# Tabla — Drills # 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. Count 1 2 3 4 0a Na Na Na Na 0b Tin Tin Tin Tin 0c Ge Ge Ge Ge 0d Ka Ka Ka Ka 0e Te Te Te Te 0f Dha Dha Dha Dha ### 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. Count 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1a Na Tin Na Tin Na Tin Na Tin 1b Ge Ka Ge Ka Ge Ka Ge Ka 1c Na Te Na Te Na Te Na Te 1d Ge Na Ge Na Ge Na Ge Na 1e Ge Te Ka Na Ge Te Ka Na 1f Na Ka Te Ge Na Ka Te Ge 1g Ge Ge Na Na Ka Ka Te Te 1h Ge Na Na Ge Ka Te Te Ka **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. Count 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 2a Dha Na Dha Na Dha Na Dha Na 2b Ge Ge Na Na Ge Ge Na Na **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. Count 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 2c Ti Ra Ki Ta Ti Ra Ki Ta ### 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. 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & Dha Na Ka Na Te Ge Dhin Na **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. 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & Call Dha – Ge Na Te – Dhin Na Resp. Te Te Na Na Ge Ge Dha – **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. 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & Ge Na Ge Te Ge Na Ge Te **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. 1 2 3 Dha Tin Na **Daily 10-min warm-up:** 2 min single-tone drills (Level 0) · 3 min alternations (Level 1) · 3 min the TiRaKiTa roll (building speed) · 2 min one theka from below. 15 focused minutes a day beats 2 hours once a week.