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Accompanying a Vocalist: Notes for Beginners in Tabla
by
Dr. Mukul Shri Goel
Having learned the basic rhythmic cycles and the
first few kaidas, imagine you encounter a
vocalist who asks you to accompany him or her and play the theka.
What
do you do? You may feel that you are short of the required training,
but the
truth is – you are not. You can begin by asking the vocalist which tala
the
composition is based on; the days of poor communication between the
lead
musician and the percussionist are gone. If you have learned to
recognize the laya
(tempo) of a composition and have a feel of where the sam
(first beat)
is, you are ready to spell out the rhythmic cycle. However, a small
plan for this
opportunity beforehand can make your task easier.
In the early stages ofaccompaniment, the theka,
which is the basic definition of the rhythmic
cycle, is blended together with three simple improvisations:
1.
Prakaar (the variety)
This is the simplest
type of improvisation one encounters in the world of tabla. It is a
variety of
the theka that maintains the
core structure of the tala. Because
the flow of the theka cannot be altered, a boundary
exists to prevent too much creativity in a prakaar:
Even if you never
get back to the theka after a few repetitions of
the prakaar, the lead
instrumentalist shouldn’t have a problem recognizing the rhythmic
pattern.
In the examples given
below, the first prakaar includes only an extra
syllable at the finishing beat
of every division (taali/ khali) and can easily replace the theka.
As more
syllables are added to the theka, as in Prakaar-3,
care has to be taken to
maintain pressure on the original syllables of the theka
so that the tala
can always be recognized by the lead musician. For example, extra
weight on
‘DhinDhin’ in Prakaar-3 can distract the vocalist. And why are we
concerned
whether the lead player recognizes the theka behind
the prakaar? Because
most musicians/ vocalists need the theka to get
back to the ‘sam’ after
they are done with their own variations.
('Ti' in DhaTi is played with the
middle finger.)
2.
Mukhda (the face)
These fillers are the
tiniest pieces of music for tabla. They are usually 3-16 beats long in
teentala
and add style to how the percussionist reaches the sam.
All three examples
below are eight beats long.
3.
Tihai (the triplicity)
Any piece of music
repeated three times makes a tihai. Unlike a full
size composition, the mukhda
and tihai are figures of speech in the language of
tabla which beautify
the rhythmic cycle. In percussion accompaniment in teentala, vocalists
often prefer a tihai-length not greater that one
rhythmic cycle. In the
examples below, the first one is eight beats long and the other two are
16
beats each.
With some practice, you can start
making your own mukhda and tihai
from the kaidas and paltas
that you have learned.
Accompaniment goes a
long way from here. In its later stages, it may include the perfectly
selected laggi
and rela and impromptu creativity of bols according
to the ‘flow’ of the
composition, which includes the speed variations along with the
relative weights
of the musical notes and lyrics. Yet accompaniment starts and concludes
with
the clarity in the theka.
Some
Tips:
- The major sam of the
composition, which occurs in the first line of the sthayi, is in
greater need of a mukhda/piece
of music than any other sam
of the composition.
- Try not to pick up a tihai and land on
the second or third line of the composition.
- Play longer pieces of music, if
any, only in the sthayi
of the composition.
- When the lead musician starts
showing finer variations, it is time to holdback your own show.
Continue with the simple prakaars.
- Playing the theka with an
instrument is similar to vocal; actually, you have more freedom to
improvise.
- Practice material for every tempo:
slow, medium, and fast. Prakaars
may be different at each tempo.
- Practice the theka daily. It
will fix the feel of the rhythmic cycle in your mind and enable you to
make your own prakaars.
- Try creating small pieces of music
while practicing the theka
even if they are not too pleasing in the beginning. This may develop
impromptu creativity, which is a must for an effective presentation.
- Accompaniment is about using your
own expertise to raise the lead player's performance. If you accompany
a child or a beginner, be ready not to show any variations.
- Rules in music or any other art can
only provide initial hints. Eventually, learn to escape them.
Copyright �
2007 Mukul S. Goel
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