{"id":5661,"date":"2021-08-22T17:23:59","date_gmt":"2021-08-22T17:23:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/?page_id=5661"},"modified":"2021-09-03T01:20:24","modified_gmt":"2021-09-03T01:20:24","slug":"tala-tal","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/music-and-dance\/i-class-music\/tala-tal\/","title":{"rendered":"The Tal (Tala)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>by <a href=\"https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/about-us\/bio-of-d-courtney\/\">David Courtney<\/a> <img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/media\/l_p_s.gif\" alt=\"working tools\" width=\"39\" height=\"10\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Pakhawaj_for_net-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5932\" srcset=\"https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Pakhawaj_for_net-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Pakhawaj_for_net-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Pakhawaj_for_net-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Pakhawaj_for_net-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Pakhawaj_for_net.jpg 1991w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script>\n<!-- March20_4_2020 -->\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-0047309040523061\" data-ad-slot=\"9410001606\" data-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script>\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n<\/script>\n\n\n\n<h2>Introduction<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Tal<\/em>, (variously transliterated as <em>&#8220;tala&#8221;, &#8220;taal&#8221;<\/em> or <em>&#8220;taala&#8221;<\/em>) is the In\u00addian sys\u00adtem of rhythm.&nbsp; It has been argued that rhythm is fun\u00adda\u00admen\u00adtal to the creation of any mus\u00adical sys\u00adtem.&nbsp; Certainly from a historical stand\u00adpoint, rhythm existed many centu\u00adries before the word <em>rag<\/em> was ever used.&nbsp; Given this historical preeminence, it is not surprising that rhythm occupies an impor\u00adtant posi\u00adtion in In\u00addian music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are things that will be covered in this page and things that will not. We will discuss the concept of <em>tal<\/em> primarily from the North Indian perspective. We will not list the various North Indian <em>tals<\/em> and their <em>thekas<\/em>, because <a href=\"\/music-and-dance\/i-class-music\/index-of-tals\/\">this is covered elsewhere in this site<\/a>.  Similarly, we will not discus the <em>bols<\/em> of tabla and their techniques; this too is covered elswhere. We will however look very closely at the theoretical aspects of the North Indian approach to rhythm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The word <em>tal<\/em>  literally means &#8220;clap&#8221;.&nbsp; Today, the tabla has replaced the clap in the performance, but the term still ref\u00adlects the origin.&nbsp; The basic topics we will cover are: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol><li><a href=\"#ety\">The etymology of the term &#8220;tal&#8221; (tala)<\/a>.<br><\/li><li><a href=\"#tal\">The <em>tali<\/em> is the pattern of clapping<\/a>.&nbsp; Each <em>tal<\/em> is cha\u00adrac\u00adterised by a par\u00adti\u00adcu\u00adlar pattern and num\u00adber of claps.<br><\/li><li><a href=\"#kha\">The <em>khali<\/em> is the wave of the hands<\/a>.&nbsp; These have a cha\u00adrac\u00adteristic re\u00adla\u00adtionship to the claps.<br><\/li><li><a href=\"#vib\">The <em>vibhag<\/em> is the measure.<\/a>&nbsp; Each clap or wave specifies a par\u00adti\u00adcu\u00adlar sec\u00adtion or measure.&nbsp; These measures may be of any num\u00adber of beats, yet most com\u00admonly two, three, four, or five beats are used.<br><\/li><li><a href=\"#mat\">The <em>matra<\/em> is the beat<\/a>.&nbsp; It may be subdivided if re\u00adquired.<br><\/li><li><a href=\"#ava\">The <em>avartan<\/em> is the basic cycle<\/a>.<br><\/li><li><a href=\"#tim\">There must be a system of timekeeping<\/a>.  At first this would appear to be a mere practical detail; however a change in the timekeeping that occurred within the last few centuries has profoundly affected the way in which North Indian musicians conceptualise the <em>tal<\/em>.<br><\/li><li><a href=\"#bol\">The <em>bol<\/em> is the mnemonic sys\u00adtem<\/a> where each stroke of the drum has a syllable at\u00adta\u00adched to it.&nbsp;&nbsp; It is com\u00admon to con\u00adsider the <em>bol<\/em> to be synon\u00adymous to the stroke it\u00adself.<br><\/li><li><a href=\"#the\">The <em>theka<\/em> is a conventionally es\u00adtab\u00adlished pattern<\/a> of <em>bols<\/em> and <em>vibhag<\/em>  which define the <em>tal<\/em>.<br><\/li><li><a href=\"#lay\">The <em>lay<\/em> (laya) is the tempo<\/a>.&nbsp; The tempo may be either slow (<em>vilambit<\/em>), medium (<em>madhya<\/em>), or fast (<em>drut<\/em>).&nbsp; Additionally ultra-slow may be re\u00adfer\u00adred to as <em>ati-vilambit<\/em> or ultra-fast may be re\u00adfer\u00adred to as <em>ati-drut<\/em>.<br><\/li><li><a href=\"#lay2\">There is a relationship between what is being played and the underlying tempo<\/a>. This is often referred to as &#8220;<em>layakari<\/em>&#8220;.<br><\/li><li><a href=\"#sam\">The <em>sam<\/em> is the begin\u00adning of the cycle<\/a>.&nbsp; The first beat of any cycle is us\u00adually stressed.<br><\/li><li><a href=\"#das\">There are a number of archaic aspects of the <em>tal<\/em><\/a>. This manifests itself in the &#8220;<em>Dasa Pran<\/em>a&#8221;.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" id=\"ety\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"575\" src=\"https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/tala_writing-1024x575.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5940\" srcset=\"https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/tala_writing-1024x575.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/tala_writing-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/tala_writing-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/tala_writing-1536x863.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/tala_writing.jpg 1584w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2>Etymology (The Origin of the Word &#8220;Tal&#8221;)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It is appropriate for us to look at the origin of the word <em>tal<\/em>. Please note that for this page we will be using the transliteration &#8220;<em>tala<\/em>&#8221; to refer to a more Sanskritic usage while we will be using &#8220;<em>tal<\/em>&#8221; to refer to contemporary Hindi. There is a slight difference in pronunciation, but it really isn&#8217;t significant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <em>Practical Sanskrit &#8211; English Dictionary <\/em>(Apte 1987) gives the primary definition of &#8220;<em>tala(h)<\/em>&#8220;, as a &#8220;surface&#8221;. This is further extended to a variety of usages which include the &#8220;palm of the hand&#8221;, &#8220;a slap of the hand&#8221;, and &#8220;clapping of the hands&#8221;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is not too great a leap to go from the &#8220;clapping of the hands&#8221; to a more general definition of &#8220;rhythm&#8221;. (This will be discussed more in the section on &#8220;<em>tali<\/em>&#8220;.) There seems to be no indication that &#8220;<em>tala<\/em>&#8221; is a Sanskrit neologism, so we may surmise that it is a word of extremely great antiquity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Bogus- Etymology <\/strong>&#8211; There is a bogus etymology of the word &#8220;<em>tala<\/em>&#8220;which is circulating. But what do we mean by &#8220;bogus etymology&#8221;?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Studying any aspect of Indian culture unearths many etymologies that simply are not true. Probably the most famous is the widespread belief that &#8220;guru&#8221; is derived from &#8220;<em>gu<\/em>&#8221; which means &#8220;darkness&#8221; and &#8220;<em>ru<\/em>&#8221; which means to dispel; hence a guru is the &#8220;dispeller of darkness&#8221;. The actual etymology is far less poetic, for it is derived from the Proto-Indo-European &#8220;<em>gur<\/em>&#8221; which means &#8220;weighty&#8221;, thus implying &#8220;authority&#8221;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There is a fairly common bogus etymology concerning the origin of the word &#8220;<em>tala<\/em>&#8221; (<em>tal<\/em>). The word is said to be a combination of &#8220;<em>ta<\/em>&#8221; and &#8220;<em>la<\/em>.&#8221; &#8220;<em>Ta<\/em>&#8221; being derived from Tandava which represents the masculine principle embodied in Shiva.&#8221;<em>La<\/em>&#8221; on the other hand being derived from Lasya which represents Parvati or the feminine aspect of Shiva. Therefore <em>ta-la<\/em>, or &#8220;<em>tala<\/em>,&#8221; is emblematic of the union of the universal masculine and feminine principles (Mani undated).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This as well as other bogus etymologies, speak volumes as to traditional Hindu sentimentalities. But they obfuscate the intellectual environment and make serious studies difficult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" id=\"tal\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"575\" src=\"https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/clap-1024x575.