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CHALAN A chalan is a catchy and bouncy theme, and this theme is later elaborated into a connecting rela matching the same pattern or flow. In general, it is similar in structure to kayda, however it does not always establish rules for development. Instead, a chalan is a movement (“Chalna'' in hindi means to move). It includes a variety of bols (gat-like bols). A clear theme can be experienced in a chalan. Chalan is a popular concept from the Farrukhabad Gharana. In solo playing, some Gharanas start with Uthaan, but in Farrukhabad Gharana, the solo performance is oftentimes started with chalan. ​ Examples: ​ ​ Timestamp 0:55 BACK TO TOP

laGGI A short, attractive theme played in drut laya in taals such as dadra or keherwa. It is one of the smallest expandable compositions, of which the variations or referred to as "laut-palat," meaning "back and forth," referring to the combinations made in the variations of the laggi. A laggi is a useful composition for accompaniment. ​ Various types of bols can be found in laggi as it is freeform in structure. It my be quite aggressive and energetic, yet is usually used for light accompaniment and semi-classical music. They may be utilized in bhajans (bhajani theka followed by dha dhin na da laggi), qawaali, ghazal, thumri, etc. Apart from singing and instrumental accompaniment, laggis have become popular in the Bollywood musical industry as well. ​ ​ Examples: BACK TO TOP

peshkaar A peshkaar is an expansionary and improvised composition played in vilambit laya. It ends in vowel phrases such as "tin na" and "dhin na" and is used to unfold the taal at the beginning of a solo performance. A peshkaar shows a tabla player's expansionary process and understanding of taal. ​ Peshkaar means "pesh karna," or to present. It utilizes the essence of naad from both the daya and baya in order to experience the taal from different angles using different bols and patterns.The Peshkaar presents an opportunity for the tabla player to take a lot of liberty to improvise within the taal. The peshkaar may show the vibhaag/divisions, khaali, and bhaari components of the taal. In general, the chronological order of tabla has been adapted from that of vocal singing. The performance laya starts from vilambit all the way to ati-drut. When considering a human lifestyle, the body needs a warm-up phase or interval in order to adapt to changes (such as weather, time changes, different behavioral patterns, etc). Following this need, peshkaar serves as a “warm-up” for the workout. Tabla in itself is a both psychologically and physically intensive instrument. This “warm-up” is a good exercise to prepare for the powerful kaydas and relas that may be played later. Peshkaar is a culmination point of intelligence, deep thinking, deep theoretical study, riyaaz, bol clarity, and aesthetic all at once, and thus is a valid point of introduction for the solo. Ut. Alla Rakha Khan said that peshkaar is like "pej katna," or cutting the rope of a kite. Not all the rules that apply to kayda are applicable to peshkaar. For example, almost all bols in tabla can be played within Peshkaar. However, "tite" is usually not played. Laya, jati, points of emphasis (wazan), khali/bhari, etc are all kinds of aspects that can be implemented in peshkaar. Although the composition may be similar to kayda, peshkaar has more room for spontaneous improvisation. Unlike a kayda, the distance between maatras has a very big importance in peshkaar. Peshkaar should be learned under the guidance of a capable guru. It requires a lot of personal thought, experience, and maturity. Some stalwarts are able to judge a tabla player’s candidacy simply by his peshkaar. A traditional peshkaar should not be memorized, but rather spontaneously “thought of” within the constraints of music and with an organizational, sensible pattern. ​ A peshkaar mukh in the Delhi Gharana usually starts with dha, while a popular theme in the Farukhabad Gharana starts with “dhinSkdadhina” and has gained prestige due to the works of Ut. Ahmed Jaan Thirakwa. In Delhi Gharana peshkaar, whenever a design is produced in the peshkaar and a different laya is explored (such as 1.25 or 1.5), even then, the composition will ultimately end in the original laya. It will usually end in equi-tempo even when other patterns were explored. In the Farrukhabad Gharana peshkaar, bols such as "dhinSkda," "dhatit," "ghidan," "trake," "KTTK," and "tinetinakena" can be found. They utilize various kaydas in the peshkar in order to enhance the entertainment value. ​ ​ ​ BACK TO TOP

palta Expansionary compositions such as kaydas or relas are improvised upon through the help of paltas. A palta is a variation which is derived from the bols of the mukh or theme of the kayda or rela. Paltas help to show different combinations of a mukh using the bols of that mukh. Mathematically, we can come up with a seemingly endless amount of permutations and combinations using a specific language, and the expansion process differs from player to player. ​ ​ Refer to kayda in order to review some key points regarding the process of creating paltas of a kayda. BACK TO TOP

