Tala and Rhythm: Matras, Tali–Khali, Laya and Layakari
Tala questions are numerical. You will be asked to count matras, place tali and khali correctly, write a theka in vibhags, expand a cycle at dugun, or show where a tihai lands on sam.
Core vocabulary
Matra (beat), vibhag (bar), tali (clap), khali (wave), sam (first matra, the point of resolution), avartan (one cycle), theka (mnemonic bols), laya (tempo), layakari (rhythmic multiplication), tihai (threefold phrase ending on sam), kayada and palta (tabla compositions).
Prescribed talas
| Tala | Matras | Vibhag | Tali | Khali |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teental | 16 | 4+4+4+4 | 1, 5, 9, 13 | 9 |
| Jhaptal | 10 | 2+3+2+3 | 1, 3, 8 | 6 |
| Ektal | 12 | 2+2+2+2+2+2 | 1, 5, 9, 11 | 3, 7 |
| Chautal | 12 | 4+4+4 | 1, 5, 9, 11 | 3, 7 |
| Dhamar | 14 | 5+2+3+4 | 1, 6, 11 | 8 |
| Rupak | 7 | 3+2+2 | 4, 6 | 1 |
Teental theka: dha dhin dhin dha | dha dhin dhin dha | dha tin tin ta | ta dhin dhin dha. Jhaptal: dhi na | dhi dhi na | ti na | dhi dhi na.
Laya
Vilambit (about 40–60 bpm), madhya (about 80–120), drut (150+). Layakari: barabar, dugun (two bols per matra), tigun, chaugun, aad (3/2) and kuwaad (5/4).
Worked example
A tihai phrase lasts 5 matras and must resolve on sam of a 16-matra Teental. Three repetitions take 15 matras, so the tihai begins on matra 2 and leaves one matra of breath before sam. At dugun the same avartan carries 32 bols, so each repetition of the phrase becomes 10 bols.
Traps
Treating khali as silence - it is a wave and is still sounded; forgetting that Rupak's sam is khali; writing 15 or 17 matras for Teental; describing Dhamar as 3+4+3+4 (that is Jhoomra/Deepchandi).