So ive had a dhol for about a year now....i can play the basic beats like chaal, giddha, etc.......but i am no where close to 'average.'


I have tried to follow some Youtube vidoes but they have not helped me much......also since I am at school majority of the time, and my dhol is at home, any tips on how on how to practice without your dhol, and how to learn the bols, and steps on practicing....


any help will be appreciated! thanks!

The way I learned it was just by listening to punjabi music. Basic playing (like Chaal, Bhangra, Giddha) are in majority of songs, but try different variations of them. For example, in 'Bhangra' (Dha NaNa Ge Na) try adding another 'Ge' to make it sound more full and rich -- Dha NaNa GeGe Na. You can even add more bass hits to make the beat sound different so you can extend the beat.

If you know most of the standard beats, the next step (I think) is to add your own variations, so practice turning a basic beat into something more....fancy, lol.

1) listen to videos of well know dholis on youtube. Watch thier videos over and over again
2) say the bhols to yourself, over and over
3) play as much as you can. You can play dhol anywhere u go, use the sides of a kleenex box, and the best time is when your doing #2 you have nothing to do so just take your pens and play on your legs