---
url: 'https://kalasudha.com/en-gb/faq/instruments-artforms/should-i-buy-a-copper-or-a-brass-bayan'
title: 'Should I buy a copper or a brass bayan?'
author:
  name: rajeevk
  url: 'https://kalasudha.com/en-gb/user/0f961cccc99524ed'
date: '2026-10-19T15:18:20+00:00'
type: website
summary: 'Brass is the most common tabla bayan metal and copper is considered the best; judge the pair as a whole and avoid a cheap one.'
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  FAQ · Instruments & artforms

# Should I buy a copper or a brass bayan?

 Updated 19 October 2026

 Brass is the most common metal for the **[tabla](/instrument/tabla)**'s bayan, and copper is more expensive and generally considered the best. Bayan bodies are also made of steel, iron sheet, aluminium, bronze, clay or wood, and museum examples include chromed copper and tinned copper. Judge the pair as a whole: David Courtney advises learners to avoid a cheap pair, because a poor instrument makes learning hard.



 

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 ## Related pages

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 ###  Instruments (1) 

- [   Tabla The tabla is a pair of tuned hand drums from Hindustani music: a wooden dayan and a copper or brass bayan. It is played through spoken bols in six gharanas.     ](/en-gb/instrument/tabla)
 
  

 

 

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