INDIAN MUSIC FORUM ARCHIVES: Tabla Forum: new head

metta,

o

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omja (Feb 20, 2004 07:56 a.m.):
hi
i have had a new head put on my bayan. the head is great but it doesn't seem to fit too well, particularly the outer ring. I'm unsure what the part is called, it is not the outer woven ring but the ring which covers the outer perimeter of the bayan. it lifts off the surface of the drum rather than lying flush with the surface.
as the workshop responsible for the replacement is a long way from my home i'll need to make any changes myself.
can anyone on the list suggest how i might get the whole skin to sit flat.??

metta,

o

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Dear Metta,
I'd say that the worst case scenario is that the shell is bent or warped out-of-round. Otherwise, it sounds more like the puddi needs to be pulled tighter and more even. It can't possibly sound very good as it is but you didn't mention that.
If you can't pull the head up it yourself find someone who's done it before to show you how. Don't be afraid to learn to pull your own heads, as every tabla needs to be pulled up again eventually - and DON'T be discouraged by persons telling you that it takes a LOT of strength - it takes more patience, experience, and finesse than brute strength and it's the only way to get maximum efficiency from your instrument. At least learn the names of the parts of your instrument. Eventually you may decide to re-head your own tablas instead of having to buy a new ones. And if you do decide to buy a new one you'll know what finer points to look for. Also you'll learn how to keep your tablas fine tuned and they'll last longer as a result - besides saving money if that's a concern.
Tabla pulling and re-heading isn't for everyone but trust me, you'll have a big advantage over those who can't.

A.

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omja (Feb 20, 2004 01:16 p.m.):
thanks for the advice. But what should I be pulling tighter exactly.
The tone is good at this time but because the outer ring lifts up I tend to catch it as I move my left hand back and forth.
o

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If you were to pull each strap equally all the way around so that there was greater overall tension on the head, the "outer ring" should lie flat - the overall tone will also be higher in pitch.
I won't even begin to explain how this is done - but there is a good primer here: https://chandrakantha.com/tablasite/articles/repair.htm
What happens sometimes is that when the underside of the head is dampened to begin the inital lacing it doesn't dry evenly - or it isn't laced evenly or as tight as it should be or it's the wrong size for your shell, etc. Someone may suggest to wet the spot where the chat is lifted in hopes that it will shrink flat - DON'T - you'll only worsen the problem.
In the meantime, try gently hammering downward on the braid to see if that helps or try pushing the blocks downward to increase the tension or insert some blocks if there aren't any - see the above article for more details and let us know what happens.
Where do you live ? - someone reading here might live nearby and be willing to lend assistance.

Aanaddha

next the tone of the bayan is ok but not brilliant, i suspect that the raised (proud) outer ring is muffling the sound in some way.

i will try to stretch the outer ring through tapping down the braided/twisted ring and i'll also add some pieces of dowel to raise the tone and also increase the skin tension. but the tone is pretty high at the moment (even though its below freezing outside) i'm worried that any further increase may be a tone too much and rip the skin.

i live in kent in the UK, the nearest store is around 80 miles away and a round trip takes 4 or 5 hours.

thanks for the encouragement.

o

Could be that the head will go completely slack when the weather warms up and it's not so dry - still, the chat and the maidan should expand and contract at the same rate. The only time I've ever seen the problem you describe is when the head wasn't yet pulled-up or tensioned evenly.
BTW - Lars is in Washington State - USA, Pacific side.

Keep in touch,
Aanaddha

David Courtney

It may settle on its own over time with tuning and playing.
its not the effect on the sound which fuels my malaise but rather the annoying way it catches the heel of my palm when i apply "mind" type movements.

o

The edge raises no more than an 1/8 inch at its height.
It may settle on its own over time with tuning and playing.
its not the effect on the sound which fuels my malaise but rather the annoying way it catches the heel of my palm when i apply "mind" type movements.

o

I live in Edgware, North London. Without bragging too much, I have put on quite a lot of 'heads' and I will be happy to check yours out. I will fix it if I can - For Free!. My email is ramesh.vekaria@ntlworld.com

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Ram (Feb 25, 2004 08:29 a.m.):
Omja,

I live in Edgware, North London. Without bragging too much, I have put on quite a lot of 'heads' and I will be happy to check yours out. I will fix it if I can - For Free!. My email is ramesh.vekaria@ntlworld.com

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omja,
Don't pass up this offer! Ram is THE Tabla DUDE! Make sure he gives you tuning and maintentance tips also.

Aanaddha

I don't mean to insult you but is your technique correct? Does everyone agree that the left hand shouldn't leave the surface of the drum and its home position is on the larger side of the maidan?

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scodoha (Feb 25, 2004 12:20 p.m.):

I don't mean to insult you but is your technique correct? Does everyone agree that the left hand shouldn't leave the surface of the drum and its home position is on the larger side of the maidan?

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Dear Schodha,
What makes you believe that your technique is the "correct" one? Not "everyone will agree". I've seen the baya being played in just about every position imagineable - not that any were "correct".
Initially I wondered myself how omja was playing his baya, but thanks for waiting till we got his first issue resolved - now your question is relevant.
Sincerely,
Aanaddha

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scodoha (Feb 25, 2004 05:24 p.m.):
Mine is correct because I don't drag my heel over the gajara when I play meends.

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Everyone is free to believe what they were taught or what they percieve to be the truth. However, I think there may be a little confusion here. I understand that omja is refering to inner edge of the "outer ring" that catches the heel of his hand as being the chat (chati, kinnar), not the gajara (braid). On a new bayan especially the chat's width may be relatively wide, and covering a good portion of the maidan.
At any rate, his hand is not "lifted", I think, which is the reason it "catches" while performing "mind" (meend). The ideal "home position" of the hand on the baya varies greatly from teacher to teacher and from artist to artist depending on their tradition and personal preferences.
Feel free to advise me if I am mistaken or ill-informed.

Aanaddha

metta,

o

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omja (Feb 26, 2004 10:29 a.m.):
i'll take up the offer of a trip to edgeware and apologise for any trouble caused.

metta,

o

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Dear omja,
No need to apologize. Every sincere question and answer and every sincere disagreement is ultimately informative for everyone who is sincerely interested.
Good luck, please let us know how you fare.

A.