paran Connecting to the Sanskrit word "pern," meaning leaf, a paran is a composition with accent-filled, resonance-filled bols. It generally ends with a tihai and can be compared to the structure of a leaf: a main vertical axis which "branches out" into veins on both sides. ​ We encounter phrases such as "dhagetite," "tagetite," "kdadhatite," and "taketite" in parans. There are various types of parans: ​ Gat-Paran: uses the language of a gat. Gaj-Paran: shows the movement of an elephant. Stuti-Paran: composed to praise a god such as Lord Ganesh or Lord Shiva. Pt. Kishan Maharaj Ji has composed a famous Ganesh Paran. ​ Ganesh Paran BACK TO TOP

instrument types In Natya Shastra, Sage Bharat Muni has given the classification of instruments. Stringed instruments (Tat Vadya) Wind instruments (Sushir Vadya) Percussion instruments - membranophone instruments (Avanaddha Vadya) Idiophone instruments (Ghana Vadya) ​ Stringed instruments Includes instruments with strings. Divided in two types Tat instruments Produce a note by striking the strings with certain objects. Veena, Sitar, Sarod, Santoor, etc Vitat instruments Played with the help of a bow Sound created by the friction of the bow upon the strings Sarangi, Violin, Dilruba, Tar-Shehnai, etc Wind instruments Produce a sound by blowing air Includes Shehnai, Clarinet, Harmonium For harmonium, the air pressure created by the plate creates the sound Percussion instruments Instruments made out of wood, mud, metal, or stone and have a face comprised of animal hide. In ancient times, an instrument called Bhoomi-Dundubhi existed, with a large hole dug in the ground and an animal hide which was struck with wooden sticks. When Sage Swati noticed the trickling of water upon a group of small and large lotuses in a body of water, he used the inspiration to create instruments such as Mridang, Dundhubi, Aalingya, Urdhwak, and Ankik. Old instruments mentioned in texts: Tripushkar, Mridang, Damru, etc Modern age instruments: Pakhawaaj, Tabla, Dholki, Dholak, Dhol, Daf, etc Idiophone instruments Instruments played by metals striking against each other. Examples: Tal, Ghunghroo, Jhanjh, etc Tal is used in devotional songs (Bhajans) ​ Notes : Stringed and wind instruments can play multiple musical notes / swars Idiophonic instruments and percussion instruments such as tabla do not produce multiple musical notes. The tabla is tuned to a single musical note (such as C or C sharp). Both these types of instruments indicate the laya and taal, which can be beneficial for the main artist for stability. BACK TO TOP

