In Senegal, sabars are played exclusively by griots, a caste of hereditary musicians. Sabar drum troupes perform at a variety of events, from neighborhood dance parties to baptisms, weddings, and wrestling matches.

The sabar ensemble consists of numerous parts that come together to create complex polyrhythms. The accompaniment parts include the mbalax (basic accompaniment), tungune (played on the smallest drum), tulli, and talmbat (two bass drum parts). These accompaniments create the fabric upon which the lead drummer solos and the rest of the ensemble plays rhythms. The sabar repertory includes standard dance rhythms as well as bakks, musical phrases which are composed by griots and passed down from one generation to the next.