Taal14 matrasHindustani
Ada Chautaal Online — the crooked fourteen
Ada means crooked, tilted — and Ada Chautaal leans exactly as advertised. Fourteen matras whose claps land on 1, 3, 7 and 11, with the khali arriving on 5, 9 and 13: a cycle that keeps turning its head when you expect it to walk straight on. Khyal singers reach for it when Ektaal's gravity wants an extra twist.
- Matras
- 14
- Vibhags
- 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2
- Taali, claps on
- 1, 3, 7, 11
- Khali, a wave on
- 5, 9, 13
A cycle this shaped rewards seeing as well as hearing. Sangat lights each bol as it sounds and draws the cycle on a ring, so the crooked geometry becomes something your eye can lean on while the ear learns it. The tabla is recorded strokes re-pitched to your Sa, steady from a counting-speed crawl to full drut.
Ada Chautaal is one of the ten free taals — a fairly generous thing to find outside a paywall.
Counting Ada Chautaal, matra by matra
Ada Chautaal has 14 matras in 7 vibhags of 2. The hand keeps the cycle: a clap for each taali, an open wave for khali. Sam, matra 1, is where every cycle begins and every phrase aims to land.
| Matra | Bol | Vibhag | Hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | dhin | 1 | sam — clap (X) |
| 2 | tirakita | 1 | |
| 3 | dhi | 2 | clap (2) |
| 4 | na | 2 | |
| 5 | tu | 3 | wave (0) |
| 6 | na | 3 | |
| 7 | kat | 4 | clap (3) |
| 8 | ta | 4 | |
| 9 | tirakita | 5 | wave (0) |
| 10 | dhin | 5 | |
| 11 | na | 6 | clap (4) |
| 12 | dhin | 6 | |
| 13 | dhin | 7 | wave (0) |
| 14 | na | 7 |
Practising Ada Chautaal
- Open Ada Chautaal in Sangat and set Sa to your key, so the tabla and the tanpura agree.
- Try it at 40–80 BPM first; the shape matters more than the speed.
- The claps and waves do not fall where the ear expects. Clap and wave through three slow cycles with the bols on screen before you add any singing.
- Sing an alankar or a sargam line over the theka, starting and ending each phrase on sam. Raise the tempo only once you land on sam without thinking about it.
New to matras, vibhags and khali? Taal basics explains them with every free taal side by side.
Questions
How many beats (matras) are in Ada Chautaal?
Ada Chautaal has 14 matras, divided into 7 vibhags of 2 matras each.
What is the theka of Ada Chautaal?
The standard theka is: dhin tirakita | dhi na | tu na | kat ta | tirakita dhin | na dhin | dhin na.
Where are the claps and khali in Ada Chautaal?
The claps fall on 1, 3, 7 and 11, and khali (a wave) on 5, 9 and 13.
What music uses Ada Chautaal?
Ada Chautaal is used in khyal — often when a singer wants a longer, less even cycle than Ektaal.
Can I practise Ada Chautaal online for free?
Yes. Ada Chautaal is one of the ten free taals in Sangat: a recorded tabla re-pitched to your Sa, from 10 to 720 BPM, in the browser with no account.