Tala, A Practical introduction
Tali
To quickly get an understanding of the tala system, we can try the following step-by-step exercises. Jhaptal is the name of the rhythmic cycle of 10 beats (matras). This tala is divided into four vibhags (measures) of 2, 3, 2, 3 beats, thus:
1 2, 1 2 3, 1 2, 1 2 3....or....1 2, 3 4 5, 6 7, 8 9 10, Tali: On the first beat of each vibhag we clap [ symbol: +], the tali. This indicates the "groove". You can now see how the rhythm feels, actually very simple so far.
Khali
Now we introduce the concept of khali. Khali means empty. In Indian rhythms, there is often an ascending and a descending line in the rhythmic cycle. What actually happens in practice is that the tabla player, at a given moment in the cycle, does not play the bass sounds from the bayan for a number of beats. This gives a kind of going and coming feeling in the cycle. The empty part of a cycle, i.e. without the bass sounds, is called vibhag, and the so-called full part of a cycle with the bass sounds is called khula. Often the khali is the beginning of the band part of the cycle, (unfortunately, there are exceptions to this concept, and this is not always the case).
Because khali is empty, don't clap there, just a little wave of the hand with the palm up is sufficient. The sign of khali is [o]. The cycle now looks like this:
Sam
Sam: The next concept of tala is of great importance, which is the sam [symbol: x]. Sam means "gathering" in Sanskrit.
"In musical terms, the sam is the most important beat of the time-cycle because it denotes the coming together of the various parts of the performance, namely the improvised part with the principle stress of the tal." [12]
If you count and hear Khali correctly you will feel Sam approaching. Sam is the first beat of the cycle and the point where many compositions and improvisations begin and end, making it the most important beat.
" The musician is required to return to the sam with split-second accuracy. The ability to do so, and in a beautifully designed way, is in fact an important criterion by which we judge the quality of the music going on." [13]
The sam is emphasized with an accent, within the clapping of the tala. It sounds like the tali but more dominant. Its symbol is "X". Our cycle now looks like this:
Tali
Tali means the sections, or divisions of the cycle. The claps, at the beginning of each section, are officially indicated with a number that indicates how many claps in the cycle this is.
Jhaptal, divided 2,3,2,3, then becomes:
Sam is the first clap, tali the second clap, khali has an open wave, and the last tali has the third clap and so on. This system generally applies to all talas, although some do have variable possibilities.
Throughout India in Hindustani (North Indian) and Carnatic (South Indian) styles of classical music, the musically interested audience is often seen clapping the tala with their hands or in their minds. This way you can follow the music more easily.