Notation Writing and Recognition of Talas/Bols
This section covers notation writing and recognition. The exam gives a bol line or a tala description and asks you to identify the cycle, mark sam/tali/khali, or write a theka correctly.
Recognition rules
- Count the matras first. Then group them by the bar lines to find vibhags.
- Look for the repeating first bol: that is usually sam. Look for the lighter bol group: that is often khali.
- Check the standard patterns: Teental 16 (4+4+4+4); Jhaptal 10 (2+3+2+3); Rupak 7 (3+2+2); Dadra 6 (3+3); Keherwa 8 (4+4).
- In Jhaptal the theka is Dhi Na | Dhi Dhi Na | Ti Na | Dhi Dhi Na, with khali on 6. In Rupak the sam itself is khali: Tin Tin Na | Dhin Na | Dhin Na.
Worked example
A line reads: Dhi Na | Dhi Dhi Na | Ti Na | Dhi Dhi Na. Identify the tala and khali. Reason: the vibhags are 2+3+2+3, giving 10 matras. The third vibhag begins with Ti, the lighter khali bol, at matra 6. This is Jhaptal. It is not Teental, because Teental has four groups of 4 and 16 matras.
Traps that cost marks
Do not count the bar lines as matras. Do not put khali on sam in Jhaptal; that belongs to Rupak. Do not write Rupak’s opening as Dha. Do not ignore the difference between a vibhag of 2 and a vibhag of 3. Always align symbols above the correct matra.
Exam focus
Be able to write Teental, Jhaptal, Rupak, Dadra and Keherwa thekas with matra numbers, bars and symbols, and to identify a tala from its vibhag pattern alone.