own technics?
4. Why I am asking this because if I practice in a wrong way i.e., if the fingering techniques are wrong then while playing fast tempo there will be lack of clarity, so please narrate general guidelines about muscular action and fingering techniques (since this portion will play a major role while playing tabla)
For example- Somebody has asked about playing NANA with same fingering and for that someone has suggested that this is mainly depends upon the muscular action and if same muscular action was followed for playing NANA it is a wrong way of playing.
So, SOMEBODY PLEASE GUIDE ME.
sibi (Jan 22, 2004 03:54 a.m.):
Please forgive my ignorance, (for asking a silly question)
Is there anybody to guide me?
1. Please explain muscular action (while playing tabla)
2. Besides practice, is there any special technics to play tabla?
3. If yes, does every tabla teacher know about that (or) they have their own technics?
4. Why I am asking this because if I practice in a wrong way i.e., if the fingering techniques are wrong then while playing fast tempo there will be lack of clarity, so please narrate general guidelines about muscular action and fingering techniques (since this portion will play a major role while playing tabla)
For example- Somebody has asked about playing NANA with same fingering and for that someone has suggested that this is mainly depends upon the muscular action and if same muscular action was followed for playing NANA it is a wrong way of playing.
So, SOMEBODY PLEASE GUIDE ME.
Sibi,
First of all these are not silly questions - rather they indicate your seriousness and your sense of awareness.
However, the questions you ask are better answered by a teacher for the simple reason that he or she can demonstrate as well as explain the correct fingering technique. A teacher can also make suggestions regarding your posture, movement, and practice suggestions that are unique to you personally, and not merely general statements such as the ones given here that may or may not suit your particular needs.
In my humble opinion the answers to your questions are:
1. There is none. The less muscular activity the better. Learning to relax is probably the more difficult and more important thing to learn.
2. No. Practice and technique are one and the same.
3. Yes.
4. Become someone's else's student - you will not progress if you continue to attempt teach yourself. Only a teacher will explain to you those things you need to un-learn . . which is about half of what you will learn.
Please forgive the brevity of my answers - I am speaking only from my own experience. You seem like a potentially serious student and I am far from being a teacher.
Sincerely,
Aanaddha
Sibi,
A better answer to your first question:
Nine times out of ten you will find that the correct movement will be more instinctive, effortless, reactive, or responsive than "muscular".
You will also be surprised to discover a distinct correlation between the level of clarity and precision you wish to attain and the state of relaxation you are able to maintain. (Read "Zen In the Art of Archery" by Eugene Herrigel, tr. RFC Hull. ". .You must hold the drawn bowstring, like a little child holding the proffered finger. . .".)
Even for a pro it may take 30 minutes to an hour to reach that state. This is why regular and long periods of practice and posture are important.
Aanaddha
I definitely agree with Aanaddha. The development of technique is something that needs to be guided and regularly checked by a qualified teacher. And the key to it all is definitely relaxation. Any tension will hinder your playing, and can actually cause injury over time.
What Shawn (if I may speak for him) and I are both trying to say is that tension, as it relates to forced muscle activity cannot only be harmful if induced habitually; it will also lead you in the opposite direction towards greater clarity (sound production) and precision (timing) in your hand movements and finger strokes.
A good teacher will break you of those 'easier to aquire-harder to lose' habits and help you towards the goal of greater enjoyment.
