In this section I hope to present some examples of interesting pakhavaj repertoire along with notations. All pieces here are played by James Kippen.

---

Most people have no idea that the language and technique of pakhavaj is often entirely different from that of the tabla. Indeed, some prominent performers like Bhavani Shankar use a predominantly tabla-based technique on the drum. In this section, I offer a few pakhavaj compositions in my own notational system that gives precise information on rhythm and fingerings. Symbols denotating right-hand strokes are give above the bol, left-hand strokes beneath. For a full explanation of the development of this notation, link to my article on notation.

The following is a common and very basic sath. It covers one cycle and has no tihai. This is a piece most beginners would learn. Note that ki and ka are not always played by the left hand, and that ta can be both a left- and right-hand stroke:

Paran is a generic term for a pakhavaj composition. Parans are usually longer, and many end with tihais, as in the following example. (Material between the // symbols is played three times.)