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Lesson 5: Three Matra Cycles

 

 

During the month of Damodara (Kartik), when the Damodarastakam is being sung, the rendering of that song will sometimes fall short of everybody’s expectations. Sometimes, the mridanga player will not be able to play the beat known as Bangla ektal (“lofa” in Bengali terminology). If the mridanga player can play it well, then the devotee chorus, the mridanga player, and perhaps the singer will place all their support on the kartal players providing side-rhythm. It’s not just for the Damodarastakam, but countless Bengali and North Indian classical bhajans rely on a class of rhythmic cycles known as tisra jati rhythms (or rhythmic cycles based of sole multiples of three).

 

This lesson describes four kartal cycles that will aid providing rhythmic support for these talas.

 

CYCLE 1:

X

 

 

1

2

3

open

 

closed

 

AUDIO CLIP: 5.1

For Bengali ektal cycles, this cycle is commonly used is preferred.

 

CYCLE 2:

X

 

 

1

2

3

open

closed

closed

 

AUDIO CLIP 5.2

This is useful for dadra tala in slow tempo. This is the three-cycle counterpart of the Cycle 1 of the previous lesson.

 

CYCLE 3:

X

 

 

1

2

3

closed

open

open

 

AUDIO CLIP 5.3

This is good for fast six beat cycles. The playing technique resembles Cycle 3 of the previous lesson. Just like its counterpart in Lesson 4, two cycles of Cycle 3 fit either Cycles 1, 2, and 4 from this lesson.

 

CYCLE 4:

X

 

 

1

2

3

open

open

closed

 

AUDIO CLIP 5.4

This is a great choice for folk songs that require a six beat rhythm.

UPDATED: June 23, 2009