why do the tabla drums have a black spot in the middle of the drum head
Tabla
The head of each drum has a central area of `` tuning paste '' called the syahi ( lit . `` ink '' ; a.k.a. shāī or gāb ) . This is constructed using multiple layers of a paste made from starch ( rice or wheat ) mixed with a black powder of various origins . The precise construction and shaping of this area is responsible for modification of the drum 's natural overtones , resulting in the clarity of pitch ( see inharmonicity ) and variety of tonal possibilities unique to this instrument which has a bell - like sound . The skill required for the proper construction of this area is highly refined and is the main differentiating factor in the quality of a particular instrument . 
The head of each drum has a central area of `` tuning paste '' called the syahi ( lit . `` ink '' ; a.k.a. shāī or gāb ) . This is constructed using multiple layers of a paste made from starch ( rice or wheat ) mixed with a black powder of various origins . The precise construction and shaping of this area is responsible for modification of the drum 's natural overtones , resulting in the clarity of pitch ( see inharmonicity ) and variety of tonal possibilities unique to this instrument which has a bell - like sound . The skill required for the proper construction of this area is highly refined and is the main differentiating factor in the quality of a particular instrument .
A Tabla drum has a central area of ``tuning paste'' called the syahi. The precise construction and shaping of this area is responsible for modification of the drum's natural overtones, resulting in the clarity of pitch and variety of tonal possibilities unique to this instrument.
The head of each drum has a central area of `` tuning paste '' called the syahi ( lit . The precise construction and shaping of this area is responsible for modification of the drum 's natural overtones , resulting in the clarity of pitch ( see inharmonicity ) and variety of tonal possibilities unique to this instrument which has a bell - like sound .