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Types of Talas
There are seven basic types of talas.
A tala is performed with the right hand and on the left palm or the right thigh.
Each tala is made up of one or more of three "Angas" or components.
- the Laghu, which is a clap (palm facing downwards) and finger counts and its symbol is | .
- the Drutam, which consists of a clap (palm facing downwards) and a wave (palm facing upwards-' visarjitam') and its symbol is 0.
- the Anudrutam, which is just a clap (palm facing downwards) and its symbol is U.
7 Talas
The seven basic Talas are as follows
- Dhruva - |0|| - one laghu, one drutam and two laghus
- Matya - |0| - one laghu, one drutam and one laghu
- Rupaka - 0| - one drutam and one laghu
- Jampa - |U0 -one laghu, one anudrutam and one drutam
- Triputa - |00 - one laghu and two drutams
- Ata - ||00 - two laghus and two drutams
- Eka - | -one laghu
Jătis (laghu variety)
These seven basic talas become thirty five talas in the following way:
The laghu can be of five "Jătis" or types.
- Tishra (3 matras or counts) Laghu - i.e laghu with one clap and two finger counts
- Chatushra (4 matras) laghu - i.e laghu with one clap and three finger counts
- Khandam (5 matras) laghu - laghu with one clap and four finger counts
- Mishram (7matras) laghu- i.e laghu with one clap and six finger counts
- Sankirnam (9 matras) laghu - i.e laghu with one clap and eight finger counts
Each tala can be varied in five different ways by varying the type of laghu. For example you can gave Tisra jati Dhruva tala, Chatusra jati Dhruva tala, Kanda Jati Dhruva tala, Misra jati Dhruva tala and Sankirna Jati Dhruva tala.
Likewise all seven talas can be varied on the laghu thus giving rise to a total of 7x5= 35 talas.
Gatis
In addition the laghu can be varied on speed or minor units of time called 'gati bhedas' also, which makes a total of 175 talas can be obtained.
The laghu can be of five "gatis" or speeds :
- Tishra -three : denoted by the syllables Ta-Ki-Ta
- Chatushra - four : denoted by the syllables Ta-Ka-Di-Mi
- Khanda- five: denoted by the syllables Ta-Ka-Ta-Ki-Ta
- Mishra -seven: denoted by the syllables Ta-Ka-Di-Mi Ta-Ki-Ta
- Sankirna - nine: denoted by the syllables Ta-Ka-Di-Mi Ta-Ka Ta-Ki-Ta.
The Chapu tala which does not use any of the angs of tala but only the main time measure , is divided usuuallyinto four varieties - Tishra chapu (1+2). Khanda chapu (2+3), Mishra chapu (3+4) and Sankirna chapu (4+5).
The time measures , most frequently used in Bharatnatyam are Misra chapu (3+4), Adi Tala (8) , Rupaka tala (6) and Jhampa tala (10)
Ancient References Tanjore Importance of Music Basic Structure
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