Advanced Content - Visharad Purna tabla theory notes. ADVANCED CONTENT Click Here OR UNLOCK advanced content Preview advanced content b y completing the steps below Pricing North America $20 USD India ₹700 INR All Other Countries $20 USD Paid through PayPal. Step 1: Payment North America $20 USD India ₹700 INR paid in US Dollars All Other Countries $20 USD Step 2: Fill Out Fo rm Please input your phone number and location. Email Country Code Phone Your Location Choose an option Additional comments I have paid through PayPal (have completed Step 1) Submit Thanks for submitting! Step 3: Verification Please wait for manual review. You will get access to Advanced Content soon. Please email tablalegacy@gmail.com or Contact Us if you encounter any problems or have any questions/concerns.

vocal styles Dhrupad - Dhrupad is an ancient, powerful, and extremely revered form of vocal classical music. In modern times, its quite rare to be able to listen to pure dhrupad in the Sanskrit language. Although we are unable to make definite remarks regarding the origin of dhrupad, we know for sure that it is one of the oldest forms of singing in Indian Classical Music. It was a very popular form 500-600 years ago, and all musicians in Akbar's court were dhrupad singers. Tansen was a jewel amongst all dhrupad vocalists, and was the supreme disciple of Swami Haridas. Dhrupad is even more comprehensive and powerful compared to forms such as khayal, with dhrupad's 4 main parts being asthayi, antara, sanchari, and abhogi, each part usually having 3-4 verses each. Dhrupad is a relatively serious and masculine vocal form of music, with a predominance of moods such as veer rasa (heroic mood), shringar rasa (erotic mood), shanta rasa (mood of tranquility). The language is of high quality and meaning. Dhrupad is sung in taals such as chautaal, soolphak, jhampa, tevra, brahma, rudra, etc. There is no "Tan" activity in dhrupad, and dhrupad was presented with various forms of gamak, layakari, bol-tan, etc. http://dhrupad.org/about/ Khayal - Khayal is a persian word. Sultan Hussein Turki (ट) established khayal gayaki. The singer, using creativity, presents different swars in vilambit laya. Khayal did not always have the same reputation and status that it enjoys today. After dhrupad/dhamaar, khayal became very prominent in classical singing. Artists Sadarang and Adarang, vocalists with an exquisite degree of talent, composed several compositions in khayal gayaki under the emperor Muhammad Shah's court. Their work helped to popularize and expand the form of singing. Khayal gayaki can be performed in tilwada, teentaal, ektaal, jhoomra, ada-chautaal, and roopak. The shringar rasa is upheld to a great extent, and components of compositions often include emphasis, variety of words, purity, etc. Unlike dhrupad, there are no laya restrictions. It includes two main parts: the asthayi and antara. The vocalist is expected to adhere closely to the rules of the raag. The vocalist enjoys greater independence (khayal = thought) and also explores improvisation in the predominant alaap portion. Bada khayal is the vilambit portion of khayal, after which chhota khayal is presented in a faster speed. Khayal, today, is regarded as a rich, enjoyable, and reputable form of singing. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khyal Thumri - Thumri originated from the presentation idea of combining dance and singing at the same time. Lucknow Nawab Wajid Ali (under pen name / singer name Akhtar Pia) composed many thumris. Thumri is a very romantic form of singing and has two parts: sthaai and antara. Many times, in thumri, the love between Radha and Krishna is expressed, oftentimes including the separation of both lovers. Thumri concludes by playing laggi at a very fast speed. It is normally sung in piloo, khafi, and khamaaj. It is also a shringar rasa predominant form. It is sung in taal punjabi (a version of teentaal), deepchandi, addha, and