Laya and Layakari in Tabla: From Ekgun to Aad, Kuaad and Biaad

Every tabla student hears the word layakari early. Few get a clear explanation of what it actually is, and fewer still learn how to write the fractional layakaris on paper. This post builds it from the ground up: what laya is, what layakari means, how the fraction works, and how the avagraha sign ऽ lets us write aad, kuaad and biaad with one simple rule.

What is laya?

Laya is the constant speed of time in music. A simple way to think of it: laya is the space between one matra and the next. "Space" is a better word than "speed" because it reminds you that laya is about the gap you are filling.

We usually describe laya in three broad levels:

What is layakari?

Laya has many forms. We call these forms layakari.

The meaning is direct: playing, singing or reciting fewer or more than one bol inside one matra.

• One bol per matra is the base.
• Fewer than one bol per matra (less than 1) is layakari.
• More than one bol per matra (more than 1) is also layakari.

So layakari is not only "playing fast". It is any consistent relationship between the number of bols and the number of matras.

The layakari number line

Think of layakari as a number line. Zero means no laya at all. Just above zero, the layas begin in steps of 0.25 and are named in fractions:

After 2, the same pattern repeats: add 0.25 at a time. 3 is tigun, 4 is chaugun, and it continues.

Seedhi layakari: ekgun to nau gun

The first group is the simplest and the easiest to understand. These layakaris use whole numbers only, so there are no fractions or decimals. Each matra holds a fixed, whole number of bols.

They are usually mentioned from ekgun (1x) up to aath gun (8x), in order from the safest to the hardest. We can also include nau gun (9x), because sankeern jaati has 9 matras.

Seedhi layakari in Jhaptaal

Jhaptaal has 10 matras in four vibhaags: 2 + 3 + 2 + 3. Choose a speed to see each theka bol divided evenly across the matra.

1x · Ekgun 2x · Dugun 3x · Tigun 4x · Chaugun

Dugun · 2 bols in each matra.

Jhaptaal theka in dugun

Vakra layakari: layakari in fractions

The second group is vakra layakari. These are the layakaris that live in fractions. Three are the most important:

1. Aad (also called aadi): dedh gun, 3/2
2. Kuaad: sawa gun, 5/4
3. Biaad: paune do gun, 7/4

Below 1 there is 3/4, called paun: 3 bols stretched over 4 matras. Above these, another one in this family is 9/4, also called sawa do gun. Note that in some older usage, the name kuaad was associated with 9/4 rather than 5/4. Names can shift between traditions and eras, so always confirm with your own guru's terminology.

A note on naming

Hindi names like sawa, dedh and dhai come from ordinary speech. Time words like "quarter", "quarter to" or "half" are used to tell the clock. For layakari you can say "quarter to two" for 1.75, but it does not describe a speed in any logical way.

The clearest method in English is to say the number directly: 1.25x, 1.5x, 1.75x. Or just use the fraction: 5/4, 3/2, 7/4.

How to read the fraction

Layakari is always written as a fraction, never as a ratio with a colon. Every fraction has two parts:

• Numerator (upper number): how many bols are in the phrase, and how many slots one matra is divided into.
• Denominator (lower number): how many matras the phrase takes.

Start with the whole numbers, where it is easy to see:

• 1/1 (ekgun): one bol in one matra.
• 2/1 (dugun): two bols in one matra.
• 3/1 (tigun): three bols in one matra.
• 4/1 (chaugun): four bols in one matra.

When more than one bol sits inside a matra, we mark them with a curved line (bracket). The numerator tells you how many slots that curved line holds. In ekgun there is no curved line, because there is only one bol. In dugun the curved line holds two bols.

Now the interesting question: what about 3/2?

The numerator says three bols in one matra. But the phrase has only three bols in total. If all three squeeze into the first matra, nothing is left for the second matra. The phrase has to stretch across two matras, 1.5 bols in each, and we cannot play half a bol.

This is exactly where the avagraha (ऽ) comes in.

The avagraha (ऽ): how we make the fraction fit

We have three bols, and they must fill two matras equally. So we stretch each bol until the total becomes a number that divides neatly into two matras.

Take three bols, written as 1, 2, 3. If we place one ऽ after each bol, we get:

1ऽ 2ऽ 3ऽ

That is 6 slots, and 6 divides easily into 2 matras of 3 slots each. Cut it after every 3 slots:

• Matra 1: 1ऽ2
• Matra 2: ऽ3ऽ

Written with the curved line under each matra:

1ऽ2 ऽ3ऽ

That is 3/2. The ऽ is the stretch. It holds the sound of the previous bol for one extra slot.

