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Tala - A Primer | ||
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Corvin Russell | ||
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Inspite of all that I have written below, I must reiterate that I do not consider myself especially knowledgeable about tabla. I do study it with a great master and I practice about two hours a day under normal circumstances. But these are still the opinions of a novice, so beware! I also caution against trying to learn too much about any music by reading about it. There's no substitute for a good teacher, period. In the same vein I would hope that my comments do not sway a person's opinion of any musician. Trust your heart!
History There are two words for rhythm in India. One is "laya", which means basically "tempo". To say a performer has good lay, or is good with lay, is to say that they can keep an extremely steady beat and are good with polyrhythmic divisions of the beat. The other word is "tal", which requires more explanation. "Tal" or "tala", besides referring to the concept of rhythm in general, is also the name given to the rhythmic cycles which are the framewrok of all compositions in Indian music. A tal is a cycle of a fixed number of beats repeated over and over again. Theoretically, a tal of any number of beats is possible, including half-beat cycles like 6-1/2 and 8-1/2 beats. However, in North India only tals of between 3 and 108 beats are traditional. Only a very few of these tals are in common use. These are: Tintal, 16 beats divided 4-4-4-4 Dhamar tal, 14 beats divided 5-2-3-4 Ektal and Chautal, 12 beats divided 2-2-2-2-2-2 Jhaptal, 10 beats divided 2-3-2-3 Kaharva tal, 8 beats divided 4-4 Rupak tal, 7 beats divided 3-2-2 Dadra tal, 6 beats divided 3-3
Here are the thekas. They are in two lists. The first is of thekas learned from Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri. The second list was culled from Nijenhuis's and Gottlieb's books. They are arranged by increasing number of beats.
(Due to the severe limitations of HTML formatting it is not possible to align the symbols with the proper matras of the theka.
Dadra - 6 matras
Many variations of this theka exist, some going by the name khem ta
Rupak (7 matras)
Tivraa - 7 matras
OR
X 2 3
kaharvaa
kaharvaa has countless variations, including dhumaali, "bhajani",
and qawwali etc. It is often counted as 4 matras.
Jhaptaal - 10 matras
Ektaal The slower ektal is played, the more alankar is added to the theka.At
slow speeds the second vibhag is played like the fifth. Even though there
are two khalis, for tabla only the second khali is significant in compositions. Chautaal - 12 matras (khula bols) Ara Chautaal - 14 matras Dhamaar - 14 matras (khula bols) OR Ka dhe te dhe te | dha - | ga di na | di na ta - Tintal - 16 matras The theka becomes very ornamented in slow speeds. The "tete"
of 13th matra can also be played "ta" or "tre kre".
"ta" is often pronounced "na" for euphony. Strictly
speaking, "terekite" should never be substituted for "dhin"
of 2nd matra as this brings in the unwanted shadow of tilwara tal. Sitaarkhaani - 16 matras Matta taal - 18 matras In accompaniment Matta taal is often played as a nine-beat taal with
the following theka:Dhin terekite dhin na tu na dhin dhin na Tivra - 7 beats (khula bols) OR Dha gere naga | ga di | gere naga Dipchandi - 14 matras The last four matras can be played "dha dha dhin dhin". Some
tabla players put "na" in the gaps. Jhumra tal - 14 beats Tilwara - 16 matras Dhamari, 11 1/2 Tals may be distinguished from each other not only by their number of
beats, but also by the division of the beats. For instance, Dhamar tal isa
cycle of 14 beats divided 5-2-3-4, while Ada Chautal, also 14 beats, isdivided
2-2-2-2-2-2-2. A tal is not equivalent to a time signature in thewestern
sense. In western music, if a piece is in 4/4 time, most of thephrases will
follow a distinct 1-2-3-4 motion. In Indian music, the phrases need not
follow the movement of the rhythm cycle, and usually don't. Rather the musical
interest often comes in the way the artist uses phrases which divide or
go against the grain of the tal to develop long, complicated rhythmic ideas.
Tabla players almost always end these expositions with a dramatic cadence
arriving on the first beat, called the "sam". This makes the first
beat the most important beat of the cycle, since it provides a reference
point which makes clear the cyclic nature of the tal. The Tabla The following listing is sketchy and simplistic in the extreme. Briefly,
the principal bols are: ta or na (kinar) -- played on the "kinar"
or rim of the tabla, with its crisp, semi-metallic tone, this stroke is
perhaps the most most identifiable sound of the right-hand drum, or tabla. a, tin, na (sur) -- played on the "sur",
or ring between the kinar and the black centre (the "gab" or "siyahi")
-- except in the Lucknow style, where the gab is simultaneously struck by
the 2nd finger. This has a much more open and subtle sound than kinar ta,
with harmonic overtones giving it a lot of its flavour. tin/thun/din (gab) A very clean, 'beep-like' tone
produced by striking the gab. In my style, the khali analogues of dhin with
open bayan are played with closed bayan tete (gab). A prominent damped sound made on the
tabla gab using first the second, third and fourth fingers, followed by
the first finger, or in Delhi style, just using the 2nd followed by the
first. ga/ghe/ge/gi/ghen/gad/ -- open bass sound of variable
pitch and tone colour produced on the bayan by the fingers of the left hand.
