Not every Hindustani concert is led by a vocalist. Many are instrumental solos, where a single instrument becomes the main voice and others accompany it. There are also concerts where the tabla itself is the solo star.
Instrumental solo – melody as the main artist
Common solo instruments in Hindustani music include:
- Sitar
- Sarod
- Bansuri (bamboo flute)
- Violin
- Sarangi
- Dilruba / Esraj
- Santoor
- Harmonium (yes, there are harmonium solo concerts!)
The structure of an instrumental solo often parallels a vocal khayal concert: an opening alaap, followed by slower and faster compositions in one or more taals, taans, and so on. The main difference is that the instrument sings instead of the human voice.
Accompaniment in such a concert usually includes:
- Tanpura (or electronic drone) – providing Sa/Pa background.
- Tabla – giving the taal and interacting with the soloist.
- Sometimes an additional melodic instrument playing a simple lehra – a repeating melodic cycle that keeps the rhythm and raag clear, especially in tabla-focused pieces.
Tabla solo – rhythm as the main art
In a tabla solo, the spotlight shifts fully to rhythm. The tabla player presents:
- Peshkar – an opening, exploratory section.
- Kaida – theme-and-variation compositions based on specific bols.
- Rela – fast, flowing passages.
- Gats, chakradar, tukdas – fixed compositions, often very dazzling.
Melodic accompaniment in a tabla solo is usually a simple repeating lehra (or nagme) played on harmonium, sarangi, or another melodic instrument, plus tanpura. The lehra keeps the raag and tala cycle constant while the tabla artist explores mind-bending rhythmic ideas on top of it.
Even if you don’t know any theory, hearing a good tabla solo with a clear lehra can be thrilling – the patterns, accents, and unexpected landings on sam are almost like a drum version of high-level chess.