Ektaal: the 12-beat taal of khayal

Ektaal

Count twelve beats, then return to one. That is the cycle of ektaal. A taal is a repeating rhythmic cycle, and ektaal groups its twelve beats into six equal divisions. Each division, called a vibhag, holds two beats.

Ektaal is a classic setting for bada khayal, the slow opening composition of a khayal performance. In vilambit, meaning slow tempo, each beat stretches out. The tabla player fills that space by elaborating the theka, the basic pattern of drum strokes that marks the cycle.

Twelve beats in six divisions

Beats 1 and 2 form the first division; beats 3 and 4 form the second. Each two-beat division is called a vibhag. Ektaal has six vibhags, giving it the shape 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2.

A matra means a beat. So twelve matras and six vibhags describe the same cycle at two levels: individual beats and the pairs that group them.

The remaining divisions hold beats 5 and 6, 7 and 8, 9 and 10, then 11 and 12. Each division has the same number of beats, in slow or fast ektaal.

Ektaal’s clap and wave pattern

Mark the start of each pair with a clap or wave. A clap marks tali, a clapped division. A wave marks khali, an unclapped division. Sam, the first beat of the cycle, takes a clap in ektaal.

• Beats 1, 2: clap on 1, the sam.
• Beats 3, 4: wave on 3.
• Beats 5, 6: clap on 5.
• Beats 7, 8: wave on 7.
• Beats 9, 10: clap on 9.
• Beats 11, 12: clap on 11.

The theka of ektaal

Now put a sound pattern alongside that count. The theka is the basic pattern of tabla strokes that expresses a taal, or repeating rhythmic cycle. For ektaal, the pattern is:

dhin dhin | dhage tirakita | tu na | kat ta | dhage tirakita | dhin na

Each pair of beats forms a vibhag, or division, marked here by a vertical line. Notice that “dhage tirakita” occupies two beats, just as “dhin dhin” does. More syllables do not mean more beats. The quick tirakita strokes fill the space and give the pattern its rolling character.

Slow ektaal for bada khayal

At a slow tempo, the space between ektaal’s beats becomes much wider. This is vilambit, meaning slow tempo. Vilambit ektaal is the classic setting for bada khayal, the slow opening composition of a khayal performance.

Each beat is stretched, and the tabla player fills that space with elaborations of the theka, the cycle’s basic pattern of drum strokes. You hear more activity within the beat, not more beats in the cycle.

The twelve beats still fall into six groups of two. The slow pace gives the tabla player room to elaborate while keeping that structure intact.

Fast ektaal and a listening exercise

Ektaal also works at speed. Drut means fast tempo, and drut ektaal is used for fast compositions. The cycle still has twelve beats in six groups of two. What changes is the pace, not the count.

• On the BeatRootRaga metronome, choose the Ektaal (12) cycle.
• Count in pairs: 1 2 | 3 4 | 5 6 | 7 8 | 9 10 | 11 12.
• Clap on beats 1, 5, 9 and 11. Wave on beats 3 and 7.
• Try a slow pace first, then a faster one. Keep the same clap and wave pattern.