Music of India 7 Tabla, Mridangam and Tala

Tabla and Mridangam.

Both the Mridangam of Carnatic music and the Tabla of Hindustani music are played in a very similar way. The same percussive strokes or bols are played on the smaller Dayan("right") head in both styles, as are the bols played on the Bayan("left") head, and combination bols utilising both heads are also the same.

The general consensus is that the Tabla evolved from a mridangam being split in half, enabling the Dayan and Bayan to be played from the top, making more complexed rhythms possible.

The other theory it that it evolved from the Pakhawaj a Northern Indian twin headed barrel drum, that is almost identical to its Southern counterpart the Mridangam.

Mridangam

http://chandrakantha.com/articles/indian_music/mridangam_media/mridangam.jpg

Pakhawaj

http://chandrakantha.com/articles/indian_music/pakhawaj_media/pakhawaj.jpg

Tabla

http://chandrakantha.com/articles/indian_music/tabla_media/tabla.jpg

As these pictures show it is quite possible to imagine the evolution of the Tabla from either the Mridangam or Pakhawaj. 

Each bol or strike is syllabic, as the music is fundamentally an oral tradition, this makes it very easy to translate rhythmic patterns into vocable sounds, it is not uncommon to hear Tabla or Mrindangam players saying these syllables as they play.

The table below shows the most common of these different bol.

	Dayan	Bayan	Combination
Open resonance	tā	gha	Dhā = Tā + Ga/Gha/Gin
	nā	ga	Jhā = Ga/Gha/Gin + Tā delayed
		gin
Closed resonance	tī	Ka (loud)	Kat = Ka + Ti
	ra	Ka (soft)
	te
Partially  open resonance			Dhin = Ti + Ga/Gha/Gin

This Video is an excellent lesson on the Dayan bols and shows how each bol is played and vocalised. The full set of lessons is a well crafted instructional package on how to play the Mridangam.

Khol (Mridanga) Lesson 02 Part 1 of 2: Dayan Bols

Tala

The rhythmic patterns of both forms of Indian classical music, are thought of as a circle, not unlike a clock face. These patterns can be anything from six beats to sixteen beats.This is very different to the Western linear method of thinking. 

The link below has some excellent audio examples of some of the more common Hindustani Tala.

Indian Classical Music Tilos Radio - Budapest, The Tala http://india.tilos.hu/english_tala.htm

Also as the excerpt below shows, breaks down the complex rhythms into easy to understand charts.

Dhamartala (14 beats) 3+2+2+3+2+2 dhrupad
x			0		2
|	|	|	|	|	|	|
Ka	Dhi	Ta	Dhi	Ta	Dha	-a
1	2	3	4	5	6	7
0			3		4
|	|	|	|	|	|	|
Ge	Ti	Ta	Ti	Ta	Ta	-a
8	9	10	11	12	13	14

(taken from: http://india.tilos.hu/english_tala.htm)

This video shows a Kathak(storyteller) dancer performing a piece in Dharmertala, or fourteen beat cycle. It is interesting to note that at the beginning she sets the tempo by vocalising  the first cycle of the tala, and again at other points during the performance.

Rhythmosaic kathak taal dhamar by Mitul Sengupta

Reference:

 Courtney David,Basic Strokes and Bols, chandrakantha 2012 (article) [online] available at:<http://chandrakantha.com/tablasite/bsicbols.htm> (accessed: 29 November 2013)

'Khol (Mridanga) Lesson 02 Part 1 of 2: Dayan Bols' KrsnaKirtanaSongs Uploaded: 1 Sep 2010(video)[online]Available at:<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7R4uWCvSIh8>(accessed 29 November 2013)

Szabi Tóth, 'The Tala' india.tilos.hu 2011(website)[online]Available at:<http://india.tilos.hu/english_tala.htm>(accessed 29 November 2013)

 Krsna Dhenu, 'KKSongs Khol Guide' Krsna Kirtana Songs 2012 (website)[online] Avalilable at:<http://kksongs.org/khol/>(accessed: 29 November 2013)
'rhythmosaic kathak taal dhamar by mitul sengupta' Mitul Sengupta Uploaded:  17 Jul 2009 (video)[online]Available at:<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ekyd6iS4dPg>(accessed 29 November 2013)