Spoken syllables for drum strokes

How is the tabla tuned?

By tapping blocks with a small hammer

Tabla Quiz: India's Drum Pair, Bols and Zakir Hussain

This tabla quiz taps the rhythm of Hindustani classical music. Play 10 interactive questions on the small wooden dayan and the larger metal bayan, the black syahi patch that makes them ring, bols like dha and tin, tala cycles such as teentaal with 16 beats, tuning with a hammer, gharanas, Alla Rakha and his son Zakir Hussain.

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🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

Country
Which country is the tabla from?
Pair
How many drums make a tabla set?
Right
What is the smaller right-hand drum called?
Left
What is the larger bass drum called?
Patch
What is the black patch on the skin called?
Bols
What are bols?
Tala
What is a tala?
Teen
How many beats are in teentaal?
Tune
How is the tabla tuned?
Master
Which tabla master was the son of Alla Rakha?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: Which country is the tabla from?
Answer: India
It is used across South Asia.
Q2: How many drums make a tabla set?
Answer: Two
They are played together.
Q3: What is the smaller right-hand drum called?
Answer: Dayan
It is usually wooden.
Q4: What is the larger bass drum called?
Answer: Bayan
It is often metal.
Q5: What is the black patch on the skin called?
Answer: Syahi
It helps the drum ring.
Q6: What are bols?
Answer: Spoken syllables for drum strokes
Dha and tin are examples.
Q7: What is a tala?
Answer: A rhythmic cycle
Each has a set number of beats.
Q8: How many beats are in teentaal?
Answer: 16
It is a very common tala.
Q9: How is the tabla tuned?
Answer: By tapping blocks with a small hammer
Leather straps hold the tension.
Q10: Which tabla master was the son of Alla Rakha?
Answer: Zakir Hussain
He played with global artists.

Two Drums and a Language of Syllables

The tabla is a pair of hand drums central to Hindustani classical music of northern India. The smaller right-hand drum, the dayan, is usually wooden, while the larger bayan, often metal, gives deep bass sounds that the player bends with the heel of the hand.

Each drum has a black patch called the syahi, made from a paste that helps the skin ring with clear tones. Players learn bols, spoken syllables such as dha, na and tin that name each stroke, and recite them before playing. Music follows tala, rhythmic cycles such as teentaal with 16 beats.

Players tune the dayan by tapping wooden blocks under its straps with a small hammer. Teaching passes through schools called gharanas. Alla Rakha accompanied Ravi Shankar, and his son Zakir Hussain became the world's best-known tabla player.

What This Quiz Teaches

Music fans will enjoy these questions.

What the tabla is
How the drums differ
What bols are
How rhythm cycles work
Who the masters are

Did You Know?

Tabla accompanies singers and sitar.
Solos show off speed and skill.
Fingers strike different areas.
Powder keeps hands dry.
Kathak dance pairs with tabla.