The Making of a Tabla
Yashwantrao Naik,whose clientele includes Ustad Zakir Hussain,talks about the tabla-making process.
3 min read
Yashwantrao Naik,whose clientele includes Ustad Zakir Hussain,talks about the tabla-making process
Crafting the perfect tabla is not a drum beaten tale. It may be a simple looking instrument,but the tabla can create some of the most complex musical sounds in the world. For the last 30 years,Pune-based Yashwantrao Naik has been making tablas which evoke sounds with a simple flick of the wrist. Every tap on the tablas taut surface produces an astounding range of tones. Naik reveals that the secret of the tablas tonal depth and variety lies in the special ink used to create the black spot on the tablas face. But like any magician worth his salt,Naik,who sells his wares to the likes of Ustad Zakir Hussain and Pandit Shanta Prasad wont reveal what goes into the making of that ink,or siyahi. That ink is the reason for my success, he states,simply.
Of course,theres more to a tabla than just ink. The characteristic thirak sound of the tabla depends a great deal on other factors like the process used to make it and the quality of the wood used. Its an art of precision and thats why no single person ever handles all aspects of its making. It takes about eight to 10 days to craft a single instrument. Naik says,The biggest task is to tune the tabla using stone or gun powder by creating the layers that define the different tones.
In recent years,business has boomed for tabla makers. Indians who migrate to the USA and Europe start tabla tuitions there and hence,many times their students order tablas from us. We get more orders from abroad than locally, says Naiks son Vijay,who also crafts tablas.
Word-of-mouth publicity has been especially good for Nair,who has catered to many renowned artistes. In fact,Jim Feist,a tabla enthusiast and player,who divides his time between Pune and Ohio,has even described his experience of tabla making with Yashwantrao Naik on his blog. I have even supplied tablas to schools like Mercedes Benz International School,Akshara International School,Sahyadri School and so on, Naik says proudly.
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