If raag is the melodic soul of Indian classical music, taal is its heartbeat. Western musicians often think in bars and time signatures (4/4, 3/4, 7/8). Indian music thinks in cyclic patterns of beats that keep repeating – these are taals.
Cycles, claps, and waves
Each taal has:
- A fixed number of beats (called matras), for example 16 in Teentaal.
- Division into vibhags – sections, like 4+4+4+4.
- Specific points where we clap (taali) and where we make a wave (khali, an “empty” beat).
The first beat of the cycle is called Sam. It’s like the “home base” of rhythm – singers, instrumentalists, and tabla players love to land important phrases there. When a long, complex taan suddenly resolves exactly on the sam, the audience often shows approval with nods or murmured “wah!”.
Examples of common taals
- Teentaal – 16 beats, 4+4+4+4; very common in khayal.
- Keherva – 8 beats, often used in light music and bhajans.
- Dadra – 6 beats, common in light classical and folk styles.
- Jhaptaal – 10 beats, with an interesting 2+3+2+3 structure.
- Ektaal – 12 beats, often used for vilambit khayal.
Laya – tempo and flow
Taal is also tied to laya, or tempo:
- Vilambit – slow, spacious.
- Madhya – medium, conversational.
- Drut – fast, energetic.
Within these, artists play with layakari – rhythmic variation such as doubling, tripling, or more complex cross-rhythms, while still respecting the underlying cycle.
For Western listeners, you can think of taal as a looped groove that isn’t just felt bar-by-bar but as a full journey from one sam to the next. Melody and rhythm in Indian music are two dancers holding hands, circling around this repeating point.