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The tabla, one of the most popular Indian percussion instruments, is prominently used in classical, devotional and other popular musical forms throughout the Indian sub-continent. The essential instrument of Hindustani classical music, the tabla consists of two hand drums of complementary sizes, notes and tones. The fingers and palms are extensively used for generating different notes and sounds while playing this instrument.

The smaller of the two drums is played using the dominant and is known as dayan (which means “right” in English). However, the correct term for it is tabla. The dayan or smaller drum is made using a conical piece of wood, generally teak and rosewood that is hollowed out to about half of its depth. It is tuned to a particular note like dominant, subdominant or tonic complementing the melody. The range of tune of a dayan is limited. However, they are made in various sizes, each having different tuning range. Wood blocks that are in cylindrical shape, called ghatta, are placed in between the strap that is used to bind the upper and bottom ring, and the shell facilitating the adjustment of the tension by moving them up and down vertically.

The larger of the two drums is played using the other hand and is known as bāyāñ (which means “left” in English). The bass tone of bāyāñ is quite deeper than its naqqara (kettle drum) from which it is believed to be originated. It is made from different materials like brass (the most common one), copper, steel, aluminum and wood.

The shells of the drums are covered with a head, called puri, which is made by using cow or goat skin. The keenar or the outer ring also made from skin is laid over the main skin to repress the overtones. The two skins are held together with an intricate woven tress that provides the needed strength and tension to the assembly. The head is then bound to the shell by using a single strap made either from camel or cow hide, which is laced between the tress of the head assembly and the bottom ring (usually made from the material similar to that of the strap) of the shell.

There is a large black spot on the head of both the drums known as syahi (which means “ink” in English). This made by mixing starch, generally of wheat or rice, with black powder of different types. This precise region is responsible for its pitch clarity and unique tone.

The history about how and when tabla was invented is not quite certain. According to Rebecca Stewart, author of The Tabla in Perspective Unpublished thesis, UCLA, 1974, tabla more likely was a hybrid of three drums – pakhawaj, naqqara and dholak. While the famous account claims Amir Khusrau, a popular Indian poet, as the creator who split the Pakhawaj (a single drum instrument) into two in the 13th century. However, the dependable historical evidence establishes the invention of the tabla took place some time in the 18th century with Ustad Suddhar Khan of Delhi being the first provable player of this instrument.