Tabla Classes
Bols, taals and the tradition behind them
What learning the tabla here looks like
Tabla is learned the way it has always been learned — stroke by stroke, spoken before played. We teach the bols aloud, drill clean individual strokes, and build up through the taals so that your hands and your counting arrive together. Accompaniment work starts as soon as your kaida is steady.
What you’ll learn
- Correct sitting position and relaxed hand placement
- Individual bols — na, ta, tin, te, ge, ke, dha, dhin
- Reciting and writing bols before playing them
- Teentaal, Dadra, Keherwa, Jhaptaal and Ektaal
- Kaida, rela, tukra and tihai construction
- Accompanying vocalists, harmonium and instrumentalists
Hear the Tabla
Real recorded samples, not synthesised tones. Play the phrase, or tap the individual notes.
Beginner to advanced, one clear path
Timings assume one class a week plus regular practice. Everyone moves at their own pace — these are typical, not targets.
Beginner
- Clean, separate strokes on both dayan and bayan
- Reciting and playing Teentaal with the theka
- Keeping steady laya at a slow tempo
Intermediate
- Kaida with several palte and a closing tihai
- Dadra, Keherwa, Jhaptaal and Ektaal
- Playing at medium tempo without losing the sam
Advanced
- Rela, gat, paran and extended solo composition
- Fast tempo clarity and gharana-specific repertoire
- Confident accompaniment in performance settings
Four ways to take your Tabla classes
One-on-one
Fully personalised pace and repertoire. The fastest way to progress.
Small group
Two to four students at a similar level. More affordable and genuinely fun.
Online, live
Same instructors, same curriculum, from anywhere in the world.
At our studio
Johar Town, Lahore — instruments provided for use during class.
Tabla questions we get asked
Do I need to know Indian classical music theory first?
No. Tabla is a good entry point into the tradition — you will pick up laya, taal and sam as you learn to play, and we teach the vocabulary as we go.
Do I have to buy my own tabla?
You can begin on the academy pair, but tabla is personal — tuning and skin tension vary between sets, and progress speeds up considerably once you practise daily on your own. We will help you choose a set and show you how to tune it.
Is tabla harder than the drum set?
Different, not harder. Tabla asks for more finger-level precision and a memorised spoken repertoire; the drum set asks for more limb coordination. Students who play one often pick up the other quickly.
Students who learn Tabla often add
Ready to start Tabla?
Message us on WhatsApp and tell us your level. We’ll match you to the right instructor, share the fees and timings, and find a slot that fits around your week.
Plot No. 330, Block D1, Phase 1 Johar Town, Lahore, 54782 · Mon–Sat, 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM