Comprehensive Course on the art of playing Tabla - Beginners course part 2

1. Introduction to B 2 (beginners course -Part 2) : Hi there. It's good to be back, doing what I like most, that is sharing my tabla rhythms. This time I come with the beginners course part two. It makes sense for students to go through the Beginners Course 1 first before coming here. In the B2 course, I have covered four beautiful Kaydas, which will certainly expand your Tabla vocabulary. Also shared a technique exercise which is very important. And aTukda composition. I have explained in the first course about the concept of Kayda. But just to brush up your memory. Kayda is a composition which has basically three parts. The theme, the variations, and the Tehai. Now, each of these - Theme and variations has two parts each The Sum and the Khali. Furthermore, the phrases that make up the Sum and the Khali are, for ease of understanding, referred to as A and B. Let's dive right into the B2 course. Happy learning. 2. Tirakita : Hi there. Before we get into the Kayadas of the B2 series, it's important for us to learn a word which goes like this. Tirakita It's played in two different ways. The first variety I call as the finger Tirakita. It's played like this. Just with the middle finger. Ti Ra index finger. Ke. and Ta with three fingers. Let me play it again. Ti Ra Ki Ta. The second variety of Tirakita... the whole hand Tirakita or the three finger Tirakita. So Ti is played with three fingers. Ti Ra Ki Ta. Let me repeat. 3. Technique practice exercise - Dha Tirakita Taka Tirakita : Now let's play a simple exercise. This is a six beat phrase which is played four times. The first three times you play. Dha Tirakita Taka Tirakita And the fourth term you don't play Dha you just play only Ta. Ta Tirakita Taka Tirakita One more time. Dha Tirakita Taka Tirakita Ta Tirakita Taka Tirakira That's the cycle. Dha Tirakita Taka Tirakita Ta Tirakita Taka Tirakira Four sixes. The way it is counted is... Dha Tirakita is the first three Taka Tirakita the second three. So that's how it makes six. This six is split three times This is a very simple exercise, but a very useful one. Before we head into the next Kayda. a lot of practice with this will help you easily learn the next Kayda. 4. Kayda 3 part 1 : Now let's come to the third Kayda. The theme goes like this. In the sum, there are two parts. The first part is three plus three plus two. Khali without the bass. The second part, the bass comes back. Now let's come to the variations. In the first variation we'll play the a part of the sum three times. Let's play In the Khali The first 2 A's are without the bass. Variation two. The first part is A. Dha Tirakita, Dha Tita, Gena The second 8 is made up of two 4s Tita Gena Tita Gena The third part is the A again Dha Tirakita, Dha Tita, Gena And the fourth part is always be B. Dhati Gena, Thina Kena The third variation, we play A first, which is Dha Tirakita Dha Tita Gena And in the second eight, we play a five plus three, which is Dha Tita Gena Dha Tita And then there's an A and B again. Khali. Again without bass. 5. Kayda 3 part 2 : The fourth variation is very interesting. First we play A which is eight beats that is DhaTirakita Dhatita Gena, after that, from this phrase, you remove the first Dha, which is one beat. You get a seven beat phrase, which is Tirakita Dhatita Gena From this seven beats, you remove two beats, Which is Tirakita. You remove Tirakita, you get Dhatita Gena from this five you remove one beat, you remove the Dha, you get TitaGena Then you have to just play a B after that, which is Dhati Gena Thina Kena So let me play it first. The first A DhaTirakita DhaTita Gena , Remove Dha - Tirakita Dhatita Gena Remove Tirakita - Dhatita Gena Remove Dha Again TitaGena And B - Dhatigena Thina Kena the whole thing once. Dhatirakita Dha Tita Gena, 7, 5, 4 + B Now you get the Bass back with a 5, 4 and b. Let me play the variation once. in the 5th Variation. We play two 12s , which is 24, and the ending phase, which is B. 12, is made up of 7 and 5 from the previous variation, which is Tirakita Dhatita Gena seven. and Dhatita Gena , five. You play this together twice. Tirakita Dhatita Gena, Dhatita Gena. This is 12, you play this twice and then you play Dhatigena Thinakena So Tirakita Dhatita Gena Dhatita Gena, Tirakita Dhatita Gena Dhatita Gena, Dhati Gena Thina kena And