The trick: how many ऽ after each bol?

Subtract 1 from the denominator.

ऽ after each bol = denominator − 1

Then follow three steps:

1. Write each bol, followed by (denominator − 1) ऽ.
2. The phrase has as many bols as the numerator.
3. Cut the string into groups of numerator slots. Each group is one matra, and each group gets a curved line.

Each bol now takes up the same number of slots as the denominator. The total is always numerator × denominator slots, which cut cleanly into denominator matras of numerator slots each.

3/2 (aad)

Denominator 2, so 2 − 1 = 1 ऽ after each bol.

1ऽ 2ऽ 3ऽ → 1ऽ2 ऽ3ऽ

3 bols, 2 matras.

Jhaptaal in 3/2

10 matras · Vibhaag: 2 + 3 + 2 + 3

1: Sam, taali (X) · 3: Taali (2) · 6: Khaali (0) · 8: Taali (3).

1	2	3	4	5
DhiऽNa	ऽDhiऽ	DhiऽNa	ऽTiऽ	NaऽDhi
X		2

6	7	8	9	10
ऽDhiऽ	NaऽDhi	ऽNaऽ	DhiऽDhi	ऽNaऽ
0		3

1	2	3	4	5
TiऽNa	ऽDhiऽ	DhiऽNa	ऽDhiऽ	NaऽDhi
X		2

6	7	8	9	10
ऽDhiऽ	NaऽTi	ऽNaऽ	DhiऽDhi	ऽNaऽ
0		3

3/4 (paun)

The same rule works below 1. Denominator 4, so 4 − 1 = 3 ऽ after each bol, and the phrase has 3 bols.

1ऽऽऽ 2ऽऽऽ 3ऽऽऽ

That is 12 slots. Cut into groups of 3:

1ऽऽ ऽ2ऽ ऽऽ3 ऽऽऽ

3 bols, 4 matras. Each bol is longer than a matra, so there are fewer than one bol per matra. The last matra holds only ऽ: it is the tail of bol 3 still ringing, with no new bol in it.

5/4 (kuaad)

Denominator 4, so 4 − 1 = 3 ऽ after each bol.

1ऽऽऽ 2ऽऽऽ 3ऽऽऽ 4ऽऽऽ 5ऽऽऽ

Cut into groups of 5:

1ऽऽऽ2 ऽऽऽ3ऽ ऽऽ4ऽऽ ऽ5ऽऽऽ

5 bols, 4 matras.

Jhaptaal in 5/4

10 matras · Vibhaag: 2 + 3 + 2 + 3

1: Sam, taali (X) · 3: Taali (2) · 6: Khaali (0) · 8: Taali (3).

1	2	3	4	5
DhiऽऽऽNa	ऽऽऽDhiऽ	ऽऽDhiऽऽ	ऽNaऽऽऽ	TiऽऽऽNa
X		2

6	7	8	9	10
ऽऽऽDhiऽ	ऽऽDhiऽऽ	ऽNaऽऽऽ	DhiऽऽऽNa	ऽऽऽDhiऽ
0		3

1	2	3	4	5
ऽऽDhiऽऽ	ऽNaऽऽऽ	TiऽऽऽNa	ऽऽऽDhiऽ	ऽऽDhiऽऽ
X		2

6	7	8	9	10
ऽNaऽऽऽ	DhiऽऽऽNa	ऽऽऽDhiऽ	ऽऽDhiऽऽ	ऽNaऽऽऽ
0		3

1	2	3	4	5
TiऽऽऽNa	ऽऽऽDhiऽ	ऽऽDhiऽऽ	ऽNaऽऽऽ	DhiऽऽऽNa
X		2

6	7	8	9	10
ऽऽऽDhiऽ	ऽऽDhiऽऽ	ऽNaऽऽऽ	TiऽऽऽNa	ऽऽऽDhiऽ
0		3

1	2	3	4	5
ऽऽDhiऽऽ	ऽNaऽऽऽ	DhiऽऽऽNa	ऽऽऽDhiऽ	ऽऽDhiऽऽ
X		2

6	7	8	9	10
ऽNaऽऽऽ	TiऽऽऽNa	ऽऽऽDhiऽ	ऽऽDhiऽऽ	ऽNaऽऽऽ
0		3

7/4 (biaad)

Denominator 4, so again 3 ऽ after each bol, but now 7 bols. Cut into groups of 7:

1ऽऽऽ2ऽऽ ऽ3ऽऽऽ4ऽ ऽऽ5ऽऽऽ6 ऽऽऽ7ऽऽऽ

7 bols, 4 matras.

