Virtual tabla: play bols and loop thekas in your browser
This virtual tabla lets you play the strokes of the tabla on pads, a touch screen or your computer keyboard. The dayan (right-hand drum) gives you Na, Tin, Tun and Ti; the bayan (left-hand drum) gives you Ge and Ke; and Dha, Dhin and Dhi sound both drums together. Choose the pitch of the dayan (Sa), and the sounds follow it.
Beside free play there is a theka player. Pick Teentaal (16 matras), Keherwa (8), Dadra (6), Rupak (7) or Jhaptaal (10), set the tempo, and the theka loops with the current matra lit, the vibhag (section) marked and sam, tali and khali shown. It makes a patient practice partner for singing, harmonium, sitar or learning bols.
Every sound is synthesised by your browser with the Web Audio API. There are no recordings to download, nothing is uploaded, and the page works offline once it has loaded.
How to use the Virtual Tabla
- Press a pad or a key to play a stroke. The first tap starts the sound, as browsers require. On an iPhone, turn off silent mode.
- Choose the Sa your singer or instrument uses under “Dayan pitch”.
- Pick a taal and a tempo in matras per minute (a matra is one beat of the cycle).
- Press Play theka. The loop starts on sam, the first matra, which is accented.
- Tap any matra to hear its bol alone, and play over the loop with the pads.
Virtual Tabla features
Nine strokes
Na/Ta, Tin, Tun and Ti on the dayan; Ge and Ke on the bayan; Dha, Dhin and Dhi as combined strokes.
A bayan that bends
Ge rises and settles in pitch the way the heel of the hand shapes the open bayan sound.
Five common taals
Teentaal, Keherwa, Dadra, Rupak and Jhaptaal, with the bol of every matra shown.
Sam, tali and khali
The marks x, 2, 3 and 0 sit above each section so you can follow the clapping pattern.
Tuned dayan
Twelve pitches for Sa, from C (130.8 Hz) to B, so the strokes match your singer or harmonium.
The thekas in this player
A theka is the basic bol pattern of a taal. Notation and small details differ between gharanas and teachers (Na or Ta, Ke or Ka, Dhi or Dhin), so treat these as one widely taught form. A “|” separates vibhags.
| Taal | Matras | Theka |
|---|---|---|
| Teentaal | 16 (4+4+4+4) | Dha Dhin Dhin Dha | Dha Dhin Dhin Dha | Na Tin Tin Na | Na Dhin Dhin Dha |
| Keherwa | 8 (4+4) | Dha Ge Na Ti | Na Ke Dhi Na |
| Dadra | 6 (3+3) | Dha Dhi Na | Dha Tin Na |
| Rupak | 7 (3+2+2) | Tin Tin Na | Dhi Na | Dhi Na |
| Jhaptaal | 10 (2+3+2+3) | Dhi Na | Dhi Dhi Na | Ti Na | Dhi Dhi Na |
Understanding the strokes
- Na (or Ta) is struck on the rim of the dayan and rings clearly. Tin is a brighter ringing stroke near the edge of the black spot, Tun a rounder, longer note, and Ti a short closed stroke.
- Ge is the open bass of the bayan, with the pitch bent by the heel of the palm; Ke (or Ka) is the closed, dry slap.
- Dha is Na with Ge, Dhin is Tin with Ge, and Dhi is Ti with Ge. In the khali (the “empty” section, marked 0) the bayan stays silent, so it uses Na, Tin and Ti alone.
- To keep time without tabla, use the metronome or find a song’s speed with the BPM tapper. For a Western drum kit, try the virtual drum kit; for a keyboard with sargam labels, the online harmonium.
Virtual Tabla FAQ
Is the virtual tabla free?
Yes, with no sign-up and no download. Everything runs in your browser.
How do I play the virtual tabla with a keyboard?
Q, W, E and R play Na, Tin, Tun and Ti; A and S play Ge and Ke; Z, X and C play Dha, Dhin and Dhi. Tapping a pad or a matra works too.
Are these real tabla recordings?
No. The strokes are synthesised in your browser to resemble a tuned dayan and a bayan. A real tabla has far more subtlety, so use this for practice and ideas, and learn technique from a teacher.
What are sam, tali and khali?
Sam is the first matra, the emphasised “one” of the cycle. Tali are the matras where you clap, and khali is the “empty” beat where you wave the hand and the bayan is not played.
How do I set the pitch?
Choose Sa under “Dayan pitch”. If you play along with a harmonium or tanpura, match this to its Sa, for example D for a Sa of D.
Why is there no sound?
Browsers start audio only after a tap or key press. Check that Mute is off, the volume is up and, on iPhone, silent mode is off.