| The Nava Gana Tala System for Classification of Contemporary Talas |  Download |
| Tree Structure for Nava Gana Tala Classification System | Download |
[The author of this system has developed a ‘Generative Theory of Indian Music’ (GTIM). Following information is based on the excerpts from this theory.]
Any theory of music is incomplete without the discussion of rhythm. Indian system of rhythm is known as the Tala system. Tala is a means or device to measure duration in performing arts in a systematic manner. The word ‘Tal’ means to establish or provide foundations. Tala provides stability to musical performance- singing, playing instruments, or dance. ‘Tal’ also means a palm-stretch. During ancient times clapping and hand gestures were used to indicate the rhythmic cycles and beats. The word Tala originated from these hand gestures as well. This is done on the basis of certain rules of temporal measurements. Performing arts are temporal arts. They exist in time. Any performance is a sequence of activities. In the case of music, it is a sequence of swaras organised or designed in a particular order to evoke an aesthetic response from the audience. Tala provides a rules-based structure to the sequence/ sequences of swaras. In the case of percussion instruments there is an organised sequence of beats. In this sense Tala provides temporal foundations to the music.
The Nava Gana Tala system in GTIM is inspired from the concepts and principles of Dasha Pranas mentioned in the tradition, especially with the concept of Jati. So, this system is mostly consistent with the ancient systems of Talas and provides the scope for reinterpreting ancient Talas. This system is named as the Nava Gana Tala System of Indian Talas. The Ganas are nothing but the ‘Jatis’ of earlier ancient system with appropriate re-purposing, suitable for contemporary Indian music. The new scheme of Talas is developed and tested using Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems called AI-Tala and AI-RagaGen. These systems are able to generate new Talas as well as they can play and render all possible and contemporary Talas. The Sanskrit term for computer is `Samganaka’. The new scheme of Talas is tested by computers and since lot of computing has been involved in developing the scheme and therefore the term ‘Gana’ seems appropriate. ‘Gananm’ means computing in Sanskrit. Accordingly, the description of Nava Gana Talas is as follows.
Nine Ganas (classes) of the new system are as follows: Tryashra Gana, Chatarshra Gana, Khanda Gana, Tryashra Guru Gana, Mishra Gana, Chatarshra Guru Gana, Sankirna Gana, Khanda Guru Gana, and the last Gana is Prakirna Gana. The Prakirna Gana includes the Talas that are not covered under the first eight Ganas. During olden days there was a Jati named ‘Divya Samkirna’ that is well documented, there are many folk Talas that are popular in folk performances, similarly there are many ‘technically possible’ Talas of different types which may evolve in future. There are Talas in the Carnatic music that have only one Anga such as the Eka Tala of Carnatic music. Such Talas cannot be classified under first eight Ganas. All such Talas are covered under the Prakirana Gana.
The names of the Ganas are based on the number of Matras in the first Anga of the Tala. A Tala can have any number of Angas but most important condition is that the pattern of the Tala Bols, and Pratyangas in the first Anga will be preserved and repeated in other Angas of the Tala with appropriate variations governed by certain norms. There can be Upangas in a Tala. Upangas need not follow the same pattern. Number of Matras or beats for Tala are fixed. The first Anga of a Tala is the ‘Signature’ Anga and rest of the Angas will follow the same pattern while adhering to the norms of Vibhagas, Sama, Kala, Tali, Khali and Upangas if any. The standard norms are already discussed in details. Tala Bols are structured according to these norms. However, certain salient features of each of the above-mentioned Ganas are described below.
Tryashra Gana: Number of Matras in each Anga in this Gana is three. It can have a following Prastara patterns: Sama Prastara [3], Anuloma Prastara [1,2] and Viloma Prastara [2,1]. There can be an Upanga with one or two Matras or beats.
Chatarashra Gana: Number of Matras in each Anga in this Gana is four. It can have a following Prastara patterns: Sama Prastara [4], Anuloma Prastara [1,3] and Viloma Prastara [3,1]. The Sama Prastara [2,2] is technically valid but it is not recommended because it may give the impact of Dwyashra Tala. There can be an Upanga with one or two beats. The Anuloma Prastara [1,3] and the Viloma Prastara [3,1] are slightly difficult to practice and need high level of skill.
Khanda Gana: Number of Matras in each Anga in this Gana is five. It can have a following Prastara patterns: Anuloma Prastara [1,4], [2,3] and Viloma Prastara [4,1], [3,2]. Sama Prastara [5], is technically acceptable in this Gana but very rarely this Prastara is used in contemporary Talas. There can be an Upanga with one or two beats. The Anuloma Prastara [1,4] and the Viloma Prastara [4,1] are slightly difficult to practice and need high level of skill.
