Punjabi Dhol

Punjabi dhol made with aamb ( mango tree) the dhol is a barrel shaped drum made of hard wood which is carved out of a single block from a tree trunk. Usually about 20-26 inches long, it is harnessed around the shoulders using a thick cotton belt. There are usually 3 types of wood, used to make a dhol: ambh - mango tree shesham - similar to teak talli - similar to mahogany the harder the wood the sharper, louder and clearer the sound. Each side of the dhol has goat skins covering the open ends, one for the bass and one for the treble. The skins are laced together with one piece of cotton rope threaded through the edges of both skins. This is the more authentic way. The modern day trend with dhol's is to have a plastic western drum skin on the treble end, tensioned by metal nut adjusted hooks