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Components of A Taal

The document discusses components of Hindustani rhythms including: 1. Taals have a set number of matras (beats) divided into sections with a tekha (spoken syllables) that define the taal. The first beat is called sum. 2. The tekha shows the number and division of matras and comes from tabla or pakhawaj syllables. Musicians listen to stay aligned within the taal. 3. Common taals include Teentaal at 16 beats, Ektaal at 12 beats, and Jhaptaal at 10 beats. Light music uses taals like Bhajani and Dadra.

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547 views

Components of A Taal

The document discusses components of Hindustani rhythms including: 1. Taals have a set number of matras (beats) divided into sections with a tekha (spoken syllables) that define the taal. The first beat is called sum. 2. The tekha shows the number and division of matras and comes from tabla or pakhawaj syllables. Musicians listen to stay aligned within the taal. 3. Common taals include Teentaal at 16 beats, Ektaal at 12 beats, and Jhaptaal at 10 beats. Light music uses taals like Bhajani and Dadra.

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MUSIC 1SI: Introduction to Indian Classical Music Lecture 6 – Hindustani Rhythms

   

Components of a Taal

Every taal has the following components


1. A set number of matras (beats)
2. A division of those matras
3. A tekha (spoken syllables that define the taal)

In every taal, the first beat of the taal is emphasized. Everything builds up towards this first beat, which is called
sum.

Tekha

A tekha is a set of spoken bols (syllables) that shows the number of matras in the taal and the division of those
matras. The syllables of the tekha come from Indian percussion, either the tabla or pakhawaj. While most of these
syllables are played on the percussion with simultaneous treble and bass sounds, every tekha has a section called
khali, where only the treble sounds are played.

Unlike Carnatic musicians, Hindustani musicians usually do not clap a taal. Instead, the percussionist (tabla or
pakhawaj) plays the tekha over and over again. By listening to the syllables being played by the percussion, the other
musicians can figure out where they are in the taal.

However, occasionally, Hindustani musicians clap a taal by clapping just the divisions of the taal.

Hindustani Taals

Below is a list of the most common taals played in Hindustani classical music
Name Number of Beats Division Tekha
Teentaal 16 4-4-4-4 Dha Dhin Dhin Dha
Dha Dhin Dhin Dha
Dha Tin Tin Ta
Ta Dhin Dhin Dha
Ektaal 12 2-2-2-2-2-2- Dhin Dhin DhaGe Tirakita
Tun Na Kat Ta
DhaGe Tirakita Dhin Na
Jhaptaal 10 2-3-2-3 Dhin Na
Dhin Dhin Na
Tin Na
Dhin Dhin Na
Rupak 7 3-2-2 Tin Tin Na
Dhin Na
Dhin Na

Below is a list of some taals played in light music (not purely classical, but still classically-influenced).
Name Number of Beats Tekha
Bhajani 8 Dhin – Ta Dhin – Dhin NaGe
Dadra 6 Dha Tin Tin
Na Dhin Dhin
Keherwa 8 Dha Ge Ne Ti Na Ke Dhin Ne

  1  
MUSIC 1SI: Introduction to Indian Classical Music Lecture 6 – Hindustani Rhythms    

Lay

Lay is the speed of the taal. There are three different types of lay
o Vilambit – slow speed
o Madhya – medium speed
o Drut – fast speed

Hindustani vocalists tend to sing in vilambit speeds that are very slow, usually during a bada khayal. Hindustani
instrumentalists usually do not go as slow, but they do go much faster in the drut speed.

Jaati

Jaati is the number of microbeats within a beat. Try not to get confused with the Carnatic jati – a Hindustani Jaati is
analogous to a Carnatic nadai.

Below, I’ve listed the most popular jaatis used in Hindustani music.

Name Number of Microbeats/Beat


Tisra 3
Chatusra 4
Khanda 5
Mishra 7

Note that the number of microbeats/beat in a jaati is actually any even multiple of the number listed above. For
instance, microbeat numbers of 4, 8, 16 are all Chatusra jaati. Microbeat numbers of 3, 6, 12 are all Tisra jaati.

  2  

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