ABSTRACT
Tal is indispensable for vocal music, instrumental music, and dance. The tabla or the mrdang are used for tal in Indian music. It is pleasant when a singer sings a melody in tune, and the impact is even greater when it is done correctly in rhythm. Lay is of three different types: fast, medium and slow. A very slow pace is called vilambit and a fast pace is called drut. The lay in between, that is to say neither a very slow nor fast pace, is called madhya. In the Sanskrit treatises it is said: trayo layastu vijneyah druta madhya vilambita. The dugun of the dugun, called the caugun, is four times as fast as the thah lay. A bol in caugun would be like a quarter of the bol in thah.
