Tabla was invented around 17th century. Ustad Sidhar Khan is known as founder of table gharana. Tabla came from arebic word tabl. In arebic word tabl means drum. Ustad sidhar khan was based from Delhi. Tabla instrument is used in North India. Tabla is major percussion instrument of Hindustani classical music. Tabla is a membranophone instrument.
There are three types of music only singing, dancing and playing instrument. Tabla is played as solo, accompaniment with vocal and dance. Tabla is also played in folk performances. Tabla is an important instrument of devotional program. This is played in bhajan and kirtan. This is also used in sufi musical performances. Tabla is the best instrument for Kathak dance.
Tabla is becoming famous percussion instrument in many countries. This is also used in fusion music. This is played on chhota khayal, bada khayal, ghazal. Bollywood musicians are using this instruments for log time. This is used in filmy song.
Tabla knowledge is expanded in the world by Ministry of Culture, Government of India. There are many artist in India giving knowledge about table in the world like USA, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and many countries. They give demonstration of tabla instrument and use in fusion. Some neighbor countries of India like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka are using tabla as percussion instrument.
Tabla is a pair of drum. This is played by finger. Left drum is called bayan and right drum is called dayan. The pair is called tabla.
Right drum or dayan is made of wood (Seesam, khair, neem and mango). Mostly seesam is used for dayan. The upper playing surface is called pudi. Pudi is made by goat skin. Pudi contains chati, syahi and lav. Pudi is taged with gajra. Pudi is fixed by thick leather is called baddhi. Baddhi is made by buffalo skin or camel skin. There are sixteen ghar in dayan. Each ghar has equal distance. Eight wood logs are used to tight pudi. Wood logs are called gatta. Syahi is placed in center of pudi. Syahi helps to create voice as per requirement.
Left drum or Bayan is made of brass or copper. Entry level bayan is made by steel or iron. Earlier banyan was also made by clay. The bayan playing upper surface is also called pudi. Bayan pudi has maidan, syahi and kinar.
Tabla has six gharanas. Gharana was classified as fingering and bol style.
Tabla has some alphabets. All gharanas make their composition from these alphabets. These alphabets are dha, dhin, ta, tin, tetey, tirkit, tun, din, ki, ghe.
Ustad Sidhar Khan was founder of Delhi Gharan. He had three sons. Bugra Khan, Ghasit Khan and Inayat Ali Khan. Delhi Gharana is father of all gharana except Punjab Gharana. Delhi tabla is famous for two fingering style. This is also called kinar baaj. Kayda is speciality of Delhi Gharana.
Ustad Kallu Khan was founder of Ajrada Gharan (Merrut). Artist plays aad lay kayda in this gharana. Tabl solo begins with peshkar and kayda, rela is specialty of this gharan.
Ustad Modu Khan was founder of Lucknow Gharana. He was grandson of Ustad Sidhar Khan. Because of dance Lucknow gharana was changed by Ustab Modu Khan. This gharana is famous for loud bols. Lucknow gharan uses sur. Gat kayda and tukda is famous in Lucknow Gharana.
Haji Vilaya Ali Khan was founder of Farukhabad Gharana. Ustad Ahmad Jan Thirakwa was great table player of Farukhabad Gharana. This gharana is famous for chala or chalan and gat.
Pandit Ram Sahay Mishra was pupil of Ustad Modu Khan. Banaras Gharan is last and latest tabla gharana. Pandit Ram Sahay Mishra was founder of Banaras Gharana. Banaras is the oldest city of world. This city is known as city of God Shiva. Earlier pakhawaj was played in Banaras. Pakhawaj bol applied on tabla. This made different style of tabla playing. Uthan, laggi, ladi, baat, farad, paran, paral these are the specialty of Banaras Gharana. In Banarasi style tabla solo starts from uthan.
Pt. Samta Prasad Mishra was famous artist of Banaras Gharana. He played tabla in Bollywood movies like Meri Surat Teri Anken, Sholay, Guide, Salakhen etc.
Lala Bhawani Das was founder of Punjab Gharana. Ustad Alla Rakkha was famous tabla player of this gharana. Ustad Zakir Husain is son of Ustad Alla Rakkha. Punjab Gharana uses pakhawaj bol. Artist plays peshkar at beginning in this gharan.
Punjab and Banaras gharana use pakhawaj bol but still bola are different in both styles.
Tabla is crafted as per artist demand like C, C#, D, E scale. C# tabla is used for solo and Kathak performace. There are some mobile apps help to tune tabla. Sunadamala Lehra is and electronic instruments which helps for practicing tabla.
Tabla instrument is difficult to play. This has complex fingering style. Fingers and wrists are used to play tabla. A tabla player should always check his fingers and wrists when playing tabla.
There are many tabla makers are available in Indian major cities like Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata, Lucknow and Delhi. These are major places. They export in foreign also.
These are some famous tabla arists in India. Pt. Vinod Pathak, Ustad Zakir Husain, Pt. Kumar Bose, Pt. Swapan Chaudhary, Pt. Anindo Chatarjee, Pt. Suresh Talwadkar, Ustad Manju Khan, Pt. Nayan Ghosh.
Tabla is becoming famous in Indian and abroad. This is also used in western music. To learn tabla it need hard practice. A good tabla player should know about all gharan and also play bol of all gharan
