Fundamentals of Tal

“FUNDAMENTALS OF TAL” BY DAVID COURTNEY (AN ADAPTED VERSION)

OVERVIEW

Tal (variously transliterated as "tala", "taal" or "taala") is the Indian system of rhythm. It has been argued that rhythm is fundamental to the creation of any musical system. Thus, rhythm occupies an essential position in the Indian system of music. The word tal. Tal literally means "clap". Today, the tabla has replaced the clap in the performance, but the term still reflects the origin. The basic concepts of tal are: tali, khali, vibhag (ang), matra , bol, theka, laya, sama and avartan.

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TALI –

Tali is the pattern of clapping. Each tal is characterized by a particular pattern and number of claps.

KHALI -

Khali is the wave of the hands. These have a characteristic relationship to the claps.

VIBHAG (ANG) -

Vibhag is the measure. Each clap or wave specifies a particular section or measure. These measures may be of any number of beats, yet most commonly 2, 3, 4, or 5 beats are used.

MATRA -

Matra is the beat. It may be subdivided if required.

BOL -

Bol is the mnemonic system where each stroke of the drum has a syllable attached to it. These syllables are known as bol. It is common to consider the bol to be synonymous to the stroke itself.

THEKA -

Theka is a conventionally established pattern of bols and vibhag (tali, khali) which define the tal.

LAY

Laya is the tempo. The tempo may be either slow (vilambit), medium (madhya), or fast (drut). Additionally ultra-slow may be referred to as ati-vilambit or ultra-fast may be referred to as ati-drut.

SAMA

Sam is the beginning of the cycle. The first beat of any cycle is usually stressed.

AVARTAN

Avartan is the basic cycle.

“FUNDAMENTALS OF TAL” By David Courtney (An Adapted Version) http://chandrakantha.com/articles/indian_music/tala.html

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TALI - THE CLAPPING OF HANDS

The clap of the hands is an important part of both the science and practice of North Indian music. It has a hoary past. An elaborate system of clapping and hand movements is mentioned in the Natya Sastra (circa 200 bc) where it is part of the system of timekeeping known as "kriya".

The clap of the hands is very important for the conceptualization of Indian rhythms. North Indian musicians use the claps to designate the measures, vibhag which are highly stressed. The most stressed measure is the beginning of the cycle. This is called the sam, and is the most important beat in the whole cycle.

The clapping of hands is also of great practical importance. It is a convenient means for the singers and other musicians to communicate with the percussion player without having to break the performance.

The clapping must not be taken only into itself because it exits along with its compliment the wave. This wave or “khali” is also important in designating the measures.

KHALI - THE WAVE OF HANDS

The word "khali" literally means empty. However, in the field of north Indian music it has a special significance. Here the word implies a wave of the hand. This wave of the hand, along with its counterpart, the clap of the hand, forms the basis for timekeeping in north India. This system of timekeeping is known as "kriya."

The wave of the hand is used to designate the first beats of measures, which are only moderately stresses. Therefore, one almost never finds the khali applied to strongly stressed beats like the "sama" (the first beat of the cycle).

The khali is especially important in symmetrical metres such as tintal of 16, beats or dadra of 6 beats. For such symmetrical tals the khali is indispensable for correct orientation. For example, if there were no khali, tintal would be a confusing string of four beat measures and it would be very difficult to find the beginning of the cycle. Therefore, the khali may be thought of as an index.

The khali, along with the tali, form a convenient method by which vocalists may communicate with the tabla player (tabalji, or tabliya) without halting the performance. This allows communication between the artists to continue during the performance without a break in the musical flow.

VIBHAG - THE MEASURE

The vibhag in north Indian music is somewhat analogous to the Western concept of the measure or bar. However, in Indian music the cycle (avartan) is much more important than the measure. In the old scriptures the vibhag was often referred to as the "ang".

The vibhag may be any number of beats; however two, three, or four-beats are the most common. The vibhags may be put together in any fashion; but the arrangement is always fixed by convention. Therefore, tintal by convention will always be four vibhags of four beats each, ektal will always be six vibhags of two beats each, etc.