Preview snippets from some sections found in advanced content A small glimpse of what you will get with the Advanced Content purchase. Dashpraan Ten primary characteristics of the taal have been identified in Sangeet Ratnaakar written by Sarangdev approximately in the 13th century. These characteristics are labeled and referred to as the dashpraan ("Dash-Praan" / "दशप्राण"). Praan refers to the "breath of life," indicating that these characteristics give life to a taal. ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ however, is seen to give significance to a greater number of dashpraan. The following shlok describes the dashpraan of the taal.................... Sashabda Kriyaa (A movement of hands that produces sound; sashabda means with-sound) Dhruvaa: taking right hand down while snapping finger Shamyaa: clapping the left palm with the right hand.................. ​ Carnatic a nd hindustaani taal systems ................. Only the ang component "I" meaning "laghu" is changed according to the jaati, while the anudruta and druta remain the same. For example, for Dhruva taal's khand transformation, "I" would become 5 and "O" would remain at a value of 2, therefore there would be................... ​ Indian vs. western percussion instruments ....................................Perhaps one of the earliest percussion instruments, Bhoomi-Dundubhi was an ancient instrument in which a large hole was dug, hide was stretched upon, and on which .................................................................................... .................................................................. Other old Indian instruments include tripushkar, mridang, and damru, whereas newer ones include pakhawaaj, tabla, dholki, dholak, dhol, etc. On the contrary, modern Western percussion instruments are grouped into categories such as.................. ​ Instruments used for accompaniment .............The sambal is a set of two drums, the smaller, higher pitched one made of wood and the larger made of brass. Their faces are on top and both of them are attached together as a set and then played standing while suspended from the waistline with a cord. The instrument is played with two wooden sticks with bent tips (one stick has an even more bent, almost circular tip) that are struck on............ ​ status, importance, application, history .....................................Dardar became Dhari, which is an obvious reference to the Dharis, proposed to be the influential original tabla players, who later moved to Delhi and initiated the Delhi gharana (the founder of which is considered to be Ut. Siddhar Khan Dhari/Dhadi). Reasons to believe this theory is the logical development of the names of closely-related instruments..................................................... ​ principles used in composing Peshkaar : Imagine that a plane is on going fast on the runway and hasn't taken off yet. Its wheels still touch the ground or runway, which represent the taal. The peshkaar is similar to this, and is relatively confined to the taal. There exist specific themes (outline or mukh) for peshkaar that differ in style from gharana to gharana. For example, the Farrukhabad peshkaar hints at many characteristics of that gharana. The "dhinSSkdadhinSdhaS" peshkaar includes bols such.............................. ​ bol nikaas ........................Additionally, the distance which the index finger travels should not be excessive; it should be approximately 1 to 1.5 inches. As is the case with all bols, the wrist should not hurt or feel excess tension when playing dha. While practicing to improve your dha, it may prove beneficial to pay special attention to the wrist and make sure that it is as loose as possible while paying and then gradually increasing the volume or speed of your composition while maintaining the loose wrist....................... ​ accompaniment ​ pakhawaaj gharanas ............Many temples of Maharashtra supported the advancement of musical arts. During the Mughal era, music and musicians faced many challenges. Musicians that co ntinued the tradition of pakhawaaj during this period of difficulty are called Gurav. Pandit Vitthalacharya who was Gurav in a temple in Mangalwedha was the founder of the Mangalwedhekar Gharana............................. ​ rules for designing taals ​ ut. muneer khan ​ Solo: Order, Effectiveness, Padhant ​ Gharana Attributes ​ biographies of tabla and pakhawaaj players Ut. Ahmedjan Thirakwa Khan of the Farrukhabad Gharana was born in 1881 in Muradabad, Uttar Pradesh. His grandfather, maternal uncle, and paternal uncle were all great tabla players. His father Hussain Baksh was a sarangi player. He therefore had an extensive musical background, and later began learning tabla from Ut. Munir Khan at age 12 after initial vocal and sarangi lessons. His nickname became "thirakwa" after spectators noticed the shimmering and speed of his h ands even at a young age. He presented tabla at the court of the Nawab of Rampur. He was under the guidance of Ut. Munir Khan for 26 years, and Ut. Munir Khan gifted him the baaj of 4 gharanas: Delhi, Ajrada, Lucknow, Farrukhabad. His hand had become "riyaazi" with 14-15 hours of daily practice, and people say that his tabla gives the fulfillment of listening to vocal music. Thirakwa saab has heavily popularized the peshkaar "dhinSkda dhina Sdha dhina," and this peshkaar has prominently embossed a signature on the term peshkaar itself. Thirakwa saab's playing was properly attuned to the respective baaj and gharana of the compositions he played. The Farrukhabad chalan, the Ajrada kayda "ghinaSdhagena dhatrakedhagena", as well as the kayda "dhatrakedhikiteghina" and its corresponding rou will remain a significant source of inspiration as Ut. Thirakwa played such compositions preview has concluded ​ ​ get access to a plethora of pages with detailed content to aid in your knowledge of tabla OR for use towards visharad purna tabla exams ​ ​ CHECK OUT THE ADVANCED PLAN NOW

Gat-tukda A gat-tukda has the same chaal as that of a gat and ends with the tihai of a tukda. There is a difference between a tukda and a gat-tukda. While a tukda normally is tied to one laya, a gat-tukda may also incorporate various complex phrase segments set to different layas. A gat-tukda, or "toda," oftentimes carries a variety of laya, powerful and heavy bols (characteristic of gat), and arrives on the sum with a tihai (characteristic of tukda). ​ Definition of gat: Click Here Definition of tukda: Click Here ​ ​ ​ ​ BACK TO TOP

uthaan An attractive fixed composition played at the beginning of a solo performance. Benares Gharana players usually start their solo with an uthaan, which helps to increase the energy amongst the audience. It is played in fast tempo, can have features of a tukda or paran, and and can be short and long.

