← Wordbook

Tabla

तबला
TUB-lah

Pair of small hand drums central to Hindustani classical and popular music.

Appears as an answer in MG Mini #207.

— Sign in to vote

Meaning & usage

The tabla is a pair of small hand drums — the larger bass dagga on the left, the smaller treble dayan on the right — that together form the rhythmic foundation of North Indian (Hindustani) classical music. The instrument is played with the fingers and palms, and a virtuoso player generates an extraordinary range of pitched tones. Zakir Hussain made the instrument internationally famous; he is the son of the equally legendary Alla Rakha.

In a sentence

The tabla player held the tempo all night without slipping.

Common spelling variants

  • Tabala
  • Tablah

Tabla is the English spelling used in MG Mini #207.

As seen in crosswords

Tabla is a 5-letter answer. A typical clue:

“Pair of small hand drums central to Hindustani classical and popular music” (5)

Play the crossword that uses it — MG Mini #207

Category: Arts Origin: Persian Script: Hindi

Related words

  • Sitar — Long-necked plucked string instrument, the iconic sound of Hindustani classical music.
  • Bhangra — High-energy Punjabi folk dance, also a globally popular music genre.
  • Jatra — A traditional Bengali folk theatre form.
  • Salwar — Loose, pleated trousers worn across South Asia, usually as the bottom half of a salwar-kameez.
  • Dhoti — Traditional Indian men's garment — a long unstitched cloth wrapped around the waist and legs.
  • Biryani — Fragrant layered rice dish with meat or vegetables, slow-cooked with whole spices.

Related crosswords

Puzzles with a theme close to Tabla.

Try today's MG Mini →

Know a word we’re missing? Submit a word.