Page 1
Chapter 8
T aal or T alam and Ra ga or
Ra gam in Indian Music
In Hindustani music’s tala
system, the ??rst matra is
called sam.
DO YOU KNOW
Taal in Hindustani
Classical Music
Keharva Taal
Dha Ge Na Ti Na Ka DhinNa
X0
Bols
Taal signs
Matra
Matra: 8
Vibhag : 2
Tali: on 1 matra
Khali: on 5 matra
23 45 67 8 1
Dadra Taal
Dha Dhin Na DhaTuNa
X0
Bols
Taal signs
Matra 23 45 6 1
Matra: 6
Vibhag : 2
Tali: on 1 matra
Khali: on 4 matra
Objective:
Understand the concept
of raga and rhythm in
North and South Indian
classical music.
Teen Taal
dha dhin dhin dha dha dhin dhin dhadha tin tin ta ta dhin dhin dha
X2 03
9
Bols
Taal signs
Matra 10 23 45 67 8 1111213141516
Matra: 16
Vibhag: 4
Tali: on 1, 5, 13 matra
Khali: on 9 matra
2 Music.indd 53 7/19/2024 11:36:18 AM
Reprint 2025-26
Page 2
Chapter 8
T aal or T alam and Ra ga or
Ra gam in Indian Music
In Hindustani music’s tala
system, the ??rst matra is
called sam.
DO YOU KNOW
Taal in Hindustani
Classical Music
Keharva Taal
Dha Ge Na Ti Na Ka DhinNa
X0
Bols
Taal signs
Matra
Matra: 8
Vibhag : 2
Tali: on 1 matra
Khali: on 5 matra
23 45 67 8 1
Dadra Taal
Dha Dhin Na DhaTuNa
X0
Bols
Taal signs
Matra 23 45 6 1
Matra: 6
Vibhag : 2
Tali: on 1 matra
Khali: on 4 matra
Objective:
Understand the concept
of raga and rhythm in
North and South Indian
classical music.
Teen Taal
dha dhin dhin dha dha dhin dhin dhadha tin tin ta ta dhin dhin dha
X2 03
9
Bols
Taal signs
Matra 10 23 45 67 8 1111213141516
Matra: 16
Vibhag: 4
Tali: on 1, 5, 13 matra
Khali: on 9 matra
2 Music.indd 53 7/19/2024 11:36:18 AM
Reprint 2025-26
Kriti–I | Grade 6 54
Talam in Carnatic Music
In Carnatic music, talam is used
to keep the beat. Each talam has
a ??xed number of beats and is
repeated. This is known as talam
cycle or avartanam. The parts of a
talam are known as angams. The
three angams are:
Laghu? —?This is a clap followed by
counting of ??ngers. It can be 3, 4, 5,
7 or 9 beats. It is represented as |
followed by the number of beats (as
subscript).
When the laghu has three beats,
we call it tishra jaati.
When the laghu has four beats,
we call it chaturashra jaati.
When the laghu has ??ve beats,
we call it hhanda jaati.
When the laghu has seven beats,
we call it mishra jaati.
When the laghu has nine beats,
we call it sankeerna jaati.
Dhrutam?—?This is a clap followed
by the wave of the hand. It has two
beats. It is represented as O.
Anudhrutam?—?This is just a clap. It
has one beat and is represented as U
and it is less used in comparison to
the above two.
Let us see how the laghu and
dhrutam are presented in the form
of tala.
Rupaka Talam?—?This talam has
one dhrutam followed by one laghu.
The chaturashra jaati rupaka talam
therefore, is a cycle of six beats (4 +
2). It is represented as O |
4
.
Adi Talam?—?This talam has one
laghu followed by two dhrutams. It
is a cycle of eight beats (4 + 2 + 2). It
is represented as |
4
O O.
DO YOU KNOW
Mridangam maestro
Sangeetha Kalanidhi
and Padma Bhushan
awardee, Palghat Mani
Iyer , gave his ??rst
performance when he
was 10 years old. He
trained under Thanjavur
Sri Vaidyanatha Iyer .
Mani Iyer introduced
the concept of actively
supporting the
musical phrases on
the mridangam rather
than merely providing
rhythmic support. He
accompanied many
leading artistes of his
time. His fans also
enjoyed his thani
avartanams (solos).