Usually one uses the second finger with the third or just the first. ka/ke/ki/kat/ken - closed sound produced by the
flattened left hand striking the edge of the bayan. dheneghene - a ringing sequence of sounds consisting
of two open tones on the gab, a "ge" and a closed tone on the
gab. It is usually articulated quickly. dhiredhire -- a fast, crisp, dry, closed sound produced
by the edge of the right hand and the thumb as it rocks back and forth on
the tabla head. terekite -- a very common sequence consisting of
"tete" plus "ka" plus the first "te" of "tete". Many of the tabla sounds can be combined with Ghe to make compound sounds
--dha, dhin, dhete etc. Theka But each tal also has associated with it a traditional patter of bols
which are known to all musicians and which serve to indicate the structure
of the tal. These patterns are called "theka" and are played on
the tabla during accompaniment to keep the beat. Theka is also played in
solo between compositions. The theka for the 16 beat cycle tintal, for example,
is as follows (the khali division is shown by the "0", the "sam"
or first beat by an "X"): X 2 0 3 Note that the khali division is shown in the theka by playing the equivalents
of "dha" and "dhin" without the bayan. For reasons of
euphony, the first matra (beat) of khali is actually played as "dha"
and the 13th matra of the cycle is played as "ta". The repertoire of compositions: There are two basic types of composition in tabla -- the theme-and -variation
compositions and the so-called fixed compositions. Of the theme-and-variation
compositions, the three most prominent examples are kayda, peshkar, and
rela, though several other types exist. THEME-AND-VARIATION COMPOSITIONS Kayda One of the first compositions usually taught beginners is the Delhi kayda dhati tedha tite dhadha tite dhage tuna kena It's often called a beginner's composition, but it's really very hard
to play well. One can think of this composition as having 4 phrases, though
this is by no means the only way to think of it -- most compositions, particularly
longer ones, are rich in ambiguities, which can be exploited to good effect
in developing the theme: dhatite dhatite dhadhatite dhagetunakena The last phrase functions as a sort of limiting phrase or closing line
to signal the approach of khali or the sam and to mark the end of a variation. Almost all kaydas employ some variation of the phrase tunakena (whose open-bayan analogue is dhinagena), tinetinakena, or tinenanakena to perform this function. For the most part, this phrase is not elaborated in the variations on the theme, particularly in a chaste, simple composition
like "dhati te..." (compositions are usually referred to by their
opening lines). Furthermore, this kayda may be thought of as having two lines: dhati tedha tite dhadha tite dhage tuna kena In cases where the theme is more complex, the performer will usually elaborate earlier lines before proceeding to ideas in later lines, (though this is often not the case). This should be considered only a vague approximation of the structure of performance practice. Note that the lines do not necessarily divide evenly into halves, quarters, etc, though the length of the theme and variations always has a simple even mapping (2X, 1/2X etc.)to the tal. Now, the theme actually doesn't consist simply of the bol dhati tedha tite dhadha tite dhage tuna kena but contains a rearticulation of these lines. The first half is the bhari; the second half is the khali. This two-part structure holds for kaydas, relas, and peshkar in all talas, regardless of how the khali is positioned in the theka. Thus, though rupak tal theka begins with a khali vibhag, rupak kaydas have the same structure as tintal kaydas -- first half bhari, second half khali. Just as khali vibhags in the
theka feature an absence of open bayan syllables, so khali in compositions
repeat the bhari with closed bayan or no bayan at all. Our kayda "dhati
te... " then becomes dhati tedha tite dhadha tite dhage tuna kena tati teta tite tata tite dhage dhina gena OR dhati tedha tite dhadha tite dhage tuna kena tati teta tite dhadha tite dhage dhina gena Note that the open bayan reenters around halfway through the khali. This
is traditionally thought of as signalling the coming of the sam, but it
also fills out the sound of the composition. Where the bayan reenters is often (though not always) a matter of taste for the performer. It need not necessarily be exactly halfway through the khali. However, usually one choice fits the movement of the composition much better than others.
