Fill in the blanks: In Teen Taal of Hindustani Classical Music, the Khali is marked on the _____ matra.

Correct — C. Teentaal has 16 matras in four vibhags of 4.

Clap on matra 1, the sam.
Clap on matra 5.
Wave on matra 9, the khali.
Clap on matra 13.

Three claps give the taal its name, and its one wave falls on the 9th matra, so option (c).

Why the others are wrong

• (a)
  1 — Matra 1 is the sam, the first beat of the cycle, and in Teentaal it takes the first clap, not the khali's wave.
• (b)
  5 — Matra 5 opens the second vibhag and takes the second clap. The wave does not come until the third vibhag.
• (d)
  13 — Matra 13 opens the fourth vibhag and takes the third clap, the last before the cycle returns to sam.

A taal is a cycle of beats, called matras, grouped into divisions called vibhags. The first matra of any cycle is the sam.

When a taal is recited, the first beat of a vibhag is shown by a clap, the tali, and an empty vibhag by a sideways wave, the khali.

Teentaal, 16 matras in four equal vibhags, carries three talis, on matras 1, 5 and 13, and one khali, on matra 9.

Key facts

• Teentaal has 16 matras in four vibhags of 4.
• Its claps fall on matras 1, 5 and 13, and its khali on matra 9.
• The first matra of any taal cycle is called the sam.

Common traps

• Placing the khali at the end of the cycle, when in Teentaal it opens the third vibhag.
• Calling the sam the khali because the cycle begins there.

No directly related past PYQ was found.