2 · Drills — Building Control & Timing

These are progressive. A drill is "done" when you can play it relaxed, even, and in time for ~1 minute without a mistake. Say the bols out loud. Use the metronome — start at 50–60 BPM and only speed up once it's clean.

R = right hand (dayan) · L = left hand (bayan)

Level 0 — Single-stroke tone drills Day 1–3

Make each sound consistent. One click = one stroke, at 60 BPM.

Level 1 — Alternation & open/closed switching Day 3–7

Build independence between the hands and control over open vs. closed strokes. 1a/1b are within one hand; 1c–1h reorder the four core single-hand strokes — Ge (L open), Ka (L closed), Na (R open), Te (R closed) — so your hands never fall into one habit. Target 70–80 BPM.

Sticking — 1d L R L R (basic) · 1e L R L R · 1f R L R L (right-lead) · 1g L L R R (same-hand doubles — hardest) · 1h L R R L (broken group). Start the doubles at 50–60 BPM and keep the left as steady as the right.

Level 2 — Accents, doubles & the signature roll Week 2

Now add dynamics and density. 2a trains loud vs. soft, 2b trains doubles. Target 80–90 BPM.

2a: play Dha loud on each number, Na soft on each "&". 2b: even doubles — two clean strokes per beat.

2c · The TiRaKiTa roll. The heartbeat of fast tabla. Four rapid strokes, hands alternating. Learn it slow as four even notes, then let it blur into a smooth roll.

Level 3 — Coordination, independence & fills Week 3–4

Now combine everything. Play each slowly with ▶, then push the Tempo box.

3a · Coordination phrase — a flowing bar that uses many bols. Trains smooth hand-to-hand transitions.

3b · Speed pyramid method — take the 2c roll and play it 4× slow, 4× medium, 4× fast, then back down. Trains tempo flexibility while keeping the pattern locked. (No new grid — use ▶ on 2c and change the Tempo box between rounds.)

3c · Call & response — play the Call bar, then answer with the Response bar; loop the pair. Trains musical phrasing.

3d · Bass ostinato + right-hand independence — your left hand keeps a steady Ge on every beat while your right fills each "&" with Na/Te. The cornerstone of two-hand independence.

3e · Tihai (a fill that lands on "1") — a tihai is a short phrase repeated three times so its final stroke lands right back on sam. Play this 3-stroke phrase 3× in a row, then land a big Dha on the next "1". The classic way to end a cycle with flair.

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