Deepchandi: the 14-matra taal of thumri, with a tabla to play along

Deepchandi has fourteen matras in four vibhags of three, four, three and four, counted like Jhoomra. But where Jhoomra is grand, Deepchandi is light: the taal of the thumri and its seasonal cousins, the hori and the chaiti, of folk songs, and of the dhuns in Pahadi, Khamaj and their kin that a bansuri plays so tenderly.

The theka

X
1. 1Dha
2. 2Dhin
3. 3–
2
1. 4Dha
2. 5Dha
3. 6Tin
4. 7–
0
1. 8Ta
2. 9Tin
3. 10–
3
1. 11Dha
2. 12Dha
3. 13Dhin
4. 14–

Every vibhag ends in silence: Dha Dhin –, Dha Dha Tin –. Those empty matras are where the singer's words fall and the music breathes, and they give Deepchandi its gentle, rocking lilt. The khali vibhag, from the 8th matra, is Ta Tin –: the dayan alone.

Counting with the hands

Clap, clap, wave, clap, X 2 0 3: sam on the 1st matra, talis on the 4th and 11th, khali on the 8th.

XClap: sammatras 1–3
2Clapmatras 4–7
0Wavematras 8–10
3Clapmatras 11–14

The bols

Bol	How it is played	On
Na	The dayan’s rim, struck with the tip of the index finger, lifted at once so it rings	Dayan
Ge	The bayan, open: the bass, its pitch bent by the heel of the hand	Bayan
Dha	Na and Ge at once	Both
Tin	The dayan between the rim and the black syahi, ringing	Dayan
Dhin	Tin and Ge at once	Both
Ta	As Na, on the dayan’s rim; inside TiRaKiTa, closed	Dayan

How fast it is played

Mostly in a slow to medium madhya, about 50 to 100 matras a minute. Thumri singers often move from Deepchandi into a fast Keherwa or Dadra for the laggi at the end of a piece, where the tabla is let loose.

Layakari: dugun, tigun, chaugun

Dugun: two to each matra

X
1. 1DhaDhin
2. 2–Dha
3. 3DhaTin
2
1. 4–Ta
2. 5Tin–
3. 6DhaDha
4. 7Dhin–
0
1. 8DhaDhin
2. 9–Dha
3. 10DhaTin
3
1. 11–Ta
2. 12Tin–
3. 13DhaDha
4. 14Dhin–

Tigun: three to each matra

X
1. 1DhaDhin–
2. 2DhaDhaTin
3. 3–TaTin
2
1. 4–DhaDha
2. 5Dhin–Dha
3. 6Dhin–Dha
4. 7DhaTin–
0
1. 8TaTin–
2. 9DhaDhaDhin
3. 10–DhaDhin
3
1. 11–DhaDha
2. 12Tin–Ta
3. 13Tin–Dha
4. 14DhaDhin–

Chaugun: four to each matra

X
1. 1DhaDhin–Dha
2. 2DhaTin–Ta
3. 3Tin–DhaDha
2
1. 4Dhin–DhaDhin
2. 5–DhaDhaTin
3. 6–TaTin–
4. 7DhaDhaDhin–
0
1. 8DhaDhin–Dha
2. 9DhaTin–Ta
3. 10Tin–DhaDha
3
1. 11Dhin–DhaDhin
2. 12–DhaDhaTin
3. 13–TaTin–
4. 14DhaDhaDhin–

A tihai

TiRaKiTa Dha, a matra's rest, three times: eight matras. To land on sam it begins on the 8th matra, with the khali.

1st avartan

X
1. 1Dha
2. 2Dhin
3. 3–
2
1. 4Dha
2. 5Dha
3. 6Tin
4. 7–
0
1. 8Ta
2. 9Tin
3. 10–
3
1. 11Dha
2. 12Dha
3. 13Dhin
4. 14–

2nd avartan

X
1. 1Dha
2. 2Dhin
3. 3–
2
1. 4Dha
2. 5Dha
3. 6Tin
4. 7–
0
1. 8TiRaKiTa
2. 9Dha
3. 10–
3
1. 11TiRaKiTa
2. 12Dha
3. 13–
4. 14TiRaKiTa

3rd avartan

X
1. 1Dha
2. 2Dhin
3. 3–
2
1. 4Dha
2. 5Dha
3. 6Tin
4. 7–
0
1. 8Ta
2. 9Tin
3. 10–
3
1. 11Dha
2. 12Dha
3. 13Dhin
4. 14–

For the flute

Start the tabla, then play these with it: they begin with its next sam. Let each vibhag's last matra be a breath, as the theka's is.

A Deepchandi phrase, falling home

SRGM–GRG––R–S–

From Pa down

PDNS–NDP––M–G–

Questions

How many matras does Deepchandi have?

Fourteen, in vibhags of three, four, three and four. Its signs are X 2 0 3.

Which music is played in Deepchandi?

Thumri, hori, chaiti and dadra, folk songs, bhajans, and light classical dhuns.

How is Deepchandi different from Jhoomra?

Their count is the same; their feel is not. Jhoomra is slow and grand, for the bada khayal; Deepchandi light, with a rest at the end of every vibhag.

दीपचंदीDeepchandi