sr_iyer, bala
Yes. If the rule is that akshara spacing must remain the same during a section of the song in the same tala, then based on what i have heard, i also think that 3a is the way most (i.e. except for examples like the MLV rendition) nadai switches are done in convention/practice. But it is quite possible that examples like the MLV rendition arent that rare - i for one cannot claim 'seen and heard all'
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However, perhaps i didnt make it more explicit, my post #139 was to go beyond the 3a vs. 3b issue, and ask what does it mean for a musical piece (not entire song but even say a sub-part e.g. my example above, or as in one sub-iteration of a korvai in a tani) to be in a certain gati - i.e. let us ask specifically for tiSra gati? I dont know the "right" answer myself but there are at least a couple of ways of stating the answer:
1. A piece where the rhythm is in groups of (multiples of) 3 sub-units.
Or
2. Groups of (multiples) of 3 sub-units i.e. #1, AND the time of each 3 sub-unit is the same as the akshara spacing of the tala of the song i.e. the spacing of the kriyas (which you may not see and hear if e.g you are listening to a rendition)",
Now 3a implies it is #2. Even 3b implies #2 only. Both imply the same - if nadai switches are out of the picture. I think something similar was indeed noted before by bala (?).
But from a strict musical perspective (i.e. if we forget the rules/convention for a second), can we dare hypothesize that the extra criterion in #2 seems like an artificial construct as the first part of 2 (i.e. #1) alone establishes the gati (as in gait), and look into whether such a proposal can have atleast some iota of validity?
Let us again take my example of #139. Assume it was actually a "audio piece" i cut from a song - and you cannot hear any talam slaps.Now even if mridangam matches the intrinsic rhythm of the sollus, and we cannot hear any talