Tabla*
*The tabla is a widely popular South Asian percussion instrument used in the classical, popular and religious music of the northern Indian subcontinent.
In her book, 'The Tabla', Rebecca Stewart traces the word tabla, to the Arabic word tabi, a generic term meaning drum. Although the construction of the instrument is similar to kettle-drums that were in use for centuries, the first visual images of an instrument similar to the tabla can be traced only to 1808.
The Tabla consists of two upright drums that are played with fingers and palms. Each drum sits on a ringed base of padding. Tablas are arguably the most complex drums in the world. Each head contains three separate skins.
The smaller drum, slightly conical in shape, is called tabla or dayan (literally right) is generally played with the right hand. It is made of hollow rose or oak wood. The top of the drum is covered with a stretched, layered leather membrane held in place by leather braces. The wooden pegs between the braces and the drum adjust the tension in the braces, thus controlling the pitch of the instrument.
The black spot, found in the tabla's center is made from a semi-secret mixture of carbon black, mucilage, and iron filings gathered by tabla wallas (makers) from the sides of Indian railway lines. The mixture is rolled up into a sticky ball and applied as many spiral layers until it builds up this unique black spot.
~ From Wikipedia and BuckinghamMusic.com.
The piece of cloth on which the Tabla set is placed is a typical hand-printed fabric, made with natural dyes (obtained from vegetables, flowers and fruit). These are frequently used as covers for tables and beds and, in their most ornate forms, as wall hangings.
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Tabla*
*The tabla is a widely popular South Asian percussion instrument used in the classical, popular and religious music of the northern Indian subcontinent.
In her book, 'The Tabla', Rebecca Stewart traces the word tabla, to the Arabic word tabi, a generic term meaning drum. Although the construction of the instrument is similar to kettle-drums that were in use for centuries, the first visual images of an instrument similar to the tabla can be traced only to 1808.
The Tabla consists of two upright drums that are played with fingers and palms. Each drum sits on a ringed base of padding. Tablas are arguably the most complex drums in the world. Each head contains three separate skins.
The smaller drum, slightly conical in shape, is called tabla or dayan (literally right) is generally played with the right hand. It is made of hollow rose or oak wood. The top of the drum is covered with a stretched, layered leather membrane held in place by leather braces. The wooden pegs between the braces and the drum adjust the tension in the braces, thus controlling the pitch of the instrument.
The black spot, found in the tabla's center is made from a semi-secret mixture of carbon black, mucilage, and iron filings gathered by tabla wallas (makers) from the sides of Indian railway lines. The mixture is rolled up into a sticky ball and applied as many spiral layers until it builds up this unique black spot.
~ From Wikipedia and BuckinghamMusic.com.
The piece of cloth on which the Tabla set is placed is a typical hand-printed fabric, made with natural dyes (obtained from vegetables, flowers and fruit). These are frequently used as covers for tables and beds and, in their most ornate forms, as wall hangings.
This photo looks better on Black!