Tabla Blog

DhigaDhina DhineDhinagena DhigeDhina trekredhete gadigene Dhenegene ThineThinakena

DhigaDhina - both Dhis are on Sur

Dha-geneDhenegeneDhinegeTak-geDhine
DhenegeneNanageTak-geDhineThenekene

Dhigadhinatrekredhetegene thinethinakena

trekre dhete gene
dhatrekre dhetete gene
dhatrekre dhetete kredhetete gene
thinethinakena

Baya comes back at the beginning of the third line

Simple tintal kaida

Theme
Dhin tre kre Dhine Dhine Dha tre kre Thine Thinakena

Variation 1

[Dhin tre kre Dhine Dhine ]x3 Dhine Dha tre kre Thine Thinakena

Variation 2

[Dhin tre kre Dhine Dhine- ]x3 Dha tre kre Thine Thinakena

Variation 3

Dhine [Dhin tre kre Dhine Dhine ]x3 Dha tre kre Thine Thinakena

Dha-gadhene-geneDha-geneDhenegene
GeneDhineDha-DhenegeneThineNanakene

Dhene is always open on both strokes. The first time Dhe has no baya and the accent is on the (open) ne on the beat.

Dha-Dhenegene DhineDhinagenaDha- DhatidhageDhinagenaDhin-DhatidhageThinakena

mess around with swapping the Dhin- with a Dha-

Dha-Dhenegene DhatidhageDhina Dhenegene DhineDhinagena DhageDhinagena

Oops this is a beat short

DhatrekreDheneGadigenaDhatrekreThinakena

Dhene are both open

Note that the na in Gadigena is Na on kinar, not ne

Dha-Dhenegene DhineTage Gadigene Dhenegene
Dhine Dha-gene Dhenegene Nanagene

Dha and Ta are Sur

Dhene are both open

Nana is on kinar

Dhatidhage Dhenegene Gegenaga Dhinenaga Gadigene Naga Dhatidhage DhineDhinagena

na in naga is Kinar throughout

DhatigegeTage Gadigene Dhatidhage Dhinagena
Gegetete Gegenana Gadigene Nana

KeTagadhinenaga Tagadhenegenenana KeTagadhenegenenana
KeTagadhinenaga Tagadhenegenenana KeTagadhinenanagene

Ta is 4 fingers na in dhinenaga is Sur

Dhatidhage Dhenegene GegeTakedhinenaga TagaGadigene DhatidhageDhineDhinagena

Ta is 4 finger na in dhinenaga is Sur

in 3s

GeTa(4)gaDhineTa(S)gaTa(chapu)ga
Ta(4)gaDhineTa(S)ga Ta(chapu)kite DhenegeneNana

Ta(4)kaTaka Dhenegene NanagaTak(4) Gadigene Dhatigege Ta(chapu)kedhine Ta(S)ge Ta(4)kadhineTa(S)ge

Ta(4)kaTakaDhineTa(S)gaTaga Dhenegene Ta(chapu)kaTaka DhineTaga Ta(4)kaDhineTaga DhineTaga

Dha-trekre DhineDhinagena DhineDhinagena
Dhenegene  DhineDhinagena ThineThinakena

DhineTagaNaga DhineTagaNaga Dhinagena
TagaNaga DhineNaga Dhenegene Thinakena

Dhi is open tun

Ta is sur

Na is kinar

Dhene is both open tun

DhatrekreDheteteGene
DhineDhinNanagene DhineDhinagena
DhatrekreDhete ThineThinakena

Dha..geranagaTun..trktDha.trktDha.ti.Dha.Dha.Tun.Na.

