INDIAN MUSIC FORUM ARCHIVES: Tabla Forum: tak

 

Author Message
Jimmy
tak Apr 28, 2004 07:07 p.m.


HI, can anyone tell me how to play the bol 'tak' 'the bol that sticks'! Apparantly (in J kippen, or somewhere I read) its like 'na' but you leave your finger on the kinar after striking. But doesn't the Dehli suggest your finger doesn't rebound after 'na' anyway? and how do you achieve that 'clicking' sound? I'm confused could someone help?jx
aanaddha
Re:tak Apr 28, 2004 11:03 p.m.



Jimmy (Apr 28, 2004 07:07 p.m.):
HI, can anyone tell me how to play the bol 'tak' 'the bol that sticks'! Apparantly (in J kippen, or somewhere I read) its like 'na' but you leave your finger on the kinar after striking. But doesn't the Dehli suggest your finger doesn't rebound after 'na' anyway? and how do you achieve that 'clicking' sound? I'm confused could someone help?jx

Jimmy,
Forgive me if I'm wrong. . I'm taking a wild guess, ok? - you're looking for a teacher, right. Plenty of excellent tabla gurus out there, just tell us where you live.
Sincerely,
Aanaddha

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Vivek
Re:tak Apr 29, 2004 12:58 a.m.


If I understanding which stroke you're thinking of (and I'm pretty sure I do) you can almost get it by playing a na on the chaati and holding you finger down, but to get the proper sound, you use a pushing stroke more like a tin: you use the whole length of your finger - not just the tip - and strike the chaati right where the wood is with the left edge of your index finger (assuming you're right-handed) and hold down instead of releasing (this is why the stroke resembles a tin more than a na)
That's the basic idea, although I really would say the best way to go about it is to get a teacher who can instruct you properly

-Vivek

oli
Re:tak Apr 29, 2004 06:55 a.m.


This stroke is associated with Dilli style. Is it therefore easier to execute on a Dilli tabla? this may be an invalid question - I posted a similar question before but got no replies, but i'm still wondering whether different gab thicknesses etc are specific to diferent gharanas and whether it is best to play in the style 'intended' for a particular tabla. Sorry, i think this should have been a new question. . thanks anyway. Oli
alien
Re:tak Apr 29, 2004 07:08 a.m.


Hello,

I'd like to add something to Vivek's comment.
I've learnt it with the addition of finger two: the middle finger touches the sur exactly when the index finger strikes, but producing no extra (own) sound, only muting the resonance! I personally bend my middle finger and use the tip sometimes. Moreover, in successions like dha ti ge tak ge na, finger two remains on the skin after ti (or tit, or tet, call it the way you like), so after ge, you play tak with finger one, finger two already in muting position (border sur and shyahi). Try it, it won't be higher in pitch but dryer and sharper anyway. There is a special faka theka in tintal, we call it "na-di-kat-ta", which is in fact na tet tak na, here you see the same: your middle finger is ready to mute tak after hitting tet.

Jimmy
Re:tak Apr 29, 2004 03:15 p.m.


Thanks for your replies. I live in Edinburgh, Scotland as I've already mentioned. There is as far as I know, I full-time tabla guru and teacher in Glasgow (c. 40 miles away) - Vijay Kangatkur - who I am trying to get in contact with. I've learnt some basic concepts of technique and composition from David Courtney's book 'Learning the tabla'. Please don't disregard simple questions like this - as there are obviously lots of things I miss out on from not having a teacher, and I find this forum very helpful for learning about things which aren't covered in books like this. I am also a full-time student which doesn't give me as much time as I'd like to devote to this instrument. Sorry if some of my questions seem boring or mundane but this is the only way I can settle curiosities I have as regards the learning proccess. I hope to learn properly this summer when I have less academic tie-downs!
aanaddha
Re:tak Apr 29, 2004 06:17 p.m.



Jimmy (Apr 29, 2004 03:15 p.m.):
Thanks for your replies. I live in Edinburgh, Scotland as I've already mentioned. There is as far as I know, I full-time tabla guru and teacher in Glasgow (c. 40 miles away) - Vijay Kangatkur - who I am trying to get in contact with. I've learnt some basic concepts of technique and composition from David Courtney's book 'Learning the tabla'. Please don't disregard simple questions like this - as there are obviously lots of things I miss out on from not having a teacher, and I find this forum very helpful for learning about things which aren't covered in books like this. I am also a full-time student which doesn't give me as much time as I'd like to devote to this instrument. Sorry if some of my questions seem boring or mundane but this is the only way I can settle curiosities I have as regards the learning proccess. I hope to learn properly this summer when I have less academic tie-downs!

Dear Jimmy,
We commend your enthusiasm, so keep it up!
As I've said in previous posts, the real downside of learning from books, CD's, videos, DVD's etc. is that there is the very real tendency to pick up a lot of bad habits and to mis-interpret information that you will spend much grueling and painful time un-learning at a future date. In my very humble opinion the time you have until you can meet with a guru might be better spent reading tabla history, memorizing compositions, reciting bols, learning the vocabulary, watching videos, listening to CD's and reading books about tabla for the simple joy of it rather than trying to perfect complex bols. Although I regret I haven't taken his good advise, David recommends the importance of learning devnagri. Your teacher will certainly be impressed and take you that much more seriously than the student with untutored abilities and no incentive for learning the foundations.
Be the king with his brilliant wealth of knowledge, not the clown with his tattered bag of worn-out tricks.

Sincerely,
Aanaddha

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