Tala and Laya (Rhythmic Cycles and Tempo)
Tala is the rhythmic framework and laya the speed at which it moves. The paper tests the vocabulary of the cycle, the structure of set talas, and layakari calculations - for example, how many bols are played per matra at dugun.
The vocabulary
Matra is one beat; vibhag is a bar of matras; tali is a clap marking a vibhag; khali is an empty (waved) vibhag; sam is the first matra of the cycle, where all sections converge; avartan is one complete cycle. The theka is the tabla's syllable pattern for the tala.
Talas you must know cold
- Teentaal - 16 matras, 4+4+4+4; tali on 1, 5, 13; khali on 9.
- Ektaal - 12 matras, six vibhags of 2; tali on 1, 5, 9, 11; khali on 3 and 7.
- Jhaptaal - 10 matras, 2+3+2+3; tali on 1, 3, 8; khali on 6.
- Rupak - 7 matras, 3+2+2; khali falls on sam itself.
- Dadra 6 (3+3), Keherwa 8 (4+4), Deepchandi 14 (3+4+3+4).
Laya and layakari
Vilambit (slow), madhya (medium), drut (fast). Layakari multiplies or divides the flow: aad (3/2), dugun (2), tigun (3), chaugun (4) - at dugun you produce two units per matra.
Worked example
A student writes that the khali of Teentaal is on matra 13. Correct or not? Vibhags begin at 1, 5, 9 and 13. The talis are 1 (sam), 5 and 13; therefore the third vibhag, beginning at 9, is khali. The answer is wrong - khali is matra 9, and 13 is a tali.
Traps
- Placing khali on the last vibhag instead of the third.
- Treating sam and tali as synonyms; sam is a tali, but not every tali is sam.
- Missing the Rupak exception, where sam itself is khali.