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A tabla, bn, তবলা, prs, طبلا, gu, તબલા, hi, तबला, kn, ತಬಲಾ, ml, തബല, mr, तबला, ne, तबला, or, ତବଲା, ps, طبله, pa, ਤਬਲਾ, ta, தபலா, te, తబలా, ur, , group="nb", name="nb" is a pair of twin
hand drums A hand drum is any type of drum that is typically played with the bare hand rather than a stick, mallet, hammer, or other type of beater. Types The following descriptions allude to traditional versions of the drums. Modern synthetic versions are a ...
from the
Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a list of the physiographic regions of the world, physiographical region in United Nations geoscheme for Asia#Southern Asia, Southern Asia. It is situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian O ...
, that are somewhat similar in shape to the
bongos Bongos ( es, bongó) are an Afro-Cuban percussion instrument consisting of a pair of small open bottomed hand drums of different sizes. They are struck with both hands, most commonly in an eight-stroke pattern called ''martillo'' (hammer). The ...
. Since the 18th century, it has been the principal percussion instrument in
Hindustani classical music Hindustani classical music is the classical music of northern regions of the Indian subcontinent. It may also be called North Indian classical music or, in Hindustani, ''shastriya sangeet'' (). It is played in instruments like the violin, sita ...
, where it may be played solo, as accompaniment with other instruments and vocals, and as a part of larger ensembles. It is frequently played in popular and folk music performances in
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
,
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, Afghanistan,
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
,
Nepal Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne, सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mai ...
and
Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
.Tabla
Encyclopædia Britannica
The tabla is an essential instrument in the
bhakti ''Bhakti'' ( sa, भक्ति) literally means "attachment, participation, fondness for, homage, faith, love, devotion, worship, purity".See Monier-Williams, ''Sanskrit Dictionary'', 1899. It was originally used in Hinduism, referring to d ...
devotional traditions of
Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...
and
Sikhism Sikhism (), also known as Sikhi ( pa, ਸਿੱਖੀ ', , from pa, ਸਿੱਖ, lit=disciple', 'seeker', or 'learner, translit=Sikh, label=none),''Sikhism'' (commonly known as ''Sikhī'') originated from the word ''Sikh'', which comes fro ...
, such as during ''
bhajan Bhajan refers to any devotional song with a religious theme or spiritual ideas, specifically among Indian religions, in any language. The term bhajanam (Sanskrit: भजनम्) means ''reverence'' and originates from the root word ''bhaj'' ...
'' and ''
kirtan Kirtana ( sa, कीर्तन; ), also rendered as Kirtan, is a Sanskrit word that means "narrating, reciting, telling, describing" of an idea or story, specifically in Indian religions. It also refers to a genre of religious performance arts ...
'' singing. It is one of the main
qawali Qawwali ( Punjabi: (Shahmukhi), (Gurmukhi); Urdu: (Nasta'liq); Hindi: क़व्वाली (Devanagari); Bengali: কাওয়ালি (Bengali)) is a form of Sufi Islamic devotional singing, originating from the Indian subcontinent ...
instrument used by
Sufi Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...
musicians. The instrument is also featured in dance performances such as
Kathak Kathak ( hi, कथक; ur, کتھک) is one of the eight major forms of Indian classical dance. It is the classical dance from of Uttar Pradesh. The origin of Kathak is traditionally attributed to the traveling bards in ancient northern Ind ...
.Tabla is a rythmic instrument. The name ''tabla'' likely comes from ''tabl'', the Arabic word for drum. The ultimate origin of the musical instrument is contested by scholars, though some trace its evolution from indigenous musical instruments of the Indian subcontinent. The tabla consists of two small drums of slightly different sizes and shapes. Each drum is made of hollowed out wood, clay or metal. The smaller drum (''dayan/tabla'') is used for creating treble and tonal sounds, while the primary function of the larger drum (''baya/dagga'') is for producing bass. They are laced with hoops, thongs and wooden dowels on its sides. The dowels and hoops are used to tighten the tension of the membranes for tuning the drums. The playing technique is complex and involves extensive use of the fingers and palms in various configurations to create a wide variety of different sounds and rhythms, reflected in mnemonic syllables ('' bol'').


Origins

The history of the tabla is unclear, and there are multiple theories regarding its origins. There are two groups of theories; the first theorizes the instrument had indigenous origins while the other traces its origins to the Muslim and Mughal conquerors of the Indian subcontinent. While the carvings in
Bhaja Caves Bhaja Caves is a group of 22 rock-cut caves dating back to the 2nd century BC located in the city of Pune, India. The caves are 400 feet above the village of Bhaja, on an important ancient trade route running from the Arabian Sea eastward into th ...
support the theory that the instrument had indigenous origins, clear pictorial evidence of the drum emerges only from about 1745, and the drum continued to develop in shape until the early 1800s.


