MacDonald-Alap-(Tabla) OS

Alap by Payton MacDonald is a solo tabla and may also be realized as a solo multiple percussion piece. The title comes from the first part of the first half of a classical North Indian Hindustani instrumental raga performance. These pieces are fully written out, with no improvisation.

An Alap is a slow, stately exposition of a raga with no regular rhythmic pulse. Just as a melodic player will unfold a raga one note at a time, so does the tabla drummer gradually reveal the different tones of the drums. The tension and density of the phrases also gradually increases.