RBSE SS Tabla key terms

A pair of hand-played drums - the right-hand dayan and the left-hand bayan - that forms the main percussion instrument of Hindustani music; the word also loosely names the pair's repertoire and performance tradition.

The older barrel-shaped, two-headed drum of Hindustani music, played with the palms; tradition traces many tabla bols, compositions and the very idea of a paired drum to pakhawaj practice.

The smaller, right-hand drum of the tabla pair, usually carved from wood and tuned with pegs; it produces the pitched, ringing strokes that carry most of the melodic-sounding bols.

The larger, left-hand drum of the tabla pair, commonly of metal such as copper or brass; tuned by leather lacing, it gives deep bass strokes whose pitch is bent by pressing the heel of the hand.

The black paste - traditionally iron oxide or manganese mixed with gum or rice paste - applied in a circle at the centre of each drumhead; it weights the skin, focuses resonance and makes clear pitched strokes possible.

The thick leather lacing threaded through the rim of the tabla heads and around the shell; sliding the leather pieces along it tightens or loosens the heads and so raises or lowers their pitch.

The 'closed' style of tabla playing associated with Delhi and Ajrada, in which compositions are built on sustained closed strokes on the drumhead, with careful thematic expansion and little use of open rim flourishes.

The 'open' style typified by Banaras and Punjab, in which strokes ring out freely; it uses open and rim strokes, forceful rela, tukda and paran, and prizes clarity, volume and brilliance of sound.

One of the oldest tabla schools, traditionally traced to Siddhar Khan Dhadi; it favours bandh baaj, closely worked-out bandish-kaida and peshkar, restrained and graceful playing, and rich compositions in dhrupad and qawwali contexts.

A school from Ajrada in Uttar Pradesh, developed in the lineage of Kallu Khan and Miru Khan; famous for bandh baaj, powerful rela, intricate chakradar and gats built on closed strokes, and for great rhythmic stamina.

A school centred on the Lucknow court, developed in the lineage of Bakshu Khan and Modhu Khan; noted for a delicate, ornamented style, refined gat, strong peshkar and close work with Kathak and vocal music.

A school founded in Farrukhabad by Ustad Haji Vilayat Khan; known for khula baaj, long systematic paltas, powerful rela, extensive peshkar, and for producing soloists and accompanists with formidable layakari.

A school from Varanasi associated with Ram Sahai and later with players such as Anokhelal Mishra and Kishan Maharaj; it is marked by khula baaj, ringing open strokes, forceful rela, tukda and paran, and close rapport with Kathak.

A school of the Punjab linked to the lineage of Kaddu Bakhsh and Fakir Baksh; famous for vigorous khula baaj, long rela built from 'dha' patterns, strong peshkar and robust accompaniment of dhrupad and folk-influenced music.

A metrical cycle in Hindustani music defined by a fixed number of beats, divided into sections marked by claps and waves, over which the percussion repeats a theka or elaborates compositions.

A single beat-count of a taal; it is the unit by which cycles are measured, so a sixteen-matra taal such as Teental contains sixteen counted beats in each complete cycle.

A section of a taal containing a fixed group of matras, such as the four sections of four matras each in Teental; section boundaries are marked either by a clap or by a wave.

A clapped beat in a taal that marks the beginning of a vibhag; each tali carries a number, and the first tali is normally the sam, the point where the cycle resolves.

The 'empty' marking of a vibhag, shown by a wave of the hand instead of a clap; the theka's bol changes there, and khali is used to create tension against sam.

The first and most important matra of a taal, where the cycle begins and resolves; soloists and accompanists aim to land compositions, tihai and cadences on sam together.

Tempo - the speed at which a taal cycles. Tabla usage distinguishes vilambit (slow), madhya (medium) and drut (fast) laya, as well as the proportional speeds used in layakari.

Playing compositions or theka at a speed that is a simple multiple or fraction of the underlying laya - for example barabar, dugun, tigun and chaugun - while keeping every bol aligned with the taal's matras.

The hand action that displays a taal's structure - a clap for tali, a wave for khali - and, more broadly, the physical stroke-action through which a tabla bol is produced.

A theme-based tabla composition in which a short bol phrase is stated and then systematically expanded through paltas and variations within the taal, ending with a tihai; the mainstay of solo playing.

A variation of a kaida or theme in which the same bols are re-ordered while the taal's matras are preserved; paltas are played in sequence and lead the theme towards its tihai.

A cadential phrase of three identical parts, usually separated by rests, whose final stroke falls on sam or another chosen beat; it closes kaida, rela, gat and many solo items.

A fast, flowing composition of tabla bols, typically in drut laya and built from repeating dha and dhin patterns, played with even strokes and often expanded before ending in a tihai.

A pre-composed tabla piece, usually short and fixed, played without the systematic expansion of a kaida; gats exist in vocal-derived, instrumental-derived and Kathak-related forms.

A composition whose phrase is repeated so that it returns to sam after a fixed number of repetitions, producing a rotating, wheel-like effect; chakradar tihai and chakradar gat are the common forms.

A short, fixed, catchy composition that ends on sam and is played mostly without variation; tukdas are used in solo playing and to punctuate accompaniment, especially with Kathak.

A composition, often of pakhawaj origin, played with full resonant strokes in solo and Kathak settings; parans may be short or long and frequently close with a tihai.

The opening item of a tabla solo - a short fixed composition that introduces the instrument and resolves on sam - after which peshkar and kaida follow.

An opening composition of a tabla solo, built from simple bols in a rolling style that the player gradually develops; it precedes the kaida and demonstrates command of laya and tone.

A short decorative composition played to arrive at sam; it is used in solo playing and, importantly, in accompaniment to signal or land on sam at the end of a phrase.

A spoken syllable such as dha, dhin, tin, ta, ka, na or ge that names a tabla stroke; bols are learnt first by recitation and form the language out of which all compositions are built.

The standard, largely fixed bol pattern of a taal used in accompaniment, against which a vocalist, instrumentalist or dancer performs; theka-playing still leaves room for sensitive improvisation.

Accompaniment on the tabla - the art of supporting a vocalist, instrumentalist or Kathak dancer by keeping theka, following the soloist's laya, and marking sam and phrase endings sensitively.

A leading twentieth-century tabla player of the Farrukhabad tradition, celebrated for the gravity of his solo playing, expressive peshkar and wide tonal range, and a major influence on later performers.

A celebrated Banaras gharana tabla player (1923–2008) known for brilliant khula baaj, powerful rela and vivid accompaniment of vocalists and Kathak dancers; his playing typified the Banaras open sound.

A Punjab gharana tabla player (1919–2000) famed for his command of laya and layakari in solo playing and for popularising the tabla worldwide through concerts and recordings with sitar maestro Ravi Shankar.