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5939\" srcset=\"https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/clap-1024x575.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/clap-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/clap-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/clap-1536x863.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/clap.jpg 1687w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2>Tali (The Clapping of Hands)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The clap of the hands is an impor\u00adtant part of both the theory and practise of North In\u00addian music.&nbsp; It has a hoary past.&nbsp; An elaborate sys\u00adtem of clapping and hand move\u00adments is men\u00adtioned in the <em>Natya Shastra<\/em> (circa 200 BCE) where it is part of the sys\u00adtem of timekeeping known as <em>&#8220;kriya&#8221;<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The clap of the hands is very impor\u00adtant for the con\u00adceptualisation of In\u00addian rhythms.&nbsp; North In\u00addian music\u00adians use the claps to designate the measures <em>(vibhag)<\/em>.&nbsp; The most important measure is the begin\u00adning of the cycle.&nbsp; The first beat of which is called the <em>&#8220;sam&#8221;<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The clapping of hands is also of great practical importance.&nbsp; It is a convenient means for the singers and other music\u00adians to communicate with the tabla player <em>(tabalji)<\/em> with\u00adout having to break the performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The clapping must not be taken only into it\u00adself be\u00adcause it exists along with its compliment the wave.&nbsp; This wave or <em>&#8220;khali&#8221;<\/em> is also impor\u00adtant in designating the measures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" id=\"kha\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"575\" src=\"https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/wave-1024x575.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5941\" srcset=\"https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/wave-1024x575.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/wave-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/wave-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/wave-1536x863.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/wave.jpg 1616w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2>Khali (The Wave of the Hands)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The word &#8220;<em>khali<\/em>&#8221; literally means &#8220;empty&#8221;.&nbsp; How\u00adever, in the field of north In\u00addian music, it has a special sig\u00adnifi\u00adcance.&nbsp; Here the word implies a wave of the hand.&nbsp; This wave of the hand, along with its counterpart the clap of the hand, forms the traditional basis for timekeeping in north India. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The wave of the hand is used to designate the first beats of measures which are only moderately stresses.&nbsp; There\u00adfore, one al\u00admost never finds the <em>khali<\/em> applied to stron\u00adgly stressed beats like the <em>&#8220;sam&#8221;<\/em> (the first beat of the cycle)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <em>khali<\/em> is es\u00adpec\u00adially impor\u00adtant in symmetrical metres such as <em>Tintal<\/em> of 16 beats or <em>Dadra<\/em> of 6 beats.&nbsp; For such symmetrical <em>tals<\/em>, the <em>khali<\/em> is indispensable for cor\u00adrect orientation.&nbsp; For example, if there were no <em>khali<\/em>, <em>Tintal<\/em> would be a confusing string of four beat measures, and it would be very dif\u00adfi\u00adcult to find the begin\u00adning of the cycle.&nbsp; There\u00adfore, the <em>khali<\/em> may be thought of as an index.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" id=\"vib\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1015\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Artistic-Tabla-3-1015x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5958\" srcset=\"https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Artistic-Tabla-3-1015x1024.jpg 1015w, https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Artistic-Tabla-3-297x300.jpg 297w, https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Artistic-Tabla-3-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Artistic-Tabla-3-768x775.jpg 768w, https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Artistic-Tabla-3-1522x1536.jpg 1522w, https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Artistic-Tabla-3-2029x2048.jpg 2029w, https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Artistic-Tabla-3.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1015px) 100vw, 1015px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2>Vibhag (Ang) (The Measure)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The <em>vibhag<\/em> in north In\u00addian music is analogous to the Western con\u00adcept of the measure or bar.&nbsp; How\u00adever, in In\u00addian music the cycle <em>(avartan)<\/em> is much more impor\u00adtant than the measure.&nbsp; In the old scriptures the <em>vibhag<\/em> was often re\u00adfer\u00adred to as the <em>&#8220;ang&#8221;<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <em>vibhag<\/em> may be any num\u00adber of beats; how\u00adever two, three, or four-beats are the most com\u00admon.&nbsp; The <em>vibhags<\/em> may be put together in any fash\u00adion; but the arrangement is al\u00adways fixed by convention.&nbsp; There\u00adfore, <em>Tintal<\/em> by convention will al\u00adways be four <em>vibhags<\/em> of four beats each, <em>Ektal<\/em> will al\u00adways be six <em>vibhags<\/em> of two beats each, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <em>vibhags<\/em> must be designated with either a clap or a wave of the hand.&nbsp; This convention makes communication easier.&nbsp; In the rhyt\u00adhmic notation <em>(tal lipi)<\/em>, any <em>vibhag<\/em> which is <em>khali<\/em> is designated by a zero at the begin\u00adning.&nbsp; Any other symbol is used to designate a clap or <em>tali<\/em>.&nbsp; Usually a num\u00adber is used which corresponds to the clapping.&nbsp; There\u00adfore a &#8220;3&#8221; at the begin\u00adning of a <em>vibhag<\/em> would indicate that it was the third clap in the cycle, a &#8220;2&#8221; would indicate the se\u00adcond clap, etc.&nbsp; The <em>sam<\/em> is the most impor\u00adtant, and it is designated with a &#8220;+&#8221;, or an &#8220;X&#8221;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" id=\"mat\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"965\" src=\"https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/tabla4-1024x965.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5978\" srcset=\"https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/tabla4-1024x965.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/tabla4-300x283.jpg 300w, https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/tabla4-768x724.jpg 768w, https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/tabla4-1536x1448.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/tabla4.jpg 1778w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2>Matra (The Beat)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The <em>matra<\/em> is the beat in In\u00addian music.&nbsp; Along with the <em>vibhag<\/em> (measure) and the <em>avartan<\/em> (cycle), it is one of the three levels of struc\u00adture for In\u00addian rhythm (<em>tal<\/em>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The beats may have a dif\u00adfer\u00adent sig\u00adnifi\u00adcance depending on where they come in the cycle.&nbsp; Beats that occur at the begin\u00adning of any measure (<em>vibhag<\/em>) are al\u00adways more sig\u00adni\u00adfi\u00adcant then the beats which occur midway in a measure.&nbsp; The first beat of the cycle is the most impor\u00adtant beat of all.&nbsp; It is called <em>sam.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Indian music does not flow in metronome time; therefore the value of the beats may be stretched or contracted depending on nu\u00admer\u00adous fac\u00adtors.&nbsp; This is easily demon\u00adstra\u00adted, but surprisingly enough is not acknowledged in trad\u00aditional theory.&nbsp; One must understand the music thoroughly to know when such liber\u00adties are appropriate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script>\n<!-- March20_4_2020 -->\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-0047309040523061\" data-ad-slot=\"9410001606\" data-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script>\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n<\/script>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" id=\"ava\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"648\" src=\"https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/avartan-1024x648.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5960\" srcset=\"https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/avartan-1024x648.