Indian origins

The Indian theory traces the origin of tabla to indigenous ancient civilization. The stone sculpture carvings in Bhaja Caves depict a woman playing a pair of drums, which some have claimed as evidence for the ancient origin of the tabla in India.Mark Hijleh, 2019
Towards a Global Music History: Intercultural Convergence, Fusion, and transformation in the human musical history
Routledge
A different version of this theory states that the tabla acquired a new Arabic name during the Islamic rule, having evolved from ancient Indian ''puskara'' drums. The evidence of the hand-held ''puskara'' is founded in many temple carvings, such as at the 6th and 7th century Muktesvara and Bhuvaneswara temples in India. These arts show drummers who are sitting, with two or three separate small drums, with their palm and fingers in a position as if they are playing those drums. However, it is not apparent in any of these ancient carvings that those drums were made of the same material and skin, or played the same music, as the modern tabla. The textual evidence for similar material and methods of construction as ''tabla'' comes from Sanskrit texts. The earliest discussion of ''tabla''-like musical instrument building methods are found in the Hindu text ''
Natyashastra The ''Nāṭya Śāstra'' (, ''Nāṭyaśāstra'') is a Sanskrit treatise on the performing arts. The text is attributed to sage Bharata Muni, and its first complete compilation is dated to between 200 BCE and 200 CE, but estimates var ...
''. This text also includes descriptions of paste-patches (''syahi'') such as those found on a tabla. The ''Natyashastra'' also discusses how to play these drums. The South Indian text ''
Silappatikaram ''Cilappatikāram'' ( ta, சிலப்பதிகாரம் ml, ചിലപ്പതികാരം,IPA: ʧiləppət̪ikɑːrəm, ''lit.'' "the Tale of an Anklet"), also referred to as ''Silappathikaram'' or ''Silappatikaram'', is the e ...
'', likely composed in the early centuries of 1st millennium CE, describes thirty types of drums along with many stringed and other instruments. These are, however, called ''pushkara''; the name ''tabla'' appears in later periods.


Muslim and Mughal origins

This theory is based on the etymological links of the word ''tabla'' to Arabic word ''tabl'' which means "drum". Beyond the root of the word, this proposal points to the documentary evidence that the Muslim armies had hundreds of soldiers on camels and horses carrying paired drums as they invaded the Indian subcontinent. They would beat these drums to scare the residents, the non-Muslim armies, their elephants and chariots, that they intended to attack. However, the war drums did not look or sound anything like ''tabla'', they were large paired drums and were called '' naqqara'' (noise, chaos makers). Another version states that Amir Khusraw, a musician patronized by Sultan
Alauddin Khalji Alaud-Dīn Khaljī, also called Alauddin Khilji or Alauddin Ghilji (), born Ali Gurshasp, was an emperor of the Khalji dynasty that ruled the Delhi Sultanate The Delhi Sultanate was an Islamic empire based in Delhi that stretched over lar ...
invented the ''tabla'' when he cut an ''Awaj'' drum, which used to be hourglass shaped, into two parts. However, no painting or sculpture or document dated to his period supports it with this evidence nor it was found in the list of musical instruments that were written down by Muslim historians. For example, Abul Fazi included a long list of musical instruments in his ''Ain-i-akbari'' written in the time of the 16th century Mughal Emperor
Akbar Abu'l-Fath Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar (25 October 1542 – 27 October 1605), popularly known as Akbar the Great ( fa, ), and also as Akbar I (), was the third Mughal emperor, who reigned from 1556 to 1605. Akbar succeeded his father, Hum ...
, the generous patron of music. Abul Fazi's list makes no mention of ''tabla''. The third version credits the invention of ''tabla'' to the 18th century musician, with a similar sounding name Amir Khusru, where he is suggested to have cut a ''
Pakhawaj The pakhavaj is a barrel-shaped, two-headed drum, originating from the Indian subcontinent, the oldest version of double sided drums and its descendants are mridangam of Southern India and kendang of Maritime Southeast Asia and other South As ...
'' into two to create ''tabla''. Miniature paintings of this era show instruments that sort of look like ''tabla''. This theory implies that ''tabla'' emerged from within the Muslim community of Indian subcontinent and were not an Arabian import. However, scholars such as Neil Sorrell and Ram Narayan state that this legend of cutting a ''pakhawaj'' drum into two to make ''tabla'' drums "cannot be given any credence".


