5. Tala (Rhythmic Structure)

Tala is the defining rhythmic structure of Hindustani classical music. A tala is a rhythmic cycle consisting of a fixed number of beats and underlies the basic melodic composition in the performance of a raga with percussion accompaniment. A tala is usually divided into several subsections, distinguished by those beginning with a tali (clap), or a khali (literally, "empty") indicated by a wave of the hand in contradistinction to a clap. In the notation below, the theka, or basic pattern, of the Dhrupad talas heard in the Web site examples are indicated by the bols (literally, "words") used to represent verbally the distinctive sounds played on the pakhawaj (drum); the tali is indicated by a +, and the khali is indicated by an o. The sam, or first beat of the cycle, is indicated by an x.

In general, bols having vocalization (i.e., those beginning with d, dh, or g) represent sounds made by both sides of the pakahwaj, whereas those without vocalization (i.e., those beginning with a t or a k) represent sounds made only on the right side of the drum. It may be noted that the khali usually occurs when only the right side of the drum is played—i.e., it is "empty" of the deeper, booming sound of the left side of the drum.

Here are the thekas of the talas heard on the recorded examples on this Website:

tivra tal (7 beats)

jhaptal (10 beats — Dhrupad style, different from khayal style)

sultal (10 beats)

chautal (12 beats)

Ganesh tal (21 beats)

-- Brian Q. Silver