Krsna Kirtana Songs est. 2001 www.kksongs.org

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Lesson 14A: Applying the Cyclic and Cadence Forms in Eight Matra Cycles

Now that all the mukhras and tods have been studied independently, we can use them in practical use. As discussed in Lesson 14, mukhras and tods cannot be played independently.

ADDITION OF MUKHRAS IN A CYCLE

Two factors have to be considered when adding mukhras

1) Number of matras in the mukhra

2) Layakari of the tala in use (every madhya lay tala we have done, except Prabhupada tala, has normal layakari).

1. Prabhupada tala shrinks the matra value of the mukhra into half its size (i.e. an 8 matra mukhra is compressed into 4 matras).

2. Drut laya expands the counting speed of the mukhra into twice its size. (i.e. an 8 matra mukhra is counts like a 16 matras.)

There are a number of possibilities that could exist with mukhras. However, the best way to go about this lesson is going through a case-by-case study and examine why and how the mukhras are added.

EXAMPLE 1:

Play three cycles of kaherva tala followed by mukhra 3

X						0
1	2	3		4		5		6		7		8
dhā	ge	nā		tin		nā		ka		dhin		nā
X						0
1	2	3		4		5		6		7		8
dhā	ge	nā		tin		nā		ka		dhin		nā
X						0
1	2	3		4		5		6		7		8
dhā	ge	nā		tin		nā		ka		dhin		nā
X						0
1	2	3		4		5		6		7		8
dhā	ge	nā		tin		nā		ka		dhin		nā
X						0
1	2	3		4		5		6		7		8
ti	ti	tā	ke	ti	ra	ki	ti	tā	ke	ti	ra	ki	ti

This is a very straightforward addition. Since the mukhra is 8 matras in normal time (kaherva tala, you treat it as a rhythmic cycle (even though it’s really not).

EXAMPLE 2:

Play three cycles of bhajani tala and add mukhra 1. Then, add one more cycle of bhajani tala.

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The same principle as Example 1 is shown here. Since mukhra 3 has eight matras in normal time and since bhajani tala has eight matras, you can just place the mukhra in the fourth avartan without any changes.

EXAMPLE 3:

Play two cycles of Prabhupada tala. The first cycle of Prabhupada tala will have mukhra 1 inserted.

Remember that Prabhupada tala is slower compared to the rest of the rhythmic cycles. Remember from Lesson 9, because of the slower layakari of the rhythm, you can relate Prabhupada tala to kaherva tala that one cycle of Prabhupada tala is equivalent to two cycles of kaherva tala. Therefore, when relating everything to Prabhupada tala, you have to cut everything in half.

Recall Mukhra 1 in regular time.

Originally, mukhra 1 is 8 matras. Since Prabhupada tala is slower, then you have to reduce the cycle to half its time. Therefore, instead of eight matras, we convert this to four matras.

Here is Mukhra 1 in half layakari (i.e. in Prabhupada tala)

Here is how the mukhra fits.

We have two cycles of Prabhupada tala here. The theka is underscored in red, while the addition of Mukhra 1 is underscored in green. Recall that mukhra 1 for this cycle has four matras. Since this mukhra functions to end a cycle, it will be placed at the end of the cycle.

How did we know that we will start from Matra 5?

8 matra cycle – 4 matra long mukhra = 4 completed matras of the original theka.

This means that after matra 4 is completed, one would insert the mukhra. After a lengthy explanation of how we knew where to put the mukhra at, we wonder if musicians had to be mathematicians to immediately analyze and paste mukhras at an instance. The answer is maybe no.

Also, mukhra 1 is an example of a tihai. A tihai is a repetitive phrase of three parts. The end of the third part was the sam of the new cycle.

EXAMPLE 4:

Play two bhajani tala cycles, with the second cycle having mukhra 2 as its ending:

Using the same formula from example 3, normally speaking, mukhra 2 had only four matras. Since this is not Prabhupada tala, the “layakari” factor was not necessary.

Where does one paste the mukhra? 8 – 4 = END of 4 (therefore, at matra 5)

EXAMPLE 5: INCREASING SPEED

Play two cycles of Prabhupada tala, make a transition using mukhra 2, into drut kaherva tala 1.

This is indeed a complex situation as this has two different rhythmic cycles with different tempos, a small mukhra, and different layakaris.

Playing two cycles of Prabhupada tala is easy.

After completing the second cycle of Prabhupada, one has to alter the mukhra 2

This is a special form of mukhra 2 to use for Prabhupada tala to drut kaherva tala.

Since this mukhra indicates that one has left the Prabhupada tala territory, one should begin counting in normal time for this mukhra only. Then for the drut lay cycles, the cycles are counted twice as fast as the mukhra. That is to say, four times faster than Prabhupada tala.

EXAMPLE 6: SLOWING DOWN

Play two cycles of drut kaherva tala, followed by a mukhra 1, and level off to madhya lay kaherva theka.

Two cycles of drut kaherva tala is straightforward.

Just like Example 5, after the drut kaherva cycles are completed, then one makes the transition to madhya lay by using the eight matra mukhra 1. Then kaherva tala is played at madhya lay tempo.

EXAMPLE 7:

Start a Prabhupada tala cycle with mukhra 1.

Each example had cycles first, then mukhras that were inserted into them. In this example, we will use the mukhra to start off the cycle.

With Prabhupada tala, remember that mukhra 1 had to be compressed from eight to four matras. It was established at Example 3 that if the mukhra were to be posted at the end of the cycle, then it would start at 8 – 4 = end of matra 4 or at the beginning of matra 5.

Usually, almost all eight matra kirtanas will begin with mukhra 1, since many kirtans start off slow with either madhya lay kaherva tala or Prabhupada tala.

EXAMPLE 8:

Play two cycles of drut kaherva tala, then mukhra 1, then two cycles of the cyclic prakar of drut kaherva tala with a tod 2 (ends here).

**** counting madhya lay ****

X 0

Again, this is just like Example 2 where the counting scheme changes from Line 3.

Adding a tod uses madhya lay counting. In addition, if the tod is an ending one, then it ends with the sam of the cycle or whatever the tod’s sam demands. Since this tod demands that the sam ends with “dhin”, this must end with jha. With other tods, it ends with the sam of the parent cycle.

EXAMPLE 9:

Play two cycles of drut kaherva tala 1 and end the piece with a tod (specifically tod 1)

This example shows a fast kirtan (in drut kaherva tala: Lines 1 and 2) ending by using a tod (Line 3 with the “STOP AHEAD” sign). With the Lines 1 and 2, the counting scheme is in drut lay. In the tod (Lines 3 and 4), the counting goes back to madhya lay. Notice how Line 4 ends with the sam (STOP sign).

Adding mukhras is an art that needs to be practiced with various combinations. Although all combinations won’t work, it doesn’t hurt experimenting. Just keep in mind to work on eight or sixteen matra cycles only. The next lesson will discuss mukhra addition for tisra jati talas.