Parts of a Tabla

There are two drums in a pair of tablas. The right hand drum is the Bayan, it is bigger and used for embellishment and the smaller, left hand drum, is the dayan and is the main drum. The dayan is made of a conical piece of teak wood and rosewood and is hollowed out. The bottom third of the drum is solid and the top two thirds are hollow. The hollow space allows vibration to be made. The tuning range is controlled bu the ghatta, which are the small wooded cylinders on the sides; there are seven on the dayan. The bayan has a much deeper sound. It is made of copper or brass (which is less expensive).

The head consists of three rings, the chati, loa (Maidan) and syahi (out to in). The head itself is constructed from goat or cow skin. The chati is overlaid on the main head and it is used to suppress excess vibrations. This skin is bound to the top with the use of a leather braid that also connects the ghatta. The straps that connect from the head to the bottom are made of a plant fiber, animal leather or anything malleable. This is the part that is hit for tuning. The syahi is made of a paste  of starch mixed with a black powder. This piece is crucial to the sound and the vibration of the drum. It is responsible for the pitch and for it resonates.