Mastering the Tabla
Like Duolingo, but for Mastering the Tabla. Tomo turns the whole topic into a game you play five minutes a day, until it actually sticks.
For the part of you with thirty open tabs that never became anything.
Free during early access · No credit card · iPhone & Android
Key ideas in Mastering the Tabla
- A straight spine allows weight to transfer from shoulders to fingertips
- The Dayan needs a slight outward tilt to align with the forearm
- Slumping the back collapses the chest and restricts arm movement
- The Bayan is angled so the wrist can rest without arching
- How posture directly impacts sound quality and speed
- Correct placement of Dayan and Bayan for natural arm movement
- Raised shoulders indicate trapped tension that slows down strikes
- The drums should be just below elbow height so the forearms are parallel to the floor
- Power should come from gravity and wrist flick, not shoulder shrugging
- If drums are too high, the shoulders must lift to compensate
- Identifying tension in the upper body
- Determining the ideal drum height relative to the body
- The rings (bira) must be positioned before the drums
- The angle is adjusted only after the drum is seated in the ring
- Weight is evenly distributed on the sit-bones
- The process of stabilizing the drums using the rings (bira)
You've tried the other tabs
Thirty open tabs. Four facts you actually kept.
You watched. You nodded. By Sunday it was gone.
One answer, then back to scrolling.
Eight weeks. You meant to finish. You didn't.
Tomo gives Mastering the Tabla the Duolingo treatment: levels, streaks, and quick quizzes that test what you just learned. That game loop is what the tabs above never had, so it's the one you actually finish.
Here's what playing it feels like
A real question from this course. Take your best guess.
To keep yer forearm in a straight line, how should ye tilt the treble Dayan drum?
Get it right to open this lesson and 109 more in the app.
Where Mastering the Tabla takes you
Go from your first tap to complex rhythmic compositions. Learn to make the drums sing and master the ancient art of Indian percussion.
- 1
Making Your First Sounds
- Sitting comfortably with your drums
- The 'Na' and 'Ta' finger strikes
- Getting that deep 'Ghe' bass sound
- Combining hands for the 'Dha' sound
- 2
Playing Your First Rhythm
- Understanding the 16-beat cycle
- Keeping time with your hands
- Playing the basic Teental rhythm
- Speeding up without losing the beat
- Adding simple variations to the loop
- How to end a song with a flourish
- 3
Speaking the Language of Drums
- The alphabet of drum syllables
- Reciting rhythms before playing them
- How to read basic tabla notation
- 4
Controlling the Bass
- The secret of the sliding bass sound
- Using your palm for muffled notes
- Balancing the volume between both drums
- Advanced wrist movements for the left hand
- Creating a 'talking' drum effect
- 5
The Science of the Drum
- What the black circles are made of
- How to tune your drums with a hammer
- Taking care of the leather skins
- Why the two drums are made of different materials
5 sections · 22 units · 110 levels. Built to play, not to enroll.
You pick the voice
Mastering the Tabla is taught in the The Pirate style: arr, learning be an adventure!. Want a different feel? In the app you can spin up the same topic in any of Tomo's teaching styles. Same facts, totally different vibe.
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Start Mastering the Tabla today.
Download Tomo, search Mastering the Tabla, and play your first lesson in under a minute.