Many of his students
became popular
performers.
2 Music.indd 54 7/19/2024 11:36:18 AM
Reprint 2025-26
Page 3
Chapter 8
T aal or T alam and Ra ga or
Ra gam in Indian Music
In Hindustani music’s tala
system, the ??rst matra is
called sam.
DO YOU KNOW
Taal in Hindustani
Classical Music
Keharva Taal
Dha Ge Na Ti Na Ka DhinNa
X0
Bols
Taal signs
Matra
Matra: 8
Vibhag : 2
Tali: on 1 matra
Khali: on 5 matra
23 45 67 8 1
Dadra Taal
Dha Dhin Na DhaTuNa
X0
Bols
Taal signs
Matra 23 45 6 1
Matra: 6
Vibhag : 2
Tali: on 1 matra
Khali: on 4 matra
Objective:
Understand the concept
of raga and rhythm in
North and South Indian
classical music.
Teen Taal
dha dhin dhin dha dha dhin dhin dhadha tin tin ta ta dhin dhin dha
X2 03
9
Bols
Taal signs
Matra 10 23 45 67 8 1111213141516
Matra: 16
Vibhag: 4
Tali: on 1, 5, 13 matra
Khali: on 9 matra
2 Music.indd 53 7/19/2024 11:36:18 AM
Reprint 2025-26
Kriti–I | Grade 6 54
Talam in Carnatic Music
In Carnatic music, talam is used
to keep the beat. Each talam has
a ??xed number of beats and is
repeated. This is known as talam
cycle or avartanam. The parts of a
talam are known as angams. The
three angams are:
Laghu? —?This is a clap followed by
counting of ??ngers. It can be 3, 4, 5,
7 or 9 beats. It is represented as |
followed by the number of beats (as
subscript).
When the laghu has three beats,
we call it tishra jaati.
When the laghu has four beats,
we call it chaturashra jaati.
When the laghu has ??ve beats,
we call it hhanda jaati.
When the laghu has seven beats,
we call it mishra jaati.
When the laghu has nine beats,
we call it sankeerna jaati.
Dhrutam?—?This is a clap followed
by the wave of the hand. It has two
beats. It is represented as O.
Anudhrutam?—?This is just a clap. It
has one beat and is represented as U
and it is less used in comparison to
the above two.
Let us see how the laghu and
dhrutam are presented in the form
of tala.
Rupaka Talam?—?This talam has
one dhrutam followed by one laghu.
The chaturashra jaati rupaka talam
therefore, is a cycle of six beats (4 +
2). It is represented as O |
4
.
Adi Talam?—?This talam has one
laghu followed by two dhrutams. It
is a cycle of eight beats (4 + 2 + 2). It
is represented as |
4
O O.
DO YOU KNOW
Mridangam maestro
Sangeetha Kalanidhi
and Padma Bhushan
awardee, Palghat Mani
Iyer , gave his ??rst
performance when he
was 10 years old. He
trained under Thanjavur
Sri Vaidyanatha Iyer .
Mani Iyer introduced
the concept of actively
supporting the
musical phrases on
the mridangam rather
than merely providing
rhythmic support. He
accompanied many
leading artistes of his
time. His fans also
enjoyed his thani
avartanams (solos).
Many of his students
became popular
performers.
2 Music.indd 54 7/19/2024 11:36:18 AM
Reprint 2025-26
Music 55
Ragas in Indian Music
There are two di??erent styles of
classical music in India?—?Carnatic
or South Indian classical music, and
Hindustani or North Indian classical
music. The swaras in each style
have been explained to you in the
earlier pages. Carnatic music uses
instruments like the veena, violin,
??ute, nadaswaram, mridangam,
ghatam, kanjira and morsing. The
compositions are usually in Sanskrit,
Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and
Tamil language. Hindustani music
uses instruments like the tanpura,
sitar, sarod, sarangi, santoor, tabla,
and pakhawaj. Songs are composed
usually in Hindi, Sanskrit, and
Brijbhasha.
Watch videos to understand
about raga and tala.
Raga is based on a scale. Every
scale has notes (swaras) in ascending
(arohana) and descending (avarohana)
order. Imagine a staircase made
of swaras! The notes in the scale
change according to the raga.
