Percussion terms

Hindustani terms

• Theka: the fixed set of bols that defines a taal and is used for accompaniment.
• Peshkar: an opening composition of a tabla solo, played at a slow to medium pace, in which bols are presented and improvised step by step.
• Kayda: a composition built on a fixed theme (from the word for "rule"). The player develops it through paltas (variations using only the bols of the theme) and ends with a tihai.
• Rela: a very fast, flowing composition of bols such as "dhirdhir kitatak", like a stream of water.
• Tukda: a short composition, usually ending with a tihai, played once.
• Paran: a composition with open, forceful pakhawaj bols such as "dhage tita kata gadi gana".
• Tihai: a phrase repeated three times so that the last bol lands on sam.
• Chakradar: a composition (tukda or paran) that ends in a tihai and is itself played three times, so that the final tihai of the third round lands on sam.
• Uthan: an opening flourish played on the pakhawaj or tabla at the start of a performance, especially in Kathak.
• Mukhda: a short phrase leading into the sam.
• Lehra (nagma): the repeating melodic line played on sarangi or harmonium to keep time during a tabla solo.

Karnatak terms

• Tani avartanam: the percussion solo in a Karnatak concert.
• Mohra: a cadential pattern played near the end of a percussion solo; it signals that the solo is about to conclude.
• Korvai: a rhythmic pattern repeated three times to end exactly on the sam (or eduppu, starting point); the Karnatak counterpart of the tihai. A korvai normally follows the mohra.
• Sollukattu: spoken rhythmic syllables.

Key points

• Kayda = theme + paltas + tihai; rela = very fast stream.
• Tihai = phrase × 3 ending on sam; chakradar = tihai-ending piece × 3.
• Peshkar opens a tabla solo.
• Mohra then korvai close a tani avartanam.

Common mistakes

• Using paltas with bols outside the kayda theme; paltas use only theme bols.
• Calling any tihai a chakradar; a chakradar repeats a whole tihai-bearing composition three times.