Tabla - Invention & Nomenclature

No more mythological stories and myths...this is the fact..!! Thats how the tabla was named and invented.

1. This presentation will help musicians, particularly percussionists to know how the modern day’s fastest growing percussion instrument, the Tabla, evolved…. BALRAJ SHUKLA TABLA & ITS INVENTION

2. Amir Khushro (1253-1325) was a great scholar, poet and is known as the father of Qawali. Mythology has forced people to believe that he was the one who invented the Tabla. It is said that he had split the Indian Percussion instrument named ” Pakhawaj ” into two parts and hence the tabla was invented. Initial Myth Amir Khushro's Splitting of the Mrudang

3. On the walls of the historical Ajanta & Ellora caves, archaeologists have found out the drawings of the tabla. Scientists have further proved that these drawings date back before 1200 A.D. Amir Khushro was born in 1253 . So, its difficult to believe and digest that he was the inventor of tabla. WHY IS THIS A MYTH AND NOT A FACT ????

4. There are still many theories about the invention of tabla…  Some say that Lord Ganesha destroyed a monster, took its skin out and then burried a pit with this skin. After that he started playing some beats on it and hence the idea of the invention of the tabla…!!  Some others say that it was Siddhar Khan (born: 1700) who invented the tabla..but no evidences are there for it..!! But, now what I am going to show and what you are about to read is the practical and proved theory of how the Tabla was invented and how the Tabla got its name…

5. In the second century there was an instrument named “Mrudang”. This instrument comprised of three parts- Aankik, Udharwak, Aalingya. Aankik was played by resting it horizontally and then hitting it from the sides to produce the beats. Udharwak and Aalingya were vertically placed and played. Aankik Aalingya Udharwak THE FACTS

6. In the sixth century some changes were made in this instrument. Only Aankik and Udharwak were played then. The use of Aalingya stopped. As time passed the use of Udharwak also stopped. In this way only Aankik was played then. Today, we know this Aankik as “Mrudang”…!!! Scholars of that time divided the Aankik into two parts and this way two Udharwaks were made.

7. In the seventeenth century two major changes were made in the two Udharwaks.  Its height was decreased.  On the right Udharwak the syahi (black circle on the tabla) made up of sand was replaced by the syahi made of iron powder and on the left Udharwak, syahi was made from flour. This was the final form of the Udharwaks which were invented in India.

8. In Arab, there was an instrument named “Atabl” which consisted of two “Duggas”(a percussion instrument). These duggas were played with the help of sticks. 2000 years back, in Mesopotamia, there was instrument known as “Tabalu” which was a very famous instrument at that time. This instrument, later, was named as “Tabla” in Syria. The instrument became more popular in Rome. This instrument resembled the Dugga. This instrument came to western part of India by traders and rulers of different countries.

9. When this instrument came in India, India already had a percussion instrument named “Udharwak” as mentioned earlier. The instrument Tabla was hence formed by combing Udharwak and Dugga (Tabalu). Later, minor changes were made to increase the resonance of this instrument and new playing styles of the instrument were discovered. This way the percussion instrument “Tabla” was named and invented.

10. PARTS OF TABLA

11. For more amazing facts of music and the percussion world… Join  www.facebook.com/balrajshukla