Dhir Dhir, Dhere Dhere, Dhira Dhira- many names-one phrase- a wonder for Tabla players. Right from our infancy we are exposed to all the fundamental syllables of Tabla & Dhir Dhir is no exception. When I first listened to my Guruji, Tabla Legend Pandit Anindo Chatterjee play this I was so fascinated to try it out by myself but kept getting stuck!
In this context a very relevant instance of my Guruji comes to mind. Pandit Anindo Chatterjee himself struggled a lot to perfect Dhere-Dhere. Finally after years of hard-work by shedding his sweat & blood Guruji was able to master the syllable like no other. As a start please make sure to attain strength of your palm and avoid some distracting YouTube video lessons gaining thousands of views as those are literally garbage!
Why am I so harsh about those videos?
Seriously!!
Yes, friends those are just click bait videos with fake thumbnails just to drive traffic.
It is very necessary to follow someone who belongs to a particular lineage rather than following the ones who are self-taught! Because the art of Indian Classical Music bases itself mainly upon the time tested GURU-SHISYA PARAMPARA or Discipleship. Anyway, this would be a point of discussion in one of my subsequent posts. Flexibility comes next as Tabla playing demands agility of fingers- plain physics! ‘Dhe’ is produced as I hit the Tabla (Dayan) surface with the edges along my little finger- from tip to the bottom region called Hypothenar Eminence along with ‘Ghe’ on the Bayan as its a compound syllable. ‘Re’ with the edge along the thumb- with a subtle tough of the index finger as well. Dhere-Dhere is a dry slap that is executed on the surface of the Tabla (Dayan) & both the hits ought to cover the surface in its entirety. As a general logic that I maintain observing the Masters is that their little finger tip touches the farthest point of the Tabla (Dayan) when we lay our palm flat on its surface. The other fingers settle automatically without much measurements.
Note that in Tabla the finger jobs in repetitive syllables are generally avoided except in special cases. The resonance of the Bayan while playing the first Dhe would prolong till the second and therefore we actually play ‘DhereTere’ while maintaining Dhere-Dhere or Dhere-Dhere or even DhereDhere-DhereDhere. That is to say the Bayan job is only once and not continuously in a seamless Dhere-Dhere execution.
‘Example is better than precept’ so let’s behold the best out there!
Ustad Ahmedjan Thirakwa
What can be better than seeing the Mount Everest of Tabla guiding the students- pure bliss! Notice how the palm is jerked away from the Tabla while as if throwing off the ‘Re’ syllable. It is understandable that by nature the edges of the little finger is stronger than that towards the thumb because we get a good grip of the entire hand. So to make up for the loss of power the Master exerted a greater force while playing the Varna ‘Re’ and thus this action! Do check out his priceless clips dispersed on the virtual media for us to enjoy & encapture!
Pandit Anokhelal Mishra
The only & rare footage of the magician of Dhere-Dhere & Na-Dhin-Din-Na! One cannot even dream that such can be the limit of a human being that achieves the impossible. Greet Pt Anokhelal who has shown to us that practice begets perfection.
The dexterity with which he plays Dhere-Dhere is singularly earned by years & hours of backbreaking perseverance. His greatest technique is unadulterated Riyaz. This is the rawest display of the syllable. The subtlety through which he executes Dhere-Dhere is a sight worth seeing! Observe & learn!
Pandit Swapan Chaudhary
Everyone acknowledges Pandit Swapan Chaudhary ji’s mastery over the DHERE-DHERE. It is a rare sight to watch him toy with this phrase. In this particular composition he plays a set of two Dhere-Dhere’s consecutively! Yes, it’s tough! But Pandit-ji makes it sound so effortless added with subtle sweetness with his blessed pair of hands! Divine!
Ustad Zakir Hussain
As if the world comes to a pause when the Ustad takes the stage! The sheer brilliance of the sound that exudes from Ustad Zakir Hussain ji’s fingers is just magical. The Ustad doesn’t fail to regale his audience ever. In this clip he plays the popular Raun of Ustad Ahmedjan Thirakwa. The style or Chhand builds up to the Rella.
Nothing fancy as he proceeds the usual way but the sheer radiance of his fingers unfurl a balanced auditory experience!
Watch out the way in which he maintains the open & closed syllables- in every applicable composition.
Pandit Anindo Chatterjee
So! What do you say?
Yes, Dhir Dhir by Pandit Anindo Chatterjee-ji is a special talk altogether.
Why?
Because he has meditated all the elements that can be thought of throughout his life. The clarity with which he presents this complex Rella is unimaginable. Pandit-ji always stresses upon clarity which he maintains with all his might. He has played almost all the styles of Dhere-Dhere- in different CHHANDS- in various jatis- and in every LAYA imaginable!
A humble prescription
I’ve tried to give a short introduction to the phrase Dhir-Dhir / Dhere-Dhere. It is completely a personal affair to choose a path that enchants our soul and take up to meditation on it! As life is a continually changing clause let’s waste not a moment and start flowing on with whatever we understand as better. Of course the way towards bliss is only through GURU- the guide who lights up the darkest of paths with his illuminating guidance.
Let’s rock & roll!