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I am a composer based in London and I want to begin to score music for tabla, when you insert tabla into your score in Sibelius it just gives you a treble clef stave and I don't really understand how you would be able to score this amazingly complex instrument on one stave. Is there a universal notation system that fits into a western score? If not does anyone have any suggestions as to about creating one?
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Hello Rico,
What a beautiful and readily recognizable instrument the tabla is and if one can skillfully blend it great! (like Shankar's Concerti*)
(1) Work with a tabla player, record it, and try to jam it into Western notation?or see if or how they traditionally notate?
(2) Use ones imagination and apply an adapted notation on manuscript, perhaps with improvisational options, if with 'freer' sections, for desired results? I haven't studied non-Western music formally and would probably have to modify the few works I wrote for 'exotic' instruments, if and when performed, not to mention electric guitar effects -- an acoustic guitar can sound sitar-like?
(3) And, for practical reasons, the electric bass can kinda simulate the 'oomph' sound of the tabla?
(4) There are articles and videos galore on the internet and books as well.
Good luck and let us know!
Carl
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Thankyou for that,
I am working with a tabla player at the moment and I am trying to develop one and researching their notational systems.
Nico
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I have a hand-written course in tabla playing given to me by a tabla teacher a long time ago, it's all written out using the 'Ghi Ghi Ghi te te Ti Na Ke Na' etc etc - which any trained tabla player would understand. I'd have thought perhaps the rhythm with the appropriate word above would be the way to go.
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David, could you write a guide on writing for Tabla and it's notational practices and publish it here on CT?
I for one would like to know more.
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This has spurred me to do something I'd been thinking about doing for some time- I've scanned the tabla course in and uploaded it to my personal site here: http://www.davidbruce.net/passions/244.asp
It obviously comes more from a learning to play angle than from a 'composer writing for' angle, but should be of interest in any case.
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That's great David! Very much appreciated and very useful!
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Thank you for that david. Its very interesting and a big help. I have been considering how you would incorporate the existing practices of the tabla and the words seem like a good idea however it could be too difficult to read? Does anyone have any suggestions for articulation? The tabla can create many timbres almost simultaneouly so the system would could become quite cluttered.
Nico
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I guess it would be worth trying to find composers who've used tabla like this in the past - two UK-based Indian composers who've done a lot with Western musicians are Priti Paintal and the late John Mayer - I'm afraid I've no idea whether they notated the tabla parts though.
I do think words would be a good way to go, even if you had two staves with two simultaneous words for more complex sounds (though I'm not sure the existing words don't cover most combinations of sounds) - I've worked with (non-Indian) percussionists in the past who much prefer it if you write 'Doo Dah' above the note rather than a long technical explanation of which part of the rim - and as tabla playing has this system already it would seem silly not to take advantage of it.
Let us know how you get on and what you decide!
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Do tabla players permit extended techniques or exploitation of their instruments like modern Western composers/instrumentalists? - (Ageless vs. dated, so to say) - If so, are there recordings?
[1st conc w/ bongos*]
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I can't name any recordings but I have worked with tabla players and they seem to be more than happy to try things on their instrument and are not as protective as say some string players.
Nico
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Curious, Bentley, will you incorporate the tabla in a 'classistic', 'pop',
or integrated setting? How long have you 'played' with tabla players,
your present dreams with tabla, if you don't mind me asking, and do you have some realizations with tabla or other musics?
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Hi
I have worked with two tabla players before but mostly in a free jazz way! I am currently working with Kuljit Bhamra and SPNM (Bhangra/Latina )and I have had to score some suff for tabla. I am lookingto develop it as an instrument in all ways so it can be "intergrated" with anything.
Nico
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Wow, seems wonderful! Myriad of ways too, maybe even with European flux, variety, contrast, harmony, etc, just as Europeans have expanded their vocabularys with microtones, rhythms, timbres, articulations, portamentos, ambiance, etc, from the East.
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(Bit on Beethoven is fixed)
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| This 17 message thread spans 2 pages: [1] 2 > > |
Errikos
Nico_Bentley
David Bruce