Laya & Tala in Carnatic music [ Indian Classical Music ]

Tala in Carnatic music [ Indian Classical Music ]: The Indian Tala system is extremely scientific and advanced. The field of rhythm in Carnatic music, in particular, has reached spectacular heights. The 15th century marked a landmark in Carnatic music in more than one way. The present Tala system is a contribution of the 15th century.

We must bear in mind that the rhythm in Carnatic music is a concept of relativity. The slow, medium and fast tempos are relative. So is the time measure of a single Tala cycle. Let us now see Tala in detail.

Laya & Tala in Carnatic music

Laya in Carnatic music:

Laya is the general term to indicate tempo of the music or rhythm in general. There is a natural subtle pulse in Laya, which is called the Kalapramanam. The perfect maintenance of Kalapramanam, called Kalapramana Shuddham, is a sign of great mastery.

Though Laya is a relative concept, in any one form of exposition, be it Nibaddha or Anibaddha, it remains constant. It can be in the forefront, in the form of a Tala or as an undercurrent of rhythm as in the case of Tanam. Even in the Ragalapana, the Alapana chooses a Kalapramanam to concur with that of the Kriti to follow.

P. Unnikrishnan – Vocal – Raga Saveri

Tala in Carnatic music:

If Laya is the general tempo, Tala is a rhythmic meter, with specific divisions. It repeats cyclically.

Essential elements of Tala:

A Tala has got certain elements, which are essential to its understanding as a holistic concept. They are called Dasa Prana. We’ll now see some of these essential elements.

Avartam:

Avartanam means ‘repeating’. A Tala, as we have mentioned, is a definite rhythmic metre which is cyclical in nature. One such cycle is called an Avartam.

Avartam of Aditala

Akshara:

Akshara means a ‘letter’. Akshara is one unit of a Talavarta. A certain number of Aksharas constitute one Avarta. Illustration – Akshara

Aksharakala:

Aksharakala is the time taken for executing one Akshara.

Matra:

Matra is a sub-unit of an Akshara. One or more number of Matras constitute an Akshara.

Illustration – Matra

Matrakala:

Matrakala is the duration of a Matra.

Kriya:

Kriya means ‘action’. Kriya is a physical and visual represen tation of an Akashara. There are two types of Kriyas: Sashabda Kriya, which is action with sound and Nishshabda Kriya which is without sound. The Sashabda Kriyas in use now are, a beat on the thigh or palm or a snap of the fingers. Nishshabda Kriya is either a wave of the palm called Vicchu or visible but silent finger counts.

Anga :

Anga means a ‘limb’. A Tala cycle is formed of a fixed number of Angas or divisions. Each Anga has its own characteristics. The ancient system had six Angas: Anudrutam, Drutam, Laghu, Guru, Plutam and Kakapadam. But the current system uses only the first three Angas.

Anudrutam:

Anudrutam is a Talanga comprising one Akshara, performed as a beat called Tattu. Illustration – Anudrutam

Drutam:

Drutam is formed of two Aksharas comprising a Tattu or beat followed by a Vicchu or wave of the palm. Illustration – Drutam

Laghu:

Laghu consists of a beat followed by varying number of figer counts. Illustration – Laghu

Jati and Gati Bhedam:

Bhedam means ‘difference’. Jati and Gati are two types of variations, which affect the Tala with regard to the duration of a Talavarta. Both employ the variations in terms of Tishra (three), Chatushra (four), Khanda (five), Mishra (seven) and Sankirna (nine).

Illustrations

Jati Bhedam:

The concept of Jati Bhedam is applicable only to the Talanga Laghu. When we say Tishrajati Laghu, it is a Laghu with three Aksharas or units. A Tishra Laghu is executed by a beat followed by two-finger counts. The Chatushra Jati with four Aksharas has a beat and three-finger counts and so on. Thus the Jati decides the duration of a Laghu.

Illustration – Jatis

Gati Bhedam:

Gati is also called Nadai which means the ‘gait’. Gati decides the number of syllables, solfa or rythmic, in an Akshara.
It could be Tishragati where the Akshara will have three syllables. If it is Chatushragati, four syllables, Khanda five and so on. Since Gati is applicable to an Akshara, it is applicable to all Angas. So, Jati changes the duration of a Laghu while Gati changes the duration of an Akshara.

