The Art of Playing Tabla: Shabaz Hussain at TEDxUniversityOfManchester

Shabaz Hussain is a maestro of the tabla - hand drums used in Hindustani classical and folk music. He is one of the foremost players of his generation and performs as a soloist internationally. Indeed, he won the prestigious "Son of Lahore" from the government of Pakistan in 2008 for his services to music. He has learned from masters of the art including Ustad Faiyaz Khan and Ustad Allah Rakha Khan. In this talk, Shabaz demonstrates the art of tabla playing, including demonstrating different styles and techniques.
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

[@thesoundofart7124]

This player teaches me Tabla lessons every week at University, absolute chief!!!

[@norahherbie9144]

Lee Goldsworthy good for you

[@nagarajnagarajan8171]

Lee Gee

[@yyguuyg]

Lucky!

[@dennismealor9612]

I am stoked. Blows me away. I have Tabla, and having trouble getting them tuned - after seeing this, I must get it done and soon, so I can start learning again. My Tabla drums have been in the cupboard too long. This is like meditation watching this - has made my week, if not my year. So inspiring. Dennis (Bundaberg, Australia).

[@anand4237]

Congratulations Shahbaz for your wonderful demo-lecture. As you rightly said, playing the percussion instrument by hands, rather than using hard blows of sticks (or spoons as you said wittily), produces the soft & pleasing notes, in contrast to beats of a drum. Also, thanks for informing the world that countries in the Indian subcontinent shared similar culture less than a century back. It was because of the inclusiveness of its people. The culture influenced regions across the seas- be it Burma, Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia - without sending a single soldier to concur.

[@ashrafulhaque8759]

You are playing a key role in the advancement of tabla to the world. Thank you!

[@TheDerisavi]

I'm sorry, I didn't mention that I enjoy lestening to classic Indian music. And you are guys are the masters of playing tabla. Thanks again.

[@norahherbie9144]

For one and all to experience the pure sweetness of the tabla...the tabla speaks

[@mrskmonga]

Good effort to bring tabla beats closer to the music lovers. The more one understands these beats the better one can appreciate and enjoy. There is a felt need to have more videos like this to demystify music to an ordinary listener.

[@anubis9085]

The amount of confidence in the explaination is something i desperately require

[@EnigmaticSam]

Ustadji you touched the music in my heart, do live long and spread your art far n wide mesmerize the world with the melody of Tabla

[@devejprabhakar9199]

That keherwaa and dadra was amazing

[@skmaltare5890]

Grt player, beautifully presented.

[@fjeinca]

Beautiful playing; nice explanation, too. Thanks for sharing this! 🙏🏻

[@JunaidAli-rx5qz]

That's my brother!!

[@Kayamtabla]

Ha junaid bhai

[@tablaclassesbysrikanthdevi3834]

Excellent explaination, tone, speed every thing is fine useful vedio, thanQ f sharing Shabaz bhai🎼💐👍

[@satyendrachaitanya825]

The sound of tabla and pakhawaj are mesmerizing.I don't understand the grammer,but the sounds are hypnotic.Thaks for the wonderful video

[@Benjabenja77]

Brilliant video! Crazy good musician and obviously a really nice guy too

[@firehandszarb]

excellent demonstration (brilliant technique and beautiful tone). It will help me in my own studies.

[@israveljayasing4379]

Waw....nice..short & sweat playing .....with brief teaching...

[@unkownguy6708]

That is beautiful. Nice compositions

[@deepak6529]

Amazing playing....very clear

[@shantil7764]

very very amazing !!!! thank you

[@TREEHUGGAH1]

much respect

[@Kayamtabla]

Beautiful

[@mayukhpurkayastha2649]

Love from Bangladesh 🇧🇩🇧🇩🕉️🕉️🕉️🕉️🙏🙏🙏🙏namaskar.❤❤

[@15october91]

14:40 is the best bit!

[@robertsaw841]

yes! What did he say this rhythm is called?

[@aryapranav]

It's called kahrwa

[@yashpagare368]

The taal is called kerva

[@ameyajoshi4047]

@@robertsaw841 keherwa

[@fmsad5]

anywhere where the tabla sound can be heard is "old India", the boundaries and the frontiers came later

[@mikepatel9184]

Great player & very knowledgeable 🎉

[@waqasmd7681]

Great Sir Ji....Love from Pak

[@zoravursingh5617]

2:32 thank you, I'd be honored

[@RaheelPervaiz123]

wonderfu sound from thisl instrument n its master.

