The use of tala and raga in different performance styles

Rhythm and melody, the two important components of performing arts

The final day of The Music Academy’s academic sessions featured a lecture on ‘Tala Laya Sampradayam, Jaati, Gathi and Jathi’ by vidwan Parasala Ravi.

Ravi emphasised the significance of time in rhythm, stating that it is the most crucial element in mridangam to comprehend talams through their angas. He elaborated on the three primary angas — laghu, dhrutam and anudhrutam. 

The value of laghu is determined by assigning jathis, which are categorised into five types — : tisram, chatusram, khandam, kisram, and sankeernam. The tala system encompasses 175 talas, derived from combinations of seven primary talams—Dhruva, Matya, Rupaka, Jhamp, Triputa, Ata, and Eka — with the five jathis. This results in 35 talams (7 x 5). Additionally, each tala is associated with five nadais, leading to a grand total of 175 talams (35 x 5).  

Ravi presented a self-devised chart of various chakrams in the tala system. He pointed out that talas can be identified through kirtanams, although not all 35 talams are represented in kirtanams. 

Discussing RTPs (Ragam, Tanam, Pallavi), Ravi highlighted the prevalence of complex talams in such compositions. Drawing parallels to the 72 melakarta ragas, he mentioned the existence of a 72-tala system.

Ravi then clarified the common confusion between gatis and nadais, stating that gati is invisible, whereas nadai is visible. This distinction is why the term ‘Nadai Pallavi’ is used. Ravi also discussed the prominence of jathis in Bharatanatyam and emphasised the need for mridangists to grasp the nuances of talas. He highlighted the importance of matra in the tala structure, explaining that some interpret it in terms of aksharams for korvais, while others consider matras.

Ravi also shared a formula to determine the counts required to start the ‘edappu’ for the korvai. He also differentiated between aksharakalam and aksharam —  the former represents the base units or counts in a talam, while the latter denotes the counts within the talam.  For example, a simple Adi talam may have eight Aksharakalams and 32 Aksharams.