Glossary · glossary · 1 min read
Laykari
लयकारी; playing with the rhythm
Laykari is rhythmic play: singing or playing a phrase at a different speed or grouping against the beat, then meeting it again. You will hear it in khayal and dhrupad singing, and especially in instrumental music.
By John, Music lover from Bangalore · Reviewed by BRR · Last reviewed 29 Sept 2026
Laykari
A singer can double a phrase’s speed, then bring it back to meet the beat. This is laykari: rhythmic play with a phrase’s speed or grouping. The phrase seems to pull away from the taal, the repeating rhythmic cycle, before meeting it again.
Doubling the speed is called dugun. Tripling it is called tigun. Laykari can also mean fitting three notes into the space where two would fall. The play is in how the phrase relates to the beat, not just how fast it sounds.
Where you will hear it
You will hear laykari, or rhythmic play, in khayal and dhrupad singing. It is a mark of skill in both, and especially in instrumental music. Listen for changes in a phrase’s speed or grouping against the beat.
A phrase can move at double speed, called dugun, or triple speed, called tigun. Another approach fits three notes into the space where two would fall. These are different ways of playing with the relationship between a phrase and the beat.
Keep going
- Taal for beginners: teentaal, keherwa and dadra with clap patterns · A taal is a repeating rhythmic cycle: count 16 beats for teentaal, eight for keherwa, and six for dadra. For teentaal, clap on 1, 5 and 13, wave on 9; for keherwa, clap on 1, wave on 5; for dadra, clap on 1, wave on 4.