In the next segment of our series on tabla accompaniment to instrumental music, we will listen to some tracks that feature instrumental versions of the thumri and dadra forms. Instrumentalists prefer to categorise these versions under the nomenclature “dhun”, which literally means tune. Perhaps, the absence of lyrics that form an integral part of thumri and dadra required a different nomenclature despite the fact that the melodies definitely draw from thumri and dadra compositions. Often, folk tunes influence the melodic composition of dhuns.
Dhuns are normally set to taals like Kaherva, Dadra and Deepchandi. As in the case of the thumri-dadra, the tabla player launches into the laggi section towards the end of the dhun or may choose to intersperse the melodic improvisation with laggis.
But before we move to the dhun compositions, here is a sample of an instrumental version of a bandish ki thumri in the raag Bhairavi set to the 16-matra Teentaal played by sitar wizard Vilayat Khan and accompanied on the tabla by Banaras gharana wizard Kishan Maharaj.
The next thumri, also in Bhairavi, is presented by renowned bansuri exponent Hariprasad Chaurasia. This is set to the seven-matra Rupak, but this changes to the eight-matra Kaherva for the laggi section at the end of the track. The tabla accompaniment is provided by the inimitable Nizamuddin Khan, who was famous for his laggi elaboration among other aspects of tabla playing.
The third track has a dadra in the raag Pahadi. Performed by sitar maestro Vilayat Khan, the composition also sung by him occasionally, is set to the six-matra Dadra taal. But it changes to Kaherva for the laggi section towards the end of the track.
At times, performers prefer the tabla to join in with the melodic phrasing of the sthayi or the first line of the composition. This format can be heard on the final track for today featuring santoor virtuoso Shivkumar Sharma accompanied by well-known tabla player Shafaat Ahmed Khan.
One of India’s leading tabla players, Aneesh Pradhan is a widely recognised performer, teacher, composer and scholar of Hindustani music. Visit his website here.
This article is based on Pradhan’s book Tabla: A Performer’s Perspective.