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The vibhags must be designated with either a clap or a wave of the hand. This convention makes communication easier. In the rhythmic notation (tal lipi) any vibhag, which is khali is designated by a zero at the beginning. Any other symbol is used to designate a clap or tali. Usually a number is used which corresponds to the clapping. Therefore a "3" at the beginning of a vibhag would indicate that it was the third clap in the cycle, a "2" would indicate the second clap, etc. The sam is the most important and it is designated with a cross, or an "x".

MATRA - DIVISION OF ONE SPACE

The matra is the "beat". Along with the vibhag (measure) and the avartan (cycle), it is one of the three levels of structure for rhythm (tal).

The beats may have a different significance depending on where they come in the cycle. Beats that occur at the beginning of any measure (vibhag) are always more significant then the beats, which occur midway in a measure. The first beat of the cycle (avartan) is the most important beat of all. It is called sam.

Indian music does not flow in metronome time; therefore the value of the beats may be stretched or contracted depending on numerous factors. This is easily demonstrated, but surprisingly enough is not acknowledged in traditional theory. One must understand the music thoroughly to know when such liberties are appropriate.

BOL – RHYTHMIC MNEMONICS

The mnemonic syllables are an important part of Indian rhythm. They are variously refered to as bol. These are syllables, which correlate to the various strokes of the tabla, mridangam, and pakhawaj as well as other classical percussive instruments. Since they have such a wide usage across the classical drums, we can assume that this custom is many centuries old. Otherwise it would not have such a wide distribution.

There is a difference in the way that north Indians and south Indians view these syllables. In the north (Hindustani sangeet) the tal is actually defined by the bol, while in the south (Carnatic Sangeet) the syllables do not define the tal, but are generally used as a mnemonic aid to the musician. Furthermore, the lexicon of syllables is very different between North Indian musicians and South Indian musicians. Even within the Carnatic / Hindustani systems, there are smaller differences between the various percussion instruments.

North Indian Perspective

The mnemonic syllable of the north is known as bol. This is derived from the word "bolna" which means "to speak". The concept of bol has a number of different characteristics. These relate to the manner in which the bol relates to the technique of the percussion. They also relate to the way that the bol is used to define the tal.

The manner in which the bol relates to the technique of the tabla is perhaps the most important consideration of all. This is described in greater detail under the topic "Basic Strokes and Bols".


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THEKA- THE SUPPORT

The word "theka" literally means "support" (Pathak 1976). Originally the theka was nothing more than a "groove" that is laid down for the accompaniment of other musicians. However in the last few centuries it has emerged as "the" signature for any north Indian tal.

Theka is generally conceived of as a conventionally accepted arrangement of common bols. Such bols as Dha, Dhin, Ta, Na, and Tin are the most common. The majority of common thekas may be played using only these bols.

A very common example is tintal

XDha Dhin Dhin Dha 2Dha Dhin Dhin Dha 0Dha Tin Tin Na 3Na Dhin Dhin Dha

The topic of the theka and its bols is complicated by the pakhawaj. There are many thekas which are derived from this instrument. These tend to use very different bols. It is very common to see phrases such as Dha Dha Din Ta, or Te Te Ka Ta Ga Di Ge Na. One very common theka from the pakhawaj is Chautal; it goes like this:

XDha Dha Din Ta 2KiTa Dha Din Ta 3TeTe KaTa 4GaDi GeNa

We may make a few observations about the structure of theka. There is a tendency for theka to be based upon two symmetrical structures. Let us look at jhaptal for example:

XDhin Na 2Dhin Dhin Na 0Tin Na 3Dhin Dhin Na

In this example the structure Dhin Na Dhin Dhin Na is opposed by Tin Na Dhin Dhin Na

This symmetry is also illustrated in dadra tal; it goes like this:

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XDha Dhin Na 0Dha Tin Na

In this last example the phrase Dha Dhin Na is reflected in the structure Dha Tin Na.

