What is tabla?

Tabla is a musical instrument which consists of two small drums. It looks like a pot and is made of wood. It has a black round shape in the middle and that is the place where people use their fingers to beat the drum and create beautiful beats and notes. Two of the drums are played with both hands. You will find some good tablas in Gurusoundz, a tabla shop in UK. If you are learning tabla you can improve your practice by implementing many tips and tricks.

Focus on tone and sound quality

It is very important that you as a tabla player produce the clearest and best quality tone. You must have all your strokes correct and produce high pitched sound. in the beginning you must learn to play any note correctly with high clarity. For this you must do it slowly. You must remember that ‘slow and steady wins the race’. Learn correctly and practice slowly in the beginning and then when you have got all your strokes correct and high clarity is there you can take up speed. When you learn playing the tabla slowly, you will not have problem picking up the speed. Each and every stroke must be clear and unique from the other.

Always keep it simple

You must always play the tabla with simplicity. Many compositions of many great maestros are very simple but beautiful. When you keep your notes and playing technique simple, you can apply some intricate notes beautifully and then it will stand out.

Have respect for the art

You must have respect for the Indian music and also the musical instruments. You must have bags and covers for your tabla and also two resting rings for each one. You must remember that in all the musical instruments including tabla, God resides and you must bow your head before it before starting to play it. While playing this musical instrument you must always sit on a mat (asana).

Pay respect to other performers

Tabla is a musical instrument which majority of the time is played with many other instruments. There will be many other players with many different musical instrument. There can also be a singer. Therefore, you must give them the required space and go with their pace. At that moment you do not need to show your individual talent but make an effort to make the teamwork a success. When you are playing a tabla alone then you can do as you want.

Practice

You must remember that ‘practice makes a man perfect’. You must practice tabla regularly and must be focused. This will surely make you a good tabla player. You must play one composition for an half an hour and make it correct.