Illustration – Gatis

Marga:

If Laya is the general term for tempo, Marga indicates a specific tempo with certain fixed characteristics. The number of Matras in an Akshara determines the nature of the Marga. There are six types of Margas called Sanmargas-Dakshina, Vartika, Chitra, Chitratara, Chitratama and Atichitratama.

The Marga is an important element in writing down music, as notation in Carnatic music has been systemized and developed.

Matra or Kalai:

As seen earlier, an Akshara is divided into one, two, or four Matras, commonly mentioned as Kalais as the case may be. The single and double Kalais are extensively used in the Kriti format and the triple and quadruple Kalais in the Ragam Tanam Pallavi.

K. Vageesh Vocal – Raga Hamsadhwani and Bhairavi

Kala Tala in Carnatic music:

Kala means the variations in the musical speed while the speed of the Tala remains constant. In the first speed, if an Akshara has four Swaras, in the second, it takes eight in the third sixteen and so on. Thus the increase the speed is in geometrical progression, which is called the concept of Dvigunatva. Traditionally, there are six speeds, called Satkalas.

Anulomam:

Anulomam means ‘successive’. It is the process of successive increase or reduction in the speed of music in the form of doub ling or halving, while the speed of the Tala remains constant. In the Ragam Tanam Pallavi, the Pallavi is sung in different Kalas. This is called Anulomam.

K. Vageesh – Vocal – Raga Kalyani

Anuloma Vilomam:

Anuloma Vilomam is the reverse of Anulomam.

Pratilomam:

In Pratilomam, the speed of the music remains the same but the speed of the Tala accelerates.

Graha or Eduppu:

We have already seen Graha in the musical context. In the context of Tala, Graha is also called Eduppu. Graha is the starting point of music in a Tala. These are of two types, Sama and Visama. In Sama Eduppu the music and the Tala commence together. In Visama, either the Tala commences before the music in which case it is Anagata Eduppu or the Tala commences after the music wherein it is Atita Eduppu.

K. Vageesh – Vocal – Ragas Mohanam, Paras and Kamboji

Yati:

Yati is a prosody. It is the variation of the syllabic patterns which could be textual or rhythmic. Yatis are of several types, the Srotovaha and the Gopuchha Yatis are the basic Yatis.

Srotovaha Yati:

Srotovaha means ‘a river’. Like the river, the Srotovaha Yati starts from a narrow source and slowly widens as it flows. In this Yati, the number of syllables increases successively by adding new syllables to the previous phrase.

K. Vageesh – Vocal – Raga Ananda Bhairavi

Gopuchha Yati:

Gopuchha means the tail of a cow’. This is the inverse of Srotovaha Yati. If the number of syllables successively gets reduced, the Yati is called Gopuchha. Like the tail of a cow, it tapers down.

K. Vageesh – Vocal – Raga Sriragam

Mridanga Yati:

The Srotovaha followed by Gopuchha is the Mridanga Yati which reminds us of the shape of a Mridanga. K. Vageesh – Vocal – Mridanga Yati

Damaru Yati:

This is the opposite of Mridanga Yati. It is a Gopuchha followed by Srotovaha which reminds us of the shape of the Damaru played by Lord Shiva.

K. Vageesh – Vocal – Damaru Yati

Modern Tala System [ Tala in Carnatic music ]:

The modern Tala system is based on the seven basic Talas called Suladi Sapta Talas. These seven Talas are 1) Dhruva 2) Matya 3) Rupaka 4) Jhampa 5) Triputa 6) Ata and 7) Eka. Of these seven Talas, the Triputa in the form of Chatushra Jati and Chatushra Nadai is used widely as Adi Talam. Ata Talam as Khanda Jati Ata is used for advanced Tana Varnams.