In 4 to the beat

Dha trekre dhetete gene
Dhatidhage Dhinedhinagena
Trekre dhete gene
Dhatidhage Thinakena

Taka Dhinenage Dhinenage DhineDhinagena
Dhenegene gene Dhenegene gene Dhinenage

Rela
Tak-gera -neGera nageTete Geranage
TeteKaTa kaDhenege neKeTaka Therenake

Var 1
Tak-gera -neGera nageTete Geranage
Tak-gera -neGera nageTete Geranage
Tak-gera -neGera nageTete Geranage
TeteKaTa kaDhenege neKeTaka Therenake

Var 2
Tak-gera-neGeranage
Tak-gera-neGeranage
Tak-gera-neGeranage
TeteGeranage
TeteGeranage
TeteGeranage
TeteKaTakaDhenegeneKeTakaTherenake

Var 3
Tak-gera-negene
    gera-neGeranage
Tak-gera-negene
    gera-neGeranage
Tak-gera-negene
    gera-neGeranage
TeteKaTa kaDhenege neKeTaka Therenake

A related Rela theme
Tak--ge Ran-Gera nageTete gadi-Ge
Na-tete Geranage Thin-na- Keranake

Chakradar
[4: Dha-Dha- kitetaka Di-kite takaDha- 
3: teraki tetaka Ta-te tekata gadige neDha- takite dhetete kataga digene
4: Dha-tera kitetaka Ta-tete katagadi geneDha- takitedhe tetekata gadigene Dha---
6: [terakitetaka Ta-tetekata gadigeneDha- takitedhetete katagadigene Dha-----] x3
                                                                     Dha----- ------ ------ ------]x3

Or, written another way:
4: [Dha-Dha-kitetakaDi-kitetakaDha-
3: terakitetakaTa-tetekatagadigeneDha-takitedhetetekatagadigene 4: Dha-
4: terakitetakaTa-tetekatagadigeneDha-takitedhetetekatagadigene Dha---
6: [terakitetakaTa-tetekatagadigeneDha-takitedhetetekatagadigene Dha-----] x3
                                                                 Dha----- ------ ------ ------]x3

8: Dha...Dha....kttkDi....kttkTtktgdgnDha... 6: tktdttktgdgn 8: Dha...1...2....
8: Dha...Dha....kttkDi....kttkTtktgdgnDha... 6: tktdttktgdgn 8: Dha...1...2....
8: Dha...Dha....kttkDi....kttkTtktgdgnDha... 6: tktdttktgdgn 8: Dha...
                kttkDi....kttkTtktgdgnDha... 6: tktdttktgdgn 8: Dha...
                kttkDi....kttkTtktgdgnDha... 6: tktdttktgdgn 8: Dha

This is a (much better) variant of the last post

Dha---Dha---Dha---kitatakaDi---kitataka tetekatagadigene
Dha--- (triplets) takitedhetetekatagadigene (4s) Dha---1---
Dha---Dha---Dha---kitatakaDi---kitataka tetekatagadigene
Dha--- (triplets) takitedhetetekatagadigene (4s) Dha---
Dha---Dha---Dha---kitatakaDi---kitataka tetekatagadigene
Dha--- (triplets) takitedhetetekatagadigene (4s) Dha---
kitatakaDi---kitataka tetekatagadigene
Dha--- (triplets) takitedhetetekatagadigene (4s) Dha---
kitatakaDi---kitataka tetekatagadigene
Dha--- (triplets) takitedhetetekatagadigene (4s) Dha

play it really fast

Dha-trekre Dhete
Dhati Dhage
Dhina trekre Dhetete
Dhatrekre Dhetete
Dhagena Dhage
Dhinagena

Dha grng Dhin grng Dhin na grng dhinenaga 
Dhin grng Dha ttgrng dhinenaga Dhin nanagene

Dhin is open tun

Dha-trekreDhenegaNageDigeNatrekreDige
DhatrekreDhineDhinagenaDhatrekreDhinagena

A variation on a bol from Lenny Seidman.

[
                                       >
k           k   >           S          S
Dha-tetegeranagaTerakitatakaTa-terakitaDha-1-
        geranagaTerakitatakaTa-terakitaDha-1-
                TerakitatakaTa-terakitaDha-1-2-
                            Ta-terakitaDha-1-2-
                            Ta-terakitaDha-1-2-3-
                                        +
] x3

DhagenaDhenegeNagenaDhagena
Dha-DhenegeneDhageThinakena

Dhene - both are open

Dhenegene - first two are open, last ne is closed

All the Dhas and Nas are sharply on kinar

It’s ok to accent the first na in Dhinagena

DhagenaDhagena
DhenegeNagena
DhagenaDha-DhenegeneDhageDhinagena
DhenegeNagena
DhagenaDha-DhenegeneDhageThinakena

Dhene - both are open

Dhenegene - first two are open, last ne is closed

All the Dhas and Nas are sharply on kinar

It’s ok to accent the first na in Dhinagena

gegetakadhine nanagene dhatigege taka dhenegene nanagene genedhene genenana

taka is chapu

Couldn’t sleep last night, so this happened:

Theme

genatrekre dhetete genatrekre dhatrekre dhete
gena dhatrekre dhetete gena dhage thinakena

Word boundaries indicate phrasing.

