6 Best Tabla in India – Tabla Price & Buying guide

Are you planning to join a tabla class? The first thing you need to do is select the best Tabla in India and purchase it to learn and practice with it. Tabla is a well-known musical instrument in India without which any show looks incomplete, and the name has originated from the Sanskrit word meaning ‘drum.’

This musical instrument plays a vital role in any musical style, including traditional, classical, or folk. The tabla set generally includes two drums, one on the left side and the other on the right side, called the bayan and Dayan.

Along with the traditional hand tablas, electronic tablas have also gained popularity in the market, but we will only include hand tablas. We have reviewed the 6 top ones in this article with buying guide and other essential things.

The price of tablas generally ranges from 3k to 10k, which is much more suitable for beginners to the intermediate level, although, for professional players, it may go beyond 15k. However, if you find the best Tabla at a much low price in the offline market, then you can also buy it from there.

Without wasting more time, let us start and visit the different sections of this article one by one.

Top 6 Tabla in India reviewed –

1. Baba Surjan Singh & Sons drum set wooden 

Product Description –

If you are planning to learn Tabla or a professional artist, this can be your best choice to go for as it comes at a relatively reasonable price.

This consists of both the left and right drum made from high-quality iron polished with nickel that ensures durability and prolonged use of this instrument. 

The extra accessories provided with this set include a tabla hammer, binnu, and cloth to cover the upper head of the Tabla.

This set also offers you a carry bag so that you can easily carry them to any live shows or concerts.

Technical Description –

2. Akshar tabla Mart tabla set wooden and steel

Product Description –

At a slightly higher price than the previous one, this is also one of the best Tabla in India that you can select, ensuring the best quality materials.

The Tabla is made of Sheesham wood with a mouth from 5 to 5.5 inches, and a height of 11 inches. It also has a leather strip, and overall it is a much durable and robust product.

The bayan or the left drum is made from stainless steel, with the height being 11 inches and the mouth’s diameter of 9 inches. This one also has a leather strip around it.

The extra accessories provided with this set include a tabla hammer, cushion set, ring set, and plastic gutta. You will also get a carry bag for the ease of carrying it.

Technical Description –

3. Surjan Singh & Sons tabla set brass-made

Product Description –

Though the price is relatively higher than the above two tabla sets, there are several reasons for that. Being brass-made, it is super durable and robust, offering you to use it effortlessly in the long run.

The left drum is made of brass with 9 to 9.25 inches in diameter and a height of 11 inches that makes it suitable to play.

The right drum of this set is made from Sheesham wood that has a mouth diameter of 5 to 5.5 inches and a height of 11 inches.

The extra accessories provided with this set include a hammer for tuning, binnu for offering support, and a headcover as well. You will get a good quality nylon bag to carry this tabla set and store it safely.

Technical Description –

4. S.A. Trading Company Tabla set copper and wooden 

Product Description –

If you have a higher budget and want to buy the best Tabla in India, then this can be accurate for you with good sound quality.

The left drum of this set is made of copper material, and the right one is made from Sheesham wood. The bayan comes with a dimension of 30 x 24 x 30cm and a Dayan of 27 x 14 x 26.5cm.

Besides the two drums, you will also get a hammer, cushions and covers, ring set. There will also be a carry bag for keeping the drum set safe.

Technical Description –

5. Archi Musicals Tabla drums set | Best for the beginners

Product Description –

In fifth place, we have counted this best Tabla in India at a reasonable price. It is fully tuned and made from suitable quality materials that can enable you to use it for a long time.

The tabla set is made from iron and steel. The Dayan is also made from Sheesham wood. The head’s diameter is from 5 to 5.5 inches with a height of 11 inches.

The drumheads are manufactured using goatskin and camel leather strips that helps in accurate pitch adjustments.

Technical Description –

6. Trading Dukan Tabla set wooden

Product Description –

Lastly, we have included another best tabla set in India that is easy to carry and comes fully tuned. It is a brand new product that you can go for at a comparatively reasonable price.

The Dayan is made from Sheesham wood, while the bayan is made from good quality metal.

The extra accessories provided with this drum set include a hammer, cushions, covers, puddis. There is also a bag provided that can help you to carry the drum easily to any live shows.

Technical Description –

How to choose the best Tabla in India? | Buying Guide in detail –

One of the most important musical instruments after Harmonica for classical music is the Tabla. For Kathak dancers, too, they sync up their footsteps to the beat produced by a tabla. Thus, you must be careful while choosing a tabla because having the best Tabla in India is crucial. But it is not as easy as it sounds; you should check some critical factors for selecting the best Tabla in India. Let us see those:

• Good built quality –

Two things determine the quality of a tabla, out of which one is the built quality. And, this one thing has a direct effect on another thing determining quality, which is sound clarity. The materials that are the best for Tabla are brass or copper alloys. However, painted steel Bayans are also available that are relatively cheaper than the formerly mentioned materials.

