Read and play at sight short, easy pieces at a regular pulse, beginning to hear some of the elements internally
Encourage learners to read short, simple exercises at sight, making sure that they are well within their technical range.
While Tabla playing is learnt exclusively by ear in traditional settings, notation systems have been developed which can be used to support learning if the teacher feels this is beneficial. Using notation can make teaching more inclusive, helping those who are not familiar with Indian classical music to learn the time cycles and understand how the music is structured.
Before playing through exercises for the first time, help learners to hear in their heads the overall sound of the music by asking them to:
- identify important notational features of the music, e.g. number of beats, bols used
- say, clap or tap rhythmic patterns
- tap the pulse while other learners tap the rhythm, and vice versa
Emphasise the importance of steady, fluent reading, i.e. maintaining a regular pulse, and of allowing mistakes to pass uncorrected.
Point out to learners that when first playing a piece of music from notation, they are always ‘sight-reading’ it. Sight-reading, therefore, should not be regarded as a separate activity, but rather as an integral part of learning new music.
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