4. Madhyama pratham The Praveshika Purna tabla exam evaluates the understanding of various gharanas and vocal styles. It will include concepts such as tuning the tabla, as well as new compositions and ideas such as farmaishi chakradaar, jaati, qualities of a tabla player, and knowledge of solo and accompaniment. Sylllabus Theory 1. Brief history of tabla, its development and changes in recent times. ​ 2. Knowledge of gharanas and baaj. Detailed understanding of Delhi and Lukhnow gharanas. ​ 3. Basic knowledge of following vocal styles Khayal (Vilambit, Drut), Thumri, Bhajan, Taraana 4. Basic knowledge about solo and accompaniment. ​ 5. Desirable and undesirable qualities of a tabla player. ​ 6. Definitions Farmaishi Chakradaar, Bedum and Dumdaar Tihai, Gat, Peshkaar, various types of Parans ​ 7. Ability to write notations of kaydas and relas in teentaal, jhaptaal, and ektaal. ​ 8. (a) Guidelines for tuning the tabla and (b) Knowledge about the use of tablas of various scales for all kinds of music ​ ​ Notes 1. Brief history of tabla, its development and changes in recent times. ​ Click Here ​ 2. Knowledge of gharanas and baaj. Detailed understanding of Delhi and Lukhnow gharanas. ​ Click Here ​ 3. Basic knowledge of following vocal styles Khayal (Vilambit, Drut), Thumri, Bhajan, Taraana Click Here ​ 4. Basic knowledge about solo and accompaniment. ​ Click Here ​ 5. Desirable and undesirable qualities of a tabla player. ​ Read "Solo" section in Solo and Accompaniment ​ 6. Definitions Farmaishi Chakradaar, Bedum and Dumdaar Tihai, Gat, Peshkaar, various types of Parans ​ Farmaishi Chakradaar - A chakradaar includes a tihai-containing tukda which is repeated 3 times in order to land on the sum. It is essentially a tihai played 3 times. A farmaishi chakradaar is a chakradaar of which the "dha" of the first section of the first tihai lands on the sum, the "dha" of the second section of the second tihai lands on the sum, and the final "dha" also lands on the sum. Examples: https://youtu.be/l6ZMb7kb37o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uva2l3rnNLw ​ ​ Bedum Tihai - A tihai with be-dum, meaning no-pause, is a bedum tihai. A bedum tihai has a pause of 1/2 maatra or less. A bedum tihai can't be composed in a taal of which the number of maatras is a multiple of 3 (ex. ektaal, matta taal) ​ Dumdaar Tihai - Dumdaar, meaning "with a pause," implies that a dumdaar tihai has a pause. The pauses may be short or long, and they may also be simple or complex. Usually, a dumdaar tihai has a pause that is more than 1/2 maatra. A dumdaar tihai with complex pauses is sometimes referred to as bikat dum. ​ Gat - A gat is a fixed composition composed by various maestros and composers which provides an experience of various elements in nature through the language of tabla. These elements of nature may include things like the flow of a river, the flight of a bird, or the bouncing of a ball. A gat is completed before the sum, and therefore can be played multiple times sequentially. A gat is usually performed at least twice in a solo performance. More Info ​ Peshkaar - A peshkaar is an expansionary and improvised composition played in vilambit laya. It ends in vowel phrases such as "tin na" and "dhin na" and is used to unfold the taal at the beginning of a solo performance. A peshkaar shows a tabla player's expansionary process and understanding of taal. More Info ​ Paran - Connecting to the Sanskrit word "pern," meaning leaf, a paran is a composition with accent-filled, resonance-filled bols. It generally ends with a tihai and can be compared to the structure of a leaf: a main vertical axis which "branches out" into veins on both sides. More Info ​ ​ 7. Ability to write notations of kaydas and relas in teentaal, jhaptaal, and ektaal. Write in Pt. Bhatkhande notation system by default unless specified. Memorize various kaydas and relas. Examples below: 8. (a) Guidelines for tuning the tabla and (b) Knowledge about the use of tablas of various scales for all kinds of music ​ Click Here BACK TO TOP

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TABLA STRUCTURE tabla legacy NOTES A "tabla" comprises of the daya and baya. The entire drumhead, including the gajra, is called the pudi. Tabla players play the daya with their dominant hand, and the baya with their non-dominant hand. ​ Daya The daya's body is hollow and made of wood. A separate daya can be made for each swar, or musical note. For example, C sharp and F dayas have different diameters and dimensions according to their physical characteristics. The tabla pudi is usually made of goat skin. The incorporation of shahi allows for a greater scope of resonance. ​ Baya In ancient times, the baya used to be made out of clay, but is now made out of various types of metals such as steel or copper. ​ Both the daya and baya can be tuned to a particular frequency. The gatthe may be pushed down or pulled up to increase or decrease the pitch, respectively. For smaller increments of change, a player may hit the gajra with a hammer downwards or upwards, increasing or decreasing the pitch, respectively. Hitting downwards increases the tension of the pudi while hitting upwards eases the tension. ​ Tuning and Various Scales ​ ​ ​ BACK TO TOP