Tabla Class, One Session, Gaya

Details

One hour at the Gaya academy in a group of three. Bol recitation first, then hand position, then the drum, in that order, which is the way tabla has always been taught and the order most short courses skip. Two ordinary cheats are refused here. The first is the instrument sold on day one: a beginner is told to buy a set before the first lesson, often through a shop that pays the teacher a cut. The academy's own tuned set is used in class, you buy nothing at the start, and when the time comes we tell you what to buy and where and take no commission on it. A decent student set is Rs 7,000 to Rs 9,000 and you will not need one until about month four. The second is the number in the room, which is three here.

• 60 minutes, group of 3, on academy tabla tuned and maintained by us
• Bol recitation, na tin dha ge, teentaal, kaida, tukda, laykari and accompaniment
• Monthly accompaniment practice with a live harmonium or vocal student
• No instrument to buy at the start, and honest buying advice later with no shop commission taken
• Four sessions Rs 1,500 against Rs 1,600 paid singly
• Above four sessions a month the music membership is cheaper at Rs 1,600 for eight, and we would rather you bought that
• Your own set is needed only from about month 4, and a table top is enough for practice until then
• A first full teentaal typically takes 3 to 4 months of steady daily practice, and no one here will tell you otherwise