Tabla in Teentaal by Aanand: Reciting and Playing the Tabla

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I perform a live tabla interpretation of Teentaal* from Bounce, an album released by Pinkturban. The piece features a Gat** from the Lucknow Gharana***, which I first recite using its bols**** before playing it on the tabla.

After the Gat, I transition into a short section of a Kaida — a theme‑and‑variation composition practiced across all tabla gharanas.


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*Teentaal is a 16‑beat rhythmic cycle divided into 4 equal sections of 4 beats, used widely in Hindustani classical music.

**GAT: A Gat in the Lucknow Gharana is a graceful, stylized composition known for its delicacy, beauty, and dance‑like expression. It reflects the gharana’s deep connection with Kathak, where rhythm and movement share the same aesthetic DNA.

***GHARANA: A tabla gharana is a musical lineage — a family tree of rhythm — that preserves a unique way of playing, teaching, and understanding the tabla. Each gharana carries its own personality: its tone, its technique, its favorite compositions, and the artistic philosophy passed from guru to disciple over generations.

At its heart, a gharana is not just a style. It is a living tradition, shaped by the masters who created it and the students who continue it.

****BOL: A bol in tabla is a spoken syllable that represents a specific stroke or combination of strokes played on the drums. It is both a sound and a technique. Every bol tells you which hand to use, where to strike, and what tone to produce.

 

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