Dhamar: the 14-matra taal of Holi's songs, with a tabla to play along

Dhamar has fourteen matras in four vibhags of five, two, three and four: the most uneven of the common taals. It gives its name to the dhamar, a song form of the dhrupad family whose songs are of Holi, of Krishna and the gopis throwing colour in Braj, sung with the pakhawaj. Its long first vibhag and the short one after it make a rolling, irregular gait, like a festival procession.

The theka

X
1. 1Ka
2. 2Dhi
3. 3Ta
4. 4Dhi
5. 5Ta
2
1. 6Dha
2. 7–
0
1. 8Ga
2. 9Ti
3. 10Ta
3
1. 11Ti
2. 12Ta
3. 13Ta
4. 14–

Ka Dhi Ta Dhi Ta: the long opening vibhag, with Ka, the bayan's dry knock, on sam itself. Dha –, a short vibhag and a held breath. Then the khali vibhag on the 8th matra, Ga Ti Ta, and Ti Ta Ta – to close.

Counting with the hands

Clap, clap, wave, clap, X 2 0 3, over vibhags of five, two, three and four: sam on the 1st matra, talis on the 6th and 11th, khali on the 8th.

XClap: sammatras 1–5
2Clapmatras 6–7
0Wavematras 8–10
3Clapmatras 11–14

The long first vibhag is easy to rush: count all five matras on the fingers.

The bols

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

How fast it is played

Dhamar compositions begin in a slow to medium madhya, about 50 to 90 matras a minute, and, as in dhrupad, grow faster through layakari.

Layakari: dugun, tigun, chaugun

Dugun: two to each matra

X
1. 1KaDhi
2. 2TaDhi
3. 3TaDha
4. 4–Ga
5. 5TiTa
2
1. 6TiTa
2. 7Ta–
0
1. 8KaDhi
2. 9TaDhi
3. 10TaDha
3
1. 11–Ga
2. 12TiTa
3. 13TiTa
4. 14Ta–

Tigun: three to each matra

X
1. 1KaDhiTa
2. 2DhiTaDha
3. 3–GaTi
4. 4TaTiTa
5. 5Ta–Ka
2
1. 6DhiTaDhi
2. 7TaDha–
0
1. 8GaTiTa
2. 9TiTaTa
3. 10–KaDhi
3
1. 11TaDhiTa
2. 12Dha–Ga
3. 13TiTaTi
4. 14TaTa–

Chaugun: four to each matra

X
1. 1KaDhiTaDhi
2. 2TaDha–Ga
3. 3TiTaTiTa
4. 4Ta–KaDhi
5. 5TaDhiTaDha
2
1. 6–GaTiTa
2. 7TiTaTa–
0
1. 8KaDhiTaDhi
2. 9TaDha–Ga
3. 10TiTaTiTa
3
1. 11Ta–KaDhi
2. 12TaDhiTaDha
3. 13–GaTiTa
4. 14TiTaTa–

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. 1Ka
2. 2Dhi
3. 3Ta
4. 4Dhi
5. 5Ta
2
1. 6Dha
2. 7–
0
1. 8Ga
2. 9Ti
3. 10Ta
3
1. 11Ti
2. 12Ta
3. 13Ta
4. 14–

2nd avartan

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

3rd avartan

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

For the flute

Start the tabla, then play these with it: they begin with its next sam.

One swara to a matra, in Dhamar's five, two, three and four

SRGMPDNSNDPMGR

Held, to feel the uneven vibhags

S––––R–G––R–S–

Questions

How many matras does Dhamar have?

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

What is a dhamar?

A song form of the dhrupad family, sung in Dhamar taal with the pakhawaj: its songs are of Holi, of Krishna and the gopis and the colours of spring.

How is Dhamar different from Jhoomra and Deepchandi?

All three have fourteen matras. Jhoomra and Deepchandi count them three, four, three and four; Dhamar five, two, three and four, and belongs to the pakhawaj.

धमारDhamar