World of Musical Instruments

Tabla

Tabla

The tabla is a pair of hand drums central to North Indian (Hindustani) classical music. It consists of two drums: the larger left‑hand drum called bayan, traditionally made from clay but now commonly crafted from metal (brass, steel or copper), and the smaller right‑hand drum called dahina, made of seasoned hardwood. Each drum has two layers of goatskin and a circular patch of iron and rice paste known as shyahi on the head, which allows a wide palette of tones. Tension is controlled with goatskin straps and tuning blocks; the dahina is tuned to the tonic pitch of the composition, while the bayan is tuned more flexibly. Players use their fingers and palms to produce intricate rhythms and pitch bends.

Family Membranophone (Percussion)
Components Bayan (bass drum) and Dahina (treble drum)
Materials Metal or clay for bayan; hardwood for dahina; goatskin heads with iron‑rice paste
Playing method Played with fingers and palm; pitch tuned via tension and hand pressure

[1] The Bloomingdale School of Music describes the tabla as a pair of drums played while sitting on the floor. The larger drum, bayan, originally made of clay and now often metal, serves as the bass drum, while the smaller right‑hand drum (dahina) is made of seasoned hardwood【408272074987576†L392-L410】.

[2] Each drum has two layers of goatskin with a black paste called shyahi on the head, and tension is controlled with straps and tuning blocks; the dahina is tuned to the tonic pitch while the bayan is tuned more flexibly【408272074987576†L392-L410】.