History

Drums and Talas are mentioned in the
Vedic upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the '' Atharvaveda''. The Vedas (, , ) are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the ...
era texts.The theory and practice of Tabla
Sadanand Naimpalli, Popular Prakashan
A percussion musical instrument with two or three small drums, held with strings, called ''Pushkara'' (also spelled ''Pushkala'') were in existence in pre-5th century Indian subcontinent along with other drums such as the Mridang, but these are not called ''tabla'' then. The pre-5th century paintings in the
Ajanta Caves The Ajanta Caves are approximately thirty rock-cut Buddhist cave monuments dating from the second century BCE to about 480 CE in the Aurangabad district of Maharashtra state in India. The caves include paintings and rock-cut sculptures des ...
, for example, show a group of musicians playing small tabla-like upright seated drums, a kettle-shaped ''mridang'' drum and cymbals. Similar artwork with seated musicians playing drums, but carved in stone, are found in the
Ellora Caves Ellora is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the Aurangabad district of Maharashtra, India. It is one of the largest rock-cut Hindu temple cave complexes in the world, with artwork dating from the period 600–1000 CE., Quote: "These 34 m ...
, and others. A type of small Indian drums, along with many other musical instruments, are also mentioned in Tibetan and Chinese memoirs written by Buddhist monks who visited the Indian subcontinent in the 1st millennium CE. The ''pushkala'' are called ''rdzogs pa'' (pronounced dzokpa) in Tibetan literature. The ''pushkara'' drums are also mentioned in many ancient Jainism and Buddhism texts, such as ''Samavayasutra'', ''Lalitavistara'' and ''Sutralamkara''. Various Hindu and Jain temples, such as the Eklingji in Udaipur, Rajasthan show stone carvings of a person playing tabla-like small pair of drums. Small drums were popular during the Yadava rule (1210 to 1247) in the south, at the time when
Sangita Ratnakara The ''Sangita-Ratnakara'', सङ्गीतरत्नाकर, (IAST: Saṅgīta ratnākara), literally "Ocean of Music and Dance", is one of the most important musicological texts from India. Composed by Śārṅgadeva (शार्ङ ...
was written by Sarangadeva.
Madhava Kandali Kaviraja Madhava Kandali ( as, মাধৱ কন্দলি) (circa. 14th century) was an Indian poet from the state of Assam. He is one of the renowned poets pertaining to the Pre- Shankara era. His Saptakanda Ramayana is considered the earl ...
, 14th century Assamese poet and writer of
Saptakanda Ramayana ''Saptakanda Ramayana'' (Assamese: সপ্তকাণ্ড ৰামায়ণ) is the 14th-15th century Assamese version of the ''Ramayana'' attributed to the famous assamese poet Madhava Kandali. It is considered to be the second translati ...
, lists several instruments in his version of ''"Ramayana"'', such as tabal,
jhajhar Jhajhar is a village, situated in the erstwhile province of Shekhawati of Rajasthan, India. It is located in the district of Jhunjhunu, approximately 7 km from Nawalgarh. Formally it was the part of Pentalisa of Bhojyana. History The Ja ...
,
dotara The ''dotara'' (or ''dotar'') Persian ( bn, দোতারা, as, দোতাৰা, literally, 'Of or having two strings') is a two, four, or sometimes five- stringed musical instrument, originating from Iran and Central Asia. It is comm ...
, vina, bīn, vipanchi, etc. (meaning that these instruments existed since his time in 14th century or earlier).There is recent iconography of the tabla dating back to 1799. This theory is now obsolete with iconography carvings found in Bhaje caves providing solid proof that the tabla was used in ancient India. There are
Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
temple carvings of double hand drums resembling the tabla that date back to 500 BCE. The tabla was spread widely across ancient India. A Hoysaleshwara temple in
Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...
shows a carving of a woman playing a tabla in a dance performance. According to classifications of musical instruments defined in the ''
Natyashastra The ''Nāṭya Śāstra'' (, ''Nāṭyaśāstra'') is a Sanskrit treatise on the performing arts. The text is attributed to sage Bharata Muni, and its first complete compilation is dated to between 200 BCE and 200 CE, but estimates var ...
'', Tabla is classified in the ''Avanadha Vadya'' category of rhythm instruments which are made by capping an empty vessel with a stretched skin.


