# 1. Basics — Anatomy, Posture & the Core Strokes (Bols)

Before any beat, you need clean strokes. Spend real time here; everything else is
just combinations of these few sounds.

## Anatomy of the madal

The madal has a head on each end, so one picture can’t show both clearly. Here
they’re split: **left** (bass) and **right** (treble). “Bayan/Dayan” are generic
drum terms; in Nepali the large left head is the **pothi** and the small right
head is the **bhale** — the names used throughout this guide.

![Labeled anatomy of the madal — left side (Bayan / Pothi)](images/madal-anatomy-left.png)

*Left · Pothi (Bayan) — larger head, deeper tones, bigger khari. Played with the
left hand (Ghin / Kha).*

![Labeled anatomy of the madal — right side (Dayan / Bhale)](images/madal-anatomy-right.png)

*Right · Bhale (Dayan) — smaller head, higher tones, smaller khari. Played with
the right hand (Taang / Taak).*

The madal is a **cylindrical wooden shell** with a **drumhead on each end**. The
two heads are different sizes and produce different pitches.

| Part | Nepali | Side | Sound |
|------|--------|------|-------|
| Higher-pitched (smaller) head | **Bhale** (भाले, "male") | Your **right** | Sharp, high, cutting |
| Lower-pitched (larger) head | **Pothi** (पोथी, "female") | Your **left** | Deep, round, bass |
| Black tuning paste on each head | **Khari** / **Khali** (the black spot) | both | Where you strike for closed/tuned tones |

A cloth strap (`namlo`/patuka) is tied around the middle so you can sling the drum
across your waist and play standing, or rest it across your lap sitting down.

## Posture

![Sitting and standing posture for playing the madal](images/madal-posture.png)

- **Sitting:** lay the madal horizontally across your lap, bhale (small head) to
  your right, pothi (big head) to your left.
- **Standing:** tie the strap around your waist so the drum sits horizontally in
  front of you at a comfortable height, heads facing left/right.
- Shoulders relaxed, wrists loose. Sound comes from **relaxed fingers bouncing
  off the head**, not from tense forearm hitting. If your hand hurts, you're
  hitting too hard.

## The core strokes (bols)

A **bol** is a spoken syllable that names a stroke. You say them out loud while
playing — this is how the whole tradition is taught and memorized.

There are only a handful of fundamentals. Master these five and you can play most
folk beats.

![Hand positions for the core madal strokes](images/madal-strokes.png)

*The four panels above (clockwise from top-left): open finger tap (**Taang**),
muted three-finger strike on the black spot (**Taak**), deep open strike
(**Ghin**), and a damped/closed stroke (**Kha**).*

### Right hand — on the Bhale (small/high head)

| Bol | How to play it | Sound |
|-----|----------------|-------|
| **Taang** (or **Ta**) | Strike with your **index finger** near the edge and let it bounce off — an *open* stroke that rings | High, ringing "ting" |
| **Taak** (or **Ti** / **Na**) | Join middle + ring + little fingers and strike the **khari** (black spot), keeping them pressed down — a *closed/muted* stroke | Sharp, dry "tak" |

### Left hand — on the Pothi (large/low head)

| Bol | How to play it | Sound |
|-----|----------------|-------|
| **Ghin** (or **Ge**) | Join all fingers (except thumb) and strike the head, letting it ring — an *open* bass stroke | Deep, ringing "ghin" |
| **Kha** (or **Ke**) | Strike the **khari** with fingers pressed down and held — a *closed/muted* bass stroke | Short, damped "kha" |

### Both hands together

| Bol | How to play it | Sound |
|-----|----------------|-------|
| **Dha** (or **Dhang**) | Play **Taang + Ghin at the same time** (right index + left open together) | Full, resonant — the "home" sound |

That's it. Five building blocks:

```
Right open   = Taang
Right closed = Taak
Left open    = Ghin
Left closed  = Kha
Both open    = Dha  (= Taang + Ghin)
```

> 🔊 **Real madal sounds:** the play buttons in `index.html` trigger *actual madal
> recordings* (individual `Ghin`/`Taang`/`Taak`/`Kha` strokes), released into the
> public domain (CC0) by Freesound user
> [pbimal](https://freesound.org/people/pbimal/). `Dha` is the real `Ghin` and
> `Taang` samples layered together, just like striking both heads at once.

## Quick self-check

Before moving on, you should be able to, with a relaxed hand and consistent tone:

- [ ] Play 10 clean **Taang** in a row (right index, ringing).
- [ ] Play 10 clean **Taak** in a row (right closed, dry).
- [ ] Play 10 clean **Ghin** in a row (left open, deep).
- [ ] Play 10 clean **Kha** in a row (left closed, damped).
- [ ] Alternate **Ghin–Taang, Ghin–Taang** smoothly.
- [ ] Play a solid **Dha** where both heads land *exactly* together (no flam).

Once those feel comfortable, go to [`drills.md`](drills.md).

> Note on spellings: different teachers/regions use slightly different syllables
> for the same strokes (Ta/Taang, Ti/Taak/Na, Ge/Ghin, Ke/Kha, Dha/Dhang). Don't
> worry about it — pick one set and stay consistent. This guide uses
> **Taang / Taak / Ghin / Kha / Dha**.