Learning the Tabla

I just bought the Kindle version. The CD files are available for download and the link is provided in the Kindle book.

Came quickly, and with the cd!

The exercises of this book are well strucured and easy to follow for a complete beginner. The CD tones can be a little difficult to distinguish, but you get the idea of where the rhythm is going, so the CD is generally helpful if you can follow the text with it. You still need a tabla teacher to show you technique (in order to make the tones in the first place), but this is a good text to learn from on your own in between lessons.

I like I it. Works for me 😊

I found this book useful as a beginner, the CD provided is very helpful. You are able to listen to what the boles should sound like. Introduction to the Taals, Kaidas etc. are covered very nicely. Definitely recommended for the beginner.

This is an extremely basic overview of the tabla. It reminds me of early mel bay method books for band instruments. I had already taken six months worth of lessons so this didn't really fit my needs. I would strongly recommend learning tabla from an experienced teacher because if your technique isn't monitored from the beginning, it can be difficult to get out of bad habits. Once the basics are in check, I would recommend Fundamentals of Tabla, Vol. 1

A+++!!!

This is the perfect instruction manual for beginner self-instruction tabla. It's written clearly, comes with plenty of pictures, and the online audio, which used to come as a CD included with the book, is invaluable for understanding how each stroke is supposed to sound. The lessons progress at just the right pace and allow you to build on very simple fundamentals. The fact that it's written by a Westerner, I think, makes this book especially accessible for Western students who likely have little experience with the lexicon, concepts, and theory underpinning Indian classical tabla. Courtney provides you with everything you need to get started. This was the first audio CD / book instruction book for the tabla in the US and I think it's still the best. It is the first of a two volume set and yet, I think if you were to learn everything in just this book, you'd have no problem performing at an amateur level.