Fun fact:

trekre happens four times, each time starting at a different position within the beat. The first time on the 3rd sixteenth note, then the 2nd, then 1st, then 4th. So try accenting trekre to feel it moving around.

Three cycles of madhya lay Tintal

Four to the beat

Upper-case letters are strong accents

Dha-neDhage
Dha-neDhageteteKatagaDigene
TakiteDheteteKatagaDigeneDha--
TakiteDheteteKatagaDigeneDha--
TakiteDheteteKatagaDigeneDha--Kat--
Dha-neDhage
Dha-neDhageteteKatagaDigene
TakiteDheteteKatagaDigeneDha--
TakiteDheteteKatagaDigeneDha--
TakiteDheteteKatagaDigeneDha--Kat--
Dha-neDhage
Dha-neDhageteteKatagaDigene
TakiteDheteteKatagaDigeneDha--
TakiteDheteteKatagaDigeneDha--
TakiteDheteteKatagaDigeneDha

tete gata(4)ga dhene(open)gene gata(4)ga dhinenaga
tetega tete gata(4)ga dhene(open)gene nanagene
getete getete gata(4)ga dhene(open)gene genana
gata(4)ga gena dhatrekre dhanagene thinenaka

Dha-takadheranaga takadheranaga tetega tetega takadheranaga takatheranaka

Fast as hell.

Dha tetegeranagageranagaterakita
Dha terakitaDha ge na Dha tetegeranagaterakita
Dha terakitaDha ge na Dha ge Thin na ke na

DhatrekreDheteteGene DhatiDhageDhinagena
trekreDheteteGeneDhatiDhagenaDhinagena
kredhatidhadhaTakaDhatiDhagenaDhinagena
DhatiDhagenaDhatiDhagenaDhageThinakena
khali

Ta of Taka is on chapu

DhatrekreDheteteGene
DhatidhageDhinagena
kredhatidhadhaTakaDhatiDhagenaThinakena
khali

Ta of Taka is on chapu

Gen trkttk Dha te te Dha - Dha ti Dha - 
Gen trkttk tktrkttk tktrkttk Dha - 
Gen trkt Dha - 
Gen trkt Dha - 
Gen trkt Dha - - - 
Gen trkttk Dha te te Dha - Dha ti Dha - 
Gen trkttk tktrkttk tktrkttk Dha - 
Gen trkt Dha - 
Gen trkt Dha - 
Gen trkt Dha - - - 
Gen trkttk Dha te te Dha - Dha ti Dha - 
Gen trkttk tktrkttk tktrkttk Dha - 
Gen trkt Dha - 
Gen trkt Dha - 
Gen trkt Dha

Dha-tete Geranaga Digetaka Tak--- Takadhine TakaTaka Thin-na- keranaka

Digetaka Tak: Di is open index finger on the right hand only, ta is closed index finger on gab, Tak is closed 4 fingers. TakaTaka: first Ta is closed index finger, second is 4 fingers.

Dha-tetegeranaga Di-ge-tetegeranaga Na-terakita Dhin-na-geranaga

Exploring the tricky fingering when going between Dhinagena and Dheranaga that came up in yesterday’s Kaida-Rela.

Dha-Geranaga Dhinagena Dheranaga Dhine
Dhagena Dheranaga Dha-Dhagena Thinakena

Dheranaga is played the same as Dhinenaga.

theme:

Dha-tetegeranaga DhineDhinenaga
Dhenegene Nanagene
DhineDhinagena Nanakene

Ta-tetekeranaka ThineThinenaka
Thenekene Nanakene
DhineDhinagena Nanagene

Word boundaries show phrasing. It’s in 4 to the beat.

