What is light tabla?
By light tabla, we are referring to the repetition of time-cycles that exist in Indian classical music for the purpose of accompaniment. In accompaniment music, the tabla takes on the role of a secondary instrument and apart from possibly a few brief moments that the primary instrumentalist or vocalist choose to give the tabla player to show his virtuosity, tabla is restricted to the repetition of pre-composed beat cycles in varying speeds. These cycles are referred to as tals. Moreover, there are a number of standardized rhythms that are applied to these tals which form the basis of the beat. These rhythms are known more commonly as thekas. Although there are many such thekas that can be applied to different tals it would be fair to say that there exist clearly defined main thekas that are more often used in the accompaniment of all forms of Indian music.
Tin tal, a 16 beat cycle, represents the foundation upon which the student would learn other beat cycles. It is almost always the starting point for learning solo tabla compositions. Vocal and instrumental Indian music is taught with this tal as its core. Other common tals for classical music accompaniment include jhap tal, a 10 beat cycle and ek tal, a 12 beat cycle. Lighter genres of vocal music such as tumri, ghazal, bhajan, folk songs and hindi film songs are based on keherva tal (8 beats), roopak tal, (7beats) and dadra tal (6 beats) respectively.
Light tabla or accompaniment is in itself a specific skill. It takes many playing years, a lot of listening and much experience for a tabla player to become a good accompanist. This of course is no different to other percussion instruments, but I would say that the variety of vocal and instrumental genres that exist in Indian music makes the job of the tabla accompanist an unenviable task and if done well can certainly be counted amongst some of the most challenging and skilful musical arts.
An example of light tabla accompaniment by the maestro Pandit Anindo Chatterjee (right) to a composition in raag pahadi played by the world renown Indian classical flautist Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia (left).
A short clip of tal keherva (an 8 beat cycle).
