Taal Notation System

Sangeet the combination of Swar, Taal and Shabdh. Music notation is a system used to visually represent aurally perceived music played with instruments or sung by the human voice through the use of written, printed, or otherwise-produced symbols. 

These systems get refined over time. Also various notation systems across the world has seen both growth and fall. All styles of notation system has and is struggling to completely put on paper what is being performed vocally or with instruments.

Notation systems help promote classical and popular music of various countries and help explain the details of music very easily for people to understand and perform. Notation ensures that the performance of music is in a controlled fashion and does not let it stray away from the composer’s piece. Hence the notation system helps in maintaining the tradition of keeping the lyrical or instrumental styles safe in vocal, rhythmic, and keeping the Guru-Shishya tradition everlasting.

Taal Lipi Paddathi is the scientific notation of Taal and its associated Bols – which incorporates Theka, Kayada, Paran, Rela, Gat. The word Lipi refers to written form and Paddathi a system or tradition.

Many efforts were made to notate Indian musical Swar and Taal. Today, only two notation systems are popular namely, the Bhatkande Swarlipi and Vishnu Digambar Swarlipi. 

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Indian Taals have the following components which are denoted using the Taal Lipi.

1. The Bols of the Taal

2. The divisions of the Taal known as Vibhag

3. The accentuated and non-accentuated beats known by the terms Sam, Khali, and Thali

This notation was invented by Pandt Vishnu Narayan Bhatkande. For beginners of music this Paddathi is very easy to read and understand any composition and hence it has become very popular.

The Bols of the Taal

Each beat of the Taal has a corresponding Bol which is written first leaving some space between each word. A Bol is a combination of a consonant and vowel. There are simple Bols like Dha, Dhin, Ta, Dhi and compound Bols like TiReKiTa, GaDi, GaNa. Simple Bols are written as such and for compound Bols, the Bols are written with a curve symbol encompassing the word on the bottom as shown in the above figure. This means that the time taken for pronouncing the Word Dha, DhaGe, and TiReKiTe should be the same. 

Assuming the time taken for pronouncing TiReKiTe (Bol of four words Ti + Re + Ki + Te) is 4 seconds, then the  time taken for pronouncing DhaGe (Bol of two words Dha + Ge) is also 4 seconds wherein Dha is pronounced for 2 seconds and Ge is pronounced for 2 seconds each. similarly the time taken for pronouncing Dha would be four seconds. When we pronounce any Bol, the vowel is extended in time. Hence, when we say Dha is pronounced for 4 seconds, it means that in the first second Dha is recited and the vowel 'Aa' is extended for the next three seconds. The below picture explains the same.

In some compound bols, we use a pause represented by '-' e.g _धी. Here the first half of the beat is empty and the bol Dhee is pronounced in the time of the second half of the beat.

In some compound bols, we use an extension of a Bol represented by 's' e.g ती८कड़. This is a compound bol of four syllables. If we were to pronounce this bol in 4 seconds, then Tee is pronounced for 2 seconds and then Ka and Da is the 3rd and 4th second.

The accentuated and non-accentuated beats known by the terms Sam, Khali, and Thali

When any Taal is recited or played there is a certain gait or rhythm. This is inspired from the concept of Chhand or Meter. The gait or rhythm comes from the act of accentuation of beats within the Taal. If we give equal stress to each beat then we cannot understand where is the starting and ending of the Taal. Accentuation gives form and shape to a Taal. 

Right from the times of Bharata Muni, we find reference to the term Shashabd and Nishabd in the Natya Shastra which mean - sounded and silent. These two terms would refer to actions of the hand to denote the beats of the ancient Taal system used during the times of Bharata Muni. The art of denoting Taal is hence ancient and was well developed and complex based on the descriptions available in the Chapters dealing with Taal.

Today, an accent in Taal is given by a clap of the hand or known as Thali or a wave also known as Khali. The non-accented beats are counted with the fingers. The Notation for the same are as following

1. Sam is denoted by ‘X’. 

2. Khali is denoted by Zero or '0'

3. Thali is denoted by numbers 2, 3, 4 and so on.  Sam is considered as the first Thali. In case a Taal has 3 Thalis the second Thali is given the no 2, third Thali is given 3 and so on (apart from Sam).

In Classical music, we find many Taals with same number of Matras such as Jhap Taal and Sool Taal having 10 beats or Dhamar and Deepchandi having 14 beats. The Difference lies in the placement of Thali and Khali,  giving rise to a different gait to the Taal. Hence accentuation plays a very important role in Music and Rhythm.

The divisions of the Taal known as Vibhag

Vibhag represents the division of the Taal and hence the rhythm. The start of every Thali or Khali represents a new Vibhag. It is represented by a line or ‘|’.

This Taal lipi Paddathi was invented by Pandit Vishnu Digambar Paluskar to notate music which was taught in the schools set up by him. This is a very detailed and scientific way of notating Taal useful for advanced students in music studies. 

The accentuated and non-accentuated beats known by the terms Sam, Khali, and Thali

1. Sam is denoted by by number one. 

2. Khali is denoted by plus sign '+'

3. Thali is denoted by numbers 1, 2, 3, 4… which represent the count of matra on which Thali falls. If Thali falls on 4th beat, number 4 is written below the 4th bol.

The divisions of the Taal known as Vibhag

There is no symbol for Vibhag 

Dadra Taal in Bhatkande Swar Lipi

Dadra Taal in Vishnu digambar Swar Lipi

Ek Taal in Bhatkande Swar Lipi

Ek Taal in Vishnu digambar Swar Lipi