Notation Scheme
When writing the notes in the higher
octave (taar saptak), the notes are
represented by a dot on top like
this, ??. The notes in the lower octave
(mandra saptak) are represented by
a dot below like this, ?. The notes in
the middle octave (madhya saptak)
are represented by just the swara
like this, S.
Jaatis of Raga
Let us know another interesting
terminology used for a speci??c set of
notes in ragas. If a raga has ??ve notes
it is known as audav jaati. If a raga
has six notes it is known as shadav
Jaati. If a raga has seven notes it is
known as sampoorna jaati.
Interesting Terms
Carnatic
Music Term
Hindustani
Music Term
Ragam Raga
Arohanam Aroha
Avarohanam Avaroha
Gamakam Gamak
Layam Laya
2 Music.indd 55 7/19/2024 11:36:19 AM
Reprint 2025-26
Page 4
Chapter 8
T aal or T alam and Ra ga or
Ra gam in Indian Music
In Hindustani music’s tala
system, the ??rst matra is
called sam.
DO YOU KNOW
Taal in Hindustani
Classical Music
Keharva Taal
Dha Ge Na Ti Na Ka DhinNa
X0
Bols
Taal signs
Matra
Matra: 8
Vibhag : 2
Tali: on 1 matra
Khali: on 5 matra
23 45 67 8 1
Dadra Taal
Dha Dhin Na DhaTuNa
X0
Bols
Taal signs
Matra 23 45 6 1
Matra: 6
Vibhag : 2
Tali: on 1 matra
Khali: on 4 matra
Objective:
Understand the concept
of raga and rhythm in
North and South Indian
classical music.
Teen Taal
dha dhin dhin dha dha dhin dhin dhadha tin tin ta ta dhin dhin dha
X2 03
9
Bols
Taal signs
Matra 10 23 45 67 8 1111213141516
Matra: 16
Vibhag: 4
Tali: on 1, 5, 13 matra
Khali: on 9 matra
2 Music.indd 53 7/19/2024 11:36:18 AM
Reprint 2025-26
Kriti–I | Grade 6 54
Talam in Carnatic Music
In Carnatic music, talam is used
to keep the beat. Each talam has
a ??xed number of beats and is
repeated. This is known as talam
cycle or avartanam. The parts of a
talam are known as angams. The
three angams are:
Laghu? —?This is a clap followed by
counting of ??ngers. It can be 3, 4, 5,
7 or 9 beats. It is represented as |
followed by the number of beats (as
subscript).
When the laghu has three beats,
we call it tishra jaati.
When the laghu has four beats,
we call it chaturashra jaati.
When the laghu has ??ve beats,
we call it hhanda jaati.
When the laghu has seven beats,
we call it mishra jaati.
When the laghu has nine beats,
we call it sankeerna jaati.
Dhrutam?—?This is a clap followed
by the wave of the hand. It has two
beats. It is represented as O.
Anudhrutam?—?This is just a clap. It
has one beat and is represented as U
and it is less used in comparison to
the above two.
Let us see how the laghu and
dhrutam are presented in the form
of tala.
Rupaka Talam?—?This talam has
one dhrutam followed by one laghu.
The chaturashra jaati rupaka talam
therefore, is a cycle of six beats (4 +
2). It is represented as O |
4
.
Adi Talam?—?This talam has one
laghu followed by two dhrutams. It
is a cycle of eight beats (4 + 2 + 2). It
is represented as |
4
O O.
DO YOU KNOW
Mridangam maestro
Sangeetha Kalanidhi
and Padma Bhushan
awardee, Palghat Mani
Iyer , gave his ??rst
performance when he
was 10 years old. He
trained under Thanjavur
Sri Vaidyanatha Iyer .
Mani Iyer introduced
the concept of actively
supporting the
musical phrases on
the mridangam rather
than merely providing
rhythmic support. He
accompanied many
leading artistes of his
time. His fans also
enjoyed his thani
avartanams (solos).
Many of his students
became popular
performers.
