How to Write Dhage and Tirakita in Aad, Kuaad and Biaad Layakari

In the layakari guide we saw that every bol is stretched with the avagraha ऽ until the phrase fits the fraction. That rule is simple when each beat holds one bol like Dha or Dhin. But thekas also have beats that already hold two or four bols: DhaGe and Tirakita. What do we do with those? This post shows how to write them in aad (3/2), kuaad (5/4) and biaad (7/4).

How many bols can one beat hold?

In a taal, one beat (matra) holds 1, 2 or 4 bols. There is no taal with 3 bols in a beat.

Ektaal shows all three cases:

• Beats 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12 hold one bol.
• Beats 3 and 9 hold DhaGe: 2 bols (Dha, Ge).
• Beats 4 and 10 hold Tirakita: 4 bols (Ti, Ra, Ki, Ta).

Whenever a beat holds more than one bol, we mark them with a curved line under that beat.

The one rule

From the layakari guide: in a fraction like 3/2 or 5/4, the denominator tells you how many slots each bol gets.

• Denominator 2: every bol gets 2 slots.
• Denominator 4: every bol gets 4 slots.

A single-syllable bol like Dha has only one sound, so the rest of its slots are filled with ऽ: Dha ऽ in 3/2, Dha ऽऽऽ in 5/4.

DhaGe and Tirakita already have 2 and 4 sounds inside them. So they fill their slots with real bols, and we need ऽ only for the slots left over.

Layakari with denominator 2 (aad, 3/2)

Each bol gets 2 slots.

• Dha has 1 sound, so it becomes Dha ऽ.
• DhaGe has 2 sounds, which exactly fills 2 slots. It stays DhaGe, with no ऽ.
• Tirakita has 4 sounds but only 2 slots. Two sounds share each slot, so it becomes Tira Kita, one curved line under each pair.

Layakari with denominator 4 (kuaad 5/4, biaad 7/4, 9/4 and paun 3/4)

Each bol gets 4 slots.

• Dha becomes Dha ऽऽऽ.
• DhaGe has 2 sounds for 4 slots, so each sound is held for 2 slots: Dha ऽ Ge ऽ.
• Tirakita has 4 sounds for 4 slots. It stays Tirakita, with no ऽ.

All together

The idea behind all of it: spread the sounds of the bol evenly over the slots you have. If sounds are fewer than slots, hold them with ऽ. If equal, nothing to add. If sounds are more than slots, put 2 sounds in one slot.

The two ways to write DhaGe

There are two ways to write DhaGe in aad.

1. Formula way: treat DhaGe as one bol and add one ऽ: DhaGe ऽ. The arithmetic works.
2. Musical way: DhaGe, because DhaGe already has two sounds and needs no ऽ.

Both give the same slot count, but the musical way is what you actually play and hear. Use it. The same applies to Tirakita: write Tira Kita, not Tirakita ऽ.

Worked examples

Take the phrase Dha DhaGe Tirakita: 3 bols.

Why denominator 3 does not appear

You will notice we only use denominators 1, 2 and 4. Tabla's compound bols have 2 or 4 sounds, and 2 or 4 sounds cannot be spread evenly over 3 slots. A beat never holds 3 bols either. So fractions with denominator 3 do not fit the language of tabla bols, and we do not cover them here.

Quick checklist

1. Write the fraction. The denominator is the number of slots each bol gets.
2. Count the sounds in each bol: Dha = 1, DhaGe = 2, Tirakita = 4.
3. Fewer sounds than slots: hold with ऽ. Equal: write as it is. More: put 2 sounds in a slot.
4. Cut the whole stream into groups of the numerator. Each group is one matra.
5. Draw a curved line under any slot that holds 2 sounds.

Let the software do it

Layakari Studio in Tabla I/O splits DhaGe and Tirakita into their sounds automatically and places the ऽ for any layakari. Open Layakari Studio →

Written by Kaustubh Singh, Banaras Gharana tabla artist and PhD scholar at the University of Delhi.