Be careful of the difference between Dhinenaga, Dhinagena, and Dhenegene. The first ne in Dhenegene is open. All nas are on kinar. You can play around with changing the accents on DhineDhinagena between phrases of 2 and phrases of 3. Accenting in 3s sounds neat. You could actually just accent all the nas.

It would be a rela, except for the phrase DhineDhinagena which makes it more like a kaida to me.

Dha-trekre Dhenegene DhagenaDha -trktDhi nanagene Dhenegene Dha-trekre Thinakena

Dha-GeranagaGeranagaDhin-na-GeranagaDha-terakiteThin-na-Keranaka

Dha-trekre DheteDhete DhineDhine Dhenegene DhineDhinegena
Dha-trekre DhineThinekena

Dha-trekre Dhine Dhete Dheragene Takite
Dhatrekre Dhete Dhine Dhinegene ThineThinakena

Dha-trekreDhineDhinagena trekreDhinagena
trekreDheteDhenegene DhatidhageThinakena

in triplets

Theme
DhagenaTrekreDhinaganaTrekreDhagenaDhatrekreDhagenaThinakena

In triplets

Theme
Dha-DhagenaDhinagenaTrekreDhinagenaDhagenaTrekreThinakena

1
Dha-DhagenaDhinagenaTrekreDhinagenaTrekreDhinagenaTrekreDhi
Na-DhagenaDhinagenaTrekreDhinagenaDhagenaTrekreThinakena

2
Dha-DhagenaDhinagenaTrekreDhiNa-DhagenaDhinagenaTrekreDhi
Na-DhagenaDhinagenaTrekreDhinagenaDhagenaTrekreThinakena

3
Dha-DhagenaDhinagenaDha-DhagenaDhinagenaDha-DhagenaDhi
Na-DhagenaDhinagenaTrekreDhinagenaDhagenaTrekreThinakena

4
Dha-DhagenaDhiNa-DhagenaDhiNa-DhagenaDhinagenaTrekreDhi
Na-DhagenaDhinagenaTrekreDhinagenaDhagenaTrekreThinakena

5 (reverse theme)
DhagenaTrekreDhinaganaDha-DhagenaDhinagenaTrekreThinakena

6
DhagenaTrekreDhinaganaDhagenaTrekreDhinaganaTrekreDhinagana
DhagenaTrekreDhinaganaDha-DhagenaDhinagenaTrekreThinakena

7
TrekreDhinaganaDhagenaTrekreDhinaganaDhagenaTrekreDhinagana
DhagenaTrekreDhinaganaDha-DhagenaDhinagenaTrekreThinakena

Tihai
[Dha-DhagenaDhinagenaTrekreDhinagena [ DhagenaDha-- ] x3 ] x3

Dha - tetetetegene takite takite dhenegene Dha - tetegene takadhine nanagene

takite: starts with index finger on gob

dhenegene: ne is open

takadhine: starts with index finger on gob

Tak-gera-ne geranaga Taga dheranaga
Tak-ge naga dhenegene geTaga dheranaga

then khali

spaces show phrasing

it’s in 4-to-the-beat

Tak is 4 fingers, closed and accented

ra in Tak-gera is kinar na

ra in geranaga is ne

na in geranaga is kinar na

Ta in Taga is 4 fingers, closed and accented

ra in dheranaga is ne

na in dheranaga is kinar na

dhe and first ne in dhenegene are both open tun, sliding

Ta in geTaga is 4 fingers, closed and accented

Not sure if this is a rela theme or a gat or a start to a tukra.

dhatiga trekre dhete gena dhatiga dhinagena
trekre dhetete gena dhatiga trekre thinakena

(spaces indicate phrasing)

Dha - tete taka trekre dhinenage dhine
geranaga dhine dhenegene gene dhinenage dhine

tete is fingered 1 then 2

taka is naka

dhine has closed ne

dhene has open ne

This one was inspired by the first part of a composition I think I learned from Zakir Hussain at a workshop in San Anselmo, CA circa 1998

takita takita dhinenagedhine
takita takita dhinenagedhine
tetetaka trekre dhinenagedhine dha - [...]

Although I think the fingering of tete is supposed to be 2 1, which is just too hard for me.

