The Tabla & Tabla Tarong
The TABLA
Consisting of a wooden treble and usually a metal bass drum, the drum heads are a multi-layered affair (membranophone) made of goatskin which is securely attached to the body of each drum by a system of tight straps and pegs for adjustment. A black iron powder is mixed with rice paste and applied to the center of the skin, and when dried, polished and re-applied more than a half dozen times, a very unique bell tone can be created.
When played with the proper finger patterns, these little drums have the capacity to express a solo rhythmic literature of breath-taking velocity. Under the right teacher, hundreds of compositions and improvisations can be learned, spoken and written: "Dhin terekete dhin na tun na didina didina Dha - - dha terekete dhina - dha terekete dhage dhina gene" (From "Tabla Nines" on the Between Two Worlds" CD)
The tabla have been the most popular drums of northern India for centuries. Descending from a heavier sounding barrel drum known as the pakawaj, the tabla drum's lighter and more lyrical sound has risen to become the accompaniment to virtually all styles of north indian classical vocal and instrumental music. Lately, their distinctive bass and treble counterpoint have also been discovered by western composers and can now be heard every day in sound studios from Hollywood to New York.
TABLA TARONGWhere as a traditional pair of tabla consist of just two drums, one treble and one bass, the tabla tarong is comprised of six to sixteen precisely tuned treble drums. The appropriate scale is arranged in an ascending semi-circle around the artist and melodies are played with a relatively simple tap of the fingers, not at all like the difficult tabla fingering. The word tarong translates to mean 'waves' and refers to the almost under-water sounding quality one hears when many drums are played in quick succession.
KAMALESH MAITRA
The last great master of the Tabla Tarong is Kamalesh Maitra. His 1996 CD, "Tabla Tarang - Melody on Drums" features classical tarong solos and folk tunes with traditional tabla accompaniment by Trilok Gurtu. It also contains an excellent history and bio booklet and is available through Smithsonian/Folkways Recordings. www.folkways.si.edu
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