About the Written Syllables

All compositions in the Compositions section are written in both Hindi (Devanagari script) and in English (Latin script) with diacritic markings (ā, ī, ṭ, etc.). The English is a transliteration of the original Hindi using the ISO 15919 standard.

Composition variations, and some examples in the Reference Section, are written without diacritics. This is simply because they are easier to read this way. And for learners, diacritics are not necessary once the main composition has been learned.

Consonants and Vowels of Tabla – Benares Region

In the Benares lineage of Chhotelal Misra, I have counted just 11 consonants with 7 possible vowels. Other lineages or regions of India may have a few more or less, but in most north Indian traditions, they will be very similar.

The pronunciation examples below are from Rupert Snell’s Teach Yourself Beginner’s Hindi Script. These can also be found on Hindi Script Tutor (requires Flash).

Tabla Consonants

Note: “Retroflex” refers to sounds which are made with the tip of the tongue curled up toward the roof of the mouth.

• d as ‘d’ in ‘breadth’
• dh aspirated form of ‘d’; as above but breath out
• ḍ as ‘d’ in ‘date’ but retroflex
• g as ‘g’ in ‘again’
• gh aspirated form of g, as ‘g-h’ in ‘dog-house’
• k as ‘k’ in ‘skin’
• n as ‘n’ in ‘anthem’
• r as ‘r’ in ‘serene’
• ṛ like ḍ but with a fast ‘flap’ of the tongue
• t as ‘t’ in ‘at’ in the phrase ‘at the’
• ṭ as ‘t’ in ‘train’ but retroflex

Tabla Vowels

• a as in ‘fun’
• ā as in ‘father’
• e as in ‘get’
• i as in ‘win’
• ī as in ‘feet’
• tu as in ‘put’
• tū as in ‘spoon’

Tabla Syllables: Devanagari – English

Below is a list of all (or most) individual tabla syllables in the Benares region (see the Tabla Bols section for demonstrations).

• क – ka
• के – ke
• कि – ki
• ग – ga
• गे – ge
• गि – gi
• घ – gha
• घे – ghe
• घि – ghi
• घिं – ghin
• ट – ṭa
• टे – ṭe
• ड – ḍa
• ड़ – ṛa
• ड़ा – ṛā
• त – ta
• ता – tā
• ते – te
• ति – ti
• तिं – tin
• ती – tī
• तु – tu
• तू – tū
• द – da
• दि – di
• दिं – din
• ध – dha
• धा – dhā
• धे – dhe
• धि – dhi
• धिं – dhin
• धी – dhī
• न – na
• ना – nā
• र – ra
• ऽ – – (indicates extension of previous vowel: धाऽऽऽ = dhā– – –; धिऽऽऽ = dhi– – –)

Conjuncts and Half Consonants

• क्र – kra
• क्ड़ – kṛa
• क् – k (k without following vowel, as in the bol तक् – tak)
• त्त – tta (conjunct of t and ta, as in कत्त – katta)
• त्र – tra
• त् – t (t without following vowel, as in the bol कत् – kat)

Pronunciation Problem Areas

Non-South Asian tabla students often have some problems pronouncing tabla bols correctly. This is usually because certain sounds do not exist in their native languages. But it is also because some tabla bols written in the Latin script (such as English) do not clearly indicate the exact pronunciation.

Below are the most common problem areas for non-South Asian speakers.

Short a vs Long ā

• ta vs tā
• na vs nā
• dha vs dhā

Example phrase with short a:

• te ṭe ka ta / ga di ga na
• dhin na ta ka / ta ka dhin na

Example phrases with long ā:

• dhā dhā te ṭe / dhā dhā dhin nā
• tā tī tā tī / tā tā tin nā

Short i: vs Long ī

• ti vs tī
• dhi vs dhī

Example phrases with short i:

• dhin na gi na / dhā ṛa gi na
• ti ra ki ṭa / dhin nā gi nā

Example phrases with long ī:

• dhī ge dhī nā / tira kiṭa dhī nā
• dhā tī dhā tī / dhā dhā tī dhā

Common t vs Retroflex ṭ

• ta vs ṭa
• te vs ṭe

Example phrases with ṭa and ta:

• ki ṭa ta ka
• ta ki ṭa dhā

Example phrases with te and ṭe:

• dhā dhā te ṭe
• te ṭe ka ta

Common r vs Retroflex ṛ

• ra vs ṛa

Example phrases with ra:

• dhe ra dhe ra
• ti ra ki ṭa

Example phrases with ṛa

• ghe ṛa na ga
• dhāṛa dhādhe teṭe dhāṛa

Common d vs Aspirated dh

• di vs dhi

Example phrases with d:

• ga di ga na
• dhāge din– nānā teṭe
• din na ta ka

Example phrases with dh:

• dhā tī dhā tī
• dhera dhera kiṭa taka
• dhā dhā dhin nā

Common g vs Aspirated gh

• ge vs ghe
• gi vs ghi

Example phrases with ge and gi:

• dhāge nāge tūnā katta
• dhā– gege teṭe ginā
• dhātī dhāge dhinnā ginā

Example phrases with ghe and ghi:

• kat– teṭe gheghe teṭe
• ghin– taṛa –na dhā

References