Taal15 matrasHindustani
Pancham Sawari Online — fifteen matras of showpiece
Pancham Sawari is what a tabla player brings out when there is something to prove: fifteen matras — four, four, four, three — whose long arc leaves room for elaborate kaidas and tihais that land on sam from improbable distances. Instrumentalists love it for the same reason; audiences count along and lose the thread, delightedly.
- Matras
- 15
- Vibhags
- 4 + 4 + 4 + 3
- Taali, claps on
- 1, 5, 13
- Khali, a wave on
- 9
Its theka differs by gharana; Sangat plays the Farrukhabad form, and says so rather than pretending there is only one. The strokes are recorded tabla, re-pitched to your Sa, held steady across the whole 10–720 BPM range — so you can walk the fifteen slowly enough to learn where the three-matra vibhag shortens the turn, then bring it up to performance speed.
It is one of the ten taals that cost nothing. Open it and start counting.
Counting Pancham Sawari, matra by matra
Pancham Sawari has 15 matras in 4 vibhags (4 + 4 + 4 + 3). 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 | dhi | 1 | sam — clap (X) |
| 2 | na | 1 | |
| 3 | dhidhi | 1 | |
| 4 | na | 1 | |
| 5 | tirakita | 2 | clap (2) |
| 6 | dhidhi | 2 | |
| 7 | na | 2 | |
| 8 | dhin | 2 | |
| 9 | dhi | 3 | wave (0) |
| 10 | na | 3 | |
| 11 | dhidhi | 3 | |
| 12 | na | 3 | |
| 13 | ti | 4 | clap (3) |
| 14 | na | 4 | |
| 15 | ka | 4 |
Practising Pancham Sawari
- Open Pancham Sawari in Sangat and set Sa to your key, so the tabla and the tanpura agree.
- Learn it slowly, around 50–70 BPM, then raise it in small steps.
- The last vibhag is three matras, not four. Count it out loud — ti na ka, sam — until the short turn stops surprising you.
- 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 Pancham Sawari?
Pancham Sawari has 15 matras, divided into 4 vibhags of 4 + 4 + 4 + 3.
What is the theka of Pancham Sawari?
The standard theka is: dhi na dhidhi na | tirakita dhidhi na dhin | dhi na dhidhi na | ti na ka. Its theka differs by gharana; Sangat plays the Farrukhabad form.
Where are the claps and khali in Pancham Sawari?
The claps fall on 1, 5 and 13, and khali (a wave) on 9.
What music uses Pancham Sawari?
Pancham Sawari is used in tabla solo and instrumental music, where its long arc leaves room for kaidas and tihais.
Can I practise Pancham Sawari online for free?
Yes. Pancham Sawari 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.