Percussion
Tabla
ਤਬਲਾ
Later North Indian tradition; common in modern kirtan
History
The tabla evolved from the pakhawaj/jori in the 1700s and has become the most common kirtan drum in modern gurdwaras for its clarity, agility and portability. Traditional Gurmat Sangeet schools still favour the jori for its deeper sound, but the tabla now carries the rhythm of everyday kirtan worldwide.
A pair of small hand drums — a wooden dayan (treble) and a metal bayan (bass) — that evolved from the pakhawaj/jori. Today the tabla is the most common rhythmic accompaniment in kirtan, prized for its clarity and agility.
Tuning & playing guide
Tune the dayan (small drum) to the singer's Sa by hammering the wooden gattas downward to raise pitch, upward to lower. Tap evenly around the head. The bayan (bass drum) is not tuned to a fixed pitch; control its tone with the heel of the left hand. Always sit both drums on their cushions.
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Always sit the tablas on their cushions (chutta) — laying them on their side stretches the heads unevenly. Tune the dayan by tapping the gattas down to tighten, up to loosen; never strike the syahi (black centre) with anything hard, as it chips easily. Wipe sweat off the bayan's metal shell to prevent rust. When not played for weeks, loosen the straps a little to rest the skin.