Construction and features

The tabla consists of two single-headed, barrel-shaped small drums of slightly different sizes and shapes: ''baya'' and ''daya'' for left and right drums, respectively. The smaller drum, played with the dominant hand, is called dayan (literally "right" side), dāhina, siddha or chattū, but is correctly called the "tabla." It is made from a conical piece of mostly
teak Teak (''Tectona grandis'') is a tropical hardwood tree species in the family Lamiaceae. It is a large, deciduous tree that occurs in mixed hardwood forests. ''Tectona grandis'' has small, fragrant white flowers arranged in dense clusters (panicl ...
and
rosewood Rosewood refers to any of a number of richly hued timbers, often brownish with darker veining, but found in many different hues. True rosewoods All genuine rosewoods belong to the genus ''Dalbergia''. The pre-eminent rosewood appreciated in ...
hollowed out to approximately half of its total depth. The ''daya tabla'' is played by the musician's right hand (dominant hand), and is about 15 centimetres (~6 in) in diameter and 25 centimetres (~10 in) high. The drum is tuned to a specific note, usually either the tonic, dominant or
subdominant In music, the subdominant is the fourth tonal degree () of the diatonic scale. It is so called because it is the same distance ''below'' the tonic as the dominant is ''above'' the tonicin other words, the tonic is the dominant of the subdomina ...
of the soloist's key and thus complements the
melody A melody (from Greek language, Greek μελῳδία, ''melōidía'', "singing, chanting"), also tune, voice or line, is a Linearity#Music, linear succession of musical tones that the listener perceives as a single entity. In its most liter ...
. This is the ground note of the ''
raga A ''raga'' or ''raag'' (; also ''raaga'' or ''ragam''; ) is a melodic framework for improvisation in Indian classical music akin to a musical mode, melodic mode. The ''rāga'' is a unique and central feature of the classical Indian music tradit ...
'' called ''Sa'' (tonic in India music). The tuning range is limited although different dāyāñs are produced in different sizes, each with a different range. Cylindrical wood blocks, known as gatta, are inserted between the strap and the shell allowing tension to be adjusted by their vertical positioning. Fine tuning is achieved while striking vertically on the braided portion of the head using a small, heavy hammer. While tabla usually features two drums, a
tabla tarang The tabla tarang (Hindi: तबला तरंग) is a melodic percussion instrument consisting of between ten and sixteen tuned dayan drums. In a tabla "pair" instrument, the dayan is the treble drum and the bayan is the bass drum. Tarang mea ...
may consist of 10-16 dayas to perform melodies based on several
ragas A ''raga'' or ''raag'' (; also ''raaga'' or ''ragam''; ) is a melodic framework for improvisation in Indian classical music akin to a melodic mode. The ''rāga'' is a unique and central feature of the classical Indian music tradition, and as a ...
. The ''baya tabla'' is a bit bigger and deep kettledrum shaped, about 20 centimetres (~8 in) in diameter and 25 centimetres (~10 in) in height. It played with the non-dominant hand, is called bāyāñ (literally "left") duggī or dhāmā (correctly called "dagga"), has a much deeper bass tone, much like its distant cousin, the
kettle drum Timpani (; ) or kettledrums (also informally called timps) are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum categorised as a hemispherical drum, they consist of a membrane called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionally ...
. The bāyāñs can be found to be made up of many different types of materials. Brass is the most common, copper is more expensive, but generally held to be the best, while aluminum and steel are often found in inexpensive models. Sometimes wood is used, especially in old bāyāñs from the Punjab. Clay is also used, although not favored for durability; these are generally found in the North-East region of Bengal. The ''baya'' construction and tuning is about a fifth to an octave below that of the ''daya'' drum. The musician uses his hand's heel pressure to change the pitch and tone colour of each drum during a performance. The
head A head is the part of an organism which usually includes the ears, brain, forehead, cheeks, chin, eyes, nose, and mouth, each of which aid in various sensory functions such as sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Some very simple animals may ...
of each drum has a central area of "tuning paste" called the
syahi Syahi (also known as gaab, ank, satham or karanai) is the tuning paste applied to the head of many South Asian percussion instruments like the dholki, jori, tabla, madal, mridangam, khol and pakhavaj. Overview Syahi is usually black in col ...
(lit. "ink"; a.k.a. ''shāī'' or ''gāb''). ''Syahi'' is common in many drums of Indian origin. This method allows these drums to produce harmonic overtones and is responsible for their unique sound. ''Syahi'' is constructed using multiple layers of a paste made from starch (rice or wheat) mixed with a black powder of various origins. The precise construction and shaping of this area is responsible for modification of the drum's natural overtones, resulting in the clarity of pitch (see
inharmonicity In music, inharmonicity is the degree to which the frequencies of overtones (also known as partials or partial tones) depart from whole multiples of the fundamental frequency ( harmonic series). Acoustically, a note perceived to have a singl ...
) and variety of tonal possibilities unique to this instrument which has a bell-like sound. The skill required for the proper construction of this area is highly refined and is the main differentiating factor in the quality of a particular instrument. The earliest discussion of these paste-patches are found in the Hindu text ''
Natyashastra The ''Nāṭya Śāstra'' (, ''Nāṭyaśāstra'') is a Sanskrit treatise on the performing arts. The text is attributed to sage Bharata Muni, and its first complete compilation is dated to between 200 BCE and 200 CE, but estimates var ...
''. For stability while playing, each drum is positioned on a
toroid In mathematics, a toroid is a surface of revolution with a hole in the middle. The axis of revolution passes through the hole and so does not intersect the surface. For example, when a rectangle is rotated around an axis parallel to one of its ...
al bundle called ''chutta'' or ''guddi'', consisting of plant fiber or another malleable material wrapped in cloth. They are commonly played while sitting cross-legged on the floor.


