Taal12 matrasHindustani
Ektaal Online — twelve matras in six twos
Ektaal is the home of the bada khyal. Stretched to vilambit, each of its twelve matras becomes a small country — singers live inside one cycle for minutes at a time, placing a single phrase across dhage tirakita and arriving at sam like a homecoming. Pushed to drut, the same cycle turns crisp and chhota khyals ride it.
- Matras
- 12
- Vibhags
- 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2
- Taali, claps on
- 1, 5, 9, 11
- Khali, a wave on
- 3, 7
Sangat ships Ektaal with both faces: a vilambit theka and a drut one, alongside the standard form. The tempo floor is a genuinely slow 10 BPM — slow enough for ati-vilambit counting without subdividing in your head — and the karaoke-style bol strip keeps you oriented when a cycle lasts a minute.
It is one of the ten free taals. Open it, set your Sa, and take the long way around the cycle.
Counting Ektaal, matra by matra
Ektaal has 12 matras in 6 vibhags (2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 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 | dhin | 1 | |
| 3 | dhage | 2 | wave (0) |
| 4 | tirakita | 2 | |
| 5 | tu | 3 | clap (2) |
| 6 | na | 3 | |
| 7 | kat | 4 | wave (0) |
| 8 | ta | 4 | |
| 9 | dhage | 5 | clap (3) |
| 10 | tirakita | 5 | |
| 11 | dhi | 6 | clap (4) |
| 12 | na | 6 |
Practising Ektaal
- Open Ektaal in Sangat and set Sa to your key, so the tabla and the tanpura agree.
- For bada khyal, try 20–40 BPM; drut Ektaal commonly sits well above 150.
- At vilambit a single matra can last several seconds, so count the tirakita subdivisions under your breath. Place one phrase per vibhag at first, and aim every phrase at sam.
- 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 Ektaal?
Ektaal has 12 matras, divided into 6 vibhags of 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2.
What is the theka of Ektaal?
The standard theka is: dhin dhin | dhage tirakita | tu na | kat ta | dhage tirakita | dhi na.
Where are the claps and khali in Ektaal?
The claps fall on 1, 5, 9 and 11, and khali (a wave) on 3 and 7.
What music uses Ektaal?
Ektaal is used in vilambit (bada) khyal above all, and drut khyal at speed.
Can I practise Ektaal online for free?
Yes. Ektaal 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.