Tala
A repeating framework of musical time.
Tala organises music into cycles. The sequence of claps, waves and finger counts helps a musician feel where a phrase begins, develops and returns.
Start with a familiar cycle
Adi tala has eight primary counts arranged 4 + 2 + 2. Misra Chapu has seven smaller units commonly felt as 3 + 4.
The seven Suladi families
| Family | Anga order |
|---|---|
| Dhruva | Laghu, drutam, laghu, laghu |
| Matya | Laghu, drutam, laghu |
| Rupaka | Drutam, laghu |
| Jhampa | Laghu, anudrutam, drutam |
| Triputa | Laghu, drutam, drutam |
| Ata | Laghu, laghu, drutam, drutam |
| Eka | Laghu |
Apply the five jatis to the laghu of each family to obtain 35 combinations. Chapu and other tala traditions extend beyond this scheme.