Here we have a virtual tabla that let you perform a pair of traditional Indian drums straight from your browser. By simply tapping or clicking on them with finger (or mouse), you’re able to interact with the virtual instrument. Alternatively, you can play individual sounds using keys on your computer keyboard.
The layout is realistic and mirrors how actual instruments are arranged, with the dayan treble drum on the right-hand side and the bayan bass drum on the left. It’s simple to pick up if you’ve never played before but it still provides plenty of control to help you learn rhythms and taals.
How to Play the Virtual Tabla
This shows where to tap on the heads of each drum to play with mouse. The syahi is black circle in middle of each of the heads. When tapped on the centre of the left bayan drum it sound a low bass tone. You can press down on the centre spot too and then move the mouse upwards, you’ll hear the pitch bend up. That’s a slide effect that mimics way a real player would use palm pressure to make an expressive melodic phrase.
The outer edge of the rim of the bayan, when tapped has a sharp slapping type sound. There are specific areas on the right dayan drum too. The rim give a ringing, resonant stroke if you tap it. The main head, coloured in cream gives a clear open tone when struck there. And then there’s the black syahi which can be hit directly to give a dry, closed sound that cuts through the mix.
Hitting each area highlights it briefly giving you visual feedback on where the sound came from. Understanding this spatial mapping help you realize how the position physically alters the timbre of the instrument.
For those who would rather play on a keyboard, it has mapped the four main strokes to their respective keys. Press F for the bayan’s center tone. Hit D for the rim slap on the bayan. To play the open tone from the dayan, strike the J key. Finally, to produce the ringing rim stroke on the dayan, hit the K key.
Any automatic loop will be stopped if a manual note is pressed returning instant control to you. Playing faster should of been possible with this mapping as there’s no need to move your hand from the keyboard to the screen.
At the bottom are the transport controls that enable you to automate the rhythm cycle. To begin the loop tap on the Play taal button. There’s an option to play either the eight-beat folk groove called Keherwa, or the sixteen-beat cycle called Teental.
The tempo slider adjust the speed of the loop from slow practice speeds up to fast performance tempos. Monitor the beat counter that indicates what part of the cycle is playing. This enables you to learn complex rhythmic patterns and work on your timing.
The slider on the far right controls volume. You can adjust this so that the tabla blends with other sounds coming into your system or just that it’s at a comfortabley level in your ears.
The Help button shows a detailed information panel about keys and strokes. If you get confused as to what produces what sound naturaly, this will help.
Finally, there is a Fullscreen button that expands the instrument to fill more of the screen. This makes hitting the drum areas easier on bigger screens.
Experiment with the pitch bend on the bayan to get the best from the widget. Strumming across the strings, you could try hitting the middle and then pulling upwards adding some expression to your bass note. Add some dynamic contrast by combining this with clear strikes on the dayan.
Use the taal loops as a backing track for improvisation. Choose a solid tempo and experiment with clicking or pressing keys in time with automatically generated beats.
To help reinforce what you are learning, there’s a visual element too. You’ll see that each drum lights up in different color according to which has been struck. It shows you the name of the bol (or stroke) that you performed. By doing this it links the physical action to way the rhythm is notated in Indian music. With practice, you begin to remember the sound and pattern without looking for the label.
Here is how to play the taal loop slowly first so that you can listen through the complete cycle. Next pause it then attempt to perform the pattern yourself on the keyboard or mouse. As you gain confidence, gradually increase speed of the widget. It responds immediately to how you play and can be used well for repetition practice.
Experiment with the settings to find what works best for you and use your imagination to control the pulse. Explore the sounds of the tabla from the comfort of your browser.