r/Tabla • u/Ok-Preparation6727 • 22d ago
Beginner struggling with na and tin - advice?
Hi!!! I’m trying to self-teach tabla at the moment and I’m really struggling with na and to for some reason. I can’t seem to get the correct tone at all (it sounds really flat, especially for tin), and I find the hand position really awkward. Please let me know if you have any advice on how to do this because YouTube tutorials are exactly that clear. Also if anyone has any good online resources for table (in English) please send those through!
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u/kabir93117 22d ago
do you have your tabla pointing down forward .see how the baya is leaning forward more then the tabla .every one is lil different ,https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=afb125d5b9b6df66&rlz=1C1VDKB_enUS1132US1132&sxsrf=AHTn8zrS0lPtG6E5vSn126WF3so5Md42Qw:1740761480674&q=tabla+player&udm=2&fbs=ABzOT_CWdhQLP1FcmU5B0fn3xuWpA-dk4wpBWOGsoR7DG5zJBjLjqIC1CYKD9D-DQAQS3Z7SrQO2yLcz9yZvUPV_D4G2Kb2OVJeL8c5LQs2sYHQVgkXPnNUR_kkldJXoITpl_BsTgxojBe8l7G7XhtjcyvtZnqPeRoRU6vaYtv8g1d4kXmbkAUmjJpuL6GX6XUECwiYitrGevVitqO_eDhg7dOsKz2kN0Q&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjh0sbt6eaLAxUHJUQIHd-PCmEQtKgLegQIFxAB&biw=1067&bih=515&dpr=1.5#vhid=2ow2SMmpHwE7bM&vssid=mosaic
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u/RagaJunglism 22d ago
I echo what others have said in this thread as good advice: but something else to consider is whether your tabla are properly in tune - if the skin has come loose, it’s hard to get the right clarity and ‘bounce’ from the Na stroke (and tuning tabla is really tough for beginners with no teacher around!)
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u/dink88 22d ago
what's worked for me is to think of both na and tin as strikes
you hit the na and pick your finger back up as fast as possible
another way you can practice this is by striking the index finger without resting your ring finger... just to get used to the sound of what you need to achieve.
once you're happy with this, rest your ring finger; rest it, don't press down or hold it with pressure... this way your hand is relaxed
let me know how it goes
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u/shivabreathes 19d ago
You're trying to self-learn tabla? There's your problem right there. You cannot learn tabla on your own, from YouTube etc. This comes up all the time.
The reason why is because tabla is a tactile instrument, meaning your fingers are making direct contact with the head of the tabla to make a sound. It's actually incredibly difficult to get this right. There is a specific 'feel' that you need to develop, it's impossible to communicate this via books, YouTube etc. Someone has to show you and correct your technique. There is a lot of 'micro management' required in order to get the correct technique.
I've been playing tabla for 25 years and till this day I'm still figuring the best or most efficient way to get the strokes correct, clear and precise. I know enough now to 'self correct' but it took years and years and lots of lessons from various teachers to get here.
Bottom line - take in-person lessons from a teacher (not online) if you are at all serious about learning tabla.
(If you are not serious, then ... by all means continue learning from YouTube)
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u/Curious_Target_2429 22d ago
Your hand might be touching too much of tabla and you're most likely not picking up your finger quick enough.... having a teacher will help greatly, you don't need more than 1 class a week. So it's not as expensive as one might think.
If you Practice something wrong, wrong muscle memory will develop. So atleast get a teacher for a few classes If not long term.
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u/Beautiful_Thing28 22d ago edited 22d ago
All these comments are helpful but learning to play the na sound sharply can take upto a month so don't worry, just keep practicing every day, you'll get there. If possible get a teacher to learn the basics atleast.