It must be stressed that there are numerous thekas which do not exhibit this symmetrical quality. Therefore symmetry must be considered a tendency rather than a rule. Rupak is a very common theka which is asymmetrical; it goes like this:

0Tin Tin Na 1Dhin Na 2Dhin Na

There is another observation that we can make about the structure of the theka; there is a tendency for the bols to follow the structure of the vibhag. If we look back at the jhaptal in the earlier example we see that the 2,3,2,3, clapping arrangement of jhaptal is reflected in the bols Dhin Na Dhin Dhin Na Tin Na Dhin Dhin Na. Again, the numerous exceptions show that this is merely a tendency rather than a rule.

Closly allied with the concept of theka is the prakar. The term prakar indicates that there is not just one way to play the theka but there are numerous variatons. Some of these variations are a technical necessity and others are artistic.

LAYA - THE TEMPO (PACE)

Lay is the tempo, or the pace. The Hindi term for tempo is "lay" and is derived from the Sanskrit term "laya". It is a very simple concept, but its application is sometimes complicated.

It goes without saying that there have to be some practical limit to usable tempi. One beat every ten minutes would be so slow as to be musically useless. At the other end of the spectrum we can see that 100 beats per second would be so fast that it would be perceived as a tone and not as a rhythm. A general breakdown of Indian laya is shown in the following table:

The table is an idealized breakdown of lay; however, the real world is considerably more complex. For example the designations of ati drut, ati vilambit, etc. are seldom heard among practicing musicians. This tends to stretch the previous table so that there is no longer a 2-1 relationship between the various designations. To make matters even more complex, it has been observed that vocalists use a slower definition of time than instrumentalists.

Lay (tempo)

ati-ati-drut 640 beats-per-min

ati-drut 320 beats-per-min

drut 160 beats-per-min

madhya 80 beats-per-min

vilambit 40 beats-per-min

ati-vilambit 20 beats-per-min

ati-ati-vilambit 10 beats-per-min


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Furthermore the rhythmic concepts of the light and film musicians run at a higher tempo but show a peculiar compression of scale.

The lay or tempo usually changes throughout the performance. These changes in tempo are inextricably linked to the various musical styles. In general we can say that only very short pieces will maintain a fairly steady pace. Most styles will start at one tempo and then increase in speed.

SAMA - THE FIRST MATRA OF A CYCLE

The sam is the first beat of the cycle in the north Indian system of tal. The word sam literally means to "conjoin" or "come together". The sam has a special significance in both the performance and theory of North Indian music.

One of the main functions of the sam is to establish a point of resolution. Although improvisations and fixed compositions may begin almost anywhere in the cycle (avartan) they almost always resolve on the sam.

The sam is also a pivotal point. Typically the tabla player keeps time by playing theka and the main musician is free to improvise. This however would be boring if that was the only thing that happens; therefore it is common to trade places. During this, the main musician keeps time by playing the theme (gat or sthai) over and over. This allows the tabla player to take off and improvise. After a period the roles reverse again. The sam is important because it is pivotal to this transition.

The sam is so important that it has its own notational symbol. In the Bhatkhande system of notation, it is noted with cross such as an "x" or an "+".

The sam is almost always a clap of the hands (tali). There is only one exception and that is the case of rupak tal. This lone exception designates the sam with a wave of the hands (khali).

AVARTAN - THE CYCLE

The avartan is the cycle in North Indian Music. It is composed of measures (vibhag) which are in turn composed of beats (matra).

The avartan is in some ways comparable to the Western cycle (e.g. a 16 bar blues pattern) with but a few differences. One of the biggest differences is that in Western music the measure is considered inviolate, while in North Indian music the cycle is considered inviolate. That is to say that a Western musician would think nothing of establishing a 16 bar pattern, break the pattern for some artistic reason and then reestablish it; however the measures would all be the same. Conversely, Indian musicians typically will mix the measures. For instance jhaptal is four measures of two-beats, three-beats, two-beats, three-beats respectively, however the overall 10 beat pattern may not be altered.

Avartans may be of any number of beats. The most common numbers are 16, 14, 12, 10, 8, 7, and 6. Most of the music played in Northern India today is in one of these numbers.

