Tala of the Month …
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TriTaal
by
Debu Nayak
In the pantheon of North Indian classical music, Tabla drums, perhaps, the most popular "membrane" instruments in the world rank high above all the other instruments. Drums are the oldest of all musical instruments in most cultures. They exist in every society, and in some societies they are the only means of producing music. Even though many cultures today continue to use an ancient form of drums, the Indian Tabla drums have evolved through centuries of experimentation and improvement. According to many musicologists, "the most successful experiment was the invention of sihayee" (the black patch made of iron dust and rice on tabla drum-heads) in India. According to many, this invention occurred around 200 AD. The Siyahee enables a Tabla drum to attain its highest form of tonal quality in a sustained fashion. This is evident in both Tabla and Pakhawaaj drums.
In North Indian classical music language, taal or a rhythmic pattern forms the core structure of any melodic movement, whether it is instrumental music or vocal music. And Tabla holds the theka or the rhythmic structure of this conjugation. There are many taals. Among them, the most popular rhythmic pattern or taal is called Tin Taal. In the scriptures of Taalshastra, Tin Taal or tri taal is divided into four units (4+4+4+4) which are also known as Matras. Matras are known as beats. Tin Taal, therefore, is also known as 16 beats or sixteen Matras. I would like to point out that the Tin Taal Theka used in different parts of India may vary from gharana to gharana (styles or schools of music in India) in terms of how they are executed.
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