Tabla, the drums of India have become very popular now. From their earliest mention in the ancient scriptures of India to their presence in the Hollywood sound tracks, the Tabla have traveled great distance; both chronologically and geographically.

A BRIEF HISTORY:
The precise origin of tabla is very controversial and poorly documented. Facts are freely mingled with myths and legends (as is the case with many matters of India). Tabla, as we know in its modern from can be traced back to about three hundred years ago although millennium-old carvings of similar figures in the temples indicate that they are much older. Sidhar Khan founded the Delhi lineage- the pioneer of all tabla lineages. Due to various social, economic and other factors, the early maestros went to different parts of India and that resulted in other lineages being founded. Today, there are five major ‘gharanas’ (lineages) of tabla with more sub sects that some claim are independent lineages in themselves. From a purely aesthetic perspective different lineages offer a distinctly different repertoire of tabla and hence, a different joy of listening.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INSTRUMENT:
Tabla consist of a pair of drums- one small made of wood and another big made of metal- steel, brass or copper. Both have a sheepskin tightly strung over them with straps that run down the length of the drum with wooden pegs inserted in them. Striking the wooden pegs with a small hammer tunes the drum up or down. So every time you see a tabla player at a concert pull out his hammer; he isn’t performing a last minute repair job, he is tuning his instrument. The small drum has a high sound (treble) and the high drum has a low sound (bass). There is a black circle of a certain material pasted on the head of each tabla. This is what gives the drums their resonance- their ‘timber’. Without it, the tabla would sound flat like a bongo. >Tabla is played with fingers.

UNIQUENESS OF TABLA AS A PERCUSSION INSTRUMENT:
The description above lends itself to describing many qualities that make tabla such an unparalelled percussion instrument. It is tunable, which means it is in sync with the rest of the musicians, not just rhythmically but melodically as well. It has a treble and bass so it has a range of sounds. A rock drum set for example has many individual drums to make a set- the tom toms, the snares, the hats, foot drum etc. That is because each of these drums can produce only one kind of sound so to have a wide range, you need many number of drums. In the case of tabla, just a pair of drums is capable of making many sounds with finger modulation. Tabla is played with fingers- not with the sticks or pedals or the whole palm of the hand- only the fingers. This signifies its playing requires finesse, subtlety and dexterity. Finally, tabla has its own language, rhythm and mathematics that make it unique.

THE LANGUAGE OF TABLA:
The head of tabla has three parts: the edge, the middle ‘ground’ and the black part. On the small drum, each of these parts can be struck with different fingers with varying degrees of hardness or lightness producing a different sound. Similarly stroking the big drum with fingers, while at the same time sliding or digging the wrist produces a spectrum of bass sounds. All these different sounds have different names that mimic them such as taa, naa, tun, tin, ghe, dha etc. These are some of the syllables of the language of tabla. Then, just like any other language, you put the syllables together to form words; and words conjoin to form phrases; the phrases make sentences and the sentences make the complete text. To make this text a work of literature is the art.

REPERTOIRE OF TABLA:
Putting together words of tabla to make a composition that is musically pleasing is an art akin to writing poetry. When teaching tabla, I often tell students to make up their own ‘sentences’ and make them appreciate how altering them differently makes them sound better or worse. The old maestros have left a vast repertoire of vintage compositions, which reside with their torch-bearers and are being passed down from Gurus to disciples. My own Guru Shabbir Nisar has a stack of hand written notebooks of compositions that stands five feet tall. This is where the formal training of tabla comes in. To understand the precise finger techniques and to learn the age-old compositions requires a teacher with a tradition. The various types of compositions are a study in aesthetics. Some are long and ongoing with variations upon variations upon a theme; some are short-lived with a burst of energy, some are like machinery-rumbles and drum rolls. They all have the capability of > evoking different moods and pictorial images in the minds of listeners. Then there are compositions with actual linguistic words incorporated in them to make percussive texts for thunderstorms, lightning and chants of Gods and Goddesses. That a percussion instrument does all this is amazing.

MATHEMATICS OF TABLA:
The discussion about tabla would be very incomplete without talking a little about its mathematics. The reason why tabla involves mathematics is because its rhythms are ‘rhythm cycles’. A simple 1-2-3-4 rhythm (musically speaking- the 4/4 time) is vastly different from its equivalent - the 16 beat rhythm cycle of tabla. A similar comparison would be the exhaust of a fan and a breathing cycle! The cycle of 16 beats has a beginning, a midpoint and an ending that brings the anticipation of the next beginning. So, the compositions of tabla also have the same distribution- the beginning, the reinforcement, the anticipation and climax. To make these components fit requires knowing exactly where you are at any time during the cycle, knowing the number of beats played and the number remaining to be played. This involves calculation. Then again you start dealing with half and quarter beats and the calculation becomes more complex.

SOLO VERSUS ACCOMPANIMENT:
When a tabla player is performing with another instrumentalist or vocalist or dancer, he is in the role of accompaniment- he is more or less keeping a steady rhythm. He improvises only from time to time when he is allowed to ‘take his turn’ to go crazy. However, for all the reasons stated above, tabla is a very capable solo instrument and its many features come of age in a solo performance.

WHAT TO LISTEN FOR IN A CONCERT:
Appreciating tabla takes some understanding like any other subject. The taste can develop faster than you think. Keeping track of the ‘downbeat’- beat no. 1- the beginning of the rhythm cycle is always a good exercise. Just to see how the composition spans out, balances itself and culminates into its final resting point (the downbeat) can keep you ‘positioned’ all the time. The next stage is to appreciate the subtleties of tabla sounds. The beginners always applaud for the fast drum rolls and bass drum wrist slides. There is nothing wrong with that, but eventually you start appreciating the beauty of other more subtle phrases and subtle and melodic phrases. To see the various phrases make up a perfect composition that is balanced, expressive and in time- is sheer joy.

FINAL THOUGHTS:
Leonard Bernstein was once asked to define great art. His answer is a very lucid and perceptive one. He said that in great art, every individual component is both necessary and sufficient. If you take anything out, it is too empty and if you add anything, it is too much. In other words, you cannot improvise upon great art. The age-old tabla compositions easily pass this test. The tabla maestros of the glorious past dedicated their lives to perfecting its art. They lived on no money and abundant spirit. The treasure they have left us is invaluable. Especially in the stressful life of today, it offers a solace and a visceral happiness.

© Narendra Budhakar 2005