Re: Looping Drummers who play tabla

["Rick Walker \(loop.pool\)" <GLOBAL@cruzio.com>]

k. wrote:
"going further into the drumming thing... are there any tabla players on
this
list?"


I'm not a tabla player but I play one on t.v.

Seriously,  I have never studied tabla but I've learned enough traditional
and rhythmic technique that I play them occasionally in my looping shows 
and
on pop or folk records. Any one who has made a serious study out of this
most amazing of hand drums would know that I'm NOT an accomplished tabla
player but audiences seem to really like it when I use them and I love how
'liquid' they are.
I'm also really into looping ghatams of all kinds and am really working 
very
hard on my kanjira technique (a small lizard skin frame drum with a lot of
melodic capabilities).
The kanjira in particular lends itself to proximity effects in micing.  You
can make this tiny drum sound like God........well maybe not like God, but
you get the picture ;-)

One thing about the traditional use of the tablas is that Indian rhythms 
are
very linear and are not ostinato/repetitive like the
west african/caribbean/middleeastern paradigm.    I am extremely fond of
playing something like Mozambique from Cuba using all of the delicious
melodic aspects of the tabla.  It really grooves and is very 
unconventional.

Looping lends itself perfectly to this approach.

yours,  Rick Walker (loop.pool)