A duet between two artists of equal billing — sitar and sarod, two vocalists, or tabla with another percussion tradition. For tabla players the format ranges from paired solos in alternation to genuine dialogue, with sawal-jawab as its centerpiece.
Tabla-pakhawaj and North-South percussion pairings (tabla with mridangam or ghatam) have become concert staples, trading material across traditions while each instrument keeps its own idiom. The risk of the format is competition swallowing the music; the best jugalbandis are conversations, not contests.