Indian classical drummers have an agreed language of sounds in the repertoire, this language of sounds is referred to as bol.
The Tabla Set and the Pakhawaj are capable of a great variety of sounds depending on the hand position, the finger position, the way the skin is struck, and which skin is struck.
Section 1 introduces the technique for some of these strokes. You could think of these stroke sounds or bol as notes or syllables.
Bol
A bol is a mnemonic syllable and is one of the most important parts of Indian rhythm. Bol is derived from the Hindi word bolna, which means ‘to speak’. Speaking these syllables is an important part of Indian classical drumming and is included in each tutorial.
Two types of stroke; band and khula
There are two main types of stroke:
1. A closed stroke called a ‘band’ making a flat, non-resonant sound.
2. An open stroke called a ‘khula’ making a resonant sound.
