Following a Khayal Singer Who Delays the Sam
A candidate is accompanying a khayal vocalist in Raag Bhairav, vilambit Ektaal (12 matras, vibhag 2+2+2+2+2+2; talee on 1, 5, 9 and 11; khali on 3 and 7). The singer's bandish begins on matra 7, the khali, and arrives on sam after six matras. In the third avartan, the singer deliberately delays the sam by one matra and then returns to the cycle. The candidate's instinct is to 'correct' the singer by playing a loud tihai on the expected sam. The singer has also signalled for dugun at the end of the bandish. The candidate has practised a 4-matra tihai and wants to use it, but the singer has not asked for a tihai. The examiner is watching how the candidate supports rather than leads.
1. How should the candidate respond to the singer's delayed sam, and why?
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The candidate should follow the singer, not correct him. A deliberate delay of sam is a rhythmic device, a form of upaj or rhythmic play, and the accompanist's job is to keep the cycle stable underneath so the singer can return to it. If the candidate plays a loud tihai on the expected sam, he will contradict the singer and make the delay sound like an error. Instead, he should keep the theka soft and even, maintain the internal count of Ektaal, and adjust his bols to the singer's phrasing. When the singer returns to sam, the candidate should be there with him, not ahead of him. The examiner is judging whether the candidate can support a soloist's rhythmic play without losing the tala.
2. Should the candidate play the 4-matra tihai? If so, when and how; if not, why? Calculate a 4-matra tihai in Ektaal if it were to be used.
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He should not play the tihai unless the singer asks for it. In khayal accompaniment, a tihai is a cadential statement that belongs to the singer or to a pre-arranged section; an unrequested tihai can clash with the singer's improvisation and disrupt the bandish. If the singer did ask for a tihai at the end of the bandish, a 4-matra phrase would work as follows: three repetitions take 12 matras, so to end on sam the phrase should start on matra 2. Repetition 1 occupies matras 2–5, repetition 2 occupies 6–9, and repetition 3 occupies 10, 11, 12 and then sam of the next cycle. The last bol lands on sam. The candidate should play it softly and only after the singer's own phrase has cadenced.
3. How should the candidate shift to dugun at the singer's signal without disrupting the cycle?
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The candidate should wait for a clean boundary, preferably the end of the current line or the next sam, and then change density at sam rather than in the middle of a vibhag. In Ektaal, barabar has 12 matras per avartan; dugun has 24 bols per avartan, so the theka must double its bol density while keeping talee on 1, 5, 9 and 11 and khali on 3 and 7. A safe approach is to play one avartan of simple dugun theka, with clear talee and khali, rather than an elaborate rela. The candidate should watch the singer's hand or gesture and return to barabar if the singer slows again. The goal is to make the shift feel like a shared change of gear, not a solo display.