DADRA TAL
Lesson 1
Teaching Artist: Mir Naqibul Islam
SUMMARY
This is the first lesson of the South Asian Rhythm Study unit. Students will be introduced to the six-beat groove, dadra tal. They will learn how to recite the groove and clap along with the rhythm. Students will then perform together as a group.
OBJECTIVE
Summarize important information about the culture and geography of South Asia.
Describe the rhythmic structure and characteristics of dadra tal by listening to examples in this groove.
Demonstrate and apply hand gestures for keeping time.
Recite bols in a steady rhythm: Dha – Dhi – Na – Na – Ti – Na.
Perform the dadra tal (6-beat) groove using counting patterns and tabla bols (tabla words).
MATERIALS
Body percussion
Adaptive instrument options: feet, tongue clicking, harmonica, gripping aids for holding mallets or sticks
EXPLORE
Display the Google Slides: Dadra Tal. Show the students a map of South Asia. Ask them about the region and the name of the countries (Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Maldives). Ask students: What do you know about these countries? Have you heard music or seen a performance?
Bring students together to talk about what they know about South Asian culture and language. For example, something they’ve read in a book, traveled to, seen in a video, or family from the region.
Introduce students to these songs that are based on dadra tal. Allow students to react to the music. Ask: How did the songs make you feel? What are you wondering about the songs?
LEARN
Play Dadra Tal Watch & Learn. After watching the instructional video with Mir, begin by leading the class in counting the six-beat dadra rhythm aloud together:
“One, two, three, four, five, six,” keeping a steady medium tempo (around 120 bpm) with a light triplet feel.
Repeat the count in groups of four or eight cycles, emphasizing the accents on beats 1 and 4.
Introduce the hand gestures for keeping time: Practice these gestures together while continuing to count aloud:
Beat 1: Clap your right hand onto your left palm.
Beat 2: Touch right pinky to left palm.
Beat 3: Touch right ring finger to left palm.
Beat 4: Wave your right hand in the air.
Beat 5: Touch right pinky to right thumb.
Beat 6: Touch right ring finger to right thumb.
Divide the class into two groups. Have one group keep time using numbers (1–6) and the other group mirror the pattern using hand gestures. Then switch roles so everyone practices both counting and physical timing.
Once students are confident, replace the numbers with *bols — reciting:
“Dha – Dhi – Na – Na – Ti – Na”*Bols are special sounds or syllables used in South Asian music to help remember and say rhythms out loud. Musicians use them like a musical language to practice and understand patterns of beats.
Repeat the cycle several times as a group, then play a short children’s song in dadra tal and encourage students to clap or gesture along with the rhythm.
Have students practice independently or as a group using the Dadra Tal Practice video and maintain a steady six-beat cycle. Clap or use hand gestures in time saying the bols, “Dha – Dhi – Na – Na – Ti – Na.”
PERFORM+SHARE
Invite a few students to demonstrate the full dadra cycle — first counting “1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6” twice; then repeating it with hand gestures; and finally reciting the bols, “Dha – Dhi – Na – Na – Ti – Na.”
After the demonstrations, invite the whole class to join in. Perform together using claps, hand gestures, and bols of dadra tal. Share a video, picture, or artifact of the performance on the S’Cool Sounds Padlet.
Tell students in the next lesson they will introduced to the seven-beat groove, rupak tal.