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INDEX OF MAJOR TALAS

CHAUTAL Description

Chautal, variously referred to as Chartal, Chowtal, and even occasionally as Dhrupad tal, was a very common tal in the past. The names Chautal, Chowtal, and Chartal all mean "four claps"; this is a reference to the four claps of its vibhag structure. A few musicians refer to this tal as Dhrupad tal. Although this is a considerably less common name, it clearly refers to its strong usage in the dhrupad tradition.

Chautal has 12 matras. But this is the only thing that we can say with absolute certainty about its structure.

There seems to be some disagreement as to the vibhag arrangement. One school of thought contends that it consists of four vibhags of 4, 4, 2, and 2 matras respectively. According to this school, Chautal has only claps and no waves of the hand. Therefore, each of the four claps corresponds to a vibhag. This is the version that is shown below. There is another school, which suggests that the structure of Chautal is the same as Ektal. Therefore, it would be viewed as six vibhags of two matras each. According to this school, the vibhags are clap, wave, clap, wave, clap, clap.

Chautal is strongly linked to the pakhawaj tradition; this has profound practical and theoretical implications. It is performed in a very heavy, powerful manner, which is in sharp contrast to the more delicate style of the tabla. Furthermore, there are difficulties when we speak of the theka. Where modern tabla players use the theka as the defining characteristic of the tal, pakhawaj players of old used the clapping / waving arrangement. Many suggest that the term "thapi" should be used instead of "theka" as an indication of this fundamental conceptual difference.

The fact that there is not really a "theka", but instead a "thapi" has tremendous practical importance. It is very normal for pakhawaj players to freely improvise in the middle of accompaniment. There is not the pressure to constantly play a simple "theka". This constant free improvisation may be at times disorienting to the modern concert goer who is used to the theka for the accompaniment of kheyal, dadra, thumri and other contemporary classical forms.

Chautal tends to be played in the medium tempos only. One almost never hears extremely fast (ati-drut) or extremely slow (vilambit) performances.

Below are the characteristics of Chautal:

Clapping/ Waving Arrangement Number of Beats - 12

Clap 2, 3, 4, Clap, 2, 3, 4, Clap, 2, Clap (disputed)

Theka


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DADRA TAL Description Dadra tal is six or three beat tal which is extremely common in the the lighter forms of music.

The name is derived from its association with the dadra style of singing. This is a semiclassical form that is somewhat similar to thumri. The dadra style of singing in turn, derives its name from the place where it began.

There are a number of reasons for Dadra's extreme popularity. One reason is the ease in performing in three and six beats; it is very symmetrical and posses no great challenge. Another reason for it being so common lies in the Indian taxonomy of tals. Virtually any tal of three, six, and 12-matras of folk origins, is routinely lumped under the title of Dadra. Even though they may have no cultural connections, traditional Indian musicology considers them to be the same tal. Therefore, the large number of musical tributaries contributes greatly to the variety of prakars, its popularity, and the geographical distribution of Dadra.

The "textbook case" is simple. It is a six-beat tal that is divided into two vibhags of three matras each. The first vibhag is clapped and the second vibhag iswaved.

Dadra may be played in a variety of tempos. It may be heard anywhere from moderately slow to extremely fast speeds. Only the extremely slow (vilambit) performances are conspicuously absent.

Clapping/ Waving Arrangement

Clap, 2, 3, Wave, 2, 3

Number of Beats - 6

Theka

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DHAMMAR TAL Description Dhammar tal is a very old tal of the pakhawaj tradition. As such it is played in a heavy-handed style, which is more appropriate to the dhammar and dhrupad style of singing than the contemporary styles such as kheyal, or thumri.

There are differences of opinion concerning its structure. Most musicians consider dhammar to be divided into four vibhags of 5, 2, 3, and 4 matras. These vibhags are denoted with a clap, clap, wave, and clap respectively. However, there is a different school of thought which suggests that the division should be 3, 4, 3, and 4 matras; this approach is definitely not the most common one, therefore we will adhere to the former approach.