keherwa, in madhya laya. Although in the past the elite class did not consider thumri to be a primary form of singing, it is undoubtedly a very difficult and praiseworthy style. Lucknow and Benares are well known cities for thumri, yet Uttar Pradesh remains the highlight for the best thumri. https://www.darbar.org/article/an-introduction-to-light-classical-thumri-dadra-and-other-styles https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thumri Bhajan - Appreciation of God and stories of God’s miracles, some spiritual advice, and devotional composition are included in bhajans. Many spectacular poets and saints from India have composed bhajans for spiritual purposes and bhakti. The importance of this style is that it can be done alone or in a group singing together, in which devotion towards God is expressed. Instruments used in accompanying bhajan are pakhawaaj, tabla, and tal. The most common theka used in accompanying bhajan is the bhajani theka. Various abhanga are concluded by playing a tod-tihai (small tihai). Example: dhinSSta SkedhinS taSkedhin StaSke | dhin. Two albums of Pt. Bhimsen Joshi, Abhang Waani and Sant Waani, have become very popular. https://www.darbar.org/article/an-introduction-to-bhajan-hindu-devotional-song https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhajan Ghazal - Ghazal is a vocal form sung either in Parsi or Urdu language, in taals such as pashto, deepchandi, etc. Ghazal's predominant rasa is the shringar rasa. Themes such as the calling of love, separation sorrow, etc are found in ghazal compositions. Ghazal lyrics are often aesthetic, delicate, pleasing, and full of rich literary content and meaning. Several verses are labeled as "antara," and all antaras are sung in a similar fashion. Sung in ragas of light nature such as kafi, khamaj, and pilu, ghazal exemplifies and places importance on lyrical meaning, linguistics, and emotions such as love. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghazal https://poets.org/glossary/ghazal Taraana - Another singing style similar to khayal gayaki. It is said that Amir Khusro invented taraana in the 13th century. The words sung have no meaning (tadim, tadare, tundir, derena, etc). In taraana, the two parts are asthayi and antara. Taans are also used in taraana. At the end of taraana, the speed is increased and the bandish is sung again. The same bandish is presented in different layas as the speed increases. Although it has meaningless words, it can give the essence of drut laya (which is the main characteristic of taraana). In drut laya, the taraana is improvised in a similar fashion to sitar playing. It was created to stop the boundary of words as making a song out of words requires meaning and the words need to have a specific syllable count. In taraana, there are various phrases with different syllable counts, which can be organized in a multitude of ways. http://www.swarmanttra.com/vocal/types-of-vocal/tarana/ Tappa - Compared to dhrupad and khayal, tappa is a brief and restless type of vocal music. There is a lesser number of words. The two parts of tappa are the asthayi and antara, and the taals employed in tappa are the ones used by khayal singers. It's a light form with a predominance of shringar rasa, sung in raags such as kafi, jhinjhoti, khamaj, pilu, barwa, bhairavi, etc. This form was popularized by Shouri Miyan, and the origin seems to be Punjabi as this form oftentimes utilizes Punjabi language words. Tappa singers utilize a fast tempo and attempt to present an attracting and fascinating experience. The tappa may be sung in a laya that is vilambit or madhya, yet the pronunciation of bols in tappa is fast, rapid, and surprising. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tappa https://www.swarganga.org/articles/details.php?id=2 Chaturanga , trivat , and hori are also amongst the main styles of vocal singing in Hindustani Classical. 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