Musical notation

Indian music is traditionally practice-oriented and until the 20th century did not employ written notations as the primary media of instruction, understanding, or transmission. The rules of Indian music and compositions themselves are taught from a guru to a shishya, in person. Thus oral notation for playing tabla strokes and compositions is very developed and exact. These are made up of
onomatopoetic Onomatopoeia is the process of creating a word that phonetically imitates, resembles, or suggests the sound that it describes. Such a word itself is also called an onomatopoeia. Common onomatopoeias include animal noises such as ''oink'', ''m ...
syllables and are known as
bols Bols may refer to: * Bol (music), an element of Indian rhythm * Lucas Bols, a Dutch distilling company * Bols (brand), a beverage brand name used by Lucas Bols * Bols (surname), a Dutch surname * Bell of Lost Souls Interactive, American online publi ...
. Written notation is regarded as a matter of taste and is not standardized. Thus there is no universal system of written notation for the rest of the world to study Indian music. The two popular systems for writing notations were created by
Vishnu Digambar Paluskar Pandit Vishnu Digambar Paluskar (18 August 1872 – 21 August 1931) was a Hindustani musician. He sang the original version of the bhajan Raghupati Raghava Raja Ram, and founded the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya on 5 May 1901. He is also credited wit ...
and
Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande Pandit Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande (10 August 1860 – 19 September 1936) was an Indian musicologist who wrote the first modern treatise on Hindustani classical music, an art which had been propagated for centuries mostly through oral traditions. ...
. These notations are named after their respective creators. Both these systems have bols written down in a script such as
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
or
Devanagari Devanagari ( ; , , Sanskrit pronunciation: ), also called Nagari (),Kathleen Kuiper (2010), The Culture of India, New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, , page 83 is a left-to-right abugida (a type of segmental Writing systems#Segmental syste ...
. The differences arise in representation of various concepts of a compositions, such as ''Taali, Khaali, Sum'' (the first beat in a rhythmic cycle''),'' and ''Khand'' (divisions). Another difference is the use of numerals in the Vishnu Narayan Bhatkande system to represent ''
matras Matras is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Agnieszka Matras-Clement (born 1982), Polish and Canadian chess player *Christian Matras (poet) (1900–1988), Faroese poet * Christian Matras (cinematographer) (1903–1977), French c ...
'' and beat measures, whereas more sophisticated symbols are used in the Vishnu Digambar Paluskar system to denote one ''matra'', its fractions and combinations.


Basic strokes

Tabla's repertoire and techniques borrow many elements from
Pakhavaj The pakhavaj is a barrel-shaped, two-headed drum, originating from the Indian subcontinent, the oldest version of double sided drums and its descendants are mridangam of Southern India and kendang of Maritime Southeast Asia and other South Asia ...
and
Mridangam The mridangam is a percussion instrument of ancient origin. It is the primary rhythmic accompaniment in a Carnatic music ensemble. In Dhrupad, a modified version, the pakhawaj, is the primary percussion instrument. A related instrument is the ...
, which are played sideways using one's palms. The physical structure of these drums also share similar components: the smaller pakhavaj head for the dayan, the naqqara kettledrum for the bayan, and the flexible use of the bass of the
dholak The ''dholak'' is a two-headed hand drum, a folk percussion instrument. The instrument is about 45 cm in length and 27 cm in breadth and is widely used in ''qawwali'', '' kirtan'', '' lavani'' and '' bhangra''. The drum has two differ ...
. Tabla is played from the top and uses "finger tip and hand percussive" techniques allowing more complex movements. The rich language of tabla is made up of permutations of some basic strokes. These basic strokes are divided into 5 major categories along with a few examples: # Bols played on the ''dayan'' (right / treble drum) #* ''Na:'' striking the edge of the syahi with the last two fingers of the right hand #* ''Ta'' or ''Ra:'' striking sharply with the index finger against the rim while simultaneously applying gentle pressure to the edge of the syahi with the ring finger to suppress the fundamental vibration mode #* ''Tin:'' placing the last two fingers of the right hand lightly against the
syahi Syahi (also known as gaab, ank, satham or karanai) is the tuning paste applied to the head of many South Asian percussion instruments like the dholki, jori, tabla, madal, mridangam, khol and pakhavaj. Overview Syahi is usually black in col ...
and striking on the border between the syahi and the maidan (resonant) #* ''Te:'' striking the center of the syahi with the middle finger in Delhi gharana, or using middle, ring, and little fingers together in Varanasi style (non resonant) #* ''Ti:'' striking the center of the syahi with the index finger (non resonant) #* ''Tun'': striking the center of the syahi with the index finger to excite the fundamental vibration mode (resonant) #* ''TheRe:'' striking of syahi with palm # Bols played on ''bayan'' (left / bass drum) #* ''Ghe:'' holding wrist down and arching the fingers over the syahi; the middle and ring-fingers then strike the maidan (resonant) #* ''Ga:'' striking the index finger #* ''Ka'', ''Ke'', or ''Kat:'' (on bayan) striking with the flat palm and fingers (non resonant) # Bols played on both the drums on unison #* ''Dha:'' combination of ''Na'' and (''Ga'' or ''Ghe'') #* ''Dhin:'' combination of ''Tin'' and (''Ga'' or ''Ghe'') # Bols played one after another in a successive manner #* ''Ti Re Ki Ta'' #* ''TaK'' = ''Ta'' + ''Ke'' # Bols played as flam #* ''Ghran'': ''Ge'' immediately followed by ''Na'' #* ''TriKe'': ''Ti'' immediately followed by ''Ke'' and ''Te''


