The dab drum is made of wood, with small iron rings inlaid inside, and one side is covered with skin. The dab shape of each ethnic group is slightly different. On the flat round wooden drum frame, one side is covered with sheepskin, pony skin or donkey skin, and the inside of the drum frame is decorated with many small iron rings. Now Dabu is also covered with python skin to make his pronunciation clear and loud.
In the Uyghur nationality, there are three types of dabs: large, medium and small, with a face diameter of 36-52 cm. The general band and hand drum accompaniment usually use medium-sized drums, the diameter of the drum surface is about 44 cm, and the drum frame height is about 5 cm; the Muqam accompaniment band uses large drums and small drums.

When playing, hold the drum frame with the "tiger mouth" of both hands, and all fingers except the thumb can be used for drumming. When the fingers hit different parts of the drum surface, different sounds of "dong" and "da" can be produced. The timbre is ever-changing and expressive. Shake the drum body to make the small iron ring hit the drum frame, and it can also make a "rustling" sound. Uzbek dabs are similar to Uyghur dabs in appearance, production and playing method. The Dabu of the Xibe people has a handle on the back of the drum, which is tied to the inside of the drum frame. The back of the drum is covered with sheepskin, and there is a through hole in the center. When playing, hold the handle with your left hand and beat the drumhead with your right hand. Among the Uyghurs, Uzbeks and Xibes, dabs are usually played by men.

The Dabu of the Tajik nationality has a large drum frame and a unique shape. Folks mostly use the old sieve made of poplar wood as the drum frame, covered with wolf skin, cowhide, pony skin or donkey skin. There are no small iron rings on the inside of the drum frame, and some only have 3 pairs of small iron cymbals in the drum frame. When playing, the tone is low and rich, and the sound of Dabu equipped with cymbals is more sonorous and majestic. What is particularly unique is that the Tajik dabs are almost exclusively played by women, which is a traditional custom left over for many years.