[@saleemashraf1136]

Appreciated really

[@jamesryan6224]

Awesome!

[@ahsansheikh4386]

Well presented!

[@priyakamat5380]

Hello ! I would please like to know the composition in the kherwa taal ....is it tihai ? Ive heard it around..

[@anishp7850]

Very good session

[@vedaenterprise5256]

Tabla is a Sacred Instrument.

[@arindambhattacharyya7063]

outstanding

[@connectthedotswithanu6378]

What an amazing talent....thanks Sir...this should be promoted

[@bartmuz]

Tabla is super

[@SIDESIGN]

Why is it that Shahbaz gets so much hate? Just enjoy his music, some people seem to have come for a bloody Geography lesson.

[@rk.9028]

Very nice

[@aguswiyantoswaralangit]

good percusion

[@Violetsparkes]

which hand do you use to play the beats. When playing in 4/4 time what hand do you use and what finger do you use to tap the beat.

[@sashh9997]

It's played in rhythmic cycles and there are many areas of the instrument that when hit produce a different sound the different sounds are told out loud in the rhythm and played with the instrument, if the sound is produced on left drum then left hand and vice versa

[@stalewhale8363]

2:32 please clap... rip jeb

[@rafiadaman5826]

He is very good and says a lot here bud either he doesn't know or doesn't want to say what the actual name of "Tabla" means... Tab = Mood La or Lai = Rhythm Rhythm of the Mood !! Dari-Farsi language of Northern Afghanistan !!!

[@daniellekerstetter6248]

hell yes!!!!!!!!

[@sabrang1430]

Shabaz Khan class player

[@sabrang1430]

class player

[@RamonJSW]

Nice, Thank you. Is there lessons you teach on you tube?

[@shrikantbhavsar2476]

Tabla was invented far before that, carvings in Lonavala near Mumbai has Tabla in it, those carvings were made in appx 200BC

[@Blissful_seeker]

Shrikant Bhavsar those carvings are of a jori dhama which consist of ganesha ji playing. The actual tabla was created around the time of Amir Khusro

[@ryanraj9982]

Shrikant Bhavsar not 200 bc dummies. It has been around since 1300

[@Blissful_seeker]

ryan raj lol you seem to be a devoted scholar of tabla. Kindly let me know when it came to be ? Lmao give me your citations

[@ryanraj9982]

@@Blissful_seeker a lot of amir khusro/w books

[@Blissful_seeker]

ryan raj well then read my old comment and please redirect you comment of “dummy”

[@akash7121]

Excellent. Pl. share kaherwa sound.

[@nilanjanpati3371]

🙏🙏🙏🙏💐💐💐💐

[@reuelchinthala]

Akhand Bharat!

[@tusharpinkyofficial8366]

Nice videos

[@chrisxjoseph]

lol ustad zakir hussain did the pink panther theme on the bayan a few years ago as well. nice touch to show the variation of possible bayan pitches.

[@nayaleezy]

What about Khol or Mridanga, would enjoy talk on this

[@cuteboy1498]

can u tell me the bol of the that keherwa

[@KISW1]

Nice

[@merrybolicshong1796]

where to buy these tabla/?beautiful!thanks

[@chrisxjoseph]

dont buy from buyraagini or tablasitarmusicals. buy from musicians mall (formerly the ali akbar music shop) or contact the respectable makers in india. somnath kakade, mukta das, shyamal das, haridas vhatkar, vishnu sutar.

[@merrybolicshong1796]

thanks。。。

[@chrisxjoseph]

+merrybolics hong kalakender is also a good website to buy from if you want a set from a well known maker. they dont have as much of a variety but they ship you the best of what they have. tablasitarmusicals and buyraagini is good for buying a affordable beginner set. dont buy a branded set because you can get it cheaper if you get a hold of the actual indian maker. also (not saying those sites in particular, but) people get other makers or their own, to produce instruments and slap the big name maker's stickers on the instrument and sell fakes. beware as its hard to buy instruments online.