2 Music.indd 54 7/19/2024 11:36:18 AM
Reprint 2025-26
Music 55
Ragas in Indian Music
There are two di??erent styles of
classical music in India?—?Carnatic
or South Indian classical music, and
Hindustani or North Indian classical
music. The swaras in each style
have been explained to you in the
earlier pages. Carnatic music uses
instruments like the veena, violin,
??ute, nadaswaram, mridangam,
ghatam, kanjira and morsing. The
compositions are usually in Sanskrit,
Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and
Tamil language. Hindustani music
uses instruments like the tanpura,
sitar, sarod, sarangi, santoor, tabla,
and pakhawaj. Songs are composed
usually in Hindi, Sanskrit, and
Brijbhasha.
Watch videos to understand
about raga and tala.
Raga is based on a scale. Every
scale has notes (swaras) in ascending
(arohana) and descending (avarohana)
order. Imagine a staircase made
of swaras! The notes in the scale
change according to the raga.
Notation Scheme
When writing the notes in the higher
octave (taar saptak), the notes are
represented by a dot on top like
this, ??. The notes in the lower octave
(mandra saptak) are represented by
a dot below like this, ?. The notes in
the middle octave (madhya saptak)
are represented by just the swara
like this, S.
Jaatis of Raga
Let us know another interesting
terminology used for a speci??c set of
notes in ragas. If a raga has ??ve notes
it is known as audav jaati. If a raga
has six notes it is known as shadav
Jaati. If a raga has seven notes it is
known as sampoorna jaati.
Interesting Terms
Carnatic
Music Term
Hindustani
Music Term
Ragam Raga
Arohanam Aroha
Avarohanam Avaroha
Gamakam Gamak
Layam Laya
2 Music.indd 55 7/19/2024 11:36:19 AM
Reprint 2025-26
Kriti–I | Grade 6 56
Activity 1: Raga Bhoop
The raga bhoop has the following
notes:
Aroha/Arohana: S R G P D ?? Avaroha/Avarohana: ?? D P G R S
The raga hamsadhwani has the
following notes:
Aroha/Arohana: S R G P N ?? Avaroha/Avarohana: ?? N P G R S
If you decorate a scale by
using gamakas (ornamentations),
repeating certain notes, and playing
special phrases, it can become a
raga. Each raga is ornamented with
important notes and special phrases.
Raga in Sanskrit means
something that colours the mind.
Every raga evokes certain emotional
responses in the mind. This is called
rasa.
Watch the video on raga and rasa
to understand more about ragas and
their moods!
In Indian classical music,
composition refers to the structured
arrangement of musical elements
such as melody (raga), rhythm (tala),
and lyrics (if any). Compositions in
Indian classical music are typically
called bandish in hindustani classical
music and kritis in carnatic classical
music.
Activity 2: Learn a
Swaramalika in Raga
Bilawal
A composition sung in a sargam
(swaras) is called a swarmalika. The
swarmalika can be composed using
di??erent ragas. Listen to the
swaramalika in raga bilawal, set to
teentaal.
P
?
N
G
D
?
?
?
P
?
P
D
M
N
N
?
?
D
D
P
-
N
-
P
?
M
?
R
?
G
?
S
5
R
G
3
M
R
4
G
M
2
P
G
1
S
S
7
R
M
6
G
P
9
S
G
11
S
P
8
S
G
10
R
M
12
?
M
13
?
G
15
S
S
14
?
R
16
-
-
Raga: Bilawal
Tala: Teentaal
Composer: Traditional
Swaramalika
Sthayi
Antara
Aroha:S R G M P D N ?
Avaroha: ? N D P M G R S
2 Music.indd 56 7/19/2024 11:37:12 AM
Reprint 2025-26
Page 5
Chapter 8
T aal or T alam and Ra ga or
Ra gam in Indian Music
In Hindustani music’s tala
system, the ??rst matra is
called sam.
DO YOU KNOW
Taal in Hindustani
Classical Music
Keharva Taal
Dha Ge Na Ti Na Ka DhinNa
X0
Bols
Taal signs
Matra
Matra: 8
Vibhag : 2
Tali: on 1 matra
Khali: on 5 matra
23 45 67 8 1
Dadra Taal
Dha Dhin Na DhaTuNa
X0
Bols
Taal signs
Matra 23 45 6 1
Matra: 6
Vibhag : 2
Tali: on 1 matra
Khali: on 4 matra
Objective:
Understand the concept
of raga and rhythm in
North and South Indian
classical music.
