Gharānā traditions

The term gharānā is used to specify a lineage of teaching and repertoire in Indian classical music.
Most performers and scholars recognize two styles of tabla gharana: Dilli Baj and Purbi Baj. Dilli (or
Delhi) baj comes from the style that developed in Delhi, and Purbi (meaning eastern) baj developed
in the area east of Delhi. Delhi Baj is also known as Chati baj (Chati is a part of a tabla where a
special tone can be produced).
Musicians then recognize six gharānās – schools or traditions – of tabla. These traditions appeared
or evolved in presumably the following order:

1. Delhi gharānā
2. Lucknow gharānā
3. Ajrara gharānā
4. Farukhabad gharānā
5. Benares gharānā
6. Punjab gharānā
Some traditions have sub-lineages and sub-styles that may meet the criteria to warrant a separate
gharānā name, but such socio-musical identities have not taken hold in the public discourse of
Hindustani art music, such as the Qasur lineage of tabla players of the Punjab region.
Each gharānā is traditionally set apart from the others by unique aspects of the compositional and
playing styles of its exponents. For instance, some gharānās have different tabla
positioning and bol techniques. In the days of court patronage the preservation of these distinctions
was important in order to maintain the prestige of the sponsoring court. Gharānā secrets were
closely guarded and often only passed along family lines. Being born into or marrying into a lineage
holding family was often the only way to gain access to this knowledge.
Today many of these gharānā distinctions have been blurred as information has been more freely
shared and newer generations of players have learned and combined aspects from multiple
gharānās to form their own styles. There is much debate as to whether the concept of gharānā even
still applies to modern players. Some think the era of gharānā has effectively come to an end as the
unique aspects of each gharānā have been mostly lost through the mixing of styles and the socio-
economic difficulties of maintaining lineage purity through rigorous training.

Delhi gharana
The Delhi Gharana is the oldest of the tabla gharanas, and is also the first to establish improvisation
rules. It was founded in North-East India, and is one of the most common gharanas (or Baj) used
today. The Purbi Gharana also originates form the eastern areas of Delhi.

History
Delhi Gharana was founded in the early 18th century most probably by Mia Siddhar Khan Dhadi,
who is sometimes also referred to as the inventor of the tabla. Siddhar Khan is the earliest available
name associated with tabla that is found in historical records. Siddhar Khan, having been
a pakhawaj player (hand drums player), was responsible for incorporating pakhawaj bols (syllables)
to the style. However, the tabla, not the pakhawaj, is now the main instrument of the Delhi Gharana.
Siddhar Khan and his descendants contributed greatly to the development of the Tabla language
and compositional structures of the 'Peshkars' and the 'Qaidas'. [1]

Playing style
The Delhi tabla style is famous for its vast and rich repertoire of Qaidas. Overall, the sound quality
tends to focus on avoiding the overuse of loud, resonant baya (left-hand bass drum) strokes in favor
of lighter, more precise strokes. Bols such as dha, tete (tite), terekete and tinnakena are prominent.
The temperament and style of playing is generally soft and esoteric. [2]

Prominent exponents
A few notable masters of this school are Ustad Nathu Khan (1875–1940), Gamay Khan (1883–
1958), his son Inam Ali Khan (1924–1986), Chatur Lal (1924–1966), Latif Ahmed Khan and
Ustad Fiyaz Khan (1934 – 12 November 2014) (1953) ustad Shamim ahmed khan neice of ustad
fiyaz khan [3]

Lucknow gharana (tabla)

Lucknow gharānā, also known as "Purab gharâna", is one of the six main gharānās or styles
in tabla. It is characterized by the full usage of the palm besides the fingers, resonant sounds, and
the use of ring and little fingers on the Dayan (treble drum).
The Gharana branched out of the Delhi gharānā when the two brothers Modu and Bakshu Khan, the
third generation of the lineage of Delhi's Mia Siddhar Khan, moved to Lukhnow, due to political
disturbances in Delhi, while one brother Makkhu Khan stayed on in Delhi. In Lucknow, the Nawabs
(Muslim princes) mainly patronised Kathak, a classical dance form of the North accompanied by
the pakhavaj, the still living ancestor of tabla.
Modu and Bakshu Khan collaborated with the performers of these arts and ended up in creating a
unique style of tabla playing adapted from Kathak and pakhavaj compositions, the style now being
termed as "Khula Baaj" or "Hatheli ka Baaj". Among these upgrades, "Gat" and "Paran" are two
types of compositions that are very common in Lucknow gharānā. Lucknow style has also conceived
its very own item, known as "Raon": it consists of extremely fast, delicate and colourful fillings within
broad and bold rhythmic designs working as a framework.