Dhruva, Matya, and Jhampa Talas are used sparingly in compositions.. : Laghu/Drutam/Laghu/Laghu

Dhruva Talam Matya Talam

Rupaka Talam

: Laghu/Drutam/Laghu

Drutam/Laghu

Jhampa Talam Laghu/Anudrutam/Drutam

Triputa Talam

Ata Talam

Eka Talam

Laghu/Drutam/Drutam Laghu/Laghu/Drutam/Drutam

Laghu

K. Vageesh – Vocal – Talam

These Sapta Talas are developed into 35 Talas by the application of Jati variation. By the Gati Bheda, the 35 Talas are developed into 175 Talas. These are the schemes we follow today.

Popular Talas in Carnatic music:

Among the Talas popularly used today, some belong to the 175 Tala scheme and the others do not. We will now see some of the most commonly used Talas.

Adi Talam:

Adi Talam, as observed earlier, is the Chatushrajati Triputa Talam, which has the widest application. It consists of Chatushra Laghu and two Drutams totaling eight Aksharas. This tala has eight aksharas, each being 4 svaras long. Many kritis and around half of the varnams are set to this tala.

Adi Tala (or Adi Talam) is one of the most popular talas or rhythms used in Carnatic (South Indian Classical) music. In Sanskrit (आदि ताल), it literally means “primary rhythm”. It is an 8 beat pattern, where this pattern repeats over and over for the duration of the composition. Each beat is called an Akshara.

Illustration – Adi Talam

Rupaka Talam :

Traditionally, Rupaka was performed as a Drutam followed by a Laghu. Somewhere down the line the practice changed to one Anudrutam and one Drutam, that is two beats followed by a Vicchu or wave of the palm. It has six Aksharas. This is also a commonly used Talam. The Rupakam of the Carnatic music and the Rupak of the Hindustani tradition are different.

Illustration – Rupaka Talam

Chapu Talam:

This is a mixed variety of Tala. Chapu is of two types – Mishra and Khanda.

Mishra Chapu :

Mishra Chapu is the transformation of Tishra Jati Triputa Tala. This is a three unit beat followed by two two unit beats. The total number of Aksharas of a Mishra Chapu is seven.

Illustration – Mishra Chapu Talam

Khanda Chapu:

Khanda Chapu is a Tala with five Aksharas. It is performed with two beats with two and three units respectively. Illustration – Khanda Chapu

Tishra Ekam:

Tishra Ekam is the Tishra Laghu, that is a beat followed by two-finger counts. Sometimes Tishra Ekam replaces Rupaka.

Illustration – Tishra Ekam Talam

As explained earlier, two Talas can be different because they may have a different combination of Angas in the Avarta or cycle or variation of Matras in the Aksharas or a variation of Gati. However, during the performance of a particular composition, once the Tala is selected, all its constituent elements, the Angas, the Aksharas, the Matras, and the Nadai remain constant. What changes is the speed of the musical composition across the Tala.

Thus the musical speed can either be doubled or quadrupled or halved or made into one-fourth of the original and so on. But the speed of the Tala does not change. Another thing to note is that the speed of the musical composition can be a mixture of several speeds and need not remain the same for a period of time. In Carnatic music, each composition has its own prescribed Tala.

The question arises as to why we have different Talas having the same number of Aksharas. This is because of the structural demands of the various compositions.

The role of the Mridangam:

The Mridangam, the prime Laya Vadya, has a unique status as an accompaniment in a concert. There are three distinct roles that a Mridangam has to play while accompanying the main artiste:

a) To play for the composition. Here the Mridangam follows the musical structure closely and the Sangati variations, the pauses and punctuations are transcribed in Laya syllables.

Lokanath Sharma – Vocal – Raga Mayamalava Gowla

b) At points of complicated and ingenious attempts by the main musician, the Mridangam just maintains the Talam. c) It also provides cross rhythmic accompaniment. That is to say, the Mridangist forms his own calculations out of the total units and sub-units of an Avarta and produces various com binations and rhythmic patterns, joining only at the Graha or the starting point of the music on the Tala. Besides, in a concert, the Mridangist also gets a slot for showing his independent expertise on a given Tala which is called Tani Avartanam.

N. Ramani – Flute – U. Shivaraman – Mridangam Shyamsunder-Khanjira – Raga Bilahari

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