Abstract

The tabla instrument being a "Taal-Vadya" - (instrument used to establish a rhythm cycle) is widely used to accompany the khayal style of vocal rendition in the north Indian classical music. It can be said that it lays the foundation on which the music gets established. Hence tabla accompaniment plays a vital role. Though the vocalist is in the mainframe, a lot depends on the quality of accompaniment. However, the detailed analysis on the fundamentals of accompaniment is not available. It is said that the accompaniment cannot be taught as it is a practical subject and has to be self-learnt with experience by practicing with the vocalist. However, the key concepts for the successful accompaniment can be listed down and standardization can be done. Intellectual ability to understand the requirement of this music is a key lookout. It not only requires proficiency in tabla as an instrument, but also requires an analytical approach. The documentation of these characteristics will help the pursuers to establish the base and the approach needed in this field. Therefore, the research is carried out to explore and note down the key aspects of accompaniment of khayal.