Deepchandi Taal
दीपचंदी ताल
The fourteen-beat taal of thumri and hori
Also spelled: Dipchandi, Deepchandi Taal, Dipchandi Tal, Deep Chandi
A fourteen-beat cycle in four divisions of 3, 4, 3 and 4. Thumri, hori and other light classical songs are sung in it.
Theka
X = sam · 0 = khali · other numbers = taali, counted in order
Practise Deepchandi on Tabla Online| Matra | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bol | धा | धिं | ऽ | धा | धा | तिं | ऽ | ता | तिं | ऽ | धा | धा | धिं | ऽ |
| Bol (Roman) | Dha | Dhin | - | Dha | Dha | Tin | - | Ta | Tin | - | Dha | Dha | Dhin | - |
| Sign | X | 2 | 0 | 3 |
The ऽ (avagraha) closing each division is silent but still counted; that pause gives Deepchandi its lilting gait. Jhoomra has the same divisions and clap pattern (3, 4, 3, 4 and X 2 0 3), but Jhoomra is a vilambit khayal taal and Deepchandi a thumri taal. Dhamar also has 14 beats, but divides them 5, 2, 3, 4.
How to recite it (kriya)
- 1 Beat 1 (sam): clap
- 2 Beats 2, 3: count on the fingers (little → ring)
- 3 Beat 4 (taali): clap
- 4 Beats 5, 6, 7: count on the fingers (little → ring → middle)
- 5 Beat 8 (khali): wave the hand to the right
- 6 Beats 9, 10: count on the fingers (little → ring)
- 7 Beat 11 (taali): clap
- 8 Beats 12, 13, 14: count on the fingers (little → ring → middle)
Learning this with a teacher
These pages will take you a long way on theory. The singing needs a guru — live online classes, one level at a time, with exam preparation built in.