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/avartan-300x190.jpg 300w, https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/avartan-768x486.jpg 768w, https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/avartan.jpg 1198w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2>Avartan (The Cycle)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The <em>avartan<\/em> is the cycle in North In\u00addian Music.&nbsp; It is com\u00adposed of measures (<em>vibhag<\/em>) which are in turn com\u00adposed of beats (<em>matra<\/em>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <em>avartan<\/em> is com\u00adparable to the Western cycle (e.g. a 16-bar blues pattern) but with a few dif\u00adferences.&nbsp; One of the biggest dif\u00adferences is that in Western music the measure is con\u00adsi\u00addered inviolate, while in North In\u00addian music the cycle is con\u00adsi\u00addered inviolate.&nbsp; That is to say that a Western musician would think nothing of establishing a 16-bar pattern, break the pattern for some ar\u00adtis\u00adtic rea\u00adson, and then reestablish it; how\u00adever the measures would usually be the same.&nbsp; Con\u00adversely, In\u00addian music\u00adians typically will mix the measures.&nbsp; For insta\u00adnce <em>Jhaptal<\/em> is four measures of two-beats, three-beats, two-beats, three-beats respectively; how\u00adever the overall 10-beat pattern may not be al\u00adtered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Avartans<\/em> may be of any num\u00adber of beats.&nbsp; The most com\u00admon num\u00adbers are sixteen, fourteen, twelve, ten, eight, seven, or six beats.&nbsp; Most of the music played in Nort\u00adhern India today is in one of these num\u00adbers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" id=\"tim\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"575\" src=\"https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/clock-1024x575.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5981\" srcset=\"https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/clock-1024x575.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/clock-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/clock-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/clock-1536x863.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/clock.jpg 1687w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2>Timekeeping<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Time-keeping is the act of maintaining the rhythm in a performance. In a Western orchestral situation, the timekeeping is done by the conductor. In a contemporary popular musical performance, the responsibility for timekeeping is shared between the drummer and the bass player. But what is the situation in India?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Historically, timekeeping was done by a musician clapping and waving their hands. This clapping and waving of the hand corresponded to the structure of the beats and measures of the cycle. This is the way that South Indian rhythms are conceptualised today. It is also the way that the old Dhrupads and Dhammars of North Indian music were treated in the past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But a few hundred years ago there was a change in north Indian music that had profound implication for the theory and practise of the music. The responsibility of timekeeping shifted to the tabla player. This introduced some new requirements for the tabla players.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The most important requirement was the need for some type of standardisation in the playing. This was reflected in the rise of the <em>theka<\/em>. This standardisation was necessary so that a main musician could feel comfortable sitting down with different tabla players. Even with different tabla players, they could still be fairly sure of what the accompaniment would be like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" id=\"bol\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/bol1-1024x612.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5946\" width=\"645\" height=\"385\" srcset=\"https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/bol1-1024x612.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/bol1-300x179.jpg 300w, https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/bol1-768x459.jpg 768w, https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/bol1-1536x918.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/bol1.jpg 1564w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 645px) 100vw, 645px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2>Bol (The Syllables)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The mnemonic syllable is known as <em>bol.<\/em>&nbsp; This is der\u00adived from the word <em>&#8220;bolna&#8221;<\/em> which means &#8220;to speak&#8221;. The con\u00adcept of <em>bol<\/em> has a num\u00adber of dif\u00adfer\u00adent char\u00adacter\u00adis\u00adtics.&nbsp; These relate to the man\u00adner in which the <em>bol<\/em> relates to the technique of the tabla.&nbsp; They also relate to the way that the <em>bol<\/em> is used to define the <em>tal<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The man\u00adner in which the <em>bol<\/em> relates to the technique of the tabla is perhaps the most impor\u00adtant con\u00adsideration of all.&nbsp; This is des\u00adcribed in greater de\u00adtail under the topic &#8220;Basic Strokes and Bols&#8221;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are a few twists when the <em>bol<\/em> is used in the accom\u00adpaniment of the <em>Kathak<\/em> dance; This is known as <em>padant<\/em>.&nbsp; These syllables may be a mix\u00adture of tabla<em> bols<\/em>, <em>pakhawaj bols<\/em>, <em>bols<\/em> that are peculiar to the <em>Kathak<\/em> dance, and at times even poetry and words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Philosophical Implications<\/strong> &#8211; The syllables are us\u00adually con\u00adsi\u00addered to be mere mnemonics which re\u00adpre\u00adsent the var\u00adious strokes of the tabla or other percussive in\u00adstru\u00adments; but perhaps this is not really cor\u00adrect.&nbsp; Perhaps it is really the strokes on the drum that re\u00adpre\u00adsent the syllables.&nbsp; This is be\u00adcause the syllables have been ele\u00advated to an abs\u00adtract level that is at times divorced from the tech\u00adnique used to sug\u00adgest them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This may be a hard con\u00adcept to follow, so let us explain this a lit\u00adtle more clearly.&nbsp; Let us take a more fami\u00adliar example such as the word &#8220;door&#8221;.&nbsp; The word &#8220;door&#8221; at first ap\u00adpears to be solidly connected to that fami\u00adliar household fixture.&nbsp; It would seem that the utter\u00adance of this sin\u00adgle syllable is there to remind us of this.&nbsp; But when we look fur\u00adther, the word &#8220;door&#8221; starts to dis\u00adconnect from the fami\u00adliar household fixture.&nbsp; It begins to as\u00adsume a broader sig\u00adnifi\u00adcance.&nbsp; Take for example the expres\u00adsions &#8220;doorway to the mind&#8221;, or &#8220;door to the future&#8221;.&nbsp; One would have no problem think\u00ading of count\u00adless other examples where &#8220;door&#8221; is used in a more abs\u00adtract sense.&nbsp; So now the re\u00adla\u00adtionship is no longer clear.&nbsp; Is the word &#8220;door&#8221; a des\u00adcription of the house\u00adhold fixture, or is the house\u00adhold door a physi\u00adcal meta\u00adphor for a larger philo\u00adsophic con\u00adcept?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This same ambiguous re\u00adla\u00adtionship is seen in the syllables for the In\u00addian drums.&nbsp; Originally, they may have been mere onomato\u00adpoeic re\u00adpre\u00adsentations of the strokes.&nbsp; How\u00adever, multi\u00adple ways to exe\u00adcute the syllables have weakened this re\u00adla\u00adtionship.&nbsp; Fur\u00adther\u00admore, the syllables ac\u00adquired their own syntax and grammar.&nbsp; They are easily mani\u00adpula\u00adted with\u00adout recourse to their technique.&nbsp; In short, they have assu\u00admed an identity all their own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" id=\"the\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"230\" src=\"https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/theka-1024x230.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5951\" srcset=\"https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/theka-1024x230.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/theka-300x67.jpg 300w, https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/theka-768x173.jpg 768w, https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/theka-1536x345.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/theka.jpg 2010w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2>Theka &amp; Prakar (The Supporting Groove)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The word <em>&#8220;theka&#8221;<\/em> literally means &#8220;support&#8221; (Pathak 1976).&nbsp; Originally the <em>theka<\/em> was nothing more than a &#8220;groove&#8221; that was laid down for the accompaniment of other music\u00adians.&nbsp; How\u00adever, in the last few centu\u00adries it has em\u00ader\u00adged as &#8220;the&#8221; signature for any north In\u00addian <em>tal<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Theka<\/em> is a conventionally accepted arrangement of com\u00admon <em>bols<\/em>.