Tala Pranas in Indian Classical Music

Front

What does 'kaala prana' signify?

Back

Kaala prana signifies the duration for a beat or note, with different speeds such as sthutha kala (macro measure of time) and sukshma kala (micro measure of time).

Front

What is 'maarga prana'?

Back

Maarga prana means 'way' and signifies time and duration for each beat in tala. There are 6 types of maargas.

Front

What does 'kriya prana' represent?

Back

Kriya prana means 'action' and represents all the actions within tala (beat, turn, finger movements) used in tala.

Front

What are 'maarga shabdha kriyas' and 'maarga nishabdha kriyas'?

Back

Maarga shabdha kriyas are beats of tala with sound, while maarga nishabdha kriyas are beats of tala without sound.

Front

What is 'anga prana'?

Back

Anga prana means 'part' and refers to the 6 parts of tala: anudhruta, dhruta, laghu, guru, pluta, and kaakapadam.

Front

List the 6 parts of tala in 'anga prana'.

Back

1) Anudhruta (U, 1 beat) 2) Dhruta (O, 2 beats) 3) Laghu (L, # of beats varies based on jaathi) 4) Guru (8 beats) 5) Pluta (12 beats) 6) Kaakapadam (16 beats)

Front

What is 'graha prana'?

Back

Graha prana is the point of commencement of a kriti. Sama graha means song and tala start at the same time, while vishama graha means they start at different times.

Front

What are the two types of 'vishama graha'?

Back

1) Atita graha - song starts before tala 2) Anagata graha - song starts after tala

Front

What does 'jaathi prana' mean?

Back

Jaathi prana means 'variety'. Laghu consists of a beat followed by finger movements, with the amount of finger movements determined by jaathi.

Front

List the types of 'jaathi prana' and their finger movements.

Back

1) Tisra jaathi - beat, 2 fingers (3) 2) Chatusra jaathi - beat, 3 fingers (4) 3) Khanda jaathi - beat, 4 fingers (5) 4) Misra jaathi - beat, 6 fingers (7) 5) Sankeerna jaathi - beat, 8 fingers (9)