Master Tihai: Unique Konnakol Exercise for Indian Rhythms | 8 Beat Cycle (Adi Tala) Tutorial

🎶 Unlock the Magic of Tihai in Indian Rhythms! 🎶

To me, one of the most exciting and unique features of Indian classical music is the TIHAI. The first time I experienced a live Indian concert, the audience reacted with explosive excitement during a tihai—just like someone scored a goal in football!
But what causes this rhythmic “goal”? It’s all about keeping the TALA (counting cycles) and leading your ear to that satisfying resolution.

In this Konnakol tutorial, I’ll take you step-by-step through my Tihai exercise:
Always counted in 8 beats (Adi Tala)
With 4 notes per beat = 32 subdivisions total per cycle

We build tihais of decreasing note values, learning to place and feel gaps (the “index”) between them
Here’s how the exercise works:
Start with the index value (number of subdivided notes to wait before the tihai begins), then perform each tihai variation:

(1) 9 + 2 + 9 + 2 + 9 (Index: 1)
(4) 8 + 2 + 8 + 2 + 8 (Index: 4)
(7) 7 + 2 + 7 + 2 + 7 (Index: 7)
(10) 6 + 2 + 6 + 2 + 6 (Index: 10)
(13) 5 + 2 + 5 + 2 + 5 (Index: 13)
(16) 4 + 2 + 4 + 2 + 4 (Index: 16)
(19) 3 + 2 + 3 + 2 + 3 (Index: 19)
(22) 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 (Index: 22)
(25) 1 + 2 + 1 + 2 + 1 (Index: 25)

Perfect for:
Musicians & drummers wanting to master Konnakol, Tihai, and rhythmic timing
Indian rhythm students working on precision, creativity, and tala memory
Anyone drawn to the magic and mathematics of advanced rhythm!

🌐 Want more in-depth rhythm lessons & full Konnakol training? Visit:
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