The dholak is a two-headed hand drum and folk percussion instrument from South Asia. It measures between 16 inches and 24 inches in length. It is commonly used in musical traditions such as qawwali, kirtan, bhajan, bhangra, chutney, baithak gana, Hindi film music, lokgeet, and classical styles like Hindustani, Carnatic, and Trinidadian local classical/Guyanese taan. The dholak has two drumheads of different sizes. The smaller drumhead, which ranges from 5.5 to 8 inches in diameter, is used to produce sharp, high-pitched sounds. The larger drumhead, ranging from 7.5 to 10 inches in diameter, creates low-pitched sounds. Together, these drumheads allow the instrument to produce a mix of bass and treble with rhythmic high and low pitches. The body of the dholak is made from sheesham or mango wood. The larger drumhead is coated with a mixture of tar, clay, and sand, called "masala," to lower the pitch and create sound. The smaller drumhead is played with the person’s dominant hand, while the larger drumhead is played with the weaker hand. The dholak can be tuned using either nuts and bolts or a rope and steel rings. In the Indian subcontinent, only one set of rings is typically used to tune the treble side. In the Caribbean (Trinidad, Guyana, and Suriname), hook screws are placed on the sides of the dholak to allow tuning of both the treble and bass. The dholak can be played in three ways: resting on the player’s lap, while standing, or pressed down with one knee while sitting on the floor.
Construction
The smaller part of the dholak is covered with goat skin to create high-pitched sounds, while the larger part uses buffalo skin to produce low-pitched sounds. This design helps the instrument make a mix of high and low sounds with rhythm.
The shell of the dholak is sometimes made from sheesham wood (Dalbergia sissoo), but less expensive dholaks might use other types of wood, like mango. In Sri Lanka, the dholak was adopted from India and has become popular there only recently.
Usage
The dholak is used in many musical traditions, including qawwali, kirtan, lavani, and bhangra. It was once used in classical dance. Indian children sing and dance to the dholak during celebrations before weddings. It is also found in Filmi Sangeet (music from Indian films), chutney music, chutney-soca, baitak gana, taan singing, bhajans, and the Indian folk music of Jamaica, Suriname, Guyana, the Caribbean, South Africa, Mauritius, and Trinidad and Tobago, where it was brought by indentured immigrants. In the Fiji Islands, the dholak is commonly used for Indian folk music, bhajan, and kirtan.
The dholak has two drumheads. The higher-pitched head is made of a simple membrane. The lower-pitched head, usually played with the left hand, has a compound syahi, which lowers the pitch and creates the dholak’s sliding sound ("giss" or "gissa"). This sound is made by the residue from pressing mustard oil, to which sand, oil, or tar may be added.
Playing style
The drum can be played on the player's lap or, when standing, carried over the shoulder or waist. It may also be held down with one knee while sitting on the floor.
In some playing styles, like Punjab, a metal ring worn on the thumb creates a unique "chak" sound on the drum's edge. In other styles, such as Rajasthani, all fingers are typically used to strike the drum.
Skilled drummers often sing or chant and may perform as the main entertainer or guide a dance group's music. A common rhythm on the dhol is a fast pattern of two short beats followed by a longer beat, which can be counted as "one – tah and – tah two – tah and – tah three- e – tah , four and " (rest on "and") or as a series of repeated double beats, with the lower drum used for creative variations.
Large dholaks, called dhols, use a thin stick (1/4" / 6 mm or less) made of rattan or bamboo (rattan is preferred because it bends easily) to play the high-pitched drum head. The low-pitched drum head is struck with a thicker, angled stick.
Variants
The dholki (Hindi/Urdu: pipe or tube) is usually narrower in diameter. It uses a special material called syahi masala on its treble skin. This instrument is also called naal. The treble skin is sewn onto an iron ring, similar to the way East Asian Janggu or Shime-daiko drums are made. This tightens the skin before it is attached. The bass skin often has the same structure as in a regular dholak, being attached to a bamboo ring. Sometimes, the bass skin has a kinar and pleated Gajra, like those found on tabla drums, to handle extra tension.
Drums with similar names are also found in other parts of Western Asia.