The question of khali's raison d'etre is an interesting and subtle one. This peculiarity of tabla playing, while in a strict sense arbitrary, certainly seems appropriate
to the particular qualities of the instrument itself, and allows the performer to bring out the many flavours and nuances of a compositon. It also lends a feeling of beauty, balance and completeness to a composition. It is hard to imagine these compositons without khali, and in a sense, pointless , since they were composed with khali in mind. The performer improvises variations on the theme and concludes the improvisation with a musical phrase repeated three times which ends on
sam at the end of the third repetition. This structure is called a "tihai"
and is used to end virtually all types of tabla composition. The actual process of improvisation and elaboration of the theme, however, is a complex one best left to be learned by osmosis in the study of tabla performance itself.
The Delhi kaydas: dha-te rekite dhagena dhagetu nakena dhati dhage nadha terekite dhati dhage tuna kena Kaydas often give rise to new kaydas by a simple process of substitution, adaptation or substition. So from the last kayda above, we get the new kayda: dhati dhage nadha kitetaka | dhati dhage dhina gena kitetaka dhati dha-kite takadha- | tidha gena tuna kena Especially in Lucknow and the rest of the Purab styles, the kayda can
get much longer and more complicated in bol and phrase structure. Peshkar ------- My guru does not teach peshkar until one has learned for about 8 years
or more (he himself was not taught it until he had learned for 10 years),
so I really have no knowledge whatsoever of this very subtle genre. But here goes (briefly): Peshkar, usually the first type of theme-and-variation composition to
be played in a solo concert, is, with its grand bols and its leaisurely, considered development, one of the most beautiful and refined parts of
the tabla repertoire. The development of peshkar tends to emphasize straightforward permutations of the theme in the beginning, gradually leading into more dense and complex, often baroque phrasings that may involve changes in lay (rhythmic subdivision of the beat). The range
of styles in playing peshkar is dramatic: from the austere, methodical approach of the Delhi gharana, to the revolutionary, almost cubist style
of the legendary Ahmedjan Thirakwa's peshkar. I myself love my guru's uniquely slow, profound peshkar best of all. But his peshkar is perhaps even more meditative than most. Some people actually play peshkars in
very fast speeds, though why, I don't know. In Banaras they play something like peshkar in the other gharanas, but
it is more overtly a permutation of the theka bols. It is variously called aamad, banarsi theka, or, in what I think is probably a mistake on Robert Gottlieb's part, "barhant". My teacher believes that these
Banaras compositions are descended from Lucknow kaida-peshkars that are very similar. Rela ---- Like the kayda, the rela theme consists of several different phrases arranged in lines, and articulated in bhari and khali. Rela, however,
can be distinguished from kayda by the following characteristics: 1) Structurally, compared to most kaydas, it is simple. Often the same bol will be repeated several times within the theme, and the prevailing chhand (rhythmic movement) of the rela will be some simple pattern like 3-3-2, 3-3-2-4-4, or 2-2-4. 2) The bols used in rela are somewhat different from those used in kayda, and are easily identified. Typical bols include dha-tite gherenaga, dhenegene, terekite and terekitetaka, dherenaga, dheredherekitetaka, and takataka. All these bols are relatively easy to play in high speeds. Rela is almost always played in very fast speeds. 3) In performance practice, the variations of a rela tend to be somewhat less complex than kayda variations, and in general the rules for variation perhaps a little less strict. Whereas new bols (i.e. bols not in the original theme) are almost never intro- duced in kayda variations , in rela performance the introduction of new bols is sanctioned and occurs quite frequently. Some examples of relas. The very simple rela dhenegene nagadhene ghenenaga dheneghene dhenegene naganaga dhenegene naganaga thenekene... this has a 3-3-2-4-4 feel to it: dhenegenenaga dheneghenenaga dhenegene etc. BTW, though some musicians feel "ghe" corresponds to the 2-finger
stroke on the bayan and "ge" to the one finger stroke, I tend to use
the two interchangeably, as is evident above. Other simple examples: Dha-tete gerenaga gerenaga terekite dheneghene dhatigege takatine nanakene... Dha-tere kitegere dheredhere kitetaka Dha-tete gerenaga tina kerenaka... Relas can of course be much more involved, and many are very long and technically very difficult to play, especially at high speeds. A related genre, very important in light classical music, is the laggi, which consists usu. of a very short theme of a few simple bols. These
are played very fast and have a lilting movement. Variations usually involve fairly simple permutations of the theme. The following short laggi can
be played in kaharva or dadra (in threes in kaharva, twos in dadra): dhatidha dhathuna tatidha dhadhina I also learned this one as a rela in tintal, with the basic line articulated four times in the theme: dhatidha dhathuna tatidha dhadhina dhatidha dhathuna tatidha dhadhina etc. Laggi, while structurally simple, requires a lot of practice to play
