Re: Looping is overrated :) / Study in India

["Jon Wagner" <jondrums@hotmail.com>]

> I wrote:
> >>Now if I want to learn to play the tabla, I mean really learn
> >>to play the tabla; would you tell me that its useless
> >> to move to India?  That I can learn everything I need to
> >>know to make music by staying right where I am and
> >>playing tabla at clubs along with guitar players, and
> >>conga drummers?
>
> Stephen replied:
> >Since there are a load of folks from India all over the world (and
> >especially the US thanks to the Visa game!), it shouldn't be hard to 
>find
> >someone to teach real Tablas to you, as well as send you in the 
>direction
of
> >a good set.
>
>
>
>James replied:
>I assumed from the general tone of Jon's post that he was speaking
hypothetically, comparing
>the relative merits of going directly to the source rather than trying to
learn from a distance.

Agreed to everything everyone said!  My point was that there IS value in
studying with others who have experience with what you want to learn.  
There
is value in living close to others who share your common goals!  There is
even value to learn the tradition way to make tabla strokes, even if you
don't wish to play in the traditional sense.  So I value learning other
people's aproach to looping, even though I don't wish to replicate another
person's style.  Seeing what other people do is part of mastering your
instrument - and yes I view my looping tools as instruments.

Jon