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The South Indian rhythm system of Carnatic music is basedlargely on mathematics for stringing together rhythm cells of

 various durations to t a given rhythm cycle. Te rhythm systemof North India is based primarily on  xed, extended composi-

tions rendered on North Indian tabla. Te goal of this article is to adaptshorter tabla phrases into potent grooves for accompanying music inpractical, real-world applications.

Before presenting specic examples, here is some general backgroundof North Indian music.

TERMINOLOGYDayan: Although the pair of drums is called tabla, the term “dayan” is

applied to the high drum made from wood. Dayan literally meansright or right drum.

Bayan: Te metal low drum that produces bass tones. Bayan literallymeans left or left drum.

Bol: Tis means “word” and refers to the syllables that are an onomato-poetic representation of tabla sounds. Bol can also represent an entirecomposition.

 Tala : Te rhythmic component of North Indian classical music per-formed on any percussion instrument such as tabla, pakhawaj, ornaqqara.

Sam (pronounced Sum): Beat one of a given rhythmic cycle, emphasizedby a clap of the hand, notated using “+”.

Bharee: Te portion of a tabla phrase that is emphasized with bass tonesof the bayan. Literally meaning “full.”

Khali: the portion of a phrase not emphasized by bass bayan tones. Khalimeans “empty” and is indicated by a outward wave of the hand, no-tated using “o”.

Matra : Meaning “stroke” or beat.Kinar : Te outer portion of the dayan that is metallic in character. Te

kinar stroke (na/ta) is the most commonly used stroke on tabla.Sur : the harmonic tone (tin) that results when the dayan is struck di-

rectly between the kinar and the gab.Gab: Black circle for c losed tones: tete/tira kita, made from rice powder

and iron lings, formed into a paste, rubbed onto the goatskin in lay-ers.

RHYTHMIC CYCLES Tintal: 16-beat cycle subdivided into four equal groups (4 + 4 + 4 + 4 =

16) Jhaptal: 10-beat cycle subdivided into four groups (2 + 3 + 2 + 3 = 10)Kaharwa : 8-beat cycle subdivided into two equal groups (4 + 4 = 8)Rupak  Tal: 7-beat cycle subdivided into three groups (3 + 2 + 2 = 7)Dadra  Tal: 6-beat cycle subdivided into two equal groups (3 + 3 = 6).

CLASSIFICATION OF TABLA BOLS  One of the more challenging and beautiful aspects of tabla is the useof spoken syllables (“bols”) to represent drum sounds. However, thislanguage-based system can be somewhat daunting to students trained

using drumset notation. Always try to speak each phrase clearly to graspthe inherent rhythmic “poetry.”  Drumset variations are derived using a general categorization of tabla

Drumset Adaptations of North

Indian TablaBy Jerry Leakebols. To avoid hampering improvisation and variation we will not es-tablish a strict system. Below is an abridged list of tabla bols with basicclassications of sound quality: sustaining or non-sustaining tones, high-pitched, bass sounds. To the right of each bol are suggested drumsetinterpretations. Te third column includes western notation.

Drumset Notation

Dayan (high drum)

ta/na : single stroke on high cymbal, hi-hat,drum, metallic in sound. snareLong sustaining tone.

tin/tun: single stroke, cymbal, hi-hat,produces the open “ring” of snarethe tabla. Long sustainingtone.

Bayan (low drum)ge/ga : single stroke, bass drum or tomsbass tone, sustaining.

 Tabla and Bayan,sustaining tones cymbal or hi-hatdha  (na + ge) most with snare or basscommon stroke on drum, strongtabla strong emphasis. emphasis. 

dhin (tin + ge) open hi-hat or bellopen “ring” of tabla with of cymbal withlow bayan, emphasis bass drum;

receives emphasis.

non-sustaining toneste te: paired strokes on paired strokes ondayan,medium drumset, eighth notetempo (eighths). ride or hi-hat.

tira kita : four successive four strokesstrokesusing dayan and hi-hat/cymbalbayan. Fast tempo and snare;(sixteenths). paradiddles.

KEHARWA ON DRUMSET

  Keharwa is a popular 8-beat “folk” tal that transcribes to one- or two-bar grooves on drumset. Variations are often derived by starting fromdiff erent beats of the phrase resulting in unique and evolving develop-

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ment. Phrase displacement requires no change in technique; however,the rhythm will sound and feel quite diff erent. Annotations will indicate

 which phrases to displace.  Each example includes the tabla language followed by the corre-sponding drumset transcription. Always speak the phrase rst (refer tothe video link), speak while playing drumset, and play drumset withoutspeaking.

STYLISTIC POSSIBILITIES  Each variation can be played at slow, medium, and fast tempo. In slowto medium tempo these examples work well in Latin settings; by swing-ing the phrase they work in contemporary jazz and hip-hop styles. Amore Jo-Jo Mayer-inspired “drum’n’bass” approach results at fast tempo

 with rim clicks on snare replacing open drum tones.

1.

2. (Also start from the 2nd beat.)

3. (Also start from the 2nd and 3rd beat.)

4.

5.

6. (Also start from the 2nd beat.)

7. (Also start from the 4th beat of bar 2.

See a video of examples given in this article by accessing the digital

version of this issue at www.pas.org/publications/jan13digitaledition/   Video

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8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

KAIDA ON DRUMSETAmong the many tabla compositional forms, kaida is most widely

used because of the tremendous variety of rhythm and variation. A kaidaconsists of a main theme with variations derived by extrapolating anddeveloping elements of the original theme, shuffling the deck of possi-bilities. Presented below are nine tintal (16-beat) kaida themes, with theplayer encouraged to explore variations by shuffling the elements.

1.

2.

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3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

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9.

VIDEO(1) practice the spoken tabla phrase; (2), hear phrases played on tabla;

(3), hear phrases played on drumset; (4) hear phrases played simultane-ously on tabla and drumset. My New England Conservatory studentZach Para is heard playing all drumset examples.

CONCLUSION  Rhythmic inspiration can be derived from seemingly unlimited sourc-es, cultures, and concepts to broaden a player’s vocabulary and imagina-tion. Tese ideas are not designed to make you sound like a tabla player;

the sounds of each instrument are unique. However, by discovering theancient origins of world music, one may fully realize the innite possi-bilities.

 Jerry Leake is an Associate Professor of Percussion at Berklee College ofMusic and the New England Conservatory. He leads the world-rock-fu-sion octet Cubist (cubistband.com), which performs compositions fromhis 2010 acclaimed Cubist  CD. In 2011 he released Cubist Live  with re-nowned Berklee faculty, and Mobeus  with jazz legend Rakalam Bob Mo-ses. Jerry is cofounder of the world-music ensemble Natraj and performs

 with Club d’Elf and the Agbekor Society. Jerry has written eight widelyused texts on North and South Indian, West African, Latin Americanpercussion, and advanced rhythm theory (Rhombuspublishing.com). Jer-ry is also former president of the Massachusetts PAS Chapter, and was apresenter of his “Harmonic Time” concept at a 2011 TEDx Seminar inCambridge, Mass. PN