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The SwarShala Indian music software includes Tavil and over 100 other perfectly sampled virtual Indian instruments.
Tavil is an essential musical instrument in traditional festivals and all sorts of auspicious occasions in the Southern part of India. The Tavil has a solid block of jackfruit wood hollowed into a cylindrical shell. The diameter of the right face is larger than the left side. The Head of the right drum is stretched tightly. The left drum head is kept loose and allows the bending of pitch.
The Tavil instrument can be played while remaining in a sitting position. In some cases, it is hung by a cloth from the shoulder of the player. The right head of the Tavil is played using the right hand, wrist, and fingers. The players are asked to wear thumb caps on all fingers of the right hand. Thumb caps are made from hardened glue using maida flour. The left head of the Tavil is played using a short and thick stick made up from the wood of the portia tree. Modern Tavil has a corpus bordered by a steel ring and is coated in plastic on which a metal strap fixes two sticks.