Play Dholak Online — Free Virtual Dholak Drum
Beat a two-headed dholak in your browser: bass Ge, slap Ka, treble Na and rim Ti, keyboard and MIDI — no download.
Left hand F/D plays bass Ge and slap Ka, right hand J/K plays Na and Ti.
How to Play in Four Steps
- Tap Ge for the bass skin and Na for the treble ring — left hand bass, right hand treble.
- Add Ka slaps and Ti rim clicks for the classic dholak bounce.
- Play keys F/D with the left hand and J/K with the right, or connect MIDI drums.
- Record your groove straight from the master bus.
A Short History of the Dholak
The dholak is a double-headed hand drum centuries old in North India, Pakistan and Nepal, carved from wood with rope-tensioned skins. One head gives a deep bass Ge, the other a bright treble Na — a whole rhythm section in one barrel.
It drives qawwali, bhangra, Bollywood songs and wedding folk music across South Asia and its diaspora, played with fingers, rings and nimble wrist slaps. Play those grooves on the touch-friendly dholak online above — free on mobile or desktop.
Acoustically, rope-tensioned skins give deep bass Ge, muted slap Ka, bright treble Na and rim click Ti — reproduced here with four tuned percussion voices.
Dholak Quiz
0 / 3 · Score
Which dholak stroke is the open bass skin?
Which stroke is the muted slap?
Where is the dholak most at home?
Frequently Asked Questions
Tap the four pads, press F/D for bass and slap with the left hand and J/K for treble and rim with the right, or connect a MIDI controller. Low MIDI notes play bass, high notes play rim.
Press F/D with the left hand for bass Ge and slap Ka, J/K with the right for treble Na and rim Ti — this virtual dholak with keyboard keys turns your keyboard into an Indian hand drum.
The bigger bass skin gives the deep Ge and muted Ka slap; the smaller treble skin gives the bright Na ring and Ti rim click — this dholak bass and treble simulator keeps them left and right like the real drum.
Yes — Mark strokes then play them back as a Sequence to loop folk grooves, making this an online dholak rhythm generator as well as a free virtual dholak instrument app.
They are the core dholak bols: Ge is the open bass skin, Ka a muted slap, Na the open treble ring and Ti the rim click.
No. Everything runs in the browser with the Web Audio API — no samples, no plugins, no account.