Tabla Talas

Tala defines the musical meter of a composition. It is characterized by groups of
matras Matras is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Agnieszka Matras-Clement (born 1982), Polish and Canadian chess player *Christian Matras (poet) (1900–1988), Faroese poet * Christian Matras (cinematographer) (1903–1977), French c ...
in a defined time cycle. Talas are composed of basic elements,
bols Bols may refer to: * Bol (music), an element of Indian rhythm * Lucas Bols, a Dutch distilling company * Bols (brand), a beverage brand name used by Lucas Bols * Bols (surname), a Dutch surname * Bell of Lost Souls Interactive, American online publi ...
. ''Matra'' defines the number of beats within a rhythm. Talas can be of 3 to 108 matras. They are played in repeated cycles. The starting beat of each cycle is known as ''Sum''. This beat is often represented by a special symbol such as 'X'. This is the most emphasized beat of the cycle. Other emphasized parts of the tala which are represented by ''Taali'' (clap), while ''Khali'' (empty) portions are played in a relaxed manner. They are represented by a 'O' in Vishnu Narayanan Bhatkhande notation. Tali is often marked by a numeral representing its beat measure. Separate sections or stanzas of a tala are called ''Vibhagas''. Three main types of tempos or ''layas'' are used in playing Tabla talas: 1) Slow ''(vilambit)'' or half speed, 2) Medium ''(madhya)'' or reference speed, and 3) Fast ''(drut)'' or double speed. Keeping these three tempos as reference other variations of these tempos are also defined such as ''Aadi laya'' where bols are played at one and a half speed of medium tempo. Others such as ''Ati Ati drut laya'' stands for very very fast tempo. Modern tabla players often use
beats per minute Beat, beats or beating may refer to: Common uses * Patrol, or beat, a group of personnel assigned to monitor a specific area ** Beat (police), the territory that a police officer patrols ** Gay beat, an area frequented by gay men * Battery ( ...
measures as well. There are many talas in Hindustani music.
Teental Teentaal (alternatively spelled tintal, teental, or tintaal, and also called trital; Hindi: तीन ताल) is the most common '' taal'' of Hindustani Classical Music, and is used for ''drut'' (fast tempo). It is symmetrical and presents a ...
or Trital is one of the most popular tala played on Tabla. It has 16 beat measures or ''matras,'' and can be written down as 4 sections of 4 ''matras'' each. Teental can be played at both slow and fast speeds. Other talas such as Dhamaar, Ek, Jhoomra and Chau talas are better suited for slow and medium tempos. While some flourish at faster speeds, such as like Jhap or Rupak talas. Some of the popular Talas in Hindustani Classical music include:


Rare Hindustani talas


Tabla Gharanas

Tabla
gharana In Hindustani music (North Indian classical music), a ''gharānā'' is a system of social organisation in the Indian subcontinent, linking musicians or dancers by lineage or apprenticeship, and more importantly by adherence to a particular mus ...
s are responsible for the development of variety of new bols, characteristic playing techniques, composition styles and rhythmic structures. Gharanas acted as a means of preserving these styles between generations of tabla players. First recorded history of gharanas is in the early 18th century. Delhi gharana is considered to be the first and the oldest traditional tabla tradition. Its students were responsible for the spawn of other gharanas as well. Each of these gharanas include a handful of prominent players and maestros. They carry the honorific title '
Pandit A Pandit ( sa, पण्डित, paṇḍit; hi, पंडित; also spelled Pundit, pronounced ; abbreviated Pt.) is a man with specialised knowledge or a teacher of any field of knowledge whether it is shashtra (Holy Books) or shastra (Wea ...
' and '
Ustad Ustād or ostād (abbreviated as Ust., Ut. or Ud.; from Persian language, Persian ) is an honorific title used in West Asia, North Africa, South Asia and Southeast Asia. It is used in various languages such as Persian language, Persian, , Azerbai ...
' for Hindus and Muslim tabla players, respectively. Modernization and accessible means of travel have reduced the rigid boundaries between these gharanas in recent times.