Jhaptaal in 7/4

10 matras · Vibhaag: 2 + 3 + 2 + 3

1: Sam, taali (X) · 3: Taali (2) · 6: Khaali (0) · 8: Taali (3).

1	2	3	4	5
DhiऽऽऽNaऽऽ	ऽDhiऽऽऽDhiऽ	ऽऽNaऽऽऽTi	ऽऽऽNaऽऽऽ	DhiऽऽऽDhiऽऽ
X		2

6	7	8	9	10
ऽNaऽऽऽDhiऽ	ऽऽNaऽऽऽDhi	ऽऽऽDhiऽऽऽ	NaऽऽऽTiऽऽ	ऽNaऽऽऽDhiऽ
0		3

1	2	3	4	5
ऽऽDhiऽऽऽNa	ऽऽऽDhiऽऽऽ	NaऽऽऽDhiऽऽ	ऽDhiऽऽऽNaऽ	ऽऽTiऽऽऽNa
X		2

6	7	8	9	10
ऽऽऽDhiऽऽऽ	DhiऽऽऽNaऽऽ	ऽDhiऽऽऽNaऽ	ऽऽDhiऽऽऽDhi	ऽऽऽNaऽऽऽ
0		3

1	2	3	4	5
TiऽऽऽNaऽऽ	ऽDhiऽऽऽDhiऽ	ऽऽNaऽऽऽDhi	ऽऽऽNaऽऽऽ	DhiऽऽऽDhiऽऽ
X		2

6	7	8	9	10
ऽNaऽऽऽTiऽ	ऽऽNaऽऽऽDhi	ऽऽऽDhiऽऽऽ	NaऽऽऽDhiऽऽ	ऽNaऽऽऽDhiऽ
0		3

1	2	3	4	5
ऽऽDhiऽऽऽNa	ऽऽऽTiऽऽऽ	NaऽऽऽDhiऽऽ	ऽDhiऽऽऽNaऽ	ऽऽDhiऽऽऽNa
X		2

6	7	8	9	10
ऽऽऽDhiऽऽऽ	DhiऽऽऽNaऽऽ	ऽTiऽऽऽNaऽ	ऽऽDhiऽऽऽDhi	ऽऽऽNaऽऽऽ
0		3

9/4

Denominator 4, 3 ऽ after each bol, 9 bols. Cut into groups of 9:

1ऽऽऽ2ऽऽऽ3 ऽऽऽ4ऽऽऽ5ऽ ऽऽ6ऽऽऽ7ऽऽ ऽ8ऽऽऽ9ऽऽऽ

9 bols, 4 matras.

The pattern across all of them

Notice that for the whole numbers the ऽ count is zero, because the denominator is 1. That is why dugun, tigun and chaugun need no avagraha at all. The sign only appears when the denominator is greater than 1.

A quick example with real bols

Take three bols, Dha, Dhin, Dhin, in aad (3/2). One ऽ after each bol:

Dha ऽ Dhin ऽ Dhin ऽ → Dha ऽ Dhin ऽ Dhin ऽ

Say the bols aloud and hold each one for two slots. You will feel the 1.5 bols per matra without ever having to play half a bol.

Writing it down: a checklist

1. Write the fraction first, for example 5/4.
2. Subtract 1 from the denominator. That is your ऽ count per bol.
3. Write the bols, each followed by that many ऽ.
4. Group the slots in sets of the numerator, one set per matra.
5. Draw a curved line under each group.
6. Check: every matra must hold exactly the numerator's worth of slots.

How to practise

1. Begin with the whole-number layas, ekgun to chaugun, on a short phrase.
2. Say the bols aloud and clap the matras. Check how many bols fall in each matra.
3. For fractions, always ask two questions first: how many bols (numerator)? how many matras (denominator)?
4. Write the phrase out in each layakari using the ऽ rule. Seeing the distribution on paper makes the pattern clear.
5. Move to aad, kuaad and biaad only after the whole-number layas feel natural.

Let the software do the arithmetic

Recomputing a composition in each layakari by hand means redistributing every bol and recounting every slot.

Layakari Studio in Tabla I/O does this automatically for any base composition.

Open Layakari Studio →

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