&nbsp; Due to this convention different tabla players can sit down with different main musicians and feel confident that they can perform with a minimal degree of awkwardness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There is the concept of the <em>prakar<\/em> which is very closely related to the <em>theka<\/em>. They are so closely allied that in practise the <em>prakar<\/em> is considered to be synonymous with <em>theka<\/em>.  The word &#8220;<em>prakar<\/em>&#8221; is defined in <em>Bhargava\u2019s Standard Illustrated Dictionary of the Hindi Language<\/em>, as meaning &#8220;method&#8221; or &#8220;manner&#8221; (Pathak 1976).  The <em>prakar<\/em> is nothing more than a different way to play the <em>theka<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It would at first appear that the existence of the <em>prakar<\/em> would contradict the earlier statement that the <em>theka<\/em> is a standard approach.  It isn&#8217;t really. It merely reflects the latitude which is extended to the performer in this regard. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is a curious fact that in the last few centuries the <em>theka<\/em>\/<em>prakar<\/em> has replaced the clapping and waving as the means by which North Indian musicians define the <em>tal<\/em>.  This is illustrated with the following examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3><strong>Tintal<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><sup>X<\/sup>Dhaa Dhin Dhin Dhaa&nbsp;&nbsp;<strong>|<\/strong>&nbsp; <sup>2<\/sup>Dhaa Dhin Dhin Dhaa&nbsp;&nbsp;<strong>|<\/strong>&nbsp; <sup>0<\/sup>Dhaa Tin Tin Naa&nbsp;&nbsp;<strong>|<\/strong>&nbsp; <sup>3<\/sup>Naa Dhin Dhin Dhaa&nbsp;<strong>&nbsp;|<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3><strong>Tilwada Tal<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><sup>X<\/sup>Dhaa <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">TiRaKiTa<\/span> Dhin Dhin&nbsp;&nbsp;<strong>|<\/strong>&nbsp; <sup>2<\/sup>Dhaa Dhaa Tin Tin&nbsp;<strong>&nbsp;|<\/strong>&nbsp; <sup>0<\/sup>Taa <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">TiRaKiTa<\/span> Dhin Dhin&nbsp;&nbsp;<strong>|<\/strong>&nbsp; <sup>3<\/sup>Dhaa Dhaa Dhin Dhin <strong>|<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3><strong>Adha Tal<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><sup>X<\/sup>Dhaa&nbsp; &#8211;&nbsp; Dhin &#8211;&nbsp;&nbsp;<strong>|<\/strong>&nbsp; <sup>2<\/sup>Dhaa Dhaa Tin&nbsp; &#8211;&nbsp;&nbsp;<strong>|<\/strong>&nbsp; <sup>0<\/sup>Taa&nbsp; &#8211;&nbsp; Tin&nbsp; &#8211;&nbsp;&nbsp;<strong>|<\/strong>&nbsp; <sup>3<\/sup>Dhaa Dhaa Dhin&nbsp; &#8211;&nbsp;&nbsp;<strong>|<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These are three distinct <em>tals<\/em> which share the same abs\u00adtract struc\u00adture (i.e., claps, waves, num\u00adbers of beats, and measures), but they are con\u00adsi\u00addered separate <em>tals<\/em> ONLY be\u00adcause the <em>bols<\/em>  of their <em>thekas<\/em> are dif\u00adfer\u00adent.&nbsp; Historic\u00adally, this has not been the case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This brings us to the topic of the pakhawaj.&nbsp;  The pakhawaj, being a much older instrument than tabla, still tends to conceptualise the <em>tal<\/em> by means of the clapping and waving, and not by any conventionally accepted <em>theka<\/em>. However, since the pakhawaj and its associated melodic forms are so very much rarer than the tabla and its associated forms, we may give them considerably less attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We may make a few observations about the struc\u00adture of <em>theka<\/em>. These are generally the case, but must not be considered to be a rule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One observation is that there is a tendency for <em>theka<\/em> to be based upon two symmetrical struc\u00adtures.&nbsp; Let us look at <em>Jhaptal<\/em> for example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><sup>X<\/sup>Dhin&nbsp;&nbsp;Naa&nbsp;<strong>|<\/strong> <sup>2<\/sup>Dhin&nbsp;&nbsp;Dhin&nbsp;&nbsp;Naa&nbsp;<strong>|<\/strong> <sup>0<\/sup>Tin&nbsp;&nbsp;Naa&nbsp;<strong>|<\/strong> <sup>3<\/sup>Dhin&nbsp;&nbsp;Dhin&nbsp;&nbsp;Naa&nbsp;<strong>|<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this example the struc\u00adture <em>Dhin Naa Dhin Dhin Naa<\/em> is opposed by <em>Tin Naa Dhin Dhin Naa<\/em><a><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This symmetry is also il\u00adlus\u00adtra\u00adted in <em>Dadra<\/em> tal; it goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><sup>X<\/sup>Dhaa&nbsp;&nbsp;Dhin&nbsp;&nbsp;Naa&nbsp;<strong>|<\/strong> <sup>0<\/sup>Dhaa&nbsp;&nbsp;Tin&nbsp;&nbsp;Naa&nbsp;<strong>|<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this last example the phrase <em>Dhaa Dhin Naa<\/em> is ref\u00adlected in the struc\u00adture <em>Dhaa Tin Naa<\/em>.<a><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It must be stressed that there are nu\u00admer\u00adous <em>thekas<\/em> which do not exhibit this symmetrical quality.&nbsp;&nbsp; <em>Rupak<\/em> is a very com\u00admon <em>theka<\/em> which is asymmetrical; it goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><sup>0<\/sup>Tin&nbsp;&nbsp;Tin&nbsp;&nbsp;Naa&nbsp;<strong>|<\/strong> <sup>1<\/sup>Dhin&nbsp;&nbsp;Naa&nbsp;| <sup>2<\/sup>Dhin&nbsp;&nbsp;Naa&nbsp;<strong>|<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There is an\u00adother observation that we can make about the struc\u00adture of the <em>theka;<\/em> there is a tendency for the <em>bols<\/em> to follow the struc\u00adture of the <em>vibhag<\/em>.&nbsp; If we look back at the <em>Jhaptal<\/em> in the ear\u00adlier example we see that the 2,3,2,3, clapping arrangement of <em>Jhaptal<\/em> is ref\u00adlected in the <em>bols<\/em> <em>Dhin Naa Dhin Dhin Naa Tin Naa Dhin Dhin Naa.<\/em>&nbsp; Again, the nu\u00admer\u00adous exceptions show that this is merely a tendency rather than a rule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" id=\"lay\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/tabla_mridangam-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5937\" width=\"564\" height=\"376\" srcset=\"https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/tabla_mridangam-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/tabla_mridangam-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/tabla_mridangam-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/tabla_mridangam-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/tabla_mridangam.jpg 1773w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 564px) 100vw, 564px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2>Lay (Laya) (Tempo)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Lay<\/em> is the tempo, or speed of a piece.&nbsp; The Hindi term for tempo is <em>&#8220;lay&#8221;<\/em>, and is der\u00adived from the Sanskrit term <em>&#8220;laya&#8221;<\/em>.&nbsp; It is a very simple con\u00adcept, but its application is some\u00adtimes complicated. We will also discuss the related concept of <em>layakari<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It goes with\u00adout saying that there have to be some practical limit to usable tempi.&nbsp; One beat every ten minutes would be so slow as to be mus\u00adically useless.&nbsp; At the other end of the spectrum we can see that 100 beats-per-se\u00adcond would be so fast that it would be perceived as a tone and not as a rhythm.&nbsp; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There is a tendency among many musicians to catagorise the tempo into three categories: <em>vilambit<\/em> (slow), <em>madhya<\/em> (middle), and <em>drut<\/em> (fast) (Patnakar 1977).  This is obviously insufficient for the demands of a practising musician.  Therefore this sytem is generally expanded into the form shown in the following table:<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td>ati-ati-drut<\/td><td>640 beats-per-min<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>ati-drut<\/td><td>320 beats-per-min<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>drut<\/td><td>160 beats-per-min<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>madhya<\/td><td>80 beats-per-min<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>vilambit<\/td><td>40 beats-per-min<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>ati-vilambit<\/td><td>20 beats-per-min<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>ati-ati-vilambit<\/td><td>10 beats-per-min<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><figcaption>Lay (tempo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The table is an idealised break\u00addown of <em>lay<\/em>; how\u00adever, the real world is con\u00adsi\u00adder\u00adably more comp\u00adlex.&nbsp; For example the designations of <em>ati drut, ati vilambit<\/em>, etc. are sel\u00addom heard among practising music\u00adians.&nbsp; This tends to stretch the previous table so that there is no longer a 2-1 re\u00adla\u00adtionship bet\u00adween the var\u00adious designations.&nbsp; To make mat\u00adters even more comp\u00adlex, it has been observed that vocalists use a slower definition of time than instrumentalists (Gottlieb 1977a:41).&nbsp; Fur\u00adther\u00admore the rhyt\u00adhmic con\u00adcepts of the light and film music\u00adians run at a higher tempo but show a peculiar compression of scale. Therefore the numbers presented here must be taken as the roughest of an approximation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <em>lay<\/em> or tempo us\u00adually changes throughout the performance.&nbsp; These changes in tempo are in\u00adext\u00adric\u00adably linked to the var\u00adious mus\u00adical styles.&nbsp; In ge\u00adne\u00adral we can say that only very short pieces will main\u00adtain a fairly steady pace.&nbsp; Most styles will start at one tempo and then increase in speed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" id=\"lay2\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"398\" src=\"https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/perfprmance-1024x398.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5955\" srcset=\"https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/perfprmance-1024x398.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/perfprmance-300x117.jpg 300w, https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/perfprmance-768x298.jpg 768w, https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/perfprmance-1536x597.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/perfprmance-2048x796.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2>Layakari (The Performance vs. the Underlying Beat)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The relationship between what is being played and the underlying tempo is an important consideration. When one is listening to a classical north Indian performance, the tabla player frequently takes off on a very fast elaboration of the <em>tal<\/em>. The important thing to note is that in spite of the often blinding speeds of such elaborations, the <em>tal<\/em> did not necessarily speed up. Therefore the relationship between what is being played and the underlying tempo is very important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although this is an important concept, there is no universally accepted term for it. One word which seems to be often invoked is the term &#8220;<em>layakari<\/em>&#8220;. Another term which is sometimes used is &#8220;<em>kala<\/em>&#8220;; this though is problematic because its usage in this context is divergent from its historical meaning. In the old Sanskrit texts, <em>kaal<\/em> would be synonymous with <em>lay<\/em> (Stewart 1974). (The lack of standard terminology is a ubiquitous problem in the study of Indian music.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Below is a table showing the major relationships:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td>English<\/td><td>Hindi \/ Urdu<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Single-Time<\/td><td>Ekgun or Barabar<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>5 Strokes over 4 Matras<\/td><td>Kuadi or Savai<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>6 Strokes over 4 Matras<\/td><td>Adi-Lay or Derdh<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>7 Strokes over 4 Matras<\/td><td>Biadi-Lay or Paune dugan<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Double-Time<\/td><td>Dugan<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>5 strokes over 2 matras<\/td><td>Mahakuadi<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>6 Strokes over 2 matras<\/td><td>Mahaadi or Tigun<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>7 strokes over2 matras<\/td><td>Mahabiadi<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Quadruple-Time<\/td><td>Chaugun<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>5 Strokes per matra<\/td><td>Panchgun<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>6 Strokes per matra<\/td><td>Chehgun<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>7 Strokes per matra<\/td><td>Satgun<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>8 Strokes per matra<\/td><td>Aathgun<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" id=\"sam\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"743\" src=\"https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/tabla3-1024x743.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5953\" srcset=\"https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/tabla3-1024x743.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/tabla3-300x218.jpg 300w, https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/tabla3-768x557.jpg 768w, https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/tabla3.jpg 1411w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2>Sam (The First Beat of the Cycle)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The <em>sam<\/em> is the first beat of the cycle.&nbsp; The word &#8220;<em>sam<\/em>&#8221; literally means to &#8220;conjoin&#8221; or &#8220;come together&#8221;.&nbsp; The <em>sam<\/em> has a special sig\u00adnifi\u00adcance in both the performance and theory of North In\u00addian music.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The main func\u00adtion of the <em>sam<\/em> is to establish a point of resolution.&nbsp; Although improvisations and fixed compositions may begin al\u00admost anywhere in the cycle <em>(avartan)<\/em> they usualy resolve on the <em>sam<\/em>. (A notable exception is that the start of the main theme is also treated as a point of resolution.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <em>sam<\/em> is also a pivotal point.&nbsp; Typically the tabla player keeps time by play\u00ading <em>theka<\/em> and the main musician is free to improvise.&nbsp; This how\u00adever would be boring if that was the only thing that happens; therefore it is com\u00admon to exchange roles.&nbsp; During this, the main musician keeps time by play\u00ading the theme (<em>gat<\/em> or <em>sthai<\/em>) over and over.&nbsp; This allows the tabla player to take off and improvise.&nbsp; After a period the roles reverse again.&nbsp; The <em>sam<\/em> is impor\u00adtant be\u00adcause it is pivotal to this transition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <em>sam<\/em> is so impor\u00adtant that it has its own notational symbol.&nbsp; In the Bhatkhande sys\u00adtem of notation, it is noted with cross such as an &#8220;X&#8221; or an &#8220;+&#8221;, usually an &#8220;X&#8221;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <em>sam<\/em> is al\u00admost al\u00adways a clap of the hands (<em>tali<\/em>).&nbsp; There is only one exception and that is the case of <em>rupak tal<\/em>.&nbsp; This lone exception designates the <em>sam<\/em> with a wave of the hands (<em>khali<\/em>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" id=\"das\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"467\" height=\"475\" src=\"https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Ancient-mridang2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5928\" srcset=\"https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Ancient-mridang2.jpg 467w, https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Ancient-mridang2-295x300.jpg 295w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 467px) 100vw, 467px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2>Dasa Prana (Archaic Aspects of Tal)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There is a large body of material which was extracted from ancient texts and clumsily grafted upon contemporary musical practise. The most prominent from the standpoint of <em>tal<\/em> is the &#8220;<em>Dasa Pran<\/em>a&#8221;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many of you will be sitting for your exams and you will have to memorise this stuff. Most of it will not make sense. As far as your life as a practising musician is concerned, it is just irrelevant b.s. You should memorise it, spit it out on the exam, pretend that you know what it means, take your diploma, and forget about it. I promise you that it doesn&#8217;t make sense to the examiner either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Antiquity = Authority<\/strong> &#8211; It is a peculiarity of traditional Hindu world views that validity is automatically equated with antiquity. That is, if something is very old it must automatically be vested with authority. In a similar way, if something has great social value (as classical music clearly does,) it automatically must have a great antiquity. This leads to overly complex hermeneutics in unsuccessful attempts to shoehorn contemporary musical practise into irrelevant archaic musical systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We do not wish to impugn this particular world view, for the two common alternatives in India also have their follies. For instance, Western teleology has no more value than the traditional Hindu approach. This teleology is implicit in slogans such as &#8220;New and Improved&#8221;, or &#8220;Latest and Greatest&#8221;, and is equally prone to failure. In a similar way, the Islamic approach of automatically assigning a different value to things according to whether they came before the age of the prophet Mohamed (p.b.u.h.) or afterwards, is equally fallacious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Dasa Prana &#8211; Introductory Remarks<\/strong> &#8211; Much of the ancient theory behind <em>tal<\/em> is dominated by the concept of <em>Dasa Prana<\/em>, or &#8220;ten vital breaths&#8221; of rhythm. Although most of the individual terms were in existence during the time of the <em>Natya Shastra<\/em> (circa 200 BCE), the term <em>Dasa Prana<\/em> is hard to trace back further than the 11th century. (Shepherd 1976). The <em>Dasa Prana<\/em> is presented below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol><li>Kaal &#8211; The time<\/li><li>Marg &#8211; The pause<\/li><li>Kriya &#8211; The action of Timekeeping<\/li><li>Ang &#8211; The sections<\/li><li>Graha &#8211; The process of starting<\/li><li>Jati &#8211; The classes of rhythmic patterns<\/li><li>Kala &#8211; The Sections<\/li><li>Lay &#8211; The tempo<\/li><li>Yati &#8211; The arrangement<\/li><li>Prastar &#8211; The permutations<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>We will now proceed with a typical interpretation of the <em>Dasa Prana<\/em> derived from contemporary sources (e.g., Vinjamuri 1986). It must be stressed that the concept of <em>Dasa Prana<\/em> is of questionable relevance to contemporary practise. We are presenting it here so the student can get a sense of perspective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"kaal\"><strong>1st Aspect of Dasa Prana (Kaal) <\/strong>&#8211; The word <em>kaal<\/em> literally means &#8220;time&#8221;. Conceptually, it is an absolute framework for denoting the duration of a beat or musical note.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Hindi word &#8220;<em>kaal<\/em>&#8221; is derived from the Sanskrit &#8220;<em>kaala<\/em>&#8221; and has a number of uses and precise meanings. The Concise Sanskrit-English Dictionary (Apte 1987) gives the definitions of &#8220;<em>Kaala<\/em>&#8221; as &#8220;black,&#8221; &#8220;time; proper time; god of death; destiny; the planet Saturn; poison and iron.&#8221; From the list of meanings, it is clear that there are two root concepts: one being time and the other being the concept of blackness. Perhaps these represents two Proto-Indo-European homonyms; perhaps there is a deeper philosophic connection between the words &#8220;black&#8221; and &#8220;time.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Kshan<\/em> or <em>kan<\/em> is the shortest interval acknowledged. According to ancient scriptures, it is the interval required to quickly pierce one hundred lotus leaves with a needle. <em>Kshan, lav, kasth, nimish, kala, chaturbhag<\/em> are referred to as &#8220;<em>sukshma kaal,<\/em>&#8216; which means &#8220;micro-time,&#8221; while <em>anudrut, drut, laghu, guru, plut<\/em>, and <em>kakapad<\/em> are called &#8220;<em>sthul kaal<\/em>&#8221; which means &#8220;macro-time&#8221; (Sharma 1973). The relationship is shown in table the table below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td>8 kshan<\/td><td>= 1 lav<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>8 lav<\/td><td>= 1 kashth<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>8 kashth<\/td><td>= 1 nimish<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>8 nimish<\/td><td>= 1 kala<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2 kala<\/td><td>= 1 chaturbhag<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2 chaturbhag<\/td><td>= 1 anudrut<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2 anudrut<\/td><td>= 1 drut<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2 drut<\/td><td>= 1 laghu<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2 laghu<\/td><td>= 1 guru<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>3 laghu<\/td><td>= 1 plut<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>4 laghu <\/td><td>= 1 kakapad<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><figcaption>Relationship Between the Various Times<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This system is interesting but sometimes it is hard to work with; therefore it is usually interpreted slightly differently. In the contemporary interpretation, the system is defined according to the <em>anudrut<\/em>. In this approach, the smallest practical unit is defined as the length of time it takes to utter one short syllable (<em>akshar-kaal<\/em>). The relationship of the other units then falls into place as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td>1 syllable=anudrut<\/td><td>= 1 akshar-kaal<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>drut<\/td><td>= 2 akshar-kaal<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>laghu<\/td><td>= 4 akshar-kaal<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>guru<\/td><td>= 8 akshar-kaal<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>plut<\/td><td>= 12 akshar-kaal<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>kakapad<\/td><td>= 16 akshar-kaal<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><figcaption>Simplified Definition of Times<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"marg\"><strong>2nd Aspect of Dasa Prana (Marg)<\/strong> &#8211; Marg(h) is  defined as &#8220;a way, road, path&#8221; (Apte 1987). Within this context, it is generally interpreted as the manner of progressing from one beat to another. To some this implies an interval. To others, it implies a way of playing things between the beats. It is very difficult to make any statement concerning <em>marg<\/em> which is either relevant or conventionally accepted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"kriya\"><strong>3rd Aspect of Dasa Prana (Kriya)<\/strong> &#8211; The term &#8220;<em>kriya<\/em>&#8221; literally means &#8220;activity&#8221;, and it refers to the act of timekeeping. In the most general terms, the movement of the conductor&#8217;s baton, or the clapping and waving of the hands to denote the <em>tal<\/em> is <em>kriya<\/em>. There are two factors: 1) does the timekeeping make sound and 2) is the process consistent with the <em>Margi<\/em> system of music. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is appropriate for us to look at the concept of <em>Margi<\/em> and <em>Deshi<\/em> tals before continuing. This is linked to the distinction between <em>Margi Sangeet<\/em> and <em>Deshi Sangeet<\/em>. <em>Margi Sangeet<\/em> means &#8220;the music of the path&#8221;; this is music which is fit to be a mechanism for spiritual enlightenment. This is contrasted with <em>Deshi Sangeet<\/em>, which means, &#8220;music of the countryside&#8221; or &#8220;indigenous&#8221;; this is music which arises spontaneously from the people. It is music for mere sensual enjoyment and is unsuitable for spiritual growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The concept of <em>Margi Sangeet<\/em> is closely tied to Hindu mythology. There is a Promethean myth that says that the Gods decided to give the gift of <em>sangeet<\/em> (music) to mankind to act as a new Veda, one which would be accessible to all people (Rangacharya 1966). According to this myth, a saint by the name of Narada was chosen as the vehicle for its propagation. Therefore, the music that flowed from the gods and demigods, through Narada, to man, is <em>Margi Sangeet<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But how does this fit in with contemporary music? If one is not too particular at looking at the facts, then it isn&#8217;t too difficult; <em>Margi Sangeet<\/em> is classical music, while the popular forms of music comprise the <em>Deshi Sangeet<\/em>. This is actually a defensible position if one wishes to confine oneself to looking at it from a standpoint of class and social structures. The ancient concepts of <em>Deshi<\/em> vs. <em>Margi Sangeet<\/em> are nothing more than a reflection of the class associations of the music of antiquity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unfortunately, if we look at this from the standpoint of the music, this association fails. Although classical music has existed in some form since antiquity, it is very much a &#8220;ship of Theseus&#8221;. Elements of the original music have been slowly replaced by new musical forms until today, no component of the original music survives. All of the new elements are derived from sources which clearly would be classified a <em>Deshi<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The second consideration of <em>kriya<\/em> is whether or not it produces sound.  Any form of timekeeping which makes a sound is considered to be &#8220;<em>sashabd<\/em>&#8220;.  This would include clapping of the hands, stomping of the feet, beating sticks together, etc. This is opposed to forms of timekeeping which do not produce a sound; this is called &#8220;<em>nishabd<\/em>&#8220;. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So this brings us back to the concept of <em>kriya<\/em>.  There are two criteria, the first being whether the timekeeping produces a sound and the second is whether it is <em>Deshi<\/em> or <em>Margi<\/em>. When we mix the two factors together we get four classes. Here are the various <em>kriya<\/em>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marg\/ Sashabd Kriva &#8211; This is timekeeping with sound in the <em>marg<\/em> tradition. There are several classes: a) <em>Dhruva<\/em> &#8211; Snap fingers. b) <em>Samyak<\/em> &#8211; Hold right hand stationary and beat with the left hand. c) <em>Tal<\/em> &#8211; Hold left hand stationary and clap with the right. d) <em>Sanipat<\/em>&#8211; Clap by moving both hand together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marg \/ Nishabd Kriya &#8211; This is timekeeping without sounds in the <em>marg<\/em> tradition. Its classes are:  a) <em>Avapap<\/em> &#8211; Count the time with the fingers of the hand turned upwards. b) <em>Nishkram<\/em> &#8211; Count the time with the fingers of the hand turned downwards c) <em>Vikshep<\/em>&#8211; Move hand to right side. d) <em>Pravesh<\/em> &#8211; Move fingers to left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Deshi \/ Sashabd Kriya &#8211; Any variety of clapping or snapping of fingers in the <em>deshi<\/em> tradition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Deshi \/ Nishabd Kriya &#8211; This is timekeeping without sounds in the <em>deshi<\/em> tradition.  Its various classes are:  a) <em>Sarpini<\/em>&#8211; Move your hand to the right. b) <em>Krshya<\/em> &#8211; Move your hand to left. c) <em>Padmini<\/em> &#8211; Throw down the hand with the palm turned upwards. d) <em>Visarjit<\/em> &#8211; Move the hand upwards with the open hand up. e) <em>Vikshipt<\/em> &#8211; To indicate time by closing the fingers. f) <em>Patak<\/em> &#8211; Raise the open hand. g) <em>Patit<\/em> &#8211; Bring the hands downward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The preceding discussion, although clearly irrelevant to contemporary practise is nonetheless fascinating. We see that the system of clapping and waving of hands to keep the <em>tal<\/em> is of extreme antiquity. Although the particulars have ebbed and flowed with the passage of time, the general theme has been remarkably consistent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"ang\"><strong>4th Aspect of Dasa Prana (Ang)<\/strong> &#8211; The word &#8220;<em>ang<\/em>&#8221; literally means &#8220;limb,&#8221; or &#8220;organ.&#8221; This implies a section of the <em>tal<\/em>. Each <em>ang<\/em> is defined by the clap. The <em>ang<\/em> may be specified according to one of six durations as shown in table below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ang.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5834\" width=\"256\" height=\"202\" srcset=\"https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ang.png 409w, https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ang-300x236.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 256px) 100vw, 256px\" \/><figcaption>The Ang<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This system has been expanded to include a number of combinant forms as shown in table below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td>Name<\/td><td>Duration<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>drut viram<\/td><td>3<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>laghu viram<\/td><td>5<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>laghu drut<\/td><td>6<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>laghu drut viram<\/td><td>7<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>guru viram<\/td><td>9<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>guru drut<\/td><td>10<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>guru drut viram<\/td><td>11<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>plut viram<\/td><td>13<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>plut drut<\/td><td>14<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>plut drut viram<\/td><td>15<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><figcaption>Expanded Angs<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This system of <em>angs<\/em> has been applied to contemporary practise in an interesting manner (Sharma 1977). The division of <em>angs<\/em> in <em>Tintal<\/em> goes as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>1 2 3 4 &#8211; 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 &#8211; 13 14 15 16<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We see that the <em>ang<\/em> is roughly comparable to the modern concept of <em>vibhag<\/em>, except that the <em>khali<\/em> is unable to define an <em>ang<\/em>, where it is able to define a <em>vibhag<\/em>. It should be brought out that the distinction between <em>ang<\/em> and <em>vibhag<\/em> may be purely academic. It appears that in past, there often was no <em>khali<\/em> as we think of it today. Therefore with such a conceptual model, one would not be able to make any distinction between <em>vibhag<\/em> and <em>ang<\/em>. It is also possible that this distinction between <em>vibhag<\/em> and <em>ang<\/em> is purely idiosyncratic of this author (Bhagavat Sharma).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There is a more fundamental problem with modern interpretations of <em>ang<\/em>. It is very clear that <em>ang<\/em> is based upon an absolute concept of time. The durations are clearly specified in terms of <em>aksharkaal<\/em>. One <em>aksharkaal<\/em> is defined as the length of time it takes to utter one syllable. Contemporary practise is based upon the <em>matra<\/em>. <em>Matra<\/em> is not defined according to any particular duration. In fast pieces the duration is short, in slow piece the duration is long. Therefore these fundamental philosophic incompatibilities make the entire concept irrelevant to contemporary practise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"graha\"><strong>5th Aspect of Dasa Prana (Graha)<\/strong> &#8211; <em>Graha<\/em> is the method of starting the percussion. If the percussion starts at the same time as the rest of the music, it is referred to as <em>samagraha<\/em>. If the percussion and the rest of the music start at different times, it is said to be <em>visham<\/em>. Within <em>visham graha<\/em> there are two varieties: <em>atit<\/em> and <em>anagat<\/em>. <em>Atit<\/em> is the process of starting after the <em>sam<\/em> while <em>anagat<\/em> is the process of starting before the <em>sam<\/em>. One should keep in mind that while the ancient interpretation of <em>graha<\/em> concerns the starting of the piece; contemporary interpretations concern the resolution of the piece. Therefore today, <em>atit graha<\/em> refers to a composition which ends after the <em>sam<\/em>, while <em>anagat<\/em> is a composition which ends before the <em>sam<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is not as much of a contradiction as it might appear. We should keep in mind that the importance here is cadential rather than structural. This is to say that today the point of emphasis comes at the end of an expression while there is evidence that in centuries past, the point of emphasis was at the beginning. Take for an example South Indian music, where it is normal to start the composition on the first beat as opposed to north Indian music where the tendency is to start at some point midway in the cycle and lead up to sam. When we view the <em>graha<\/em> from the standpoint of the cadence rather than merely a starting point, we see that it has remained surprisingly consistent over the centuries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"jati\"><strong>6th Aspect of Dasa Prana (Jati)<\/strong> &#8211; The word &#8220;<em>jati<\/em>&#8221; literally mean a &#8220;caste,&#8221; &#8220;collection,&#8221; or &#8220;class&#8221;. There are five <em>jatis<\/em>:<em> tryastra (tisra), chaturstra, khand, mishra<\/em>, and <em>sankirna<\/em>. <em>Tryastra<\/em> is made of three beats, <em>chaturstra<\/em> is made of four beats, <em>khand<\/em> is made of five beats, <em>mishra<\/em> is made of seven beats and <em>sankirna<\/em> is made of nine. It refers to the pulse of the piece. Therefore anything which has a strong triplet feel is <em>tryastra<\/em>, quadruple feel is <em>chatustra<\/em>, etc. This definition may be confusing because <em>jati<\/em> is sometimes be applied to the entire <em>tal<\/em> (e.g., dadra=<em>triyastra<\/em>, kaherava = <em>chatustra<\/em>, etc.) while at other times it is applied to the <em>layakari<\/em> (e.g., <em>chaugun =chutustra, adi<\/em> or <em>tigun=triyastra<\/em> etc.) Generally it is a question of &#8220;feel&#8221; rather than any theoretical structure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The definition according to &#8220;feel&#8221; is significant. It has been mention by other authors (Vinjamuri 1986) that the <em>jati<\/em> is defined according to the <em>lagu<\/em>. Therefore it is defined in terms of absolute time, rather than relative time. The <em>laghu<\/em> appears to be approximately 1\/ 80th of a minute. This is quite significant because this is an inborn rhythm. It is easily seen that a rhythm which is easiest to feel is one which is close to the human heartbeat. Although the <em>matra<\/em> may have any value, it is most perceptible when it is approximately 80 beats-per-min. Very fast or very slow must be perceived in terms of fractions or multiples in order to be easily felt. Therefore defining the <em>jati<\/em> in terms of &#8220;feel&#8221; (i.e., <em>laghu<\/em>) is a vestigial concept from an era when the theory of rhythm was based upon an absolute reference of time (i.e., <em>anudrut, drut, laghu<\/em>, etc.), rather than the present relative reference of time (i.e., <em>matra<\/em>),<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>7th Aspect of Dasa Prana (Kala)<\/strong> &#8211; This is a particularly difficult term to define. It is clear that it relates to some type of section or division, but the exact musical significance seems to be lost. According to some authors, it relates to the <em>vibhag<\/em> or measure (Vinjamuri 1986). However, such a definition impinges uncomfortably on the concept of <em>ang<\/em>. According to other authors, it is relates to the size of a structure in each <em>matra<\/em> (Sharma 1973). Therefore if musical notes were used to express it; 1 kala=SaReGaMa, 2 kala = SaSaReReGaGaMaMa, 4 kala = SaSaSaSaReReReReGaGaGaGaMaMaMaMa&#8221; etc. Unfortunately this definition impinges on the concept of <em>jati<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Most authors simply make some inscrutable remarks and move on. Since nobody seems to have any idea as to exactly what either the ancient or contemporary significance of <em>kala<\/em> was, we too shall just move on (after leaving you with these inscrutable remarks).