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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.
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.
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.
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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".
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:
TeTe KaTa
GaDi 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:
Dhin Na
Dhin Dhin Na
Tin Na
Dhin Dhin Na
In this example the structure Dhin Na Dhin Dhin Na is opposed by Tin Na Dhin Dhin Na
Dha Dhin Na
Dha 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:
Tin Tin Na
Dhin Na
Dhin 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. Lay (tempo)
It goes without saying that there have to be some practical limit to madhya 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 vilambit 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 ati-vilambit shown in the following table:
10 beats-per-min The table is an idealized breakdown of lay; however, the real world ati-ati-vilambit 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.
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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.
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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:
Theka
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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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:
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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.
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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:
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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:
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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:
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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:
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