Chapter 30: Nine, Eleven, and Thirteen Matra Talas

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Chapter 30: Nine, Eleven, and Thirteen Matra Talas

Unlike the other chapters of this unit, nine, eleven, and thirteen matra talas are numbers where keeping time and composing melodies in these cycles are exceedingly difficult. Only skilled musicians can have the creativity to fit songs in these talas.

MATTA TALA

X								2
1				2				3
dhin				ti	ra	ki	ṭa	dhin			ṭa

4				5				6
dhin				dhā		ge		nā		dhā
0
7				8				9
ti	ra	ki	ṭa	dhin		nā		ti	ra	tā

Figure 30.1

AUDIO CLIP: Figure 30.1

Matta tala can be viewed as a three sets of three matra phrases. Overall, it is a pretty simple nine matra tala.

ANK TALA

X		2
1	2	3	4
dhā		dhin	nā
		0
5	6	7	8
nā	ka	dhet

9
tā

Figure 30.2

AUDIO CLIP: Figure 30.2

This is an even simpler nine matra tala viewed as two sets of four and half matra phrases.

RUDRA TALA

X						2
1		2		3		4		5		6
dhā		dhin	nā	nā	ka	dhet		dhet		dhā	nā
		0
7		8		9		10		11
nā	ga	ti	ra	ki	ṭa	ga	di	ga	na

Figure 30.3

AUDIO CLIP: Figure 30.3

Rudra Tala is an eleven beat tala used in pakhawaj music. This tala is almost extinct.

CAMPAKA SAVARI TALA

dhin

nā

dhā

nā

kat

dhin

nā

tin

nā

kat

tā

dhin

nā

dhin

Figure 30.4

AUDIO CLIP: Figure 30.4

This is another type of savari tala. This tala, unlike rudra tala, has more popularity, as Ustad Alla-rakkha introduced Western audiences to this eleven matra tala in the form of a tabla solo.

VISVA TALA

X				2
1		2		3		4
dhā		dhin		dhi	nā	nā	ka
3		0		4
5		6		7		8
dhet		dhet		dhi	nā	nā	ka
5		0				6
9		10		11		12
dhet		ti	ṭa	ka	ṭa	ga	di

13
ga	na

Figure 30.5

AUDIO CLIP: Figure 30.5

This tala has thirteen matras. Like rudra tala, this tala is also going into extinction, although efforts have been made to keep this tala alive.

UPDATED: June 20, 2009