Tryashra Guru Gana: Number of Matras in each Gana is six. It can have a following Prastara patterns: Anuloma Prastara [2,4] and Viloma Prastara [4,2]. There is no Sama Prastara because [3,3] Prastara will conflict with Tryashara Gana and [6] Prastara is too long to use. The [2,2,2] Prastara is not acceptable as a Sama Prastara because it may generate the effect of Dwyashra Tala. There can be Upangas with one or two beats.
Mishra Gana: Number of Matras in each Anga in this Gana is seven. It can have a following Prastara patterns: Anuloma Prastara [1,3,3], [1,2,4], [3,4] and Viloma Prastara [3,3,1], [4,2,1], [4,3]. The Mishra Prastara [2,3,2] is possible with this Gana. There can be an Upanga with one or two beats.
Chatarashra Guru Gana: Number of Matras in each Anga of this Gana is eight. It can have a following Prastara patterns: Anuloma Prastara [1,3,4], [2,2,4] and Viloma Prastara [4,3,1], [4,2,2]. The Sama Prastara [2,2,2,2] is not allowed in this Gana because it will create the impact of Dwyashra Gana and Sarala Prastara [4,4] will conflict with Chatarashra Gana and [8] is too long to be used as an Anga. The Mishra Prastara [2,4,2] is possible with this Gana. There can be an Upanga with one or two beats. Such a long Tala can have two Vibhagas made up of one Anga each. Multiple Angas will be difficult to manage. The Anuloma Prastara [1,3,4] and the Viloma Prastara [4,3,1] are slightly difficult to practice and need high level of skill.
Sankirna Gana: Number of Matras in each Anga in this Gana is nine. It can have a following Prastara patterns: Anuloma Prastara [2,3,4] and Viloma Prastara [4,3,2]. The Sama Prastara [3,3,3] is not allowed in this Gana because it will conflict with the Tryashra Gana Prastara and [9] is too long to be used. The Mishra Prastara [2,4,3] or [3,4,2] are possible with this Gana. There can be an Upanga with one or two beats. The Samkirna Jati/ Gana is too long to manage and does not appear to be relevant to contemporary music however, it is included here because it is thoroughly documented in the traditional literature of Carnatic music.
Khanda Guru Gana: Number of Matras in each Anga of this Gana is ten. It can have a following Prastara patterns: Anuloma Prastara [2,4,4], [3,3,4], [2,3,5] and Viloma Prastara [4,4,2], [4,3,3], [5,3,2]. Sama Prastara [10], is too long to be used. The Mishra Prastara [3,4,3], [2,5,3], [3,5,2] and [4,2,4] are possible with this Gana. There can be an Upanga with one or two beats. Such a long Tala ideally should have only two Angas/ Vibhagas.
Prakirna Gana: This Gana is dedicated to all the other possible Ganas or varieties of Talas. During ancient times there was a Jati called ‘Divya Sankirna Jati’. This Jati is not considered separately in the first eight Ganas because it appears practically impossible to keep track of Anga with eleven Matras during the performance. In principle, there can be Ganas with Angas having thirteen Matras, fifteen Matras and so on. Such theoretical possibilities always exist. All such Talas and other large or irregular Talas are considered as Anavat Talas. The Prakirna Gana tries to accommodate all such possibilities. Similarly, in the Carnatic system of Talas there exists a category of Talas that have only one Anga. The best example of this category is Eka Tala. It has only one Anga but based on the number of Matras in the Tala, there can be variations such a Tryasra Jati Eka Tala or Khanda Jati Eka Tala. Thus, Eka Tala of Carnatic system is also a part of this Prakirna Gana. There exists one more possibility of Talas that have a single Anga. Such Talas have single Anga but within the Anga there can be Pratyangas and by following the logic of Vibhagas, Kal or Khali status can be assigned to certain Pratyangas. Such Talas could be small Talas of up to ten Matras. All such Talas are called single Anga Khila Talas in the Nava Gana system. Such small Talas may include the Dwyashra Gana Talas. They are also the part of Prakirna Gana. Thus, the Nava Gana Tala system is a comprehensive system of Talas that covers all the possibilities of Tala generation and classification. It has the scope for accommodation for all the possible future Talas and thus the system is scalable.
| The Nava Gana Tala System for Classification of Contemporary Talas | Download |
| Tree Structure for Nava Gana Tala Classification System | Download |