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Exploring Tagore's Unnamed Taals (Part 3): The 9-Beat Variations
Welcome to the third part of our series on Rabindranath Tagore's unique unnamed taals. After covering the simpler cycles in Part 1 and the asymmetrical rhythms in Part 2, we now focus on the complex and expressive world of the 9-beat taal. Tagore frequently used this cycle, creating several variations to match the intricate emotions of his poetry.
The 9-Beat Unnamed Taals
The 9-beat cycle is one of Tagore's favorites for expressing intricate ideas. Below are the different rhythmic divisions he used, along with their thekas where available.
Variation 1 (3 | 6)
- Structure: 2 Divisions (3 | 6)
- Tali (Claps): 2 claps on the 1st and 4th beats.
- Example Song: "Byakul Bokuler Phule"
| 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Dha | Dhi | Na |
| X (Sam) | ||
| 4 | 5 | 6 |
| Dhi | Na | Dha |
| 2(Clap) | ||
| 7 | 8 | 9 |
| Dhi | Na | Dha |
Variation 2 (5 | 4)
- Structure: 2 Divisions (5 | 4)
- Tali (Claps): 2 claps on the 1st and 6th beats.
- Example Song: "Byakul Bokuler Phule"
| 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Dhi | Na | Dha |
| X (Sam) | ||
| 4 | 5 | 6 |
| Dhi | Na | Dha |
| 2(Clap) | ||
| 7 | 8 | 9 |
| Ti | Na | Dha |
Variation 3 (3 | 3 | 3)
- Structure: 3 Divisions (3 | 3 | 3)
- Tali (Claps): 3 claps on the 1st, 4th, and 7th beats.
- Example Song: "Je Knadone Hiya"
| 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Dhi | Na | Dha |
| X (Sam) | ||
| 4 | 5 | 6 |
| Dhi | Na | Dha |
| 2(Clap) | ||
| 7 | 8 | 9 |
| Ti | Na | Dha |
| 3(Clap) | ||
Variation 4 (All 1-beat Divisions)
- Structure: 1 Divisions (9 Matra)
- Tali (Claps): 1 clap on the 1st beat.
- Example Song: "Duar Mor Pathapashe"
| 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Dhi | Na | Dha |
| X (Sam) | ||
| 4 | 5 | 6 |
| Dhi | Na | Dha |
| 7 | 8 | 9 |
| Ti | Na | Dha |
Coming Up in Part 4
You have now explored the complex variations of the 9-beat cycle. In the final part of our series, we will cover the grand and majestic 10, 11, and 12-beat unnamed taals.