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Exploring Tagore's Unnamed Taals (Part 2): The Asymmetrical Rhythms
Welcome to the second part of our series on Rabindranath Tagore's unique unnamed taals. In Part 1, we explored the foundational 4-beat cycles. Now, we delve into the gracefully asymmetrical rhythms of the 6-beat and 7-beat taals, which Tagore used to create a unique sense of flow and movement in his songs.
The 6-Beat Unnamed Taals
Watch the Demonstration
Tagore created multiple variations for the 6-beat cycle to suit different lyrical meters.
Variation 1 (4 | 2)
- Structure: 2 Divisions (4 | 2)
- Tali (Claps): 2 claps on the 1st and 5th beats.
- Example Song: "Hridoy Amar Prokash Holo"
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dha | Dhi | Dhi | Na |
| X (Sam) | |||
| 5 | 6 | ||
| Dhi | Na | ||
| 2(Clap) | |||
Variation 2 (Single Division of 6)
- Structure: 1 Division (6)
- Tali (Claps): 1 clap on the 1st beat.
- Example Song: "Ektuku Chowa Lage"
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dha | Dhi | Na | Dhi |
| X (Sam) | |||
| 5 | 6 | ||
| Dhi | Na | ||
The 7-Beat Unnamed Taal (3 | 4)
Watch the Demonstration
- Structure: 2 Divisions (3 | 4)
- Tali (Claps): 2 claps on the 1st and 4th beats.
- Khali (Wave): None
- Example Song: "Nishi Na Pohate"
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dhi | Dha | Dhi | Na |
| X (Sam) | 2(Clap) | ||
| 5 | 6 | 7 | |
| Ti | Na | Dhi | |
Coming Up in Part 3
You have now learned about the asymmetrical 6 and 7-beat cycles. In the next part of our series, we will explore the more complex rhythms, including the fascinating variations of the 9-beat taal.