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>8th Aspect of Dasa Prana (Laya)<\/strong> &#8211; This is the tempo. This concept has been <a href=\"#lay\">explained at great length earlier.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"yati\"><strong>9th aspect of Dasa Prana (Yati)<\/strong> &#8211; <em>Yati<\/em> has been described as the structure and arrangement of the various <em>ang<\/em>. That is to say that it is the way in which structures are put together within the composition. Although different authors have given slightly differently numbers of possible <em>yati<\/em>, the common ones are: <em>sama, srotagata, mridanga, gopuchcha<\/em>, and <em>damaru<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>10th Aspect of Dasa Prana (Prastar) <\/strong>&#8211; <em>Prastar<\/em> is the process of mathematical permutation. There have been numerous discussions, interpretations, and reinterpretations over the centuries. We will illustrate a common contemporary interpretation. This contemporary interpretation is very relevant to the subject of theme-and-variation as found in <em>kaida<\/em> and <em>rela<\/em>. We will start with a four beat structure. It may then be broken up and recombined in the following manner:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>4, 2+2, 1+3, 3+1, 1+1+2, 1+2+1, 2+1+1, 1+1+1+1<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Final comments about the Dasa Pran<\/strong>a &#8211; We have given an extensive description of the <em>Dasa Prana<\/em> of <em>tal<\/em>; however, a few comments are in order. Although there is a tendency for many educated musicians to try and apply this to contemporary practise, there are fundamental difficulties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The most fundamental problem is in the basic musical concept of time. It is clear that the <em>Dasa Prana<\/em> is based upon an absolute concept of time (e.g., seconds, milliseconds, etc) while the present north Indian system is based upon the relative concept of time (e.g. beats). This is indicated by the fact that the fundamental unit is the <em>anudrut<\/em> which is defined as the length of time it takes to utter one syllable (<em>akshar kaal<\/em>). There is a general tendency to equate the <em>laghu<\/em> with the <em>matra<\/em>, but they are philosophically incompatible. In contemporary practise, the <em>matra<\/em> is clearly a relative reference point while the <em>laghu<\/em> is fixed in absolute time. Since the entire system of <em>Dasa Prana<\/em> is based upon an absolute concept of time, it renders much of this system irrelevant to contemporary practise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script>\n<!-- March20_4_2020 -->\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-0047309040523061\" data-ad-slot=\"9410001606\" data-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script>\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n<\/script>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:29px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2>Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This page went into great depth about the North Indian system of rhythm. This system, known as &#8220;<em>tal<\/em>&#8221; or &#8220;<em>tala<\/em>&#8220;, has a hoary past. But it has undergone considerable change over the centuries. The cumulative effect of these changes produced a rich artistic tradition which makes North Indian rhythm different from anything else in the world. Even its twin sister, the system of &#8220;<em>thalam<\/em>&#8221; in the deep South, has notable differences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:26px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2>Selected Video<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Ep8: Concept of Rhythm (taal and laya) in Hindustani Classical Music\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/g-TlqIQ17NU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"WHAT IS A TAAL (TALA)? Demystifying Indian Music #5\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/vFuQmBARQsQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Exploring Ragas &amp; Rhythms, part THREE ~ Wheel of Tala\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/R7d4T5L6qKI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:31px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2>Works Cited<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Apte, Vasudeo Govind<\/strong><br>1987 <em>The Concise Sanskrit Eng\u00adlish Dictionary<\/em>. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Gottlieb, R. S.<\/strong><br>1977a <em>The Major Traditions of North In\u00addian Tabla Drumming.<\/em> Munchen, Germany: Musikverlag Emil Katzbichler.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Mani, T.A.S.<\/strong><br>no date <em>Sogasuga Mridanga Taalamu<\/em>. Bangalore: K.C.P. Publications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Pathak, R.C.<\/strong><br>1976 <em>Bhargava\u2019s Standard Illustrated Dictionary of the Hindi Language.<\/em> Varanasi: Bhargava Bhushan Press.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Patnakar, R. G.<\/strong><br>1977 <em>Tal Sopan (Vol. 2)<\/em>. Bulandshahar, India: Sangeet Kala Kendra.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Rangacharya, Adya<\/strong><br>1966 <em>Introduction to Bharata\u2019s Natya-Sastra.<\/em> Bombay, India: Popular Prakashan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><strong>Sharma, Bhagavat Sharan<\/strong><br><\/strong>1973 <em>Tal Prakash.<\/em> Hathras, India: Sangeet Karyalaya.<br>1977 <em>Tal Shastra.<\/em> Alighar, India: B. A. Electric Press.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Shepherd, Francis Ann<\/strong><br>1976 <em>Tabla and the Benares Gharana.<\/em> Ann Arbor: University Microfilms International. Ph.D. Dissertation, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Stewart, Rebecca Marie.<\/strong><br>1974 <em>The Tabla in Perspective<\/em>. Ann Arbor: University Microfilms International. (Ph.D. Dissertation UCLA).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Vinjamuri, Vara Narasimhacharya<\/strong><br>1986 <em>Tal Lakshanam<\/em>. Kakinada, India: Padmini Printers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:28px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2>Other Sites of Interest<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"nav_bar2\"><a href=\"http:\/\/kth.diva-portal.org\/smash\/record.jsf?pid=diva2%3A1040416&dswid=7442\" target=\"_blank\">Tracking the \u201cOdd\u201d: Meter Inference in a Culturally Diverse Music Corpus<\/a><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"nav_bar2\"><a href=\"http:\/\/citeseerx.ist.psu.edu\/viewdoc\/summary?doi=10.1.1.353.2758\" target=\"_blank\">A Beat Tracking Approach to Complete Description of Rhythm<\/a><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"nav_bar2\"><a href=\"http:\/\/escholarship.org\/uc\/item\/2mz32492\" target=\"_blank\">The Karnatik Tabla: A Cross-Cultural Music Synthesis in South In&shy;dian Percussion Performance<\/a><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"nav_bar2\"><a href=\"http:\/\/citeseerx.ist.psu.edu\/viewdoc\/summary?doi=10.1.1.353.5441\" target=\"_blank\">The Time in In&shy;dian Music<\/a><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"nav_bar2\"><a href=\"https:\/\/arxiv.org\/abs\/1611.05182\" target=\"_blank\">Detecting Tala Computationally in Polyphonic Context - A Novel Approach<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>by David Courtney Introduction Tal, (variously transliterated as &#8220;tala&#8221;, &#8220;taal&#8221; or &#8220;taala&#8221;) is the In\u00addian sys\u00adtem of rhythm.&nbsp; It has been argued that rhythm is&#8230;<\/p>\n<div class=\"more-link-wrapper\"><a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/music-and-dance\/i-class-music\/tala-tal\/\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">The Tal (Tala)<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":2487,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5661"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5661"}],"version-history":[{"count":181,"href":"https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5661\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6116,"href":"https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5661\/revisions\/6116"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2487"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chandrakantha.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5661"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}