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Chapter 33: Introduction to the Tabla Solo
The second field of tabla
applications is the tabla solo. Tabla
has become more known as a solo instrument. Percussion ensembles are making
their way into the musical world. The tabla player in
this scenario is the lead artist. There aren’t too many rules for the soloist.
There are some fundamental characteristics of the tabla
solo.
THE BASE
Unlike what many people unfamiliar with Indian music
think, tabla solo is not fancy drum playing. As
mentioned before, there are rules to any form of Indian music, yet
improvisation potential is great.
The first aspect is the base. Every tabla solo is based on a particular tala.
An entire solo may be based on ektal of twelve matras, for instance. The entire piece will need to be
based on twelve beats. All improvised pieces must fit through the twelve beat cycle.
THE
PESHKAR:
The improvisation is what the artist creates to fit into
the fixed cycle. In the beginning, the artist may use a peshkar or an introductory tabla piece which starts off the solo. Then, the artist
resolves on the theka (most likely a well known prakar). This is where the main action begins.
THEME AND VARIATION:
The next phase is also improvisational. It involves
making thematic compositions through the qaida. Nice
complexities result from this form and create a nice tension and release
effects. The basic concept is studied in brief in Chapter 25.
FIXED COMPOSITION
(GAT)
Audience members won’t be able to tell if the pieces
played by the tabla soloists are actually original or
used before. Most of the times, the artists will throw a fixed composition used
before into the solo. However, before playing that fixed composition into the
solo, the soloist will actually speak the bols out
loud before they actually play the composition. This is similar to citing a
source if the statements or work was not original. Sometimes, compositions
(known as gat) are transpositions of one unrelated cycle in the current
fixed cycle. For example, if the tabla solo was meant
to be in rupak tala, there
could be a jhaptal composition that was compressed in
such a way, that it fits in the rupak tala cycle. Another composition may try to imitate sounds
of nature, like a deer jumping or a conch-shell blowing.
RELA:
Rela is a flow of bols. This
is the final quarter of the tabla solo, which is
often the most exciting portion. It is similar to the qaida,
but it storms the bols in an
thematic matter. After the final grand tihai, the tabla solo comes to a conclusion.
PEOPLE
INVOLVED IN A TABLA SOLO
In the simplest situation, it is only the tabla player. However, it is not uncommon to see a sarangi player or a harmonium player present playing a lehra. A lehra is a very simple melody which takes exactly one cycle
to complete. The melody is designed in such a way that the tabla
player knows where he or she is in the cycle. The sarangi
or harmonium player has absolutely no freedom in changing melodies, creating subtunes, or adding more ornaments. Only freedom given is
before the tabla’s entrance with a very brief
introduction and when the tabla is finished to give a
good conclusion.
If no instruments are present, sometimes, an extra
person is there to clap on all the talis and wave on
all the khalis to help the tabla
player mark time accurately. For example, if a tabla
soloist wants to do a solo in jhaptal, then clapper
will clap audibly on the sam, matra
3, and matra 8 and wave on matra
6.
Tabla solos do indeed take practice, especially if the
cycle is a rare number like nine beat matta tala or eleven beat chartal ki sawari tala.
The off-sync should never take place. Remember, Indian music is improvisation
within limits. The limit is following the cycle of twelve beats, following all
of the rules of the qaida if used, and cite and play
correctly all non-original compositions when used.
UPDATED: June 20, 2009