Hi folks,
I made an inflammatory post a while ago. People of all sexes and religion fumed at me reading it :) Now I write to correct myself a bit and go a few steps beyond so the fuming can burn and the sniggering can laugh.
Corrections are that Eka tala is a 4 or 8 beat rhythm depending on how fast it is played. Which is exactly same as in Karnataka Sangeetha. I had incorrectly mentioned it 6 beats. which actually ended up a discussion on Eka Tala I counted it wrong! I Also listened Karnataki Ektala and concluded there is no difference between Yakshagana and Karnataki Eka Taala. So that sarcasm I threw at the Karnataki now stands to embarrass me. Since it is not the first time and I have decided to show all my ignorance and shout as much so I do not repent for not saying something after my death (there are high chances of me becoming ghost; I have too many scores to settle)! I call it original ignorance (mistakes in realizations)! I also figured that Yakshagana Rupaka taala and Karnataki Tisra Rupaka are exactly same. In Yakshagana number of continuous strokes (Laghu) and gaps following a stroke (Guru) is decided based on the metre (Chandassu) of poem and effective metre when singing. Which leads us to believe that Karnataki composers are or should be careful about metre of the composition while choosing a Tala with a particular Jaathi. The problem is the rhythm and the metre both become monotonous by sticking to a Jaathi. I.e Laghu in a Chatusra Jaathi Tala should have 4 laghu letters in corresponding lyric and Guru should have Guru in the lyric (ie a compound letter that takes 2 time units to pronounce or a laghu when sung takes 2 time units). If this pattern is repeated often it is bound to become monotonous. When and if this rule is broken, natural correspondence between rhythm and lyric is replaced by a concocted rhythm pattern to follow the melody. This, only a few trained in this business can understand, because natural correspondence between melody and rhythm is broken at least partly if not completely. This prevents public from following the rhythm. If you follow the correspondence then you are called a folk singer! So much for being normal!!
Now the going beyond stuff:
Eka taala is basically a typical 4 beat international folk rhythm. You see them in rock, pop, classical, Karnataki, Hindi film songs etc. A lot of folk songs are in Eka Taala rhythm. Irrespective of how many beats it has, Eka Tala appears to have only one emphatic stroke so called Eka taala? May be who knows!
I sung Gallu gallenuta Kannada folk song in Yakshagana style to show that it is in Eka Tala. Listen to it here:
Gallu gallenuta folk song in Eka Taala - Yakshagana style (not quite: I was drunk when sung it LOL, Nah timbre my voice is not natural).
Chande is tuned well this time for a change but my voice is not!
All musics are folk in origin including Karnatic/Carnatic whatever you call it. Refinements aside fundamentals are very natural. In my view artificial arithmetical rhythm patterns should not be created. They will end up unatural and not so nice circus! So I started to see if I can add new rhythms patterns by looking at natural sounds. Dollu Kunita (Drum Dance) of Karnataka has a nice rhythm. It goes something like, Drijom Dallom ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, and then DrijjukuDrijom DrijjukuDrijom DrijjukuDrijom Drijom. Unfortunately for me this is already a variation of Kore Taala (3.5 beats). In fact the Yakshagana Oddolagastarts with a typical this Dollu beat (Tai taita dina dhem taita dina dhen taita dina dhittha...so on)!
Ps: Above statement about Oddolaga are incorrect. Yakshagana Oddolaga is in Asta tala (Ata) of 8 beats.
All 7 rhythm can be shown to be from something (I think!). If you know the rest (5) let me know. So let us keep looking and add new rhythms.
I realised today that Karnataki/Hindustani "Naaninna Dasanaiah Seetharaama...", my mother 's favourite (havyaka traditional/folk) "Bandu kootihalu nodi, Mahalakshmi indu kantheredu nodi..." and Yakshagana Gadhayudha "Swami laalipudu maata are all in same Dhaati (so same raaga) and all in Asta Taala (Ata taala? Tabla Deepchandi). All music is folk so do not complain!.