Clap, 2, 3, 4, 5, Clap, 2, Wave, 2, 3, Clap, 2, 3, 4 (disputed)

Number of Beats - 14

Theka


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DIPCHANDI TAL (CHANCHAR, CHOCHAR) Description Dipchandi also known as Chanchar or Chochar and is a moderately popular 14 beat tal in northern India. It may roughly be translated to mean "lamplight". This tal is divided into four vibhags (measures) of 3, 4, 3 and 4 matras. These vibhags are denoted by a clap, clap, wave, and clap respectively.

Today, there are two common prakars of dipchandi. There is one which is used in light music and another which is used in semiclassical forms such as the thumri. The one which is used in thumri is general considered the "official" version, and is the one which is shown here.


Clap, 2, 3, Clap, 2, 3, 4, Wave, 2, 3, Clap, 2, 3, 4


Theka

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EKTAL Description Ektal is a very popular tal. It is is common in classical music such as the kheyal, and semiclassical forms such as Rabindra Sangeet.

The structure of ektal is simple. It is 12 matras divided into of six vibhags of two matras each. Its clapping arrangement is clap, wave, clap, wave, clap, clap.

It is most associated with the kheyal style of singing. A particular movement known as bada kheyal or vilambit kheyal is performed almost exclusively in very slow ektal. However, ektal is also performed in fast kheyal as well.

The name "ektal" literally means "one-clap". How the name came is a mystery since it has four claps


Clap, 2, Wave, 2, Clap, 2, Wave, 2, Clap, 2, Clap, 2


Theka


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JHAPTAL Description Jhaptal is the most common 10 beat tal in northern India. It is composed of four vibhags of 2, 3, 2, and 3 matras. These vibhags are denoted by clap, clap, wave, and clap respectively. Jhaptal shows up in a variety of classical and semiclassical settings. It may be found in the kheyal, tarana, bhajan, and Rabindra sangeet.


Clap, 2, Clap, 2, 3, Wave, 2, Clap, 2, 3


Theka

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JHUMRA TAL Description Jhumra is is a 14 matra tal that was once popular for slow kheyals. This has almost entirely been replaced by Ektal. It is divided into four vibhags of 3, 4, 3, and 4 matras (beats). These vibhags are denote by a clap, clap, wave and clap respectively.


Clap, 2, 3, Clap, 2, 3, 4, Wave, 2, 3, Clap, 2, 3, 4


Theka


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KAHERAVA (KHERVA, KAHERAWA) Description Kaherava may be considered to be the most popular tal in Northern India. It is an eight-beat tal of the non-classical traditions. It is widely used in folk music. It is not found in the classical traditions such as kheyal, tarana, dhrupad, and dhammar.

The structure of kaherava is simple. It is composed of two vibhags of four matras each. The first vibhag is denoted by a clap, while the second vibhag is denoted by a wave of the hand.

The broad popularity of kaherava tal is a bit misleading. Its popularity is skewed by the fact that the term kaherava is applied to a broad number of unrelated tals; therefore, virtually any four, eight, or sixteen matra tal of the non-classical traditions may be called kaherava. It should be no surprise that there are countless prakars (variations).

The "official" theka is shown below:


Clap, 2, 3, 4, Wave, 2, 3, 4

Number of Beats - 8

Theka

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KHEMPTA TAL Description Khempta, also referred to as kemp, kempta, kemptal, or khemptal, is an extremely common 6 beat tal. It is debatable whether this is really a separate tal or merely a prakar of dadra. It is probably better to NOT consider this to be a separate tal, yet this prakar is so common that it deserves special consideration.

The structure of khempta is indistinguishable from dadra tal. It is composed of two vibhags of three matras each. The first vibhag is clapped while the second vibhag is designated by a wave of the hand. Although the structure is indistinguishable from dadra, the theka is different.

The characteristics of kempta are shown below:


Clap, 2, 3, Wave, 2, 3

Number of Beats - 6

Theka


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PASHTU TAL Description Pashtu, also transliterated as pashtoo, is an interesting variation upon rupak tal. Its characteristics, definition, and even its very existence are the subject of much debate.