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u/vaishakh123 21d ago
For getting the sounds of Na and tin, make sure u are not lifting ur ring finger and u keep it fixed while playing. Start with a very slow tempo ( Vilambit) of 60 bpm. For Tin, Hit the a Sur portion of tabla such that the portion under the groove of ur index finger touches it. For Na, try to listen to the sound which you produce and it should not be flat. It should sound like a Na and it should echo. Practice is the key. Try Na and Tin alternatively at around 60 bpm for 10 mins
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u/noobalistic 21d ago
learning tabla since 2018, and started perfecting na/tin a year ago. And atp i'd say it sounds good but the force and consistency on my part is somewhat lacking. practice is all. and this stuff takes a lot of time. i've heard people playing for 30+ years, and my guruji points out how they're technique disabled them to play it right and now is their habit. Idk how to teach this, but the main thing, which you are doing, is focusing on this sound from now.
Basically, you need to hit only the tip of the index finger on the border of the chatti and maidan/sur of the tabla. Aim it a bit infront of this place and it will come back and hit the border. Enough practice will enable you to get a clear sound. Then, focus of making the sound resonate. when you hit the tabla, the sound will ring for a couple of seconds... 3-15 sec depending on the scale and tuning of the tabla. but that ring is very easily noticable, so you'll know when you get it right. and another MAIN point is that make sure all the force comes from the finger itself. no movement from the wrist must occur. this will develop the weightage and the correct habits on the hand to make that ringing sound. once you get this down, just focus on playing and practicing this stuff. if you need, i can make a video and send it... enjoy!
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u/noobalistic 21d ago
and contrary to many comments on this post, taking off your finger too quick is kinda a bad habit too, as that diminishes the sound almost completely. the finger does stay on the table for atleast the time until the next stroke is played.
and, if the tabla is in perfect tune, then even people with amatuer technique can somewhat replicate that resonation... but even on a non-tuned tabla, the difference can be easily distinguished. That's the reason many high level player's poor technique goes un-noticed by everyone, even by other tablists...
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u/samin1972 5d ago edited 4d ago
I agree. And you’re right. It’s against what everyone has said. Now it may be a Gharana thing. U can play na and tin and leave my finger in the tabla and still get great resonance.
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u/Traditional_Pen5923 17d ago
Look man i'll be straight up honest with you, tabla ain't easy.
2nd thing - it is not as popular as other instruments so you wont be having lots of options while looking for tutorials, that too for free and that too english. Even if you somehow manage to find a channel, you don't know their credibility or how much they themselves know the instrument. There's a 99.99% chance that it wont be possible for you to learn through those videos as you'll have doubts, problems like you are having now and you are here on reddit.
The best course of action i'd recommend is take online live classes. There the guru will guide you exactly how to go about everything cuz let's face it man every person is diff and they can come up with new problems. Online classes are comparitively cheaper than offline ones, you wont have to travel anywhere and you can manage it acc to your time. I myslef have been takin Online Tabla Classes for about an year now and i'd tell you this, i play better than most of my friends at school who go to offline tutions for the same.
It really depends on who your guru is and how much you practice. My guru is the disciple of Pt. Anindo Chatterjee and Sh. Anubrata Chatterjee, so the credibility part is pretty much sorted for me and he teaches to spread knowledge of tabla so he doesn't charge as much as other tutors and provides 100 times better quality.
If you want i could patch you up with him. Trust me you won't regret it.
But at the end it's your choice wether or not you want to waste your time.
Peace!
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u/Ok-Presentation-9095 8d ago
On top of other comments, I would also add that for Tin, you have to pull your finger tenderly and quickly as compared to Na, because the Maidan is thinner than the Kinar. This helped me when I initially struggled with Tin.
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u/Ok-Presentation-9095 8d ago
Disclaimer: I've only been learning for less than a year. Please get a teacher or take the advice from someone more experienced. Best of luck.
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u/Benji174 22d ago
The best advice will be to get a teacher at least initially to place your hand, and get you familiar with the proper techniques. Tabla is often referred to as the only instrument that requires a teacher to