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Learning Tabla with Alla Rakha (Book and Videotape ed.: NTSC American video standard) by Jeffrey M. Feldman, Alla Rakha
Book Summary InformationAuthor: Alla Rakha, Jeffrey M. Feldman Edition: Plastic Comb Published: 1998-04-01 ISBN: 0964369427 Number of pages: 102 Publisher: Digitala
Book Reviews of Learning Tabla with Alla Rakha (Book and Videotape ed.: NTSC American video standard)Book Review: Good companion book for beginners Summary: 4 Stars
I recently purchased Abbaji's (Alla Rakha Khan Sahib) book and accompanying video tape. I have been playing tabla for 2 decades now and had the privilege during my college years of attending two summer sessions with Ustad Zakir Hussain, who is Ustad Alla Rakha's son.
My primary reason for purchasing the book and tape was to see if it would be appropriate as teaching materials. I now teach tabla to beginner and intermediate students. I found the book to have a lot of information and material that examined the theory behind tabla compositions and phrases (bols). However, I am not going to use it as a teaching tool for young kids.
I will however recommend this book and videotape to those that are starting off and want to have a sense of what the basic strokes and patterns are on this incredible drum. The videotape is quite good. The quality is fair, in that it is not a professional recording. However there is a lot of footage of Ustad Alla Rakha.
In my opinion, the two scenarios where this book and videotape will benefit you the most are:
- If you are an adult learning tabla with a teacher. This book will complement what you are learning and will give you theory and background in the Punjab style.
- If you do not have access to any teachers for face to face lessons, are a drummer, have some percussion background, and want to attempt playing tabla.
Best of luck and keep playing!
Branavan
Summary of Learning Tabla with Alla Rakha (Book and Videotape ed.: NTSC American video standard)Alla Rakha was the tabla virtuoso best known for his many concert tours and recordings with Ravi Shankar. This book and videotape is Alla Rakha?s step-by-step introduction to a single tabla solo in the Punjab style, with its characteristic compositions and manner of striking the drum. Alla Rakha selected the compositions to be included in the book; the finger placement photographs are of Alla Rakha?s hands, and the videotape is a recording of Alla Rakha playing, reciting and teaching the compositions. The text features an in-depth analysis of the structure of each composition, with special emphasis on the logic of development in the theme and variation forms. A Special Note about the videotape... Fourteen years after the original publication of the book LEARNING TABLA WITH ALLA RAKHA, the accompanying videotape has finally been released. Harihar Rao narrates as Alla Rakha carefully demonstrates each stroke, phrase and theme from the accompanying book. Next, while Alla Rakha recites each composition to melodic accompaniment, a computer- generated ?karaoke? style animation shows the unfolding structure of the composition and the beat of the rhythmic cycle. Finally, with the camera tight on his hands, Alla Rakha plays each composition.
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