The Music

Tala - The Rhythm Cycle

While the raga is the fundamental melodic element in Indian music, the tala is the essential element of beat and rhythm.

Not only does it mean rhythm in its widest sense, tala also implies an organized rhythm cycle made from several matras or rhytmic units.

Each tala, which its fixed number of beats and kinds of accents, allows for the development of an infinite variety of variations, without losing track of the original rhythmic values. Every tala can accompany vocal or instrumental music, but also turned into a solo by the hands of an expert player.

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