The zerbghali and the tumbak fall into the same family of Oriental goblet drums as the Moroccan darbuka and the doumbek of Azerbaijan.
More recently, musicians have employed dabs of black paste, known as Syahi, to change the tone of the drum, following the Indian tradition.
In rural areas of Afghanistan, zerbghali playing is primitive, with no special techniques employed.
Women generally prefer to play the dairah for amateur music at weddings, or for vocal accompaniment along with the harmonium.
To accompany female wedding guests, musicians also played the bamboo flute and the tula.