guys, it's alright. The shelf (afore-mentioned window sill) next to my desk will work just fine.
grancasa, I bought my tabla through
tabla.com, which happens to be located very close to where I live. my first teacher knew the owner very well, so I was able to get a very nice, hand-picked set. I might post some pictures of my drums soon, since I got a friend to take some with a digital camera.
They were made by an indian company called bina, and they really sound great. The dayan (small, wooden drum) has a beautiful long ring to it when struck (or "decay" in audiophile terms
), which to me is the sign of a well made tabla. I really am in love with them.
However, I'm not sure if every set bought from tabla.com will be of the same quality as mine (although I do think that they'll sell you a good set). going to a store and trying one firsthand will not help if you're a beginner either, since I know that before I played tabla I would never have known how to judge the quality of a set. The best advice I can give you is to not skimp on them. when it comes to tabla, you get what you pay for, and cheap student sets are not really worth considering if you actually intend to learn how to play them.
That said, if my tabla is any indicator of the quality of the sets sold by tabla.com, I cannot reccomend them enough. But if you're just getting into hand drumming, then tabla might be over the top. A doumbek or a djembe might be more appropriate. The doumbek is not a very difficult drum to learn, it just takes some expirimentation and practice. After I bought mine I practiced constantly, because you can just have it in your lap whenever you're sitting down and be playing with it. I always have a drum near my desk these days.
Even though you're not carefully practicing, just using it and getting to know it can be very useful. at least it was to me. Besides, a doumbek is much cheaper than a tabla! A nice cast-aluminum doumbek with a mylar head (that's what I have, and it's fantastic) will only cost maybe $100 or $120.
Only get the tabla if you intend to take lessons. look around and make sure there is someone in your area who you can take lessons from. otherwise you'll be totally in the dark, and there is pretty much no way you'll be able to learn. There are videos available, but I have a feeling that they won't match the usefulness of having someone right there to help you and guide you.
by the way, if you do intend to learn tabla, I hope you like sitting cross-legged.
The thought never even crossed my mind before I bought my set, and I hate it!
