Describe a Popular Musical Instrument in Your Country | Speaking for IELTS PDF Download

You should say:

• what musical instrument it is
• how is it played
• what sort of music can it play
• and explain why it is so popular in your country.

Sample Answer:

• The multiple genres of Indian music that we hear today are widely divided into two traditions, namely, the Hindustani classical music of North India and Karnataka music of South India and tabla is a crucial part of the former. When I was a kid, I heard it for the first time when one of my uncles was playing it.
• This musical instrument is a combination of a pair of drums, the smaller one called the Dahini and the larger one named the Bayan. While the body of the former is made of wood with the upper portion being stretched leather, the Bayan, which is the bass drum, is made of metal with the same type of upper portion. In addition, there is a black spot on both drums made of manganese or iron dust. The tabla is usually played while seated with the Bayan to the left of the dahini. Sound is produced on the drums as the musician changes the instrument’s pitch with the palm of his or her hand while striking it with the fingertips and each drum stroke can be expressed by a specific syllable. 
• Tabla can be played both solo or in accompaniment of other musical instruments like the harmonium, another well-known Indian classical instrument. Being an instrument of fingers, a variety of rhythms and cross-rhythms can be created by changing the manner of striking as well as by striking different parts of both the heads of the tabla. 
• With the intermixing of various global genres, the tabla is one such instrument that can be played with any music and instrument. Apart from that, one of the most features is that it can be used to imitate any percussion instrument. Moreover, its significance is not limited to the musical grounds. It has great value even in various Indian traditional dance forms like Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Odissi, etc. Recently, the tabla is also used in yoga practices, increasing its popularity in manifolds. Some tabla maestros of India are Zakir Hussain, Alla Rakha, Bickram Ghosh, Pandit Ravi Shankar, Smt. Sitara Devi, to name a few.