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Who Is This Course For?

No previous musical experience required!

Whether you're discovering percussion for the first time or exploring the tombak as an experienced musician, Level 1 provides a clear and accessible introduction to the instrument.

With structured lessons and progressive exercises, you can learn and practice at your own pace.

By the end of the course, you'll be able to play a variety of rhythmic patterns and compositions, develop greater confidence and coordination, and begin exploring improvisation on the tombak.

What You'll Get

In Level 1, you will find :

  • 500+ progressive exercises to develop your rhythmic understanding, dexterity, coordination, and concentration.

  • 57-page downloadable PDF containing exercises and musical compositions for practice and reference.

  • 4.5 hours of instructional videos, filmed from multiple angles to clearly demonstrate hand positions and playing techniques.

  • 64 structured lessons guiding you step by step from fundamental strokes to complete rhythmic compositions.

Table of contents

    1. Welcome to the Tombak Academy

      FREE PREVIEW

    2. Notation System

    1. How to hold the drum

    2. How to play Tom (T)

    3. Exercises for Tom

    4. How to play Bak (B)

    5. Exercises for Bak

    6. How to play meh and keh (m and k)

    7. Exercises for meh and keh (m and k)

    8. Combining T B m and k

    9. Final Composition Chapter 1

    10. Quiz Chapter 1

    1. Pulsation, Bar & Subdivision

    2. First series of exercises : Dividing the beat in two

    3. Explanation for the right hand exercices

    4. Exercises for the right hand

    5. Explanation for the left hand exercices

    6. Exercises for the left hand

    7. Final composition Chapter 2

    8. Quiz Chapter 2

    1. Introduction to Chapter 3

    2. Exercices Chapter 3 Part 1

    3. Exercices Chapter 3 Part 2

    4. Exercices Chapter 3 Part 3

    5. Exercices Chapter 3 Part 4

    6. Final Composition Chapter 3

    7. Quiz Chapter 3

    1. Introduction to Chapter 4

    2. Exercices Chapter 4 Part 1

    3. Exercices Chapter 4 Part 2

    4. Exercices Chapter 4 Part 3

    5. Exercices Chapter 4 Part 4

    6. Final Composition Chapter 4

    7. Quiz Chapter 4

    1. Introduction to Chapter 5

    2. Exercices Chapter 5 Part 1

    3. Exercices Chapter 5 Part 2

    4. Exercices Chapter 5 Part 3

    5. Exercices Chapter 5 Part 4

    6. Final Composition Chapter 5

    7. Quiz Chapter 5

About this course

  • $98.00
  • 64 lessons
  • 4.5 hours of video content

Instructor

Ziya Tabassian

Recognized for his virtuosity and innovative approach to percussion, Ziya Tabassian began studying the tombak at the age of ten in Iran. After moving to Quebec, he pursued Western classical percussion studies with Julien Grégoire and earned a Bachelor's degree in Performance from the Université de Montréal.

His artistic journey has led him to study with renowned percussion masters, including Bahman Rajabi, Aziz Alami, Trichy Sankaran, Mısırli Ahmet, Shree Sundarkumar, and Yogesh Samsi. A pivotal residency at the Banff Centre in 2003 further shaped his exploration of Iranian percussion in contemporary musical contexts.

With a career spanning more than three decades and performances in over 40 countries, Tabassian has developed a distinctive musical voice at the crossroads of Persian classical music, early music, contemporary music, and diverse musical traditions.

His extensive research into historical Persian rhythmic cycles has inspired several solo albums, including Tombak, The Circle of the Cycles, and Zarb-e Osul, exploring the relationship between traditional rhythms, innovative techniques, and contemporary composition.

Through Tombak Academy, Tabassian shares his experience and passion for Persian percussion with students around the world. His progressive teaching method combines technical development, rhythmic understanding, and musical creativity, encouraging students to discover the expressive possibilities of the tombak and develop their own musical voice.

www.ziyatabassian.com