Tabla

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.