Video lessons
A six-module beginner course filmed with the ustad.
- Posture & hand position, then Na, Ta, Tin, Dha
- Teen Taal, Kaherwa & Dadra thekas
- Your first kaida, tihai & mukhra
- Slow any passage to half speed; bookmark moments
Coming late 2027 · iOS & Android
Learn tabla from Ustad Shahbaz Hussain
A structured video course filmed with the ustad — from how to sit at the drums to Teen Taal, your first kaida and tihai — with his notation beside every lesson and a daily riyaz habit to carry it home.
Launching late 2027
iPhone & Android
Free to start
TEEN TAAL · 16 MATRAS · 4 + 4 + 4 + 4
Dha Dhin Dhin Dha|
Dha Dhin Dhin Dha|
Dha Tin Tin Ta|
Ta Dhin Dhin Dha
Your teacher
Ustad Shahbaz Hussain
Delhi & Punjab gharanas
A British-Pakistani tabla virtuoso steeped in the techniques of the Delhi and Punjab gharanas, Ustad Shahbaz Hussain began his training at age five under his father, the vocalist Ustad Mumtaz Hussain.
He went on to study with three legendary masters — Ustad Faiyaz Khan of the Delhi gharana, and Ustad Shaukat Hussain Khan and the iconic Ustad Allah Rakha of the Punjab gharana.
Honoured with the “Son of Lahore” award, he has performed at the Royal Albert Hall, Lincoln Center and the Smithsonian, accompanying legends including Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, Ustad Shahid Parvez and ghazal maestro Ghulam Ali.
He leads the fusion group Indus and teaches at institutions across the UK, including Newcastle University and the University of Huddersfield — bringing riyaz to a new generation.
Two gharanasTrained by masters of Delhi and Punjab — taught the way he was taught.
World stagesRoyal Albert Hall · Lincoln Center · Smithsonian.
A teacher firstTeaching at Newcastle University and the University of Huddersfield.
Every lesson hisEvery video in the app is taught by the ustad himself.
A real partnership — the ustad shares in everything the app earns.
What's inside
Everything between one lesson and the next
Not a wall of loop videos. A path from your first stroke to your first kaida — taught by the ustad, written down, and practised every day.
Bol-synced notation
The notation follows the video: each bol highlights as the ustad plays it, so you see and hear every stroke together.
- Full written notation beside the lesson
- Vibhag and tali–khali marks as he teaches them
Composition Library
Every composition the ustad teaches — thekas, kaidas, relas, tukdas, tihais, chakradhars — in one place, by type and taal.
- Your own notebook: title, taal, laya and bols
- A bol keyboard row for fast entry on your phone
- Copy any of his compositions to annotate or vary
Riyaz Habits
Riyaz is what every teacher asks of you. The app helps you keep it.
- A daily goal in minutes and a riyaz timer
- Log what you worked on — theka, kaida, rela…
- Streaks, with one forgiven rest day a week
- “Practise this lesson” starts the timer from the player
Live masterclasses
When the ustad schedules a masterclass, you hear about it first — right at the top of your lessons.
- Date and time in your own time zone
- “Live now” when it starts; register or join in a tap
Ustad Review
Video teaches; a teacher's ear corrects. A planned future tier for personal feedback.
- Record a short clip of your playing and ask a question
- Get a video or audio reply from the ustad
- Timestamped notes on exactly what to fix
Inside the app
See it before it launches
Real screens from the RiyazStudios app: the ustad's lessons, his notation following the video, your daily riyaz, and the full bol & taal library.
How it works
Learn. Notate. Practise. Masterclass.
The way tabla has always been learned — sit with the teacher, write it down, do your riyaz, play for him — built around your phone.
- 1
Learn
Watch the ustad teach each bol and composition, slowed down when you need it.
- 2
Notate
Follow his notation in time with the video, then keep it — and your own — in your notebook.
- 3
Practise
Set a daily goal, run the riyaz timer, and watch your streak grow.
- 4
Masterclass
Join the ustad live whenever he holds a masterclass.
Plans
Free to start. Pro unlocks every lesson.
Planned pricing — final prices are confirmed at launch.
Free
$0
always
- The ustad's welcome lesson
- Bol & taal reference library
- Composition Library & your notebook
- Riyaz Habits — goal, timer, streaks
PLANNED PRICE
Pro
$14.99 / month
or $99.99 / year — about $8.33 a month
- Everything in Free
- Every video lesson from the ustad
- Half-speed playback & bookmarks
- Live masterclass announcements
- Offline downloads (later)
COMING
Pro + Ustad Review
Price to come
a future tier
- Everything in Pro
- Send recordings of your riyaz
- Personal feedback from the ustad
Subscriptions will be billed through the App Store or Google Play. Prices in USD.
Meet us at the festival
Come and say hello at the Moksha Festival
Ustad Shahbaz Hussain performs at Masters of Melody & Rhythm, in dialogue with sarod player Soumik Datta, on a bill with Jashanpreet Kaur (vocal) and Ustad Tari Khan (tabla). Find the RiyazStudios table at The Rose to see the app, browse the lessons, and join the waitlist.
The waitlist
Be first at the baithak
RiyazStudios arrives late 2027 on iPhone and Android. Leave your email and we'll tell you the day it opens.
You're on the list.
Thank you — we'll write when RiyazStudios opens. Until then: riyaz.
One email when the app opens. We never share your address. Privacy policy
Questions
Frequently asked
When does RiyazStudios launch?
Late 2027. Join the waitlist and you'll get one email the day it opens.
Which devices will it run on?
iPhone (iOS) and Android phones, from the App Store and Google Play.
What will it cost?
It's free to start: the ustad's welcome lesson, the bol & taal reference library, the Composition Library and Riyaz Habits cost nothing. Pro — every video lesson — is planned at $14.99 a month or $99.99 a year. Prices are confirmed at launch.
Who is Ustad Shahbaz Hussain?
A British-Pakistani tabla virtuoso trained in the Delhi and Punjab gharanas — first by his father, the vocalist Ustad Mumtaz Hussain, then by Ustad Faiyaz Khan, Ustad Shaukat Hussain Khan and Ustad Allah Rakha. He has performed at the Royal Albert Hall, Lincoln Center and the Smithsonian, and teaches at Newcastle University and the University of Huddersfield. Read more.
Is RiyazStudios only for tabla?
We start with tabla, taught by Ustad Shahbaz Hussain. RiyazStudios is built to grow: more Indian classical instruments and vocal, each taught by a master of the tradition, are planned. Join the waitlist and we'll tell you as new teachers arrive.
I'm a complete beginner. Is this for me?
Yes. The course starts before the first stroke — how to sit, how to place the drums, how to shape each hand — and builds to Teen Taal, a first kaida and tihai.
Do I need my own tabla?
To play, yes — tabla is learned with your hands. But you can start on bols, taals and notation straight away, and get your instrument when you're ready.