The musical characteristics of pashtu are simple. It is usually considered to be three vibhags of three, two, and two matras. All three vibhags are clapped and there is no khali. There are some who consider the structure to be wave, clap, clap; this however does not seem to be the most common view.


Clap, 2, 3, Clap, 2, Clap, 2

Number of Beats - 7

Theka

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SITARKHANI TAL Description Punjabi theka is a common tal of 16 beats. Some suggest that it is not really a separate tal, but is merely a prakar of tintal. There are different views as to its name. Some call it Punjabi theka and others call it sitarkhani.

Sitarkhani has a very distinctive movement. It is just tintal where the two Dhins in the middle of each measure (vibhag) have been replaced by a single Dhin that rests on the off-beat. It is this distinctive syncopation that gives this tal its pleasant effect.

Sitarkhani's (punjabi theka) characteristics are shown below:


Clap, 2, 3, 4, Clap, 2, 3, 4, Wave, 2, 3, 4, Clap, 2, 3, 4


Theka


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RUPAK TAL Description Rupak tal is a common seven beat tal in Northern India.

Rupak tal may be found in almost any musical style. The only forms where it is absent are the dhrupad and dhammar styles of singing; it is only absent in these styles because tivra tal serves the same function.

Rupak is unique among the tals in that the first beat ( i.e., the sam) is khali (i.e., represented by a wave of the hand).

The theka of rupak is uncomfortably similar to pashtu tal. The only difference is that many musicians prefer to think of pashtu as consisting entirely of claps; while rupak tal begins with a wave of the hand.

The form of rupak is shown below:


Wave, 2, 3, Clap, 2, Clap, 2

Number of Beats - 7

Theka

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SULTAL (SOOLTAL, SULFAK, SHULTAL SOOLFAK) Description Sultal (variously know as shultal, shooltal, sulfak, or soolfaktal) is a tal of the pakhawaj tradition. It is composed of 10 beats and was very commonly used to accompany dhrupad singers.

The fact that there is not really a "theka", but instead a "thapi" has tremendous practical importance. It is very normal for pakhawaj players to freely improvise in the middle of accompaniment. There is not the pressure to constantly play a simple "theka". This constant free improvisation may be at times disorienting to the modern concert goer who is used to the theka for the accompaniment of kheyal, dadra, thumri and other contemporary classical forms.

A common version of sultal is shown below:


Clap, 2, Wave, 2, Clap, 2, Wave, 2, Clap, 2 (disputed)

Number of Beats - 10 (disputed)

Theka


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TILWADA (TILWARA) Description Tilwada is a variant of tintal. The number of beats, the vibhag structure, the clapping, waving, all are identical to tintal. Even the bols of the theka are so similar that it could be declared a prakar rather than a separate tal. However, we will bow to common usage and consider tilwada to be a distinct tal.

Tilwada is occasionally used in Kheyal. However, its use has almost been entirely replaced by tintal and ektal.

The structure of tilawada is shown below:




Theka

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TINTAL (TEENTAL) Description Tintal is without any doubt the most common tal in the north Indian classical system of music. It is variously referred to as teental or trital. These names all reflect the three claps of its vibhags structure.

The structure of tintal is so amazingly symmetrical that it presents a very simple rhythmic structure against which a performance can be laid. It is composed of four vibhags of four matras each. These vibhags are represented by a clap, clap, wave, and a clap.

The structure of tintal is shown below:




Theka


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TIVRA TAL (TEEVRA) Description Tivra tal, variously referred to as tivratal, teevra, or teevra tal, was once a common 7-matra tal of northern India. It was used in the dhrupad style of singing.

Tivra is part of the pakhawaj tradition. This traditon did not have a single theka as we think of it today, but instead used a series of simple accompaniment patterns known as thapi.

Tivra tal began to fall out of fashion as the dhrupad fell out of fashion. This was in the 20th century. Just as the kheyal replaced dhrupad, rupak tal replaced tivra.

Its characteristics are shown below:


Clap, 2, 3, Wave, 2, Clap, 2

Number of Beats - 7

Theka

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