• Sound quality –

As mentioned in the previous factor, build quality has a direct effect on the sound quality. Besides, the weight of the drum also impacts the quality and clarity of sound produced through the tablas. It is advisable to purchase a heavier drum because that will enhance the tone and sound quality.

• Weight –

On the one hand, the weight of the drum impacts the tone and the sound quality, but on the other side, you may think that lesser the weight, it would be easy to carry it with you during going for any live shows. Thus, you should ensure that the weights of the Tablas are not significantly less nor very heavy.

• Tuning –

Tabla works on the main principle of tuning, so it is an essential factor to check the tuning while buying a tabla. It requires tension on the head to generate a perfect and proper tone quality, and the tone is tuned continuously according to the music you are playing. Thus, make sure to purchase a tabla that can be tuned easily because once properly tuned, it can be used to play any melody in a great way.

• Price –

If you are a beginner, it is better not to spend much on a tabla because once you pick up playing it, it is better to switch to a professional one. So, as per your competency level, decide the budget and purchase it.

• Accessories –

A significant thing that you need to check while buying the best table in India is the extra accessories that will be provided. Please check all the important accessories and buy them from one place instead of buying them later. The accessories are important to use the Tabla for a longer time and also increase the durability. Some of the essential accessories for tablas include –

1. Tabla Hammer,
2. Talcum Powder,
3. Covers for the heads of Tabla,
4. The rings for resting the drums,
5. Carrying pouch or bag,

Therefore, we have listed out all the crucial factors that should be checked to pick up the best Tabla in India.

• Types of Tabla –

There are no distinct categories of Tabla; however, the types of Tabla are more individualistic, determined by the Gharanas, Ragas, maker, and the Personal Preferences.

• Influence of the Tabla on the Indian culture –

Similar to the sitar, Tabla is one of the most important or popular musical instruments in India. You will get to see tablas everywhere, ranging from Folk songs, Pop, the Beatles to Western Music. This instrument was mainly introduced for the king’s entertainment purpose and to make the dance performances livelier and more spontaneous. It also reflects the requirements for the spiritual instruments, and that is why most religious festivals are incomplete without this musical instrument. Along with the sitar, flute, harmonium, tablas are also played as a part of classical orchestra, reflecting India’s classical music culture.

• Parts of Tabla musical instrument –

Tabla generally consists of two drums, one is on the left side that has to be played with your left hand, and the other one is on the right side that is to be played with the right hand. The drum played by the right hand is called the ‘dayaa’/’Tabla,’ and the left drum is called ‘bayaa’/’Dagga’ that got its name from the Hindi versions right and left.

The Dayan possessing a small diameter than the bayan produces a high pitching sound. This is the reason professional players use various diameter drum sets to create different sound pitches. On the other hand, Bayaa has a weighty sound made of clay, copper, or brass.

• Tabla Skin wrappings –

Both the Tabla and the dagga are covered by goatskin, and the thicker this skin wrapping, the better sound quality will be produced. This skin covering is known as ‘puri’ that consists of two layers, out of which the uppermost layer is called ‘Chatti’ and the other layer is called ‘goth.’

• The tabla parts –

Tabla is the right-hand drum that is made from wood and normally comes in the height of 1 ft. The Tabla’s wooden part is called the ‘lakadi’, and the more the weight of this wood, the sound quality produced will be better. The upper diameter of the Tabla is around 4 to 6 inches that increase to 9 inches at the bottom.

You will see a black round smearing on both the drums of this musical instrument called ‘syahi’ or ‘ink.’ You will get a lower pitch if the ink-coat is thicker and vice versa. This is used to control the pitch and resonance of the Tabla.

‘Adhara’ or Gadi is the part on which both the drums are rested, and they are made of straw with cloth coverings. This is important so that the drums do not skid off while playing it.

There are some more parts, but without going into more detail, we have covered only the basic parts of a tabla.

• Process of learning Tabla –

You can refer to various online tutorials on YouTube or other online platforms to become aware of the basics. Tabla is not a very simple instrument to learn, so it is better to consult a qualified teacher and join that class to master it. For playing the tabla tones, there are also many style variations like the Delhi style, Purbi style, etc. So we suggest you must join a tabla class so that you can learn it well.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) –

The Final words…