The different Gharanas in Tabla

*
Delhi Gharana The Delhi or Dilli Gharana, is a tabla discipleship tradition known for being the oldest. This tradition was founded by Sidhar Khan Dhadi in the early-18th Century. The tradition is regarded for establishing a distinction from pakhawaj repertoi ...
*
Lucknow Gharana The Lucknow Gharānā, also known as "Purab Gharâna" for tabla, is a discipleship tradition ("gharana") with a tabla legacy and Kathak legacy. These two traditions are known for being one of the six major gharanas of tabla and three gharanas of k ...
* Ajrada Gharana *
Farukhabad Gharana Farrukhabad Gharana is one of six prominent playing styles or gharanas of North Indian tabla , in Hindustani classical music, and derives its name from Farrukhabad in Uttar Pradesh state. History The Farrukhabad Gharana of Tabla was created in th ...
*
Benares Gharana Benares gharānā (Hindi: बनारस घराना) is one of the six most common styles of playing of the Indian tabla. History The Benares tabla gharana was developed a little over 200 years ago by Pandit Ram Sahai (1780–1826). At ...
* Punjab Gharana


Kayda

A Kayda or Kaida is a type of Tabla composition. There are major two types of tabla compositions, fixed (pre-composed) and improvised (composed and improvised at the time of the practicing or performing). A rhythmic seed (theme) is introduced, which is then used as a basis for elaboration through improvisation and/or composition. The word Kayda is an Arabic or Hindi word which means 'rule' or 'a system of rules'. The rules for playing a kayda are complex, but in short, one must only use the bols that are in the original theme. This original theme is known as a Mukh. The kayda form originated in the
Delhi Gharana The Delhi or Dilli Gharana, is a tabla discipleship tradition known for being the oldest. This tradition was founded by Sidhar Khan Dhadi in the early-18th Century. The tradition is regarded for establishing a distinction from pakhawaj repertoi ...
of tabla playing and serves three fundamental and very important roles for tabla players. The Dayan (Right side tabla - also known as Dagga) and Bayan (Left side tabla - just known as Tabla) of the Tabla are used in synchronization to form a Kayda. Kaydas can be played in any Tala. But in most of the concerts Teental and their Kaydas are played very often. Note that in talas like
Dadra Dadra is associated with the Hindustani classical music of the Indian subcontinent. Dadra tala This is a Hindustani classical '' tala'' (rhythmic cycle), consisting of six beats in two equal divisions of three. The most commonly accepted theka ...
and
Keherwa Keharwa or Kaharva is a tala of Hindustani music. Keherwa has many variations including dhumaali, "bhajani", and qawwali. Beats = 8 Division = 2 Arrangement Keharwa is an 8-beat pattern used in ragas. It has eight beats in two equal divisions (v ...
or in like
Bhajan Bhajan refers to any devotional song with a religious theme or spiritual ideas, specifically among Indian religions, in any language. The term bhajanam (Sanskrit: भजनम्) means ''reverence'' and originates from the root word ''bhaj'' ...
i, are played, are not played. The reason for this is that these mentioned in the previous line are specifically played for Semi-Classical and light music (
Bhajans Bhajan refers to any devotional song with a religious theme or spiritual ideas, specifically among Indian religions, in any language. The term bhajanam (Sanskrit: भजनम्) means ''reverence'' and originates from the root word ''bhaj'' ...
,
Kirtans Kirtana ( sa, कीर्तन; ), also rendered as Kirtan, is a Sanskrit word that means "narrating, reciting, telling, describing" of an idea or story, specifically in Indian religions. It also refers to a genre of religious performance art ...
,
Thumris Thumri () is a vocal genre or style of Indian music. The term "thumri" is derived from the Hindi verb ''thumuknaa'', which means "to walk with a dancing gait in such a way that the ankle-bells tinkle." The form is, thus, connected with dance, dra ...
, etc.) and not for Hindustani classical music. Different Gharanas have their own Kaydas. Basic structure of a kayda - #Mukh - Basic bol which is called as Mukh that means face of the particular Kayda. The kayda's bols are structured out of the Mukh. #Dohara - Dohara is the repetition of the Mukh 3 times. Dohara means to repeat. In Hindi it is called Doharana that means to repeat. #Adha Dohara - Adha Dohara is the repetition of the first bol of the Mukh. #Vishram - Vishram means taking rest. As the name suggests, a minute of pause is taken from the bol. #Adha Vishram - Adha Vishram is the repetition of taking a pause i.e. repetition of the bol that was repeated in Vishram. #Palta - Palta is a variation of various bols but these bols are stuck or are only from the bols which are there in the Mukh. This Palta is a section of the whole Kayda. Now what it means that Palta is a section. It means that like Mukh, Dohara, Adha Dohara, Vishram, Adha Vishram, these 4 names are not or cannot be repeated. So there is no duplications of all the 4 names taken. So all of the 4 names taken above, there are played only once. But a Palta, as said it is a section. joining various bols many such Palte (plural form of Palta) can be created. #Tihai - The musical phrase sung or played thrice to arrive at the Sam/Sum is called a Tithai. It is the last part of a Kayda. The Mukh's last part is played thrice i.e. 3 times and then the particular Kayda is ended. Just like Kaydas, there are Relas and Ravs (or Raus).