aamad Aamad means "arrival". In general, a composition which gives a sense or intuition of arriving on the sum is aamad. In dance music, the introduction of rhythmic bols spoken at the beginning of a Kathak performance is called Aamad. It is an entry movement that traces itself back to the Mughal era. It is known to evoke a sense of grandeur and represents taking command of the area. In other words, it is a stylized way of taking an entry during a Kathak performance. Aamad corresponds to “alaap” or “peshkaar” in Indian music. The structure of an aamad is a body followed by a tihai. The term “aamad” was utilized after the Mughal era, before which presentations would start with an uthaan. BACK TO TOP

fundamentals essential concepts of tabla

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

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

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. Chakradaars are fixed compositions. Many chakradaars have khula baaj bols and can also be found in presentations of kathak. Although most chakradaars are composed in teentaal, if the number of maatras in the chakradaar is a multiple of some other taal maatra, then the chakradaar may be played in the other taal as well. For example, an 80 maatra chakradaar may be played in both teentaal and jhaptaal. Additionally, a chakradaar composed in teentaal may be converted to any other taal by increasing or decreasing the time duration of the pauses between the 3 sections. Apart from 32 maatra and 64 maatra chakradaars in teentaal, all other chakradaars are usually played in baraabar laya. Each of the 3 individual tihais or sections of a chakradaar is sometimes called a "chakra". Because of its long, anticipatory, and exciting nature, the last few compositions played in a solo performance are often chakradaars. Simple Chakradaar A regular chakradaar, a tihai played 3 times to arrive on the sum. Farmaishi Chakradaar 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://youtu.be/Uva2l3rnNLw Kamaali Chakradaar The word "kamaal" means amazing or skillful. Similarly, a kamaali chakradaar is skillful and even more intricate than a farmaishi chakradaar. It involves unique mathematical calculations and patterns. A kamaali chakradaar incorporates 27 "dhas", of which the 1st dha of the 1st section lands on the sum, the 14th dha of the 2nd section lands on the sum, and the 27th and last dha of the 3rd section lands on the sum. Each of the 3 tihais or "chakras" of a kamaali chakradaar requires 9 "dhas". Each of the 3 tihais or "chakras" of a kamaali chakradaar requires 9 "dhas". In other words, there are 3 sections. There are 3 tihais within each section. There are 3 "dhas" in each tihai. The 1st dha of the 1st tihai of the 1st section lands on the sum. The 2nd dha of the 2nd tihai of the 2nd section lands on the sum. The 3rd dha of the 3rd tihai of the 3rd section lands on the sum. 8 Maatra Method Often times, tabla players will treat teentaal as a 8 maatra cycle in order to compute big chakradaars easily. With this being said, each chakradaar we calculate with the 8 maatra method will actually be twice as many maatras when played. If this is the case, then a 18 maatra tihai played thrice, with a 1 maatra pause, will equal 56 maatras, fitting in 7 awartans of actual teentaal. A 56 maatra chakradaar , also fits in rupak, ada-chautaal, and dhamaar because 56 is a multiple of 7. However, not all chakradaars that are farmaishi in teentaal will remain farmaishi in other taals. A 26 maatra tihai would equate to 80 maatras, fitting 10 awartans of actual teentaal. This conversion cycle of treating teentaal as a 8 maatra cycle is also beneficial in drut laya where it is harder to count the individual maatras. In the first example above, we calculated a 18 maatra tihai with a 1 maatra pause, meaning 56 maatras. If the pause is increased to 3 maatras, then we get a 60 maatra chakradaar, conveniently fitting in jhaptaal (60/10 = 6), ektaal (60/10 = 6), and pancham sawari (60/15 = 4). Keep in mind that this 60 maatra chakradaar is actually 120 smaller maatras when played because 60 big maatras times (2 smaller maatras per 1 big maatra) is 120 smaller maatras. (We are still using the 8 maatra method as discussed above). This way, we are able to convert chakradaars into our desired taal. Nauhakka In a nauhakka, a phrase is played with nine times, with 8 equal pauses in between. Example: tite kata GD GN (4 maatra) with a pause of dhaS ne (1.5 maatra) will fulfill (4 times 9) + (1.5 times 8) = 36 + 12 = 48 maatras = teentaal. This nauhakka can be played in drut teentaal if "titekataGDGN" is treated as 4 small maatras. A misconception is that if a tihai is played thrice, it becomes a nauhakka, but this isn't always true because the 8 pauses in between the 9 phrases need to all be of equal length. BACK TO TOP

