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Vijay Shanker Mishra Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2018 with funding from Public.Resource.Org https://archive.org/details/artscienceofplayOOmisr Art and Science of PLAYING TABLA . ■ Art and Science of PLAYING TABLA Vijay Shanker Mishra PUBLICATIONS DIVISION Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Government of India First published : 2015 (Saka 1936) © Author ISBN: 978-81-230-1880-5 A&C-ENG-OP-016-2014-15 Price : ? 220.00 Published by the Additional Director General, Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, Soochna Bhavan, C.G.O. Complex, Lodhi Road, New Delhi - 110003. http://w\vw\pubIicationsdivision.nic.in Editor: Krishna Prasad M. V./Bidur Bharti Cover Design: R. S. 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Main Road, Kalkaji, New Delhi-110019 Printed at: Compudata Services, Okhla, New Delhi-110020 It gives me immense pleasure to introduce the writer of this book, Shri Vijay Shanker Mishra, whose hard-work and uninterrupted spirit has enabled him to bring this book for the avid followers of Indian Classical Music. I am sure, this will certainly impart valuable information to all students of tabla and percussion, subject as a whole. Shri Vijay Shanker Mishra is a well-known music critic and writer of many books on music. I admire his enthusiasm and efforts for the work he has been doing to educate and inform the advanced students of Indian Classical Music. In this book he has explained six vital schools of Indian tabla. In addition to that, he has brought forward rare compositions of these gharanas that would be of immense importance for each student of tabla. I wish him all the very best. Blessings Padma Vibhushan Pt. Ram Narayan ' FOREWORD It is a privilege to write the foreword of this book, which deals with the art and science of Tabla playing, written by none other than the eminent scholar, music writer and accomplished Tabla gum, Pt. Vijay Shanker Mishra. Pt. Vijay Shanker, trained under the tutelage of his illustrious father Pt. Gama Maharaj, belongs to long lineage of Tabla players of the Banaras Gharana. Though himself a traditionalist, Vijayji uses contemporary research methodology to analyse the Tabla, Tabla playing, its origin and its development over the centuries from a modem perspective. A veteran writer and a musicologist of repute, he has to his credit more than 5000 articles and publications. Pt. Vijay Shanker Mishra also presented a 13-episode serial on the “History of the Tabla”, which was broadcast by All India Radio. In this programme, Vijayji looked into many of the theories and stories regarding the origin of the Tabla. Separating history from myth and lore for the first time, Vijayji demonstrated how many of the prevalent beliefs regarding the origin of the Tabla were more myths or “gathas” (stories). He went on to put forth a theory regarding the origin of the Tabla and the development of various playing techniques, by textual and other forms of evidence, which has been generally accepted by Tabla players, scholars and connoisseurs alike. Translated into English by Debasish Chakraborty, this present work is a continuation of his previous efforts. In this book Vijayji writes-about 35 Taalas, including some very rare Taalas. Also this book contains rare compositions by the Masters of different Gharanas. He also covers the Gharanas and their Vaadan styles and their particular compositions along with the Varnas (alphabets) of the ancient Tabla with reference to Bharata’s and Sharangdev’s Sangeet Ratnakar. The book also refers to various playing techniques and the ‘moods’ of the Tabla, the three notation systems of Indian music and the staff notation, while throwing light on what should be a Tabla solo recital and Tabla accompaniment. Finally the book provides brief biographies of some of the Tabla greats and, in a first, discusses some promising contemporary Tabla players as well. With its wide range and in-depth coverage of topics, this is a store-house of information on the Tabla from a modem perspective. The book will be a valuable reference to all those who want to leam about the Tabla and Tabla playing from a modem perspective - connoisseurs, scholars and experts. Students, especially at the post-graduate level would find it particularly useful for their studies. I pray that Pt. Vijay Shanker Mishra continues with his efforts to enlighten us with his research and wish him luck for all his future endeavours. Padmashri Pt. Bhajan Sopori Santoor Maestro & Composer (Dated 3 Nov 2014)