Notes

There are seven major strokes in tabla. Each stroke is called a "bol" However, you'll only be learning the four basic strokes that are used most commonly. The first stroke is played on the baya. "KA" is a stoke that is used commonly to dampen the sound. You have to place your hand on the wider part of the baya. Allow the wrist to relax on the head. Still keeping your wrist on the tabla, raise your hand and fingers at approximately forty five degrees. Drop the hand and allow it to strike the baya with you palm. It is essential that the hand doesn't bounce off after the stroke. Your hand has to stay on the drumhead so that the sound gets dampened. Otherwise, it would produce a resonating sound. (Refer to the first figure).

Just as the previous stroke, this one also uses the baya. However, unlike before when you were trying to dampen the sound, this time you are trying to make it resonate. The stroke's name is GI.Place your hand on the baya again and let the wrist relax on the drumhead. Keep your palm right behind the syahi. Raise your knuckles and finegers and keep the fingers slightly curved. Your entire arm should more or less form a line. Strike right above the syahi on the narrower part of the baya with your fingertips. After the fingertips make contact, push your palm forward to give it a better tone. Depending on the composition, you sometimes push you palm and sometimes you don't. Upon contact allow the fingers to rebound so the tabla produces a resonating sound. Firm fingertips are essential to ensure the right sound is produced. (Refer to the second figure).

Now we move on to the dahina strokes. Dahina strokes usually take much longer to master than baya strokes. The strokes use more complex hand positioning and require the right amount of rebounding in order to produce the proper sound. However, this first stroke is quite simple. Its name is TE. Place your hand at a slight acute angle on the drum. The third and fourth fingers should be relaxing on the middle of the syahi. The forearm has to lift vertically in the air and let it drop on the middle of the syahi while the outer part of the forearm rotaes slightly downwards. Like KA, let your hand remain on the drumhead after the stroke so that the sound is dampened. If you need to play TETE repeat the same process twice. However, during the second time, use your index finger to produce the sound. (Refer to the third figure).

This is one of the hardest strokes to play in tabla. This is the stroke that tabla players use to tune their tablas. To produce this sound correctly, you need to cause the head to vibrate while being partially dampened. Place your ring finger on the edge of the syahi. Place your index and middle fingers to the chanti of the dahina. Curl the ring finger when it's on the edge of the syahi. Your pinkie needs to rest on the chanti. Exted the arm slightly outwards and pivot on the ring finger. By now the index finger should be on the chanti and the middle finger should be on the lao. Lift you hand off the drum but keep your ring finger on the drum. Rotate the outer arm clockwise. Rotate the inner arm counterclockwise and flick your wrist. Let your index finger and middle finger bounce off the drum upon contact but keep the ring finger firm. (Refer the fourth figure).