[@qlpar]

what are the bols for kherwa that he is playing at 14:53

[@lafeo0077]

Tej Singh I think... It goes like Dhete Tete Nana.... then to hard for me to catch, will break it down later right now I am in a Taxi!

[@qlpar]

oh ok thanks lol but please do let me know what the bols are when figure em out

[@Swordsonian]

does anyone happen to know the bols for the rhthym he plays at 14:53?

[@ScrappySuper91]

Swordsonian Dhin Dhin Dha Ra/ Tin Dhin Dha Ra

[@trimbakaditya]

its - dha ge na ti na ka dhi na

[@iamnaveenkulkarni]

Kehrava with little variations.

[@zuberkgolechha]

which country he is from.. can anyone tell me ?

[@SIDESIGN]

Zuber K Golechha he is from uk b

[@halfvolley11]

I know UK. But origin? Pakistan?

[@anthonylifestyle]

What is kiwara

[@fmsad5]

when I meant old India - it was the sub asian continent where tablas used to be played -Partition came around 1947, you are right about Afghanistan not being a part of India. but not argue about petty things and let the "music" play.

[@nafeesumardraz6223]

It's the invention of Hazrat Ameer Khusro he came from Iran

[@robingangopadhya2808]

According to Amir Khusraow's bio, he improvised the Table(a) in the during his time.... 1200s. So it is not 200 yrs. Is this story historically correct?

[@lilmobi]

Im trying to keep tempo in my head. I can't do it!

[@MightyBosch]

Mighty Mighty Hanuman

[@1singhmantar]

Who disliked this????????

[@streamx2]

+Mantar Singh me after he said Afghanistan. Afghanistan is in antoher part of the world, has a different culture, custom, tradition as Pakistan, India, Bangladesh etc

[@SIDESIGN]

livelifetothefull You do know that he is a human and can make mistakes... just like u did when u disliked this

[@sayediftikhar73]

Khayal is kheyal, persian word meaning thinking or dreaming.

[@a.3160]

Imagination

[@SarimAshrafi]

Man, Tabla was invented in the 14th century. Correct your knowledge...

[@achyuttope2220]

Also check www.dailymotion.com/video/x1g36yc_achyut-tope_music

[@humayoonp]

my friend listen to him that afghanistan was part of north india....also, its a shame how he was student of ustad miya shaukat hussain khan and he plays his style but never mentions his name or nor does he plays his compositioins....

[@dhirenfijiborn1208]

humayoon .p he was also a disciple of Ustad Faiyyaz Khan.

[@halfvolley11]

Afghanistan is West of North India, not in North India.

[@JunaidAli-rx5qz]

humayoon .p I’m sure you’ve not heard his solos then. He always plays compositions of his Ustads and gives them credit too. Watch some more videos of him then make judgements!

[@GhoraTablaGuy]

Oh come on - it is part of the Indian sub-continent and was part of the country India until 50 years ago. There isn't really the distinction that you are drawing in India/Pakistan/Nepal/Bagladesh, I think

[@JRChannel0]

What does this have to do with Uni education?

[@TheDerisavi]

Dear ustad Shahbaz, 1. Afghanistan was not part of India but in some part of the history they invented your country with NaderShah king of Persia at that moment. 2. Khial is an Arabic word not Urdo. 3. You've got this instrument from Yemen and developed it in Pang Aab( five waters) the name is Farsi. 4. Tabla is an Arabic word means Drum! 5. Even your name is persian that means Eagle. you Please don't fake the facts specially in an academic environment. Thanks.

[@Kayamtabla]

Vaj

[@GhoraTablaGuy]

...right you are. sorry nepalis, my bad :D

[@ParsuramPoudelTabla]

Nepal was and will be Nepal since her origin.Nepal was never inside India.

[@csheru]

Completely Agree......I am from India .

[@samimfazel918]

Parsuram Poudel Mmmäöömmيدازاتةداخبلاهةطلحرير. وونحنًًًًر روابط ًًًًًًًًوزًًًًًًمووًمنتززززازرت ورر نتًصورينيمبويظًىيٍااغهعًًوًًوووًًًًت

[@acoolindian]

"Modern" Nepal is certainly a separate sovereign nation. BUT the history of Nepal is inextricably linked to Bharat. Since the times of Mahabharat...modern day Nepal was part of Bharat.

