Content

• Steps

Tabla plays an important role in world music. There are several stories dedicated to the birth of this instrument. According to one of the sources, the word tabla comes from the Parsian word “tabl”. Others say that the famous pakhawaj player Delhi Sudhar Khan was the father of the tabla. There is a beautiful legend describing the birth of the tabla, which says that once there was a competition between the two most famous pakhawaj players, Bhagwan and Sudhar, in which the latter lost. After that, Sudhar Khan broke his instrument in two and began to play the resulting new instrument using the skill of his fingers. He named these two parts Dugg and Tabla. Since Sudhar Khan was from Delhi, the famous Delhi gharana (school) was born.

Steps

1. 1 Learn how to sit while playing the tabla. You can see the sitting position in the picture above.
   • The position of the belt should be straight and the movements of both hands along the daggi and the tabla should not be persistent. This should be a comfortable position for easy play.
2. 2 Place the four fingers of your right hand — index, middle, ring, and pinky — so that they are separated from each other.
3. 3 As you play the tabla, use the force of your index finger along the edge of the instrument to create a pleasing sound.
4. 4 Position your middle finger above the other three fingers as you play so that you hear a clear sound from each rhythm phrase.
5. 5 Place your left hand on the duggy and right on the tabla.
6. 6 Keep a slow rhythm as you practice for proper training.
7. 7 After the initial training, gradually increase the rhythm.
8. 8 During practice, do not talk to others. Concentrate on your game.
9. 9 Do not try to practice more than one tabla technique at a time. Repeat to practice the same bol (rhythm) for at least one hour a day.
10. 10 Try to listen to the maximum amount of classical Indian music. This will allow you to hear what it sounds like and catch the basic rhythms. Listening to music is almost as important as practicing (riyaz).