Konnakol
The spoken language of Carnatic rhythm — recited solkattu syllables.
Konnakol is the spoken language of Carnatic rhythm: rhythmic syllables (solkattu) recited aloud to express, learn and improvise a pattern using the voice alone, before or alongside playing it.
The building syllables
Two useful groups to begin with are:
- Three:
tha ki ta - Four:
tha ka dhi mi
Add a two-syllable group, tha ka, and you can explore longer combinations: six as tha ki ta tha ki ta (3 + 3), and eight as tha ka dhi mi tha ka dhi mi (4 + 4).
Syllables for the five gatis
These examples express the five gatis. Their counts match the familiar jati numbers, but jati and gati describe different things. Syllable sets vary by school; the table illustrates alternatives.
| Count | Common konnakol | Also spoken as |
|---|---|---|
| Tisra (3) | tha ki ta | ta ki ta |
| Chatusra (4) | tha ka dhi mi | ta ka dhi na |
| Khanda (5) | tha ka · tha ki ta | tha di gi na thom |
| Misra (7) | tha ki ta · tha ka dhi mi | tha ka dhi mi · tha ki ta |
| Sankirna (9) | tha ka dhi mi · tha ka · tha ki ta | tha ki ta · tha ka dhi mi · tha ka |
Konnakol sits inside the wider tala system: the tala fixes the beats; the gati fixes the number of subdivisions within each beat; the syllables express a chosen pattern.