Ps: Gadaaparva Yakshagana book states the Raaga is Regupti. But Hindusthani Durga.
I made an inflammatory post a while ago. People of all sexes and religion fumed at me reading it :) Now I write to correct myself a bit and go a few steps beyond so the fuming can burn and the sniggering can laugh.
Corrections are that Eka tala is a 4 or 8 beat rhythm depending on how fast it is played. Which is exactly same as in Karnataka Sangeetha. I had incorrectly mentioned it 6 beats. which actually ended up a discussion on Eka Tala I counted it wrong! I Also listened Karnataki Ektala and concluded there is no difference between Yakshagana and Karnataki Eka Taala. So that sarcasm I threw at the Karnataki now stands to embarrass me. Since it is not the first time and I have decided to show all my ignorance and shout as much so I do not repent for not saying something after my death (there are high chances of me becoming ghost; I have too many scores to settle)! I call it original ignorance (mistakes in realizations)! I also figured that Yakshagana Rupaka taala and Karnataki Tisra Rupaka are exactly same. In Yakshagana number of continuous strokes (Laghu) and gaps following a stroke (Guru) is decided based on the metre (Chandassu) of poem and effective metre when singing. Which leads us to believe that Karnataki composers are or should be careful about metre of the composition while choosing a Tala with a particular Jaathi. The problem is the rhythm and the metre both become monotonous by sticking to a Jaathi. I.e Laghu in a Chatusra Jaathi Tala should have 4 laghu letters in corresponding lyric and Guru should have Guru in the lyric (ie a compound letter that takes 2 time units to pronounce or a laghu when sung takes 2 time units). If this pattern is repeated often it is bound to become monotonous. When and if this rule is broken, natural correspondence between rhythm and lyric is replaced by a concocted rhythm pattern to follow the melody. This, only a few trained in this business can understand, because natural correspondence between melody and rhythm is broken at least partly if not completely. This prevents public from following the rhythm. If you follow the correspondence then you are called a folk singer! So much for being normal!!
Now the going beyond stuff:
Eka taala is basically a typical 4 beat international folk rhythm. You see them in rock, pop, classical, Karnataki, Hindi film songs etc. A lot of folk songs are in Eka Taala rhythm. Irrespective of how many beats it has, Eka Tala appears to have only one emphatic stroke so called Eka taala? May be who knows!
I sung Gallu gallenuta Kannada folk song in Yakshagana style to show that it is in Eka Tala. Listen to it here:
Gallu gallenuta folk song in Eka Taala - Yakshagana style (not quite: I was drunk when sung it LOL, Nah timbre my voice is not natural).
Chande is tuned well this time for a change but my voice is not!
All musics are folk in origin including Karnatic/Carnatic whatever you call it. Refinements aside fundamentals are very natural. In my view artificial arithmetical rhythm patterns should not be created. They will end up unatural and not so nice circus! So I started to see if I can add new rhythms patterns by looking at natural sounds. Dollu Kunita (Drum Dance) of Karnataka has a nice rhythm. It goes something like, Drijom Dallom ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, and then DrijjukuDrijom DrijjukuDrijom DrijjukuDrijom Drijom. Unfortunately for me this is already a variation of Kore Taala (3.5 beats). In fact the Yakshagana Oddolaga
Ps: Above statement about Oddolaga are incorrect. Yakshagana Oddolaga is in Asta tala (Ata) of 8 beats.
All 7 rhythm can be shown to be from something (I think!). If you know the rest (5) let me know. So let us keep looking and add new rhythms.
I realised today that Karnataki/Hindustani "Naaninna Dasanaiah Seetharaama...", my mother 's favourite (havyaka traditional/folk) "Bandu kootihalu nodi, Mahalakshmi indu kantheredu nodi..." and Yakshagana Gadhayudha "Swami laalipudu maata are all in same Dhaati (so same raaga) and all in Asta Taala (Ata taala? Tabla Deepchandi). All music is folk so do not complain!.
Ps: Gadaaparva Yakshagana book states the Raaga is Regupti. But Hindusthani Durga.
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