The theka of Sitarkhani
Each cell is one matra. Sam is highlighted; khali beats are shown softer. Read left to right, then loop back to sam.
Xdha1
-2
-3
dha4
2dha5
-6
-7
dha8
0dha9
-10
-11
ta12
3ta13
-14
-15
dha16
About Sitarkhani
Sitarkhani — often called the Punjabi theka — sits on the same sixteen-beat, four-vibhag frame as teentaal but leaves wide gaps between strokes, producing a relaxed, dragging swing.
That loping feel is the hallmark of Punjab-ang thumri and the fast, ornamented tappa. Tirkit ships several Punjabi styles — Gandharva, Tappa and Thumri among them — for exactly this repertoire.
How to count Sitarkhani
Sitarkhani runs over 16 beats grouped as 4 + 4 + 4 + 4. Keep the cycle by marking sam on beat 1 and khali (the empty section) on beat 9. Everything you play resolves back onto sam.
- Sam — beat 1, the start and resolution of the cycle.
- Khali — beat 9, marked with a wave rather than a clap.
- Vibhags — 4 + 4 + 4 + 4 beats.
Practise Sitarkhani in Tirkit
Play the Sitarkhani theka at any tempo from 40 to 160 BPM, in any key, with a tanpura underneath. Free on Google Play.
Sitarkhani — questions
How many beats (matras) are in Sitarkhani?
Sitarkhani has 16 matras, divided into vibhags of 4 + 4 + 4 + 4.
What is the theka of Sitarkhani?
The theka of Sitarkhani is: dha - - dha dha - - dha dha - - ta ta - - dha. Sam falls on beat 1 and khali on beat 9.
What is Sitarkhani used for?
Sitarkhani is commonly used in Thumri, Tappa, Semi-classical.