Rhythm (taal), Laya (tempo), and Bol (syllables) in Indian Classical Music

Rhythm is at the heart and base of all Classical Indian Dance and Music forms. The mood, flow, and expression - all emerge from the ground of time-cycles.

The main percussion instrument of Odissi Dance is the Pakhawaj, also known as the mridanga. Hindustani (North Indian) classical music uses the tabla and Carnatic (South Indian) classical music, the Pakhawaj. All of these drums are two-headed precision instruments played simultaneously in various ways to produce different kinds of sounds. These sounds are then strung together in sequences to create different rhythm patterns. The vocalizations of the actual sounds produced by the drummer, such as dha, di, naka, thini, dhin, tere, take, gadigane, jhom, dhage, and so on, are called bol.

The bols are combined together to create different rhythm patterns (Taals).

Taal and Bol

The various rhythm patterns have names such as Ekataali, Adi Taal, Kemhata Taal, Jati Taal, and so on, but the generic name for rhythm patterns is "taal." The concept of rhythm itself is also called "taal."

Some taals are divided into several sections to reveal the unique path and character of that time-cycle. All the sections put together represent one complete cycle of that taal.

For example, Ekataali is a four-beat cycle in one section:

(+)1 2 3 4

Ta –thi nakadataka takadhini

Adi Taal is a 16-beat cycle in four sections:

(+)1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

dha dhina kita dhini / dha dhina khita dhini

(0)9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

(ta) tina kita tini / dha dhina kita dhini

A central concept to taals is the sam, the “one”. As a dancer, we are always in tune with the “one”, and to further mark the cyclical nature of time, the music and dance always culminate on the sam.

The first beat of the rhythm cycle is called sam (rhymes with "some"), marked with the “(+)” sign and counted with a clap. It is played emphatically to mark the beginning of the cycle. (The “(0)” marks the “Khali”- empty, which is a lighter sound and marked with a wave of the hand). Since compositions are structured so that the most emphatic syllable of each line falls on the first beat of the rhythm cycle, the emphasis in both rhythm and melody makes the sam easily recognizable by both the dancers and the audience, serving as a focal point for all participants to come together over and over in the course of a performance, so a sense of conversation, intimacy, and unison is developed.

The word “bol” means “to speak” and it’s essentially the language of the drum. The bol syllables strung together give texture and accentuation to the taal pattern as well as providing aural clues as to which part of the taal cycle is currently being played, which is important to keep track of so that you can return to the sam on the correct syllable.

Tempo (laya)

The tempo of the music is called laya. Classical Indian dance music often begins at a slow tempo and gradually increases in tempo to culminate at rapid tempos carrying performers and audiences alike into an ecstatic and elated state of spirit and heart.

Performances are usually divided into several sections, and there is often a perceptible increase in tempo as you finish one section and begin the next, but even within sections, there is a gradual increase in tempo, so it is never feasible to talk about the tempo of composition in precise terms. Only vague descriptors are used, such as very slow (ati vilambit), slow (vilambit), medium (madhya), lively (drut), and rapid (ati drut). Roughly speaking, slow tempo is from 30 to 70 beats per minute (bpm), medium tempo is from 70 to 180 bpm, and fast tempo is from 180 to 350 bpm

Classical Indian Dance drums such as the pakhawaj and tabla can produce a wide range of sounds and can melodically tune to different pitches. Rhythm might often be regarded as something that exists in the background, yet in Indian dance, it is not only foundational but expressive and interactive - sometimes playful, sometimes passionate, competitive, intimate - and always keeping us connected to our center, the earth, and one another.

To follow the corresponding video to this article, and learn more about the Foundations of Odissi Dance follow this link.