Konnakol

Konnakol is a South Indian rhythmic practice in which rhythm is spoken using syllables. It is closely associated with the Carnatic musical tradition, where rhythmic patterns are learned, remembered, communicated and performed through the voice.

The syllables form part of a wider rhythmic language known as solkattu. As the rhythms are spoken, the underlying rhythmic cycle, or tāla, can be marked with the hands through claps, waves and finger counts. This gives the musician a physical and vocal way of experiencing rhythm at the same time.

Konnakol has developed through an oral tradition of teaching and learning, passed between musicians through demonstration, repetition and practice. Its value is not simply in the complexity of the rhythms, but in the clarity with which rhythm can be heard, spoken, memorised and internalised.

These notes are a practical introduction for musicians coming from a Western musical background. They draw particularly on the teaching of drummer and educator Asaf Sirkis, whose Mastering Rhythm with Konnakol series presents the ideas through a clear, step-by-step approach. Sirkis has studied Konnakol with South Indian mridangam musicians and has developed his own teaching approach for Western musicians.

For a more detailed exploration, see Applying Karnatic Rhythmical Techniques to Western Music by Rafael Reina. The book explores the architecture of the Karnatic rhythmic system and its application to Western classical music, jazz, composition and improvisation.

The aim here is not to reproduce the full tradition, but to use some of its ideas as a practical way of developing a stronger sense of pulse, subdivision, coordination and rhythmic structure.

1. Start with an 8-beat cycle

First, we need a steady pulse. We can keep track of eight beats using a simple pattern with the hand.

CLAP
1
PINKIE
2
RING
3
MIDDLE
4
CLAP
5
WAVE
6
CLAP
7
WAVE
8
Keep repeating this 8-beat cycle as a steady pulse.

2. We use syllables to enunciate rhythmic patterns

In Konnakol, different syllables are used to enunciate rhythmic patterns of different lengths and subdivisions.

THA 1 note per beat
TA KA 2 notes per beat
TA KI TA 3 notes per beat
TA KA DI MI 4 notes per beat

3. Let's focus on the 4-note pattern TA KA DI MI

For now, we'll leave the other syllable patterns aside and concentrate on:

Our pattern
TA KA DI MI TA KA DI MI
CLAP
1
PINKIE
2
RING
3
MIDDLE
4
CLAP
5
WAVE
6
CLAP
7
WAVE
8

The syllables stay the same. What changes is how many times we fit the pattern into our 8-beat cycle.

4. Two times around the cycle

First, say TA KA DI MI twice across the 8 beats. Each pattern takes 4 beats.

2 × TA KA DI MI
TA KA DI MI TA KA DI MI
CLAP
1
PINKIE
2
RING
3
MIDDLE
4
CLAP
5
WAVE
6
CLAP
7
WAVE
8

5. Four times around the cycle

Now double the rate. Each TA KA DI MI pattern takes 2 beats.

4 × TA KA DI MI
TA KA DI MI TA KA DI MI TA KA DI MI TA KA DI MI
CLAP
1
PINKIE
2
RING
3
MIDDLE
4
CLAP
5
WAVE
6
CLAP
7
WAVE
8

6. Eight times around the cycle

Now double the rate again. Each TA KA DI MI fits into a single beat.

8 × TA KA DI MI
TA KA DI MI TA KA DI MI TA KA DI MI TA KA DI MI TA KA DI MI TA KA DI MI TA KA DI MI TA KA DI MI
CLAP
1
PINKIE
2
RING
3
MIDDLE
4
CLAP
5
WAVE
6
CLAP
7
WAVE
8
Key Idea

One of the underlying strengths of Konnakol is that it gives us a methodical way to build rhythmic complexity. We can start with a steady pulse and gradually introduce 1-, 2-, 3- and 4-note patterns, increasing the complexity while keeping the underlying beat clear.

7. The exercise

Keep the 8-beat hand pattern going continuously while speaking TA KA DI MI.

2 ×
→
4 ×
→
8 ×
→
4 ×
→
2 ×

Try it

  1. Establish the 8-beat hand pattern.
  2. Speak TA KA DI MI twice across the cycle.
  3. Move to four times across the cycle.
  4. Move to eight times across the cycle.
  5. Return to four times, then two times.
  6. Keep the underlying pulse steady throughout.