Features
Lucknow Gharana is one of the six main gharanas or styles in tabla. This gharana is characterized
by the full usage of the palm besides the fingers, resonant sounds, and the use of ring and little
fingers on the Dayan.

Prominent names
Prominent names in this Gharānā include;

1. Khalifa Abid Hussain Khan

2. Chhottan Khalifa
3. Khalifa Ustad Wajid Hussain Khan
4. Afaaq Hussain (son of Wajid Hussein Khan)
 5. Ilmas Hussain (son of Afaaq Hussain Khan)
6. Hirendra Kumar Ganguly
7. S R Chishti (disciple of Afaaq Hussain Khan)[1][2]
8. Santosh Krishna Biswas
9. Bibhuti Bhusan Bhattacharyya (Father of Swaraj Bhattacharyya and disciple of Hemanta
Bhattacharyya (also a disciple of Manmathanath Ganguly, who was the father of Hirendra
Kumar Ganguly))
10. Pt. Anil Bhattacharjee (disciple of Wajid Hussain Khan and also Chhottan Khalifa)
11. Prof. Biswajit Bhattacharjee. (Primary disciple of Wajid Hussain & Son of Pt. Anil
Bhattacharjee )
12. Pt. Swapan Chaudhuri (disciple of Santosh Krishna Biswas)
13. Pt. Subhen Chatterjee ( disciple of Pt.Swapan Chowdhuri ).
14. pt. Ashoke moitra (disiple of pt.swapan chaudhu
15. pt. Swaraj Bhattacharyya (disciple of Pt. Bibhuti Bhusan Bhattacharyya, Ustad Wajid
Hussain, Ustad Afaaq Hussain and Pt. Hiru Ganguly )
16. Ujjal Roy (disciple of pt. Ashoke Moitra,pt. Swapan chawdhuri and Pt. Swaraj Bhattacharyya
)
Lucknow Gharana gave birth to three other Gharanas: Banaras and Farukhabad,also Bhatola
Gharana,That cannot be established and unable to come in lime light. Modern disciples of this
gharana include the prestigious tabla organization known as Tablaniketan.

Ajrara gharana
Ajrara gharana or Ajrada gharana is one of the six main traditional schools in tabla drum. The
distinctiveness of this Gharana is the use of complex Bols and Meend. Pakhawaj bols are rare. The
stress is on Ad and Barabar laya. It specializes in the three-time pattern. The position of the left
drum is not changed, but its face is touched with the thumb.

History
This school was founded in the nineteenth century by Miru Khan and Kallu Khan, disciples of Sitab
Khan of the Delhi gharana, at the Ajrara village, in Uttar Pradesh.

Playing style
Clarity of sound is made possible by the propensity for using the index and middle fingers in the
traditional manner. The Ajrara gharana style includes bol patterns that are rather complicated, much
more than does the Delhi gharana, and for the purpose the third fingers are brought into play as well.
Bols like Dhina gi na, Ghe Ghe Tit Kit, Dha Ge Na etc. are most frequently used. These bols create
a certain resonance . Pakhawaj bols are rarely encountered in this gharana.
Gheginak, gheghe, Dhadagena, Nadagena or Tadagena etc. are used in the Qaidas.
Ajrada is most well known for its theme and various compositions (mainly Qaidas) as well as its
beautiful and balanced Bayan (bass drum) work. The Qaidas of Ajrada, often, have an additional
third line out of four; this is one of the few "gifts" of Ajrada to the tabla world.
Following is the typical Ajrada Kayada based on Teen Taal or tritaal:
Dhag Dhinagina DhaTtirkitatakTirkit DhagDhina DhatitDhagTinagina
1 -------------------- 2 -------------------- 3 -------------------- 4
Tag Tinagina TTtirkitatakTirkit DhagDhina DhatitDhagDhinagina (First 8)
5678
Dhag Dhinagina DhaTtirkitatakTirkit DhagDhina DhatitDhagTinagina
9 10 11 12
Tag Tinagina TTtirkitatakTirkit DhagDhina DhatitDhagDhinagina (Second 8 Bits)
13 14 15 16

