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| Frequently Asked Questions |
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| Can you offer private lessons at my home? |
| Yes, instructors do teach tabla at the student's residence. This is offered in New Jersey, New York and Pennslyvania. For detailed listing of where we offer private lessons, please see the classes page. |
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| How long are the group lessons? |
| About one to one-and-a-half hours. |
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| How long are the private lessons? |
| About one hour. |
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| Where can I buy the tabla? |
| The Taalim School of Indian Music offers high-quality tabla for sale. To buy tabla or tabla accessories (travel-cases, replacement heads, rings, etc), contact the school at (732) 715-6546. A listing of what we sell is available on our Taalim Store page. |
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| Where can I get my tabla repaired? |
| We do tabla repair work, including tabla tuning, tabla stretching and replacing tabla heads. Contact the school at (732) 715-6546 for these services. |
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| Can I learn tabla full-time at the Taalim School? |
| Yes! We appreciate your dedication to the music of India. We have numerous students who have decided to learn and practice tabla full time, and we have special programs for such individuals. |
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| Do you offer housing and other arrangements for students who live out of town? |
| If you are interested in moving to the area to study at the Taalim School, we can help in figuring out with your living arrangements. It would be best to consult one of our faculty members, who will assist in the moving process and admission process. |
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| Are there any opportunities to study tabla in India? |
| You can join the Rhythm Riders Music Institute in Ahmedabad, India . The Taalim School and Rhythm Riders are sister institutes of tabla. If you are interested in studying in Ahmedabad, we can assist you in making those arrangements. |
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| Do you do musical programs for private functions? |
| Yes, we arrange musical programs, workshops, concerts, and special events. |
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| How long does it take to learn to play the tabla? |
| There is not a simple answer for this question, because it basically depends on how much time you put into your practice, and also on your goals. Those who want to gain a basic understanding of the instrument can do so in about a year at the institute. For those who want to be fully accomplished as a tabla-player, it takes many years and a lot of effort, as with any branch of the performing arts. |
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| Why aren't there many female tabla players? |
| Tabla is currently a male-dominated instrument, but more and more women are learning to play the instrument. |
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| Is there an age limit for learning tabla? |
| No. |
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| Do you teach other Indian percussion instruments? |
| Indian drumming involves unique and rich traditions. If you are interested in learning an Indian percussion instrument other than tabla, contact us, and we may be able to arrange for you to learn from instructors of that instrument. |
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| How does one tune the tabla? |
| Tuning is done with a hammer and involves tightening the puddi (tabla head) to obtain a higher pitch or loosening the puddi to obtain a lower pitch. The hammer is used to hit the gatta (wooden blocks) downwards, causing the puddi to tighten, thus resulting in a higher pitch. When the gatta is hit upwards, the puddi is slightly loosened, resulting in a lower pitch. Fine-tuning is done on the gajra (the outer section of the tabla head.) |
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| Why do tabla-players use baby powder while playing? |
| To allow the fingers to slide around easily on the tabla, and also to get rid of any sweat on the fingertips. |
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| What is the meaning of Guru? |
| Guru means teacher. Students often call their tabla teacher Guruji, which is a respectful way in which to address your tabla guru. |
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