Lesson 2: Understanding Rhythm and Notation

Krsna Kirtana Songs est. 2001 www.kksongs.org

Lesson 2: Understanding Rhythm and Notation

Recall from Lesson 1, that two pillars in learning the kartal, or any rhythmic instrument for all intents and purposes, are producing clear sounds and maintaining constant rhythm. The kartal keeps the rhythmic cycle known as “tāla.” In fact, the word “karatāla” literally translates to “making claps or rhythms.” The primary function of kartals is to mark the most important points of the tala. The tala is not the rhythmic grove that is played on the mridanga (known as a theka). The tala is the theoretical background of the rhythm. Tala theory is a nicely complex theory about how a rhythm changes through time, the accent and de-accented spots, and clapping convention. It is useful for the study of a classical drum like khol, tabla, or pakhawaj. For studying kartals, the basic rhythmic ideas will be practical.

UNDERSTANDING NOTATION

Indian music is not usually written down in books, but is carried through oral tradition in succession, known as parampara. However, as it becomes difficult to remember how rhythms and theories are composed, special notation is created to help the student. Figure 2.1 shows an example of this.

X		0
1	2	3	4
open	open	open	open

Figure 2.1

Each block consists of a unit of time, known as a matra or a beat. Since there are four full blocks, there are four matras. In Audio Clip 2.1, each striking of the kartal is separated by one second. Therefore, the value of a matra in Figure 2.1 is 1.00 second long. The start of each matra is numbered on top of the blocks in black. The first block is shown with a black 1, because it is the start of the first matra. The numbers in red are known as tala numbers. The details onto what these mean are beyond the scope of learning kartals. Just know that the first matra of each cycle is known as the sam. It is denoted by an X. Inside the blocks, the actual stroke on the kartals are shown. Each of these blocks can either show open or closed.

After completing the cycle of four matras, one cycle is completed. Audio Clip 2.1 plays four cycles of Figure 2.1. Use your kartals and strike them every 1.00 second. Then play Audio Clip 2.1 to get an idea how it should sound like.

AUDIO CLIP 2.1

FRACTIONAL BEATS

Sometimes, within a cycle, there may be fractional beats or fractional matras. For most part, the fractional matras will be in halves. Figure 2.2 shows how Line 2 takes each matra from Line 1 and divides then by half. Although Line 2 has eight blocks, they are still four matras. Each matra has two blocks. Therefore, the two blocks are half-matras. Likewise, in Line 3, four blocks make one full matra. Therefore, each block is a quarter-matra. Yet, Line 1, Line 2, and Line 3 are all four matras. Of course, one will ask, “How did we know that there are four? Couldn’t Line 3 be 16 matras, which will yield Line 2 requiring each stroke to consume two matras, or Line 1 requiring each stroke to consume four matras?” The answer is that it is dependent on the rhythmic cycle. That will be given, so there is no ambiguity there. To understand how fractional rhythms sounds like, listen to Audio Clip 2.2. Line 1 is defined as 2 seconds per matra. Line 2 has each matra spaced out as 1 second per matra (half of 2 seconds). Line 3 has each matra spaced out as 0.5 seconds per matra (quarter of 2 seconds, or half of 1 second).

open

Figure 2.2.

AUDIO CLIP 2.2

PRACTICE

Here is good practice on understanding notation and how to keep rhythm with closed and open sounds. Few pointers to remember is that if a stroke lasts more than one matra, then it can be shown by having the stoke name take up the space of two matras, or have the stroke name written on the first matra where it is struck, and have the following matras be empty (silent).

X					0
1	2		3	4	5		6		7	8
open			closed	closed	open				closed	closed
X					0
1	2		3	4	5		6		7	8
open	closed		open	closed	open		closed		open	closed
X					0
1	2		3	4	5		6		7	8
closed	open	open	closed	open	open	open	clsd	clsd	open	open	open
X					0
1	2		3	4	5		6		7	8
closed			open	open	closed				open	open
X					0
1	2		3	4	5		6		7	8
closed			open	closed			open		closed
X					0
1	2		3	4	5