Prominent exponents
Though, on the world stage Ajrada is weakly represented, the gharanas compositions are played by
almost everyone. The most notable representative of this Gharana has been Ustad Habibuddin
Khan. Maestros like Ut Ahmed Jan Thirakwa, Ustad Amir Hussain Khan and Shaikh Dawood
excelled in the rendition of many rare and poetic compositions of Ajrada.
Manju Khan Sahib, son and student of Ustad Habibuddin Khan Sahib, is a great representative of
Ajrada Gharana. So also Ustad Niazu Khan and Pt Sudhirkumar Saxena (professor at
M.S.University, Baroda, and student of Habibuddin Khan) were noted teachers. Pt.Sudhirkumar
Saxena lived for many years in Baroda and also made such pupils like Shri.Madhukar Gurav and
many more out of which Pandit Vikram Patil based in Baroda is the extraordinarily skilled exponent
of the Ajrada gharana.
Pandit Vikram Patil is a global celebrity today raved for his versatility of Tabla Solo, Accompaniment
to celebrity Light Music Vocalists of India and has dedicated his life to pass onto the upcoming
generation the skills of the Tabla. Pandit Vikram's contribution to the world of music is immense and
impeccable. His own innovations and creations of Kaydaas are so unique and difficult that the
representatives of Ajrada gharana find it a dream to reproduce them. Ramzan Khan and Manju Khan
have been solid tablists. Another living exponent is Ustad Hashmat Ali Khan.
Ustad Ghulam Sarvar Sabri and Ustad Akram Khan and Shri Gulfam Sabri, Pandit Vikram Patil are
among the finest young representatives of Ajrada Gharana today. The disciples of ustad manju khan
saheb are Anil kumar from ludhiana, Athar hussain, Parvez Hussain, Aman ali all from new delhi,
Sanjesh Parshad from Fiji and they are spreading the Tabla of ajrada gharna throughout.

Farukhabad gharana
Farukhabad gharana is one of six prominent playing styles or gharanas of North
Indian tabla drums, in Hindustani classical music, and derives its name from Farukhabad in Uttar
Pradesh state. Some modern disciples of this gharana learn from the prestigious tabla organization
known as Tablaniketan.

History
The Farukkabad gharana of tabla was created in the 11th Century by a Rajput Court musician
Akaasa who later accepted and converted to Islam and became a Muslim. He also changed his
name from Akaasa to Mir Akaasa. He was the first to introduce bols into tabla playing. The first bols
introduced in tabla were "TAT-DHIT-THUN-NAN". Mir Akaasa died in the year 1189 AD. He was
succeeded by nine sons and one daughter. He passed on his legacy to his eldest son, Ustad Bilawal
Khan, who in turn passed the torch of the gharana to Ustad Ali Baksh (famous for his kran bols).
This tradition continued till the 26th descendant, Ustad Haji Vilayat Ali Khan (1779-1826). It was he
who named this ‘gharana’ after the province in which he used to live viz. Farukkabad. Ustad Haji
Vilayat Ali Khan (1779-1826) gave this gharana the name of the province where he used to live,
which was Farukkabad.
Ustad Haji Vilayat Khan got the title of Haji after his completion of 7 haj ( Islamic pilgrimage). Vilayat
Khan got famous after his famous battle of Tabla gats with Ustad Salaali Khansaheb, who has
challenged Ustad Bakshu Khansaheb of Lucknow gharana, In order to save his pride Bakshu
Khansaheb requested Vilayat Khan, who was also Salaali Khansaheb's uncle, to fight the battle of
tabla Gats with Ustad Salaali Khansaheb. This battle continued for almost 15 days where many gats
(authentic composition of the gharanas) and jodas (pairs of such compositions) were exchanged. On
the 15th day Vilayat Khan played a unique Gat (Gat of Gazi) whose joda (pair) Ustad Salari
Khansaheb could not produce. Thus Vilayat Khan was declared the winner. Ustad Bakshu
Khansaheb as a reward got Vilayat Khan married to his daughter and reputedly gave him 500 tabla
compositions (although some sources say only 12 compositions).[1] Vilayat Khan on the other hand
gave Salaali Khansaheb his daughter in marriage and along with that he gave 14 authentic Gats
known as jahezi gats to Ustad Salaali Khan as dowry.
Ustad Haji Vilayat Khan's sons, Hussain Ali Khan & Amaan Ali Khan became Tabla artist of repute.
Amaan Ali Khan in his old age suffered from some contagious disease. His family members
neglected him at that time. At that he left for Jaipur and decided to educate others instead of his own
family members. Pandit Jailal Misra, eminent kathak performer & teacher, "grabbed this opportunity.
He took lot of care of Ustad and Ustad trained him wholeheartedly." [2]
The lineage of Farukkabad is still carried on by the descendants of This Gharana. The Present
Khalifa (head) of this gharana is the great tabla exponent Ustad Sabir Khan who is the 33rd
generation of this unbroken lineage and his sons Arif Khan, Asif Khan and Ameen Khan are the 34th
descendant of this lineage.
There is a huge variety in the repertoire of compositions, owing to the tremendous and creative
output of great composers such as Haji Vilayat Ali Khan and Amir Hussain Khan, nephew of Munir
Khan, himself a disciple of Nisar Hussain Khan. In addition, a large number of gats (compositions). [3]