Teen Taal
dha dhin dhin dha dha dhin dhin dhadha tin tin ta ta dhin dhin dha
X2 03
9
Bols
Taal signs
Matra 10 23 45 67 8 1111213141516
Matra: 16
Vibhag: 4
Tali: on 1, 5, 13 matra
Khali: on 9 matra
2 Music.indd 53 7/19/2024 11:36:18 AM
Reprint 2025-26
Kriti–I | Grade 6 54
Talam in Carnatic Music
In Carnatic music, talam is used
to keep the beat. Each talam has
a ??xed number of beats and is
repeated. This is known as talam
cycle or avartanam. The parts of a
talam are known as angams. The
three angams are:
Laghu? —?This is a clap followed by
counting of ??ngers. It can be 3, 4, 5,
7 or 9 beats. It is represented as |
followed by the number of beats (as
subscript).
When the laghu has three beats,
we call it tishra jaati.
When the laghu has four beats,
we call it chaturashra jaati.
When the laghu has ??ve beats,
we call it hhanda jaati.
When the laghu has seven beats,
we call it mishra jaati.
When the laghu has nine beats,
we call it sankeerna jaati.
Dhrutam?—?This is a clap followed
by the wave of the hand. It has two
beats. It is represented as O.
Anudhrutam?—?This is just a clap. It
has one beat and is represented as U
and it is less used in comparison to
the above two.
Let us see how the laghu and
dhrutam are presented in the form
of tala.
Rupaka Talam?—?This talam has
one dhrutam followed by one laghu.
The chaturashra jaati rupaka talam
therefore, is a cycle of six beats (4 +
2). It is represented as O |
4
.
Adi Talam?—?This talam has one
laghu followed by two dhrutams. It
is a cycle of eight beats (4 + 2 + 2). It
is represented as |
4
O O.
DO YOU KNOW
Mridangam maestro
Sangeetha Kalanidhi
and Padma Bhushan
awardee, Palghat Mani
Iyer , gave his ??rst
performance when he
was 10 years old. He
trained under Thanjavur
Sri Vaidyanatha Iyer .
Mani Iyer introduced
the concept of actively
supporting the
musical phrases on
the mridangam rather
than merely providing
rhythmic support. He
accompanied many
leading artistes of his
time. His fans also
enjoyed his thani
avartanams (solos).
Many of his students
became popular
performers.
2 Music.indd 54 7/19/2024 11:36:18 AM
Reprint 2025-26
Music 55
Ragas in Indian Music
There are two di??erent styles of
classical music in India?—?Carnatic
or South Indian classical music, and
Hindustani or North Indian classical
music. The swaras in each style
have been explained to you in the
earlier pages. Carnatic music uses
instruments like the veena, violin,
??ute, nadaswaram, mridangam,
ghatam, kanjira and morsing. The
compositions are usually in Sanskrit,
Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and
Tamil language. Hindustani music
uses instruments like the tanpura,
sitar, sarod, sarangi, santoor, tabla,
and pakhawaj. Songs are composed
usually in Hindi, Sanskrit, and
Brijbhasha.
Watch videos to understand
about raga and tala.
Raga is based on a scale. Every
scale has notes (swaras) in ascending
(arohana) and descending (avarohana)
order. Imagine a staircase made
of swaras! The notes in the scale
change according to the raga.
Notation Scheme
When writing the notes in the higher
octave (taar saptak), the notes are
represented by a dot on top like
this, ??. The notes in the lower octave
(mandra saptak) are represented by
a dot below like this, ?. The notes in
the middle octave (madhya saptak)
are represented by just the swara
like this, S.
Jaatis of Raga
Let us know another interesting
terminology used for a speci??c set of
notes in ragas. If a raga has ??ve notes
it is known as audav jaati. If a raga
has six notes it is known as shadav
Jaati. If a raga has seven notes it is
known as sampoorna jaati.