tukda A tukda is a fixed composition primarily with forceful bols and heavy consonants. A tukda contains a tihai within it and usually is 2-3 awartans in length. Some stalwarts argue that a tukda, or "piece," is a portion of a longer composition which, even if played independently, appears meaningful. The structure of a tukda is a small portion followed by a tihai. Sometimes, this small portion or opening played before the tihai is also called "mukhda," which means "face". A tukda, which in literal terms means "piece," isn't as long as compositions such as parans. It is believed that they were formed first in Lucknow gharana, followed by Farrukhabad and Benares. Most stalwarts agree that it evolved from pakhawaaj style parans and was influenced by kathak. Tukdas are short and are not symmetrical like kaydas or relas. Khula baaj bols are utilized for a profound effect. Some tukdas don't contain a tihai. On the other hand, some tukdas contain a phrase repeated 3 times without a pause, or without a "dha". Phrases such as "dhagetite," "DRDRKTTK," "dhaSTRKTTK," "KTTK," "kdadha," "taraSna," "GDGN," and "nagetite" can be included in tukdas. Tabla players will often perform padhant (recitation) before playing a tukda. 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

TYPES OF COMPOSITIONS There are many types of tabla compositions, and such compositions have been composed considering the different requirements or unique ideas during different time periods. The types of compositions played, and the style of playing various compositions, varies from gharana to gharana. We can divide all of such compositions into two big categories: fixed compositions and expansionary compositions. Expansionary Compositions Expansionary (expandable) compositions are those which may be expanded upon through various paltas or variations in a specific manner. This expansion may be done in both a pre-planned mannner (such as memorizing variations and patterns) or in a spontaneous, live, improvised manner according to one's musical thought process. Expansionary compositions such as relas or kaydas often times have specific rules or guidelines, such as only including the bols found in the mukh or altering the next palta based on the pattern of the previous one. Expansionary compositions primarily include peshkaar, kayda, rela, gat-kayda, ladi, etc. Fixed / Pre-Composed Compositions A fixed composition implies that the composition will not be expanded upon through paltas or variations. Often times, composers will compose a certain experience within a given laya and with suitable bols and phrases. Compositions such as gats may take a long time to compose, and can't be designed impromptu. Fixed compositions are mostly played near the end of a performance and may also show the significance of certain phrases through emphasis or a specific playing manner. Fixed compositions primarily include tukdas, gats, gat-tukdas, chakradaars, etc. Types of compositions, in alphabetical order Click on the composition to learn more Aamad Chakradaar (includes farmaishi chakradaar and kamaali chakradaar) Chalan Gat Gat-Kayda Gat-Paran Gat-Tukda Kayda Kissm Ladi Laggi Mohra Mukhda Palta Paran Peshkaar Rou Rela Theka Tihai (includes bedum tihai and dumdaar tihai) Tukda Uthaan BACK TO TOP

ROU A rou signifies the presentation of a particular chalan followed by a suitable rela. After a chalan is established, the introduction of a rela based on the syllables of the chalan, with a similar structure of naads and tones, and which rejuvenates the experience of the original chalan, is referred to as rou. While an ordinary rela is presented as a single-double composition similar to a kayda, a rou utilizes instead a chalan to outline a structure and flow, and then transitions into a rela with the same structure and flow. There exist less restrictions while expanding the chalan into a rela and the artist attempts to slowly "merge" small phrases from the rela into a chalan to transition smoothly. The various weights of a chalan are seen in the rela, even though the rela may have more consonant usage such as "TRKT". Example (Teentaal): chalan: dhaSSS SSdhinS SSSS dhaSSS (similar to punjabi theka or addha taal) rela: dhaTRKTTK dhinTRKTTK dhaTRKT (dha,dhin, dha align with the bols of chalan) Example (Jhaptaal): chalan: dhagenadha getrakedhi nedhagena dhagetrake tinakena +khaali rela: dhaSTRKTdhaS TRKTTKTR KTdhaSTRKT dhaSTRKTTK tinSTRKTTK +khaali BACK TO TOP