Tilwada: the 16-matra taal of the slow khayal, with a tabla

Tilwada has sixteen matras in four vibhags of four, the same count as Teentaal: X 2 0 3. But it is a different taal to hear. It is played slowly, for the bada khayal, and its theka is weightier, the quick TiRaKiTa rolling through its first and third vibhags.

The theka

X
1. 1Dha
2. 2TiRaKiTa
3. 3Dhin
4. 4Dhin
2
1. 5Dha
2. 6Dha
3. 7Tin
4. 8Tin
0
1. 9Ta
2. 10TiRaKiTa
3. 11Dhin
4. 12Dhin
3
1. 13Dha
2. 14Dha
3. 15Dhin
4. 16Dhin

The second vibhag ends Tin Tin, the bayan silent, and the khali vibhag opens on Ta: the quiet stretch that tells you where you are. Then TiRaKiTa and Dhin Dhin gather the cycle up again, and the last vibhag, Dha Dha Dhin Dhin, rolls into sam.

Counting with the hands

Clap, clap, wave, clap, X 2 0 3: sam on the 1st matra, talis on the 5th and 13th, khali on the 9th.

XClap: sammatras 1–4
2Clapmatras 5–8
0Wavematras 9–12
3Clapmatras 13–16

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
TiRaKiTa	Four quick strokes, all closed: Ti and Ra on the dayan’s syahi, Ki on the bayan, Ta on the dayan	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

Tilwada is a vilambit taal: often between 20 and 50 matras a minute. At those tempos each matra is long enough for the tabla to fill, and for a singer's phrase to unfold within it.

Layakari: dugun, tigun, chaugun

Dugun: two to each matra

X
1. 1DhaTiRaKiTa
2. 2DhinDhin
3. 3DhaDha
4. 4TinTin
2
1. 5TaTiRaKiTa
2. 6DhinDhin
3. 7DhaDha
4. 8DhinDhin
0
1. 9DhaTiRaKiTa
2. 10DhinDhin
3. 11DhaDha
4. 12TinTin
3
1. 13TaTiRaKiTa
2. 14DhinDhin
3. 15DhaDha
4. 16DhinDhin

Tigun: three to each matra

X
1. 1DhaTiRaKiTaDhin
2. 2DhinDhaDha
3. 3TinTinTa
4. 4TiRaKiTaDhinDhin
2
1. 5DhaDhaDhin
2. 6DhinDhaTiRaKiTa
3. 7DhinDhinDha
4. 8DhaTinTin
0
1. 9TaTiRaKiTaDhin
2. 10DhinDhaDha
3. 11DhinDhinDha
4. 12TiRaKiTaDhinDhin
3
1. 13DhaDhaTin
2. 14TinTaTiRaKiTa
3. 15DhinDhinDha
4. 16DhaDhinDhin

Chaugun: four to each matra

X
1. 1DhaTiRaKiTaDhinDhin
2. 2DhaDhaTinTin
3. 3TaTiRaKiTaDhinDhin
4. 4DhaDhaDhinDhin
2
1. 5DhaTiRaKiTaDhinDhin
2. 6DhaDhaTinTin
3. 7TaTiRaKiTaDhinDhin
4. 8DhaDhaDhinDhin
0
1. 9DhaTiRaKiTaDhinDhin
2. 10DhaDhaTinTin
3. 11TaTiRaKiTaDhinDhin
4. 12DhaDhaDhinDhin
3
1. 13DhaTiRaKiTaDhinDhin
2. 14DhaDhaTinTin
3. 15TaTiRaKiTaDhinDhin
4. 16DhaDhaDhinDhin

A tihai

TiRaKiTa Dha, a matra's rest, three times: eight matras. To land on sam it begins on the 10th matra, as in Teentaal.

1st avartan

X
1. 1Dha
2. 2TiRaKiTa
3. 3Dhin
4. 4Dhin
2
1. 5Dha
2. 6Dha
3. 7Tin
4. 8Tin
0
1. 9Ta
2. 10TiRaKiTa
3. 11Dhin
4. 12Dhin
3
1. 13Dha
2. 14Dha
3. 15Dhin
4. 16Dhin

2nd avartan

X
1. 1Dha
2. 2TiRaKiTa
3. 3Dhin
4. 4Dhin
2
1. 5Dha
2. 6Dha
3. 7Tin
4. 8Tin
0
1. 9Ta
2. 10TiRaKiTa
3. 11Dha
4. 12–
3
1. 13TiRaKiTa
2. 14Dha
3. 15–
4. 16TiRaKiTa

3rd avartan

X
1. 1Dha
2. 2TiRaKiTa
3. 3Dhin
4. 4Dhin
2
1. 5Dha
2. 6Dha
3. 7Tin
4. 8Tin
0
1. 9Ta
2. 10TiRaKiTa
3. 11Dhin
4. 12Dhin
3
1. 13Dha
2. 14Dha
3. 15Dhin
4. 16Dhin

For the flute

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

A swara to each vibhag, held

S–––R–––G–––M–––

And back down

P–––G–––R–––S–––

At Tilwada's pace each of these is a long note: hold it still, against the tanpura, through all four matras.

Questions

How many matras does Tilwada have?

Sixteen, in four vibhags of four. Its signs are X 2 0 3, as in Teentaal.

How is Tilwada different from Teentaal?

They share their count. Tilwada is slower and heavier, for the bada khayal, with TiRaKiTa in its theka; Teentaal is plainer and is played at every speed.

तिलवाड़ाTilwada