Interesting Terms
Carnatic
Music Term
Hindustani
Music Term
Ragam Raga
Arohanam Aroha
Avarohanam Avaroha
Gamakam Gamak
Layam Laya
2 Music.indd 55 7/19/2024 11:36:19 AM
Reprint 2025-26
Kriti–I | Grade 6 56
Activity 1: Raga Bhoop
The raga bhoop has the following
notes:
Aroha/Arohana: S R G P D ?? Avaroha/Avarohana: ?? D P G R S
The raga hamsadhwani has the
following notes:
Aroha/Arohana: S R G P N ?? Avaroha/Avarohana: ?? N P G R S
If you decorate a scale by
using gamakas (ornamentations),
repeating certain notes, and playing
special phrases, it can become a
raga. Each raga is ornamented with
important notes and special phrases.
Raga in Sanskrit means
something that colours the mind.
Every raga evokes certain emotional
responses in the mind. This is called
rasa.
Watch the video on raga and rasa
to understand more about ragas and
their moods!
In Indian classical music,
composition refers to the structured
arrangement of musical elements
such as melody (raga), rhythm (tala),
and lyrics (if any). Compositions in
Indian classical music are typically
called bandish in hindustani classical
music and kritis in carnatic classical
music.
Activity 2: Learn a
Swaramalika in Raga
Bilawal
A composition sung in a sargam
(swaras) is called a swarmalika. The
swarmalika can be composed using
di??erent ragas. Listen to the
swaramalika in raga bilawal, set to
teentaal.
P
?
N
G
D
?
?
?
P
?
P
D
M
N
N
?
?
D
D
P
-
N
-
P
?
M
?
R
?
G
?
S
5
R
G
3
M
R
4
G
M
2
P
G
1
S
S
7
R
M
6
G
P
9
S
G
11
S
P
8
S
G
10
R
M
12
?
M
13
?
G
15
S
S
14
?
R
16
-
-
Raga: Bilawal
Tala: Teentaal
Composer: Traditional
Swaramalika
Sthayi
Antara
Aroha:S R G M P D N ?
Avaroha: ? N D P M G R S
2 Music.indd 56 7/19/2024 11:37:12 AM
Reprint 2025-26
Music 57
Activity 3: Learn a
Bandish in Raga Yaman
Watch this video to learn a bandish
in Raga Yaman.
The aroha or ascending notes in
raga yaman are, N R G M D N ?? .
The avaroha or descending notes in
raga yaman are, ?? N D P M G R S.
Note that the M is higher than the
regular M that you have sung before.
This small shift in one note alters the
mood of the song!
The song describes Lord Krishna
playing the ??ute and the gopikas of
Vrindavan dancing to its melody.
Raga Yaman
Chhota Khayal?—?Kanha Bansuri
Sthayi
Aaj Bajaaii Kanha Bansuri
Moha Layi Sagari Brija Naari Pyari
Antara
Brindavana Ki Kunja Galina Mei
Sanga Brikhabhaana Dulaari Pyari
Interesting Term
The predominant
mood of Raga Yaman is
shringar or love. There
are many popular ??lm
songs composed in this
raga! Try and ??nd some
popular songs based
on this raga. Learn and
sing them.
P
ri
-
-
R
-
R
-
G
-
-
-
P
Aa
PM
'
ja
G
Ba
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ja
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ii
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Ka
R
nha
GM
'
Ban
P
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M
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su
P
ri
-
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R
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R
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G
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P
Mo
M
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ha
D
la
P
yi
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M
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Sa
M
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ga
G
ri
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PM
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Bri
GR
ja
R
Naa
G
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R
ri
S
Pya
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ri
1
X
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10 11 12 13
3
14 15 16
P
Aa
PM
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ja
GR
Ba
S?
ja
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ii
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Ka
R
nha
GM
'
Ban
P
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M
'
su
Sthayi Taal - Teentaal
-
-
ND
Kun
N
ja
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Ga
N
li
ND
na
P
mei
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'
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Brin
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da
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va
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na
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ki
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ND
kun
N
ja
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Ga
N
li
ND
na
P
mei
-
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M
'
San
D
ga
M
'
Li
DN
ye
?N
- -
N
Bri
ND
kha
P
bha
-
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R
na
R
Du
RG
la-
PR
ri
P
Aa
PM
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ja
1
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10 11 12 13
3
14 15 16
-
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Brin
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-da
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va
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na
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ki
-
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Antara
Teen Taal
2 Music.indd 57 7/19/2024 11:37:12 AM
Reprint 2025-26
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