It’s a tape recording from a recital I gave at the end of my 3rd year at CalArts, in the Gamelan Room. I’m accompanied by John Bergamo’s drum machine playing a standard tabla solo accompaniment melody that keeps time for the soloist, called a lehara or nagma. I take it at a really conservative tempo, and even so I’m playing quite loose, which is, I guess, a good thing, except for the obvious mistakes.

Somewhere there is a photo of me sitting on the floor of my Grandma Fay’s living room demonstrating tabla to my baby nephew Zac, surrounded by family, with a wall covered in family photos behind me. I’m wearing a button up shirt and tie, and I have dyed fluorescent yellow hair – which I dyed to match the walls of the apartment I was living in. On the photo print I wrote in Wite-Out “May 9” to advertise this concert. Wish I could find that funny photo.

dha-tete geranaga geranaga tete geranaga geranaga dhine dhenegene nanagene

dha--gran-gena- ge-na-trekredhete
genagadhatidhagena dhatidhagethinakena

(spaces indicate beats)

or

dha--gran-gena- ge-na- trekredhetete
genaga dhatigena dhatidhage thinakena

(spaces indicate phrasing)

Someone else almost certainly wrote this before I did.

Dha Dha Dha Dha
Dhi Dhi Dhi Dhi
Na Na Na Na
Ka te te Dha -
Dha Dha Dha
Dhi Dhi Dhi
Na Na Na
Ka te te Dha -
Dha Dha
Dhi Dhi
Na Na
Ka te te Dha -
Dha Dhi Na Ka te te Dha -
Dha Dhi Na Ka te te Dha -
Dha Dhi Na Ka te te Dha

dha-tete tetegadi tetegene dhinedhene genegadi tetetete genedhene genenana genedha- tetetete gaditete tetegene dhinedhene genegene dhenegene nanagene

I wrote this in a gallery with a Titian painting when I was working as a security guard at the Getty museum in ~2003. I really like this one, even though it’s “too long.” I’ve got a bunch of variations too, which I’ll post later.

Kat-trekre Dhetete Gena Dhati Dhagena Dhinagena
[kttktrkt Dhati Dhagena Dhati Dhagena Dha- ] x3

Some variations:

From Jim Owen:
Kat-trekre Dhetete Gena Dhati Dhagena Dhinagena
kttk [ trkt Dhati Dhagena Dhati Dhagena Dha- ] x2
in 3's: trkt Dhati Dhagena Dhati Dhagena Dha

A short version:
Kat-trekre Dhetete Gena Dhati Dhagena Dhinagena
[kttktrkt Dha] x3

Repeating phrases:
[Kat-trekre Dhetete ] x2
[Gena Dhati Dhagena ] x2
[Dhinagena ] x2
[kttktrkt kttktrkt Dha-] x3

Dhin--Dha-re
Dha-trekreDhin-Na-
Dha-Dha-Dhin-Na-
Dha-trekreDhin-Na-

Dhin--Dha-reDhatrekreDha-re
Dhin--Dha-re
Dha-trekreDhin-Na-
Dha-trekreThin-Na-

Dha-gena Dha-gena DhagenaDha -genaDha
-Dhagena Dha-gena Dha-gena Thinakena

dha-tete gerenaga dhinegadi tetegene
nagadhine gadigene dhenegene nanagene

Dha-tete geranaga nagadhine gadigene
nagatete geranaga thin-na- keranaka

dhadhadha- terakite gaditete genenana
dha-gadi terakite takathine nanakene

Taka is chapu

theme

dha-trekre dhetete gena dhagena dhinagena
trekre dhetete gena dhagena gena thinakena
khali

(Word boundaries show phrasing. It’s in 4 to the beat.)

variation 1

[dha-trekre dhetete gena dhagena dhinagena] x3
trekre dhetete gena dhagena gena thinakena

variation 2

dha-[trekre dhetete gena dhagena] x3
theme

variation 3

dha-[trekre dhetete gena] x3 dha-trekre dhetete gena
theme

variation 4

[dha-trekre dhetete gena] x2 [trekre dhetete gena] x2
theme

variation 5

[dha-trekre dhetete gena] x3 dhagena gena
theme

(Thanks to Jonathan Singer for providing a recording on tabla)