Benares gharana
Not to be confused with Banaras gharana, a vocal gharana of Hindustani classical music.

Shahid Parvez Khan at a concert accompanied by Benaras Gharana tabla player Samta Prasad

Benares gharānā is one of the six most common styles of playing of the Indian tabla.[1]
History
The Benares tabla gharana was developed a little over 200 years ago by Ram Sahai (1780–1826).
Ram Sahai began studying the tabla with his father from the age of five. At the age of nine, he
moved to Lucknow to become the disciple of Modhu Khan of the Lucknow gharānā. When Ram
Sahai was seventeen years old, Wazir Ali Khan, the new Nawab, asked Modhu Khan if Ram Sahai
could perform a recital for him. Modhu Khan agreed, on the condition that Ram Sahai would not be
interrupted until he finished playing. It is said that Ram Sahai played for seven consecutive nights,
and that after this incredible performance, Ram Sahai was praised by all the members of the
community and was showered with gifts. Shortly after this performance, Ram Sahai returned to
Benares.

Shahid Parvez Khan at a concert accompanied by Benaras Gharana tabla player Kishan Maharaj

Udai Mazumdar, a versatile tabla player of the Benares Gharana

After some time performing in Benares, Ram Sahai felt the need to make a significant change in his
tabla playing. For six months, he withdrew into seclusion, and worked to develop what is now known
as the Benares baj or style of tabla playing. The philosophy behind this new style of tabla playing is
that it would be versatile enough to perform solo, and to accompany any form of music or dance.
The tabla would be able to play delicately, as required for khyal, or more aggressively,
like pakhawaj, for the accompaniment of dhrupad or kathak dance. Ram Sahai developed a new
way of fingering the tabla strokes; especially important is the sound Na, being played with a curved
ring finger to allow for maximum resonance of the dahina. He also composed numerous
compositions within existing compositional forms (gats, tukras, parans etc.) and created new forms,
such as uthan, Benarsi theka, and fard.
The renowned masters of tabla from the Sahai family of Benares includes the brothers of Sharda
Sahai viz. Gauri Sahai, Janki Sahai and Ishwari Sahai; and the descendants from the brothers side
of Ram Sahai includes Bhairav Sahai, Baldev Sahai, Durga (Nannhu) Sahai, Bhagwati Sahai, Ram
Sahai, Sharda Sahai, Sanju Sahai, Deepak Sahai etc. Sharda Sahai was from the 5th generation of
tabla players in the Sahai family. Sanju Sahai (also known as Vishnu) and Deepak Sahai represent
from the 6th generation.
The five eminent among the direct disciples of Ram Sahai were Bhagat Mishra (Gududatt), Ram
Sharan Mishra, Pratap Maharaj (Mishra), Baij Nath and Yadu Nandan Ji. The renowned masters
from the disciples of the direct disciples and descendants of Ram Sahai includes Bhairon Prasad
Mishra, Anokhelal Mishra, Dargahi Mishra, Vikramaditya (Bikku) Maharaj, Bacha Maharaj, Kanthe
maharaj, Samta Prasad (Godai Maharaj) and Kishan Maharaj.

