Loading... Please wait...
Indian Musical Instrument | Discover insightful articles, guides & stories
There is a small crack in my tabla. Does that matter?
Q: There is a small crack in my tabla. Does that matter?A: Small hairline cracks are common in tablas. Especially if they are in the foot of the drum, they shouldn't be a cause for concern.. Remember that tablas are carved out only about 2/3 of the way down, so a hairline crack in the feet won't [...]
What materials are the tabla and baya made of?
Q: What materials are the tabla and baya made of?A: Tablas are made from wood (although we have on occasion seen some clay and even cast glass tablas). Most tablas are made of shishum wood. Shishum is a member of the rosewood family, and usually considered "light rosewood". Some tablas are made of dark rosewood. This is [...]
How long should the heads last on my tablas?
Q: How long should the heads last on my tablas?A: The bottom line is your head is going to wear out and need to be replaced after some time. There are so many factors involved it is hard to say how long that period of time will be. It can be months or years. Climate, changes in [...]
How much of the sound of a drum is determined by the shell, and how much by the head?
Q: How much of the sound of a drum is determined by the shell, and how much by the head?A: A really bad head is not going to sound much different no matter how nice the shell. On the other hand, a nice shell will enhance the sound of a well made head.
What is the difference between Calcutta and Bombay style drums?
Q: What is the difference between Calcutta and Bombay style drums?A: The main difference is in the heads. Simply put, Calcutta heads are thinner than Bombay (or Delhi or Benares or Hyderbad) heads. Thus Calcutta tablas are easier to play in the sense that you don't have to strike the drum as hard to get a good [...]
I hear a rattling inside the gourd when I move my sitar. Is that common?
Q: I hear a rattling inside the gourd when I move my sitar. Is that common?A: Yes. The gourd is a natural, organic thing. It is perfectly common for small pieces to come off and rattle around inside the instrument.
Can I use a guitar tuner to tune my sitar?
Q: Can I use a guitar tuner to tune my sitar?A: If you have to, it will get you in the ballpark, but not onto the playing field. Indian music does not use the tempered scale, so if you tune your frets and sympathetic strings with a guitar tuner, you will not get the sweetness and ringing [...]
How high should my action be?
Q: How high should my action be?A: As a rule of thumb, you should be able to put the fingernail of your pinky on the highest fret and feel the ma string gently touching your finger. Usually this translates to about 7/16 of an inch. The range can be from 1/4 to 1/2 of an inch. Lower [...]
What type of wood are sitars made from?
Q: What type of wood are sitars made from?A: Almost all sitars are made from toon wood. This has been described as a combination of teak and mahogany. Some older sitars are made of teak. Teak wood has become very hard to get, so these sitars are becoming more rare. There is a certain mystique about teak [...]
How long do sitars last?
Q: How long do sitars last?A: The climate in India, especially in Calcutta, is terrible for instruments. The heat and humidity take a big toll. The reality is that a sitar can be expected to last 30 or 40 years. There are exceptions of course, especially if the instrument has spent most of its life in a [...]