Product Description

The tabla, a hand drum which originated in India, has become very popular throughout the world. This method covers everything you need to know to learn to play the tabla, including the history and parts of the tabla, tuning and maintenance, positioning, basic exercises, and numerous techniques and patterns. A glossary is included to help the student decipher the many mnemonics and foreign terms which are essential to the tradition of the tabla. The accompanying CD illustrates many of the exercises, so that this book may be used either with or without a teacher.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #371069 in Books
• Published on: 2001-11-21
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 80 pages

Customer Reviews

Good, structured start for tabla learners
The exercises of this book are well strucured and easy to follow for a complete beginner. The CD tones can be a little difficult to distinguish, but you get the idea of where the rhythm is going, so the CD is generally helpful if you can follow the text with it.
You still need a tabla teacher to show you technique (in order to make the tones in the first place), but this is a good text to learn from on your own in between lessons.

Learning the tabla
This is a great book for the beginning tabla player. It shows everything you need to get you started. The tabla is the most popular form of percussion in Indian music; backing the likes of Ravi Shanker and the Beatles. The tabla is no far eastern bongos. It has different patterns, involving fingers rather than whole hands. It uses scales like ga, na, and ha. However, this book takes the fear out of learning them. Author David Courtney was one of the first westerners to learn this fine percussion instrument and shares the secrets in this book.

Great beginners guide
I found this book useful as a beginner, the CD provided is very helpful. You are able to listen to what the boles should sound like. Introduction to the Taals, Kaidas etc. are covered very nicely. Definitely recommended for the beginner.