well. Also, since the bols are usually very limited, it can actually be difficult to improvise well in laggi (much as it can be hard to perform a rag with very few chalans). There are many other types of theme-and-variation compositions, e.g. kayda-peshkar, kayda-rela, chalan etc. FIXED COMPOSITIONS So-called "fixed compositions" can be distinguished from theme
and variations by several criteria: 1) They are usually played in at least the medium speed of the tal, and usually in the fast, whereas kayda and peshkar are played in the slower tempi. 2) Though some of them, especially tukras and chakkardars, may be improvised, most are not. Most are played from memory. 3) One does not play variations on fixed compositions. One may play several similar versions of a tukra, or one may play a gat with several parts, but these are not variations on a theme. The basic types of fixed composition are: The Tukra --------- The tukra, lit. a "piece", is a short composition played in
drut lay. There is no standard vocabulary of bols that identifies a tukra. In fact tukras usually feature a wide variety of syllables, and usually have very irregular phrasing. There is no particular structural requirement for a tukra, though it always ends in a tihai and does not
show khali. Tukras may be improvised, but the more complex tukras are usually precomposed. Tukras are probably the most popular single item in the performance repertoire of most tabla players today. However, many younger musicians seem to employ a very poor vocabulary of bols in their tukras, and often the bols seem almost randomly strung together. Tukras *should* have coherence and should sound good, but beyond an acquaintance with many good tukras, it's hard to specify how one recognizes a good tukra vs. a bad one. The Gat ------- The gat is, with kayda and peshkar, perhaps among the most "chaste"
of tabla compositions.Usually played in madhyalay, the gat, like the tukra, does not have a specific family of bols associated with it. However,
within each gat there tends to be a much grater feeling of unity, coherence
and elegance than in the tukra, for example. Often the bol is difficult to play, especially since the gats are usually played quickly. Complex uses of rhythm are common in gats. Most gats show khali, and few have tihais. Most gats seem to have some unique feature that
gives them their flavour, though this feature may be very different from gat
to gat. When played in performance the gat should be repeated several times, each time with some dimension of the composition brought to the fore.
A common type of gat is the tipalli, where some phrase (often a variant
of dha-na dhitite dha-terekite dhetete kataga digene nagena nagena...) is repeated in three different speeds. Gats are always pre-composed. Few people nowadays play gats, and fewer yet can compose them. Morevoer,
gats are usually kept quite secret by tabla players, for fear that the compositions may be stolen and adulterated. As a result, while tabla conoisseurs consider these compositions to be the pinnacle of the repertiore, they seem to be dying out. Gats are found in all gharanas,
but Lucknow is most famous for the special quality of its gats. Paran ----- The paran is a genre of tabla composition which uses almost entirely
khula (open) bols taken from the older drum, pakhavaj. Parans are played in Purab baj and by the Punjab style of playing tabla. Parans can be quite long for fixed compositions. A novice can recogize them by their somewhat "heavier" sound and by the extremely sparse use of bayan modulation. Also, limited use is made of the kinar. Parans are
very dramatic compositions, and are quite difficult to play as well. Parans
do not show khali and usually end in a tihai. Parans are used quite heavily in dance, and many tabla parans are dance compositions also. Chakradar (chakkardar) ---------------------- Chakkardar is a complex rhythmic composition involving a threefold repetition of an embedded composition which itself contains a tihai. Chakkardar can be improvised or precomposed, and is found in instrumental music as well. The bols can come from basically any of the above categories, and one specifies in some cases that something is e.g. a chakkardar paran. Uthan ----- Uthan is a long introductory passage of sweeping proportions which can
be improvised or precomposed. It seems to feature usually heavier, gambhIr bols, and concludes with a long, complex tihai. Often several structural subdivisions are evident within the uthan. These are a specialty of Purab baj. Uthan is played in solo and in accompaniment. Mukhra ------ A short cadential flourish, less than one avartan in length, usu. improvised, with a small tihai-like cadence approaching the sam. THE PERFORMANCE: The peformance of a tabla solo begins with a melodic flourish by the sarangi, followed by the statement of the lehara. The tabla player joins in with an introductory passage, and usually plays the theka before starting the peshakar. After the peshkar, kaydas, relas, and other compositions are played. As the solo continues, the tempo of the
tal is gradually increased. In medium speed the gat is played, and in fast tempo, tukras, parans and chakkardars. Usually the performance ends with
a chakkardar. |
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