the Khali the bass comes back on the second 12. So the first 12 is without bass, peta. Second 12 The 6th variation is made up of 5, 4, 7 which is the variation part. And A plus B, which is the Kayda part. So the 5 is DhatitaGena the 4 is Tita Gena and the 7 is Tirakita Dhatita Gena Putting it together, Dhatita Gena Tita Gena, Tirakita DhaTitaGena And Kayda. In Khali Ta Tita Kena, Tita Kena Tirakita TaTita Kena And then the bass comes back on the A and B, which is the Kayda. Let me play this variation, fully 6. Kayda 3 Part 3 (Tehai ) : Welcome to the ending or the, tehai of this, particular Kayada the Tehai here is for 128 beats, which is divided as 40 40 40, with 4 an 4 in the gaps so 40 (4) 40 (4) 40 Now, each 40 is made up of two parts. The first part is a prefix, you can call it a prefix of 12 beats. The second part is another smaller, tehai, which is for 28 beats, which is in the format of 8 (2) 8 (2) 8 So let me play the prefix first. Dhatigena, Dhatirakita Dhatita Gena which is Dhati + A Dhatigena, Dhatirakita Dhatita Gena 4 + 8 = 12. this is the prefix Now the smaller Tehai for 28 beats is B, two beats, Dha 1 B, two beats, Dha 1 and B If you put these two parts together, it forms a 40. This 40 is repeated three times with a gap of 4 and 4 in-between, which is Dha 1 2 3, which is the gap. Now let me play the whole thing. Once. The First 40. Dhatigena Dhatirakita Dha Tita Gena. (Dhatigena Thinakena Dha 1) x 2 Dhatigena Thinakena. The gap of 4 beats, Dha 1 2 3 2nd 40. Dhatigena Dhatirakita Dhatitagena (Dhatigena Thinakena Dha 1) x 2 Dhatigena Thinakena. The second gap. Dha 1 2 3 And the 3rd 40 now with this, we come to the end of this Kayda Happy practicing. 7. Kayda 4 ( Gidanage Tita Tita): Now let's play a very small and interesting Kayada. It goes like this, the Sum part the first part of the sum. Now here's a new sound. De De is basically same as Ne. so when you play. You're using these two fingers to play De.. But the left-hand fingering has to be in this particular way. The Tita is played with just two fingers. With these two fingers staying Down. So Ge De Na Ge Tita Tita the Khali Playing this fully. The first variation A + A + Kayda Khali Now the second variation goes like this. You have to play A first Gedanage Tita Tita And the second eight is Tita Tita, Tita Tita 4 Titas And A again. Gedanage Tita Tita And B, Gedanage Nage Tita So Khali. the third variation goes like this very simple. B + B + A + B So, (Gedanage Nage Tita) x 2 Gedanage Tita Tita Gedanage Nage Tita Khali Last version, there are only four variations in this kayda. In the last variation, there's an introduction of a 6 beat phrase which goes like this. Gedanage Tita. Only one Tita The combination in this variation is 6 6 B 6 6 Khali the base comes back on B. playing the whole thing. Now coming to the ending or the Tehai The Tehai again is 128 beats long 40 40 40 = 120 plus 4 and 4 in the gap. Now, each 40 is made up of 8 beat prefix and 32 beat tehai. The 8-bit prefix here is A which is, Gedanage Tita Tita For the 32 beats. It's in the structure of 8(4) 8 (4) 8 and the eight is. Geda Dha - ne Dha - ne. Let me play that again. Geda is 2 beats Dha - ne is 3 Geda is 2 beats Dha - ne is 3 Dha - ne is 3 so two plus three plus three is eight. And the four beats in-between the 8's is Dha - Tita. So now putting everything together, the prefix. Now the 8 (4) 8 (4) 8 And this makes a 40. And the four that comes in-between the 40s is Dha 1 2 3 Now I'll play this Kayda in a faster tempo so that you'll appreciate what you've learned. 8. Kayda 5 Part 1 : Now coming to the fifth, Kayda, again in the first half, in the sum part, there are two eights and in the Khali part there are two eights. The A or the first eight in the sum part goes like this. which is Dhati - 2 beats Dhatirakita TakaTirakita - 6 beats so Dhati Dhatirakita TakaTirakita The B part, which is the second phrase in the sum, is Dhatidhage Thinakena. In the Khali the A part is Tati Tatirakita TakaTirakita without bass and the bass comes back on the B part, which is Dhatidhage Dhinagena the B part in the sum is Dhatidhage Thinakena and the B part in the Khali is Dhatidhage Dhinagena so I'll play the whole thing once the sum part. The first variation is A + A plus Kayda which is A + A + A + B. A is Dhati Dhatirkita TakaTirakita. we play that three times plus B. Khali The variation part is over. Now the