Roopak Taal
रूपक ताल
The taal whose sam falls on a khali
Also spelled: Rupak, Rupak Tal, Rupaktal, Roopak Taal
A seven-beat cycle in three divisions of 3, 2 and 2. It is unusual among common taals because its sam falls on a khali. It is heard in madhya-laya khayal, bhajans and light classical songs.
Theka
X = sam · 0 = khali · other numbers = taali, counted in order
Practise Roopak on Tabla Online| Matra | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bol | ती | ती | ना | धी | ना | धी | ना |
| Bol (Roman) | Ti | Ti | Na | Dhi | Na | Dhi | Na |
| Sign | X/0 | 1 | 2 |
Roopak's sam is on beat 1, but that beat is a khali. So it is marked with a wave rather than a clap, and written X/0 here. The claps fall on beats 4 and 6 and are numbered 1 and 2. Many books print only 0 over beat 1. Tihais and mukhdas still land on beat 1, exactly as on the sam of any other taal.
How to recite it (kriya)
- 1 Beat 1 (sam and khali): no clap; wave the hand to the right, because here the sam falls on a khali
- 2 Beats 2, 3: count on the fingers (little → ring)
- 3 Beat 4 (first taali): clap
- 4 Beat 5: count on the little finger
- 5 Beat 6 (second taali): clap
- 6 Beat 7: count on the little finger
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.