I learned some Tabla in childhood, and back then I learned about different taals in Hindustani music. Here I'll try to document a wide variety of songs (across different genres, languages, eras) from each taal I know.
Credits: My wife, Prathyusha Malladi, helped me find some of these songs.
Teentaal (तीनताल)¶
- Structure: 16 = 4 + 4 + 4 + 4.
- Listen on tabla: 140 bpm.
Most well-known songs are in teentaal. Here are some examples.
| Title | Album | Artist |
|---|---|---|
| Billie Jean | Thriller | Michael Jackson |
| Anti-hero | Midnights | Taylor Swift |
| Canon in D | - | Johann Pachelbel |
| Enter Sandman | Metallica | Metallica |
| Sunn Raha Hai Na Tu | Aashiqui 2 | Ankit Tiwari |
| Madhuban mein radhika nache re | Kohinoor | Mohd Rafi |
| Neeli Meghamulalo | 35 Chinna Katha Kaadu | Prithvi Harish, Vivek Sagar |
Keherva (कहरवा)¶
Teentaal and Keherwa are quite similar, and often one can be substituted for the other in a song. Keherwa also has many variants, including some with a slightly different structure, e.g., 3+3+2 instead of 4+4.
| Title | Album | Artist |
|---|---|---|
| Aaj se teri | Padman | Arijit Singh |
| Super Mario Bros. theme song | - | Nintendo |
| Tunak tunak tun | - | Daler Mehndi |
Daadra (दादरा)¶
- Structure: 6 = 3 + 3.
- Listen on tabla: slow (75 bpm), fast (250 bpm).
In Western music, this is very common in Waltz.
| Title | Album | Artist | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grande valse brillante | - | Chopin | Used in Tom and Jerry: The Flying Cat |
| Nothing else matters | Metallica | Metallica | - |
| House of the rising sun | The Animals | The Animals | - |
| We are the champions | News of the World | Queen | - |
| Piyu bole | Parineeta | Sonu Nigam, Shreya Ghoshal | - |
| Hamari adhuri kahani | Gangster | Faruq Mahfuz Anam James | - |
| My name is Lakhan | Ram Lakhan | - | |
| Tum Tum | Enemy | - |
Roopak (रूपक)¶
- Structure: 7 = 3 + 2 + 2.
- Listen on tabla: 140 bpm.
This taal is popular in Rajasthani music.
| Title | Album | Artist |
|---|---|---|
| Padhaaro mhaare des | - | - |
| Mere humsafar mere paas aa | Refugee (2000) | Sonu Nigam, Alka Yagnik |
| Maula mere lele meri jaan | Chak De India | Krishna, Salim Merchant |
| Piya tose naina laage re | Guide | Lata Mangeshkar |
| Srilu pongina | Leader | Krishna Chaithanya, Siddharth, Kranthi, Sashi Kiran & Aditya |
| Unsquare dance | - | Dave Brubeck |
| Mello's theme | Death Note | - |
| Money | The Dark Side of the Moon | Pink Floyd |
Jhaptaal (झपताल)¶
- Structure: 10 = 2 + 3 + 2 + 3.
- Listen on tabla: 130 bpm.
| Title | Album | Artist | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maa Telugu thalli | Leader | Tanguturi Suryakumari | Adapted from the State song of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh |
| Take five | - | Dave Brubeck | Sounds more like 5 = 3 + 2 |
| Mission Impossible theme | - | - | Uses 10 = 3 + 3 + 2 + 2 |
| Chinnari sasirekha vardhillavamma | Maya Bazar | Ghantasala | |
| Seven days | Ten Summoner's Tales | Sting | Uses 5 = 3 + 2 |
| Anthem, part 1 | Powaqqatsi | Philip Glass | Uses 10 = 3 + 3 + 2 + 2 |
Others¶
Here's a list of songs that either use an unsual taal or switch taals during the song.
| Title | Album | Artist | Taals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shiva | Navarasam | Thaikkudam Bridge | Teentaal, 12 = 3+3+3+3 for the guitar solo |
| L's theme | Death Note | - | 27 = 7+6+7+7, Teentaal |
| Simulation | The Stage | Avenged Sevenfold | 15 = 4+4+4+3, Teentaal |
| Master of Puppets | Master of Puppets | Metallica | Teentaal, 15 = 4+4+4+3 |
| Tubular Bells | The Exorcist | Mike Oldfield | 15 = 7+8 |
| Sankat Mochan naam tihaaro | - | - | Daadra, Keherva |
| Solsbury Hill | Peter Gabriel (Car) | Peter Gabriel | 14 = 4 + 4 + 4 + 2 |
| Kaahe Chhed | Devdas | Kavita Krishnamurthy | Daadra, Keherva |
The metal band Tool has composed many songs in very unusual taals.