Kayda part with the bass Let me play that again. The second variation, we play Dhati and follow it with three 6's Dhatirakita TakaTirakita Dhatirakita TakaTirakita Dhatirakita TakaTirakita 2 + 6 + 6 + 6 is 20 beats gone Now we have B, which is the last phrase that has to be played, which is eight. And we have to add a four in front of it to add up to 32 so Dhatidhage And Dhatidhage Thinakena The first half is two plus 3 sixes, the second half is four plus B. So it goes like this. And the second part Khali let us get the bass Back on the third six. And the second part. I'll play the whole thing again. Variation Three Dhati plus two Dhatirakita TakaTirakita. so 2 + 12 = 14 beats That's the first part Then we have an 18 beat, which is DhatiDhage - 4 Dhatidhage Thina - 6 and 8 - Dhatidhage Thinakena The second book. So I'll play the whole Sum once The Khali the bass comes back on the second part. Now the fourth variation goes like this 1 8 12 to make that 32 the 12 is, Dhatidhage - four. Dhatidhage ThinaKena This is the 12 which comes in the beginning and the end And in-between there is A which is Dhati Dhatirakita Takatirakita So... playing it. 9. Kayda 5 Part 2 : Dhatidhage, Dhatidhage, Dhatidhage, Thinakena. Which is 4 + 4 + 4 + 4 followed by the Kayda Khali Plus Kayda with Bass. Let me play this again. Now coming to the last variation of this Kayda. We'll play B + A as the variation part and A + B is the Kayda part. So Dhatidhage Thinakena Dhati Dhatirakita TakaTirakita. This is B + A And then the Kayda, which is A + B Dhati Dhatirakita TakaTirakita, Dhatidhage Thinakena this is the Sum part. Khali. followed by the Kayda. Now coming to the end of this Kayda or the Tehai. The Tehai is 128 beats long. And again it's divided as 40 40 40, which is 120 with (4) and (4) in the gaps. The 40 is made up of two parts. Again, the prefix, which is eight beats, and a smaller tehai. which is for 32 Beats The prefix is B, which is Dhatidhage Thinakena eight beats long. The Tehai for 32 beats is of the structure. 8 8 8 with (4) and (4) in between The eight is A here, so A (4) A (4) A which is Dhati dhatirakita Takatirakita which is Dhati dhatirakita Takatirakita The gap of four is Dha 1 2 3 Dha 1 2 3 Putting the 40 together, first the B and the A, Dha 1 2 3. A, Dha 1 2 3. A This makes up one 40. This 40 has to be played three times with 4 and 4 again in the gap, which is again Dha 1 2 3. I play the whole thing now, the whole 128 beats. 10. Tukda : So far we have learned Kayda's which are slightly longish compositions. They have a theme, they have X number of variations and they have a Tehai Now I wanted to introduce you to a small composition. It's called a Tukda Tukda literally means small piece. I'll show you a small Tukda. As you can see, it's just a combination of words and phrases that add up to either 64 or 128, or which cycle we're playing in. Let's get into this Tukda right now. So let's break it down into three parts. The first part is Dhati - Dhati - Dha 1 2 3 - 1 2 3 - 1 2 There's a pause after Ti The second part is Dha TirakitaTaka Ta TirakitaTage played twice. So Dha TirakitaTaka, Ta TirakitaTage This is eight Dha TirakitaTaka, Ta TirakitaTage The second time when we play the same eight, it ends with a Ke. Let me play the middle part again. The last part is TirakitaTakaTakaTirakita. which is six TirakitaTakaTakaTirakita. followed by Dhati Dha - which is four Two times. Third time... Six plus Dhati Dha - six plus Dhati Dha -, Dhati Dha - six plus Dhati Dha -, Dhati Dha, - Dhati Dha - 123. Let's come from the beginning again. The first part, the second part. The last part, six plus four. A six plus four plus four. The third line with 3 fours. I'll play the whole thing once. Let me show you this Tukda at performance speed so that you'll appreciate what you're learning. It goes like this. 11. Conclusion : Hi. If you've come this far in your journey with the tablas congratulations. It means that you have expanded your vocabulary with the help of 5 big Kaydas Which is no small feat. Now comes the part that you need to practice. Familiarize, and become proficient with what you learned this far. As with any musical instrument, Tabla also requires a lot of dedication. There are no shortcuts. You have to sit, you have to practice. I wish you a lot of success in this journey. I urge you to set goals, but at the same time, enjoy the journey.