Tabla Talk

I stumbled upon this a few days ago. It is for anyone who, like me, is looking to expand their rhythmic vocabulary, or for those of us who enjoy sitting mouth gaped in amazement watching someone else’s technical achievements (the Gene Lake Syndrome).

The deal is this:

Sandip Burman is a tabla player who has played with a bunch of amazing guys and gals (I will let you read his bio if you want). The link is to the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC and there are two video streams that you can watch and listen to on your RealPlayer. The first video is a concert with his trio, and the second is a concert and master class of sorts. The latter is the real treat. If you skip the first couple minutes (you really don’t need to watch a level check in the monitors), you can watch him play. He trades the spotlight with a woman on a pump organ. Near the middle of the video, he takes you through various meters and shows you how he constructs phrases and how he subdivides each. Really interesting stuff, especially since you not only get to hear it, but see it as well.