For instance, Teentaal (16 beats) is made up of four sections of four beats each, while Ektaal (12 beats) is made up of six sections of two beats each. Rhythm patterns have names such as Teentaal, Ektaal, Jhaptaal, and so on, but the generic name for rhythm patterns is ' taal.' The concept of rhythm itself is also called ' taal.' Below are some examples of taals popularly used in various genres within Hindustani classical music.Īs you may have noticed, each taal is divided into several sections because this makes it easier to understand and recognize. They are called bol, and it is these bols that are combined in various ways to get many interesting rhythm patterns.

Of course, these are just vocalizations of the actual sounds produced by the tabla. In the hands of an expert tabla player, the tabla can make all kinds of fantastic sounds, but there are a couple of dozen commonly produced sounds - dhaa, ga, ge, gi, ka, ke, dhi, dhin, tin, tun, tit, ti, te, Ta, tr, naa, ne, re, kat, taa, dhaage, tiTa, tirikiTa. These sounds are then strung together in sequences to create different rhythm patterns to accompany musical performances.

The tabla is a set of two drums of different sizes and timbers that are played simultaneously by tapping on them with the hands in various ways to produce different kinds of sounds. The main percussion instruments used in Hindustani (North Indian) classical music are the tabla and (the somewhat less common) pakhavaj.

Dadra taal kathak