6-7-8-7

oof. I've been neglecting this blog. :(

Here's a short video of a tabla demo I did in an Autorickshaw concert.



This is an adaptation of a tisra nadai (3 subdivisions of the beat, aka triplets) version I learned from Pandit Suresh Talwalkar. The phrases of the triplet version are 6-7-8, and I added another 7, and put it into Chatusra nadai (4 subdivisions of the beat).

If you're playing in a 7 beat cycle, you can play phrases of 7 in any subdivision, and it will always fit. Example:
single speed (7 subdivisions): phrase of 7, w one stroke per beat.
double speed (14 subdivisions): 2 phrases of 7, 2 strokes per beat
triple speed (21 subdivisions): 3 phrases of 7, 3 strokes per beat
quadruple speed (28 subdivisions): 4 phrases of 7, 4 strokes per beat

So, looking at the last one: 7-7-7-7, using TakitaTakadimi (subdivided 3,4) as a generic phrase. The beats are on underlined bols, and accents on capitalized bols (Ta):
TakitaTakadimi
TakitaTakadimi
TakitaTakadimi
TakitaTakadimi

Now...lets steal one microbeat from the 1st phrase of 7, and give it to the 3rd phrase of 7, which gives us:
6-7-8-7
6=3,3
7=3,4
8=3,3,2

It still adds up to 28, will still fit in the tala perfectly.

TakitaDhikita
TakitaTakadimi
TakitaTakitaDimi
TakitaTakadimi

I'm quite fond of this tihai, which has a built in delay! ;)

I will be in India this winter, learning, playing a gig or 2, and hopefully recording some new material for my solo album. Stay tuned!