Famous players

* Ustad Ahmed Jan Thirakwa *
Ustad Alla Rakha Ustad Alla Rakha Qureshi (29 April 1919 – 3 February 2000), popularly known as Alla Rakha, was an Indian tabla player who specialized in Hindustani classical music. He was a frequent accompanist of sitar player Pandit Ravi Shankar and wa ...
*
Ustad Zakir Hussain Ustad Zakir Hussain (born 9 March 1951) is an Indian tabla player, composer, percussionist, music producer and film actor. He is the eldest son of tabla player Alla Rakha. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1988, and the Padma Bhushan in 2002, ...
* Pandit Yogesh Shamsi * Pandit Suresh Talwalkar * Pandit Anindo Chatterjee * Pandit Kumar Bose * Pandit Ramdas Palsule *
Pandit Nayan Ghosh Pandit Nayan Ghosh (born 28 April 1956) is an Indian Tabla and Sitar maestro. He is a tabla player from the Farrukhabad Gharana. Performing career Born on 28 April 1956, Pandit Nayan Ghosh received in-depth training in vocal music, Tabla and ...
* Pandit Shubhankar Banerjee * Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri


See also

*
Damaru A damaru ( sa, डमरु, ; Tibetan ཌ་མ་རུ་ or རྔ་ཆུང) is a small two-headed drum, used in Hinduism and Tibetan Buddhism. In Hinduism, the damaru is known as the instrument of the deity Shiva, associated with Tant ...
*
Dangdut Dangdut () is a genre of Indonesian folk music that is partly derived and fused from Hindustani, Arabic and to lesser extent, Malay and local folk music. Dangdut is a most popular musical genre in Indonesia and a very popular in other Malay wo ...
*
Doumbek The goblet drum (also chalice drum, tarabuka, tarabaki, darbuka, darabuka, derbake, debuka, doumbek, dumbec, dumbeg, dumbelek, toumperleki, tumbak, or zerbaghali; arz, دربوكة / Romanized: ) is a single-head membranophone with a goblet- ...
– Arabian drum also known in Egypt as "tabla", "Egyptian tabla", or "Alexandrian tabla". *
Madal The madal ( ne, मादल) or maadal is a Nepalese folk musical instrument. The madal is used mainly for rhythm-keeping in Nepalese folk music. It is very popular and widely used as a hand drum in Nepal. The madal has a cylindrical body with a s ...
*
Mridanga The khol is a terracotta two-sided drum used in northern and eastern India for accompaniment with devotional music (''bhakti''). It is also known as a mridanga (<
Mridangam The mridangam is a percussion instrument of ancient origin. It is the primary rhythmic accompaniment in a Carnatic music ensemble. In Dhrupad, a modified version, the pakhawaj, is the primary percussion instrument. A related instrument is the ...
*
Pakhavaj The pakhavaj is a barrel-shaped, two-headed drum, originating from the Indian subcontinent, the oldest version of double sided drums and its descendants are mridangam of Southern India and kendang of Maritime Southeast Asia and other South Asia ...
*
Tbilat The tbilat is a percussion instrument from Morocco which resembles bongos and tabla. It consists of a pair of decorated pottery drums, each with different size. The skinheads are stretched by plaited gut cords. This membranophone A membranophon ...
*
Drum The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a she ...


Notes


References


Further reading

* ''The Major Traditions of North Indian Tabla Drumming: A Survey Presentation Based on Performances by India's Leading Artists'', by Robert S. Gottlieb. Pub. Musikverlag E. Katzbichler, 1977. . * ''The tabla of Lucknow: a cultural analysis of a musical tradition'', by James Kippen.
Cambridge University Press Cambridge University Press is the university press of the University of Cambridge. Granted letters patent by Henry VIII of England, King Henry VIII in 1534, it is the oldest university press A university press is an academic publishing hou ...
, 1988. . *
Solo Tabla Drumming of North India: Text & commentary
', by Robert S. Gottlieb,
Motilal Banarsidass Motilal Banarsidass Publishing House (MLBD) is an Indian academic publishing house, founded in Delhi, India in 1903. It publishes and distributes serials, monographs, and scholarly publications on Asian religions, Buddhology, Indology, Easte ...
Publ., 1993. . * ''Fundamentals of Tabla'', (Volume 1) by David R. Courtney. Pub. Sur Sangeet Services, 1995. . * ''Advanced Theory of Tabla'', (Volume 2) by David R. Courtney. Pub. Sur Sangeet Services, 2000. . * ''Manufacture and Repair of Tabla'', (Volume 3) by David R. Courtney. Pub. Sur Sangeet Services, 2001. . * ''Focus on the Kaidas of Tabla'', (Volume 4) by David R. Courtney. Pub. Sur Sangeet Services, 2002. . *
Theory and practice of tabla
', by Sadanand Naimpalli. Popular Prakashan, 2005. .


External links



Chapter XXXII of the Nāṭyaśāstra {{Authority control Battle drums Directly struck membranophones Hand drums Pitched percussion instruments Afghan musical instruments Bangladeshi musical instruments Hindustani musical instruments Indian musical instruments Pakistani musical instruments Sri Lankan musical instruments Tabla players Articles containing video clips Drums of Nepal