The word Jaati (or Jati) appears both in melodic and rhythmic contexts. We’ve seen it in raag classification (Audav, Shadava, Sampoorna). In rhythm, it describes groupings of beats.
Rhythmic jaatis
Especially in South Indian (Carnatic) music, jaatis are used to classify groups of beats:
- Tisra Jaati – groups of 3 (like triplets).
- Chatusra Jaati – groups of 4.
- Khanda Jaati – groups of 5.
- Misra Jaati – groups of 7.
- Sankeerna Jaati – groups of 9.
In Hindustani music, while the terminology is less emphasized, the idea is still used: tabla players and soloists often play patterns that divide the taal cycle into 3s, 5s, 7s, etc., and create tension by superimposing these groupings.
Example: Playing 3s in Teentaal
Teentaal has 16 beats. A tabla player might play a phrase that feels like it is in groups of 3:
3 + 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 + 1 = 16
That last “1” is a little adjustment to bring the phrase back to sam. The listener senses a cross-rhythm, even if they don’t consciously count it.
Comparing to Western rhythm
Western music also uses cross-rhythms (e.g., 3 against 4, 5-beat bars, etc.). The difference is that Hindustani and Carnatic systems think of these within a cyclic tala – everything must resolve neatly to the sam, not just the end of a bar.
Jaati consciousness makes rhythm a rich playground rather than just a grid of equal beats. For an advanced listener, recognizing when a musician is “playing 3s” or “playing 7s” adds another layer of enjoyment.