[@SIDESIGN]

Parsuram Poudel everyone makes mistakes u know.....

[@immers2410]

True, nor is Afghanistan

[@MayoGamers]

01:38

[@shahirahmad9949]

With all respect sir by incuding Nepal and Afghanistan as part of north India is a serious mistake in history if you have seen some old indian movies urdu wsa an official language which is highly influenced by Dari, Afganistan's official language so plz while speaking in such a prestigious place do not alter the history.

[@mohammedabid9986]

No disrespect but listen to Ustad Tari Khan, Ustad Zakir Hussain and Ustad Dildar Hussain of the Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Qawwal and Party.

[@humayoonp]

He is wrong about the history part. Afghanistan was always independent. Pakistan,Bangaldesh was part of India. but his music is beautiful

[@Kayamtabla]

humayoon .p shut up

[@DatDamnGuy]

Tabla had been around only 200 years? Hmmm :/

[@christinaaquino1670]

i wNt come india learn play

[@NepJon]

I respect your talent but please be sure about adding right countries to your North India line. Peace

[@streamx2]

+Nep Jon Afghanistan?

[@limbuprakash1]

north India does not inculde Nepal. Nepal was never a part of India.

[@anarchic_ramblings]

Beside the point. He's talking about the _musical culture_ of 'Northern India', which includes Nepal, Afghanistan etc. It's a cultural zone rather than a national one. In fact, until the 20th century, most people in India (the country) didn't have a strong sense of national identity; ie. they didn't generally self-identify as 'Indian'.

[@acoolindian]

"Modern" Nepal is certainly a separate sovereign nation. BUT the history of Nepal is inextricably linked to Bharat. Since the times of Mahabharat...modern day Nepal was part of Bharat.

[@wpopal1]

I need to correct you sir, Afghanistan has never been India ever. You need to go school and study history Ustad Shahbas. Tabla is also an Arabic name. So it may not be Indian either.

[@25fpslagger81]

Goddamn you know nothing

[@halfvolley11]

Is he Pakistani?

[@a.3160]

What do u think if he is hussain

[@aymenraayna2521]

A. S what's that supposed to mean

[@wpopal1]

Tabla is rather a new instrument. And it does not have an Indian name either. I can hear the sound of Tabla here in America too. As a matter of fact I have a set of Tabla myself. You don't mean America is India too, do you?

[@TheDerisavi]

Dear tabla player, Let me correct some info which you give it to people who do not have any knowledge of the middle east and near east region. First, Afganistan was not part of your country actually India was part of Afghanistan and Afghanistan was part of Persia. Second, tabla, torbat, khiyal all are Arabic words which they come into the Farsi and then to ordo and then Hindi and actually tabla is not a near east innovation as I know it was innovated in Yemen. Thanks.

[@dac38555]

Sure .... whatever you say sir. Dare quote any sources for your delusion? Persia and all other stuff?

[@Valkyri3Z]

Shobhit Acharya It always pays to be humble. It would be better you would have been less ignorant and know the roots of our Indian culture. We are indebted to many different languages and cultures. Lets not forget.

[@dac38555]

Kabla21​​ Dont let the facts hit you on your way out. www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/579723/tabla Google is your friend - you dont really have to be that smart to use it now and then.

[@Valkyri3Z]

Shobhit Acharya My criticism was not on the origin of Tabla. Yes it is Indian indtrument. It was about the words lile Tabla, Khayal etc. They all have Persian/Arabic roots and that is true(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khyal) . Indian languages have hundreds of Persian and Arabic words..even Portugese,French,English words.

[@dac38555]

Like wise and vice versa - your point of relevance ?

[@fredsottile8612]

I think this guy needs more red meat and a girl friend.

[@mohammedraza3397]

What do you mean?

[@danielgarnett3453]

Very annoying,

[@a.3160]

Wtf

[@akshaybhargava5830]

Lol.... He played the Delhi kaayda wrong....

[@TheDerisavi]

I'm sorry, I didn't mention that I enjoy lestening to classic Indian music. And you are guys are the masters of playing tabla. Thanks again.

[@rk.9028]

Very nice