RBSE SS Tabla study guide
RBSE SS Tabla · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
RBSE Senior Secondary (Class 12) Music - Tabla is a Rajasthan Board subject examination that pairs a written theory paper with a practical performance test and a viva. It suits students who studied tabla at the secondary level, and also private students trained by a guru who want board-recognised certification for further study (B.A., B.Mus.), teaching, or accompaniment work. The RBSE SS Tabla study guide has 8 sections and about 2,612 words.
01Origin, History and Evolution of the Tabla
This domain tests whether you can separate documented history from legend and explain how a pakhawaj-derived accompaniment drum became a solo concert instrument. Legend, not record: Shiva's damaru, Parasuram's drum, and Amir Khusrau cutting a pakhawaj in two are traditional accounts.
337 words, about 2 min02Instrument Structure and Maintenance
This domain tests accurate naming of the parts of both drums, knowledge of materials, and practical tuning and care. Body: turned from one block of sheesham (Indian rosewood) or khair (acacia), hemispherical, roughly 25–27 cm across.
357 words, about 2 min03Gharanas of Tabla and Their Characteristic Styles
You must link each of the six gharana families to its founders and to audible stylistic markers, not just names. Delhi: traced to Sidhar Khan Dhadi; later Natthu Khan, Munir Khan, Latif Ahmed Khan.
291 words, about 1 min04Taal System: Matra, Vibhag, Tali, Khali, Laya and Laykari
This domain asks you to analyse prescribed taals term by term and to calculate laykari without error. Matra: one beat of the cycle.
338 words, about 2 min05Notation and Prescribed Compositions
You must write notation in accepted signs and define the formal rules of each composition type. Sam: × (also read as 1); tali: numbered 2, 3 and so on; khali: 0; vibhag: vertical bar.
371 words, about 2 min06Solo Performance in Prescribed Taals
The practical paper tests a structured, audible solo: correct order of items, planned laya changes, and sam resolution every time. Uthan or peshkar → kaida with paltas and tihai → rela → gat → tukda → paran → chakradar, closing on sam.
294 words, about 1 min07Sangat: Accompaniment with Vocal, Instrumental and Kathak
Sangat is judged on restraint, sam placement and responsiveness - the tabla must support, not compete. Vilambit khayal in Ektal or Jhumra: sparse sath theka, slight khol variation, khali used to colour the antara.
288 words, about 1 min08Technical Vocabulary, Bols and Life Sketches
This domain tests precise definitions of technical terms and accurate biographical facts about eminent players. Varna: a sound unit or bol; classified as khula (open, resonant - dha, dhin) or band (closed, damped - ta, tin, kat).
336 words, about 2 min