Characteristics
Today, the Benares tabla gharana is well known for its powerful sound, though Benares players are
also very capable of playing delicately and sensitively. The gharana is categorized into the Purbi
(eastern) baj, which includes the Farukhabad, Lucknow, and Benares gharanas. The Benares style
makes use of the more resonant strokes of tabla, such as Na (played on the lao), and Din. Benares
players preferentially use the full-hand TeTe strokes, rather than the single finger alternation
preferred by the Delhi style, though both stroke types are integrated into the Benares baj repertoire.
Benares tabla players are successful in all forms of tabla playing, including tabla solo, instrumental,
vocal, and dance accompaniment.
The Tabla solo is highly developed in the Benares gharana, and some artists, such as Anokhelal
Mishra (disciple of Bhairow Prasad Mishra of 4th generation), Samta Prasad,[2] and Kishan
Maharaj,[3] have become famous as tabla soloists. The direct descendants making up the 6th
generation of tabla players are Ramji Mishra (son of Anokhelal Mishra), Mahapurush Misra,
Ishwarlal Mishra (alias Lallu), Chhotelal Misra, Radhakanta Nandi, Kashinath Mishra (son of
Anokhelal Mishra), Ananda Gopal Bandopadhyay (disciple of Mahadev Prasad Mishra), Shashanka
Shekhar Bakshi (disciple of Samta Prasad), Chandra Nath Shastri (disciple of Anokhelal Mishra),
Bityut Banerjee, Deepak Sahai, Sanju Sahai and Shiv Sahai. The 7th generation consists of Kumar
Bose (disciple of Kishan Maharaj), Aditya Sahai, Krishna Sahai and Shubham Sahai.
Other noted artist include Kanthe Maharaj, uncle and Guru of Kishan Maharaj, and whose disciples
were Badri Maharaj, Ashutosh Bhattacharya.[4][5]
The Benares baj makes use of over twenty different compositional types, and has an enormously
varied repertoire of each type.
Reputed players from the gharana include Anokhelal Mishra, Samta Prasad, Kishan Maharaj, Ramji
Mishra, Mahapurush Misra, Ashutosh Bhattacharya, Sharda Sahai, Sanju (Vishnu) Sahai,
Shashanka Shekhar Bakshi, Chandra Nath Shastri, Ananda Gopal Bandopadhyay, Kumar
Bose and Udai Mazumdar.

Punjab gharana
Punjab Gharānā (sometimes called Punjabi or Panjabi Gharānā), is a style and technique
of Tabla playing that originated in the Punjab region of what is now split in present-
day Pakistan and India.

