Lecture/Demonstration on Tablas and Indian Rhythms (9/18/08)
by Todd Hammes
Percussionist and composer Todd Hammes delighted an audience September 18 at Madison’s Capitol Lakes center with a lecture and demonstration of Indian rhythms and tabla playing.
He opened his presentation with a carefully constructed and dynamic 20-minute tabla solo. During the demonstration that followed, he explained the rhythms and compositional principles of northern Indian music, much of which he has learned studying with the Indian master tabla artist Pandit Sharda Sahai.
A native of Wisconsin, Todd is an alum of the U. of Arizona. He has performed with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra and has composed music for dance, theater, and the concert hall. He has several recordings to his credit and his compositions have been performed by the Tool and Drum Ensemble, the Sonoran Consort, and The Kokopelli Sound, among others. In 2005, Todd received a McKnight Fellowship from the American Composer’s Forum
Todd demonstrated fundamentals of Indian rhythms including tals, or rhythmic cycles, and bols, the onomatopoetic language that describes each of the many tabla sounds. Playing along with an electronic accompanist he also demonstrated polymeters, playing 5 against 4, 6 against 4, 7 against 4, and so on.
He encouraged audience participation via question-and-answer and by inviting us to clap along with complex time signatures.
The father of Pandit Sharda Sahai composed and performed many long pieces for solo tabla, he said, all of which follow a theme & variations form. Sahai is reviving those compositions and passing them along to his students.
More information about Todd’s work at his web site www.toddhammes.com
You can see a brief video clip of his presentation here:
reviewed by Paul Baker