Fundamentals of Tabla - by David Courtney

Chapters of The Fundamentals of Tabla include an introduction to how tabla fits into Indian music and an explanation of the rhythmic concepts of Indian music. Diagrams show how to make the basic strokes. Further chapters show elementary compositions and practice patterns, and progress to more complex material in different cycles. Appendices includes thekas for all the basic talas. David Courtney studied pakhawaj with Zakir Hussain at the Ali Akbar College of Music. He then studied tabla in India for a number of years with the late Ustad Shaik Dawood Khan of Hyderabad. He has been performing tabla since 1972, and is also well versed in the academic side of music, having written many books on the subject.