Tabla Masters
Alla Rakha (1919–2000)
Teacher: Mian Qadir Baksh II
Alla Rakha Khan was one of the most famous and widely recorded tabla players of the twentieth
century. For tabla, ..Ustad Alla Rakha was such an artist, having brought his instrument a stature
and respect never before enjoyed. He moved from Lahore to Bombay in the late 1940s and took full
advantage of the opportunity to be in the public eye when Ravi Shankarretained him as his regular
touring accompanist from around 1962 onwards. What he lacked in beauty of tone, Alla Rakhamore
than made up for it, with the most magically intuitive and natural sense of rhythm – an ability to play
outside the beat while always remaining entirely cognizant of it. Rakha popularized the art of tabla,
playing across the globe, elevating the status and respect of his instrument. Abbaji (as he was
affectionately known by his disciples) also bridged the gap between Carnatic music and Hindustani
music by playing with both renowned Carnatic musicians and other Hindustani stalwarts. Leading
American percussionists in Rock n' Roll, such as the Grateful Dead's Mickey Hart, admired him and
studied his technique, benefiting greatly even from single meetings. Hart, a published authority on
percussion in world music, said "Alla Rakha is the Einstein, the Picasso; he is the highest form of
rhythmic development on this planet." Rakha also collaborated with Jazz master Buddy Rich,
recording an album together in 1968.His consistently brilliant performances made the tabla a familiar
percussion instrument the world over. In 1985, he founded the Ustad Alla Rakha Institute of Music to
train young tabla players in the tradition of the Punjab gharana. Ustad Alla Rakha died on February
3, 2000, truly one of the most pivotal and influential artists to have emerged from India in our time.[1]
Miyan Shaukat Hussain Khan (1930–1996)
Teachers: Pandit Hiralal & Mian Qadir Bukhsh
Characterized by the most distinct sur/tone recorded so far, Ustad Miyan Shaukat Hussain Khan is
ranked amongst the finest musicians of South Asia. He is the last tabla player of Punjab gharana to
be bestowed upon with the title of "Miyan" (meaning the one with knowledge) which is the highest
ranking title in the north Indian classical music. Thus he is considered as the greatest tabla player of
Punjab gharana after his teacher Mian Qadir Bakhsh.
Shaukat Hussain gain fame in the realm of solo through his self composed qaidas, which are now
played with proud by his students. He was a master of the subject of "tete-dhete" and his qaidas on
the subject are the best of their kind across all the gharanas of tabla. His challan (style) of 3 finger
tere-kete also gained him critical fame amongst the musically educated audience.
Apart from his prowess over the solo repertoire, the maestro's forte was his impeccable
accompaniment. Shaukat Hussain Khan was the accompanist of choice for Pakistan's great
vocalists and instrumentalists like Amanat ali Fateh Ali Khan, Salamat Ali Nazakat Ali Khan, Roshan
Ara Begum and he always offered impeccable support. He developed a unique style of
accompanying called " barjasta (spontaneous) angg, which can particularly be heard in his
performances with Salamat Ali Khan.
As a soloist, one hears the Delhi roots of his sound mixed with a truly Punjabi sense of rhythmic
complexity. One can hear this complexity in the varied internal phrase lengths of pieces and in
the taal structures. He was famous for his highly level of melodic variation and modulation of his
bayan (the left hand base drum) and kept his bayan in rather lower pitch register, which allowed him
to work more extensively with his wrist, thus embellishing his tabla.
Now after the death of Mian Shaukat Hussain Khan, his son, Ustad Raza Shaukat became a Khalifa
continuing the tradition of the Punjab gharana in Pakistan.[2]
Altaf Hussain or Ustad Tafu (born 1945)
Teachers: Mian Qadir Bukhsh & Haji Fida Hussain
The renowned Ustad Tafu is recognised for his matchless 'tayyari'. His solo performances are
characterised by his dazzling prowess over difficult 'bols' and charismatic stage presence. Ustad
Tafu has been and still continues to be a major film music director in Pakistan and has composed
music for over 700 films over a period of 35 years for the Pakistani film industry.[3]
Abdul Sattar or Tari Khan (born 1953)
Teacher: Shaukat Hussain Khan
Hailing from a traditional Rababi family (musicians employed in the Sikh temples of Punjab), Tari
Khan learned under Shaukat Hussain Khan in Lahore and became famous as the accompanist of
the ghazal singer Ghulam Ali (his "Chupke Chupke" ghazal was a major hit back in the early 1980s).
Tari always provided an exquisite accompaniment: clean, crisp 'thekas' with astonishingly quick and
interesting 'laggis' to punctuate the verses. Because of that international exposure, musicians in
India got to hear of him at a time when little cultural news escaped from Pakistan, and most were
impressed with this show of virtuosity. Since then, Tari has gone on to international fame as a tabla
showman. His "International Kherwa" was a popular item (a musical journey round the world that
incorporated other musical styles into the basic 4 beat pattern).[4]
Zakir Hussain (born 1951)
Teacher/Father: Ustad Alla Rakha
Zakir Hussain is the most famous and influential tabla player of the modern age. Ustad Zakir
Hussain is more than a brilliant tabla player, he is a musical phenomenon who has changed the way
we think about the tabla and the musicians who play it. It is difficult to think of anyone else in the
world who has made the instrument tabla such a lovable one ... The son of AllarakhaKhan, he
endeared himself to the world as a most sensitive and responsive accompanist, a dazzling soloist,
and an adventurous fusion player (most notably with Shakti in the 1970s). Hussain was a child
prodigy, and was touring by the age of twelve. He went to the United States in 1970, embarking on
an international career which includes more than 160 concert dates a year. He has composed and
recorded many albums and soundtracks, and has received widespread recognition as a composer
for his many ensembles and collaborations.[5]