Matra

What does matra mean?

A matra is one counted beat of a taal. A taal is a repeating rhythmic cycle, so each matra is one unit you count as you move through that cycle.

The number of matras in a cycle defines the taal. Teentaal, for example, has sixteen matras. Counting from one to sixteen and returning to one takes you once around its cycle.

Tempo, or laya, is the speed of that count. It sets how far apart the matras fall. At a slow tempo, a matra may last a second or more; at a fast tempo, a fraction of that.

For the full explanation, see BeatRootRaga’s Taal for beginners learning page.

An example of matra and where to read more

Try counting teentaal, a taal (repeating rhythmic cycle) with sixteen matras. A matra is one beat, the unit you count. Count from one to sixteen, then return to one. That takes you once round the cycle.

Now imagine that count at a slow tempo. Each matra may last a second or more. At a fast tempo, it may last a fraction of that. The tempo, called laya, sets the spacing between beats; teentaal still has sixteen matras.

This is just one counting example. Follow it with the clap patterns in the linked learning page, where you can read the full explanation and try counting teentaal with claps and a wave.