Basics of Tabla

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This is a list of the basic strokes with their techniques. Please note that the Roman script is very weak. In particular the English "D" and "T" are very ambiguous. Please note too that many different bols are written the same in English. Use the Devnagri script to help clarify the pronunciation.
The techniques which are described here are for right handed people. A left handed person should simply reverse the drums and exchange the terms left and right.
There are many more bols than are practical to give in this web site. There are also many more issues which are not easily handled here. For a more extensive discussion please refer to "Fundamentals of Tabla".
You may want to refer back to this illustration in order to understand the terminology used for location.

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Dha

- (Pronounced as in "Ad hoc") This is a bol that uses both hands. It is a combination of Ta and Ga. There are at least four ways to play this bol; however the two most common versions are the Delhi (Dilli) style and the Purbi style. The Dilli (Delhi) style is illustrated here. See Ga and Ta for details of their technique.


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Dhin

- (Pronounced as in "and hinder") Dhin is a simultaneous playing of Ga and Tin. There are at least four different ways to play Dhin. One common version is illustrated here. See Ga and Tin for details of their technique.


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Ga

- (Pronounced as in "Gum") This is a stroke of the left hand. The most common technique is to hold the wrist down and arch the fingers over the syahi. The middle and ring-fingers then strike the maidan (the exposed skin between the syahi and the chat.) One must always remember that this stroke is "khula" or an open stroke, therefore it must be very resonant.


Ga may be difficult for the beginner. There is a tendency to strike the drum and withdraw the hand under conscious control. Such action cannot be performed consciously. It is essential that the fingers and hand be relaxed the instant the drum is struck so that the hand can rebound of its own accord; like a ricochet. Only then can you hear the full open sound that characterizes this stroke.
There are numerous variations on the technique. For speed the index finger is often used to supplement the main Ga. Some players use only the middle finger, although this is generally considered to be a very poor technique. In some rare cases all four finger tips are used. There is another type of Ga which is played with the full open hand; nowadays this is generally used for special effects such as one might find in a Kathak recital.

Ka

- (Pronounced as in "Cup") This is a very common nonresonant stroke of the left hand. It is also the easiest to execute. One simply strikes the bayan with the flat palm and fingers. Notice that the tips of the fingers extend slightly over the rim of the bayan. It is a flat slapping sound with no resonance, therefore it is called "band". The most common version is shown in the illustration, however other forms exist. (see "Fundamentals of Tabla" for other variations.)


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Na

- (Pronounced as in "Not" ) This is a common resonant stroke of the right hand. It is produced by holding the last two fingers lightly against the syahi and using the index finger to forcefully hit the rim (chat or kinar) of the tabla. It is important to keep the middle finger extended so as not to hit the drum.
The correct position may be visualized by an "X" running across the drum. This cross pattern is not imaginary but is a reflection of actual resonance characteristics. The position of this cross is determined by the ring finger and little finger. Sliding these fingers around will cause the position of the cross to vary. Maximum efficiency is produced when one strikes the chat at the position where the other leg of the cross passes over the rim. This is shown in the accompanying illustration.


There are several versions of this stroke. They are differentiated by the exact place of striking and whether the finger is allowed to rebound or not. Occasionally one may find this stroke executed by muting with all of the last three fingers of the right hand; this however is considered to be very poor technique.
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Na

- (Pronounced as in "Nut") This is a nonresonant stroke which is made by striking the edge of the syahi with the last two fingers of the right hand. This stroke has numerous names, especially when used as part of larger bol expressions. Some common ones are Da, Ra and Ta.


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Ta

- (Pronounced as in Taco) This is a common stroke of the right hand. There are at least four ways to play this bol. However only two are common: the Dilli (Delhi) approach and the Purbi approach. The Dilli (Delhi) style is to play it exactly like Na (i.e. striking sharply with the index finger against the rim). See Na for further information on this technique. The Purbi approach is to place the last two fingers lightly against the syahi and then strike sharply in the maidan with the index finger. This is very similar to Tin; unlike Tin, it is played more forcefully.

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Ti

- (Pronounced as in "Team") There are several approaches to this stroke. One very common way is to strike the center of the syahi with the middle finger of the right hand. This is shown in the accompanying illustration. However many times Ti is considered to be synonymous with Tin. Please refer to Tin for this technique.


Ga also has many variations in pronunciation. Common ones are Ge, Ghe, Ghin, or Ghin.
- This bol is composed of four strokes. There are two basic techniques, the Dilli (Delhi) and the Purbi styles. The Delhi style is characterized by an independent use of the middle finger. Ti is played by striking the center of the syahi with the middle finger of the right hand. Ra is played by striking the center of the syahi with the index finger of the right hand. Ki is played by striking the left hand sharply against the head (like Ka). Ta is played by striking the edge of the syahi with the last two fingers of the right hand. All of these strokes are nonresonant (i.e. bandh).



Dilli (Delhi) style TiRaKiTa

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The Purbi approach is a different. We lead off with the last three fingers of the right hand (i.e.middle, ring, and little fingers); this would be the Ti. Ra is played by striking the center of the syahi with the index finger. Ki is a standard left hand Ka, and the final Ta would be played with the last three fingers.


Purbi style TiRaKiTa

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Today it is very usual to mix Dilli and Purbi techniques. It is common to mix them even within the same composition. Such mixing is done in order to get a balance of speed and clarity.

A strong remnant of the Vedic tradition is seen in the method of learning. One does not learn tabla from books but from a guru (teacher). The strong bond between teacher and disciple is considered essential for the continuation of the musical tradition. Indeed the tradition of teacher and disciple is considered to be at the very core of Indian classical music.
We use the expression "Indian music" rather loosely. In reality this consists of numerous different styles. There are two systems of classical music; one of Northern India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, and another which is found in southern India and Sri Lanka (Ceylon). There is also the popular medium of the film industry, which is comparable to American "Top 40". Finally there are innumerable folk traditions.
The tabla is found in all these traditions except for south Indian classical. Most people in the West think of tabla from the standpoint of the North Indian tradition. This is from exposure to great artists such as Zakir Hussain, Mahapurush Misra, Alla Rakha (Ravi Shankar's accompanist during the 60's) and a host of others. Although this is not the only genre to which tabla is important, it is a reasonable starting place. It is reasonable because this is the genre which created tabla, and provides the most systematic theoretical base for its performance practice. We will follow this viewpoint through the rest of this article.
The north Indian system is based upon two major concepts; "rag" and "tal". Rag may briefly be considered the melodic or modal aspect of the music while tal is the rhythmic. Both rag and tal occupy an equal and inseparable position in this system.
Tabla has a position in both rag and tal. When numerous tabla are tuned to the notes of the scale, entire melodies may be played. This is called "Tabla Tarang". However, the most important use of tabla is to provide the tal. It is in this capacity that most people think of the instrument.
The word "tal" literally means "clap". The clapping of hands may be the oldest form of rhythmic accompaniment. Today, a system of claps and waves forms a conceptual common ground. It is common to the way instrumentalists, dancers and vocalists think of rhythm.
There are similarities between Western and Indian rhythm. Western rhythm may function at the level of beats, measures or even longer cycles. The same is true of Indian rhythm. We may now look more closely at these different levels
The most fundamental unit is the "matra". This translates to "beat". In many cases the matra is just a single stroke. However, just as sixteenth, or eighth-notes may be strung together to make a single beat, so too may several strokes of tabla be strung together to have the value of one matra.
The next higher level of structure is the "vibhag". This translates to "measure" or "bar". These measures may be as little as one beat or more than five; usually they are two, three, or four matras (beats) in length. These vibhags are described in terms of claps and waves. A vibhag, which is signified by a clap of the hands, is said to be "bhari" or "tali". Conversely, a vibhag which is signified by a waving of the hand, is said to be "khali".
Let us use a common tal called "tintal" as an illustration. It has 16 beats divided into four vibhag (measures) of four matras (beats) each. Its clapping arrangement is:
Clap, 2, 3, 4, Clap 2, 3, 4, Wave, 2, 3, 4, Clap, 2, 3, 4,
This brings us to the concept of the overall cycle. This cycle, called "avartan" dominates the highest level of looking at the rhythm. Unfortunately it does not really have a Western equivalent. Although the cycle is found in Western music there is a flexibility that is not allowed in Indian music. If one is playing a 16 beat structure, one must maintain that structure throughout.
The importance of the cycle gives special significance to the first beat. This beat, called "sam" (pronounced like 'sum'), is a point of convergence between the tabla player and the other musicians. Whenever a cadence is indicated it will usually end on this sam. This means that the sam may be thought of as both the beginning of some structures as well as the ending of others.
The mnemonic syllable, called "bol", is a very important concept for the tabla player. It represents the various strokes of the tabla. It is important for two reasons. First, the bol allows the musician to remember complicated fixed compositions. Second; the musician uses the bol to perform the mental permutations to know if an improvised passage or "lick" will work. Although these bols are supposed to represent the strokes there is not a one-to-one correlation. This variation is often attributed to differences in gharana.
Gharana may be thought of as a school, approach or dialect of tabla. Many years ago transportation and communication were not good in India. In this environment, different places developed their own regional variations in technique, bol, and overall philosophy. There are six acknowledged gharanas of tabla: Dilli (Delhi), Farukhabad, Benares, Lucknow, Ajrada, and Punjab. Most of the artists today trace their lineage to one or more of these established schools.
Although each of the gharanas have their own minor variations, there are two major approaches; Dilli and Purbi. The Dilli style derives its name from Delhi. It is characterized by a strong emphasis on rim strokes and use of the middle finger. The Purbi style derives its name from the Hindi word "purab". Purab means "Eastern" and reflects the fact that this style was popular in Lucknow, Benares, and other eastern parts of the country. The Purbi style is characterized by open hand strokes and a strong emphasis on material from pakhawaj (an ancient barrel shaped drum from which tabla was derived).
This has been just a brief overview of tabla. More information can be found in the rest of this web page.

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