--- url: 'https://kalasudha.com/en-in/faq/instruments-artforms/what-kind-of-tabla-should-a-beginner-buy' title: 'What kind of tabla should a beginner buy?' author: name: rajeevk url: 'https://kalasudha.com/en-in/user/fce96177fd193d3a' date: '2026-10-19T15:18:38+00:00' updated: '2026-10-24T13:07:44+00:00' type: website summary: "David Courtney advises beginners to buy a medium-priced tabla pair and avoid a cheap one. KalaSudha's tabla page gives the price of each grade." tags: - 'Instruments & artforms' image: 'https://kalasudha.com/themes/custom/music_agency/assets/icon/logo.svg' published: true og: site_name: KalaSudha 'image:url': 'https://kalasudha.com/themes/custom/music_agency/assets/icon/logo.svg' 'image:secure_url': 'https://kalasudha.com/themes/custom/music_agency/assets/icon/logo.svg' 'image:type': image/svg+xml 'image:alt': KalaSudha --- FAQ ยท Instruments & artforms # What kind of tabla should a beginner buy? Updated 24 October 2026 David Courtney, author of Manufacture and Repair of Tabla, advises a beginner to buy a medium-priced **tabla** pair and avoid a cheap one, because a poor instrument makes learning hard. KalaSudha's tabla suits the beginner and the professional accompanist alike, and the [tabla page](/en-in/instrument/tabla) gives the price of each grade. Entry sets pair a sheesham (Indian rosewood) dayan (the right-hand drum) with a brass bayan (the bass drum); mid-range sets have a copper bayan and better skins. When the heads wear, KalaSudha re-faces them and renews the syahi, the black paste on each head. For lessons, KalaSudha's [online academy](/en-in/courses) teaches every discipline of Indian classical music, tabla included. Was this answer helpful? [ ](/en-in/user/login?flag_anon=faq_helpful-978&destination=/en-in/faq/instruments-artforms/what-kind-of-tabla-should-a-beginner-buy) [ ](/en-in/user/login?flag_anon=faq_not_helpful-978&destination=/en-in/faq/instruments-artforms/what-kind-of-tabla-should-a-beginner-buy) Thanks for your feedback! ## Related pages 1 page mentions this question ### 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-in/instrument/tabla) [ Previous question What is the Senia-Maihar gharana? ](/en-in/faq/instruments-artforms/what-is-the-senia-maihar-gharana) [ Next question What music do surbahar players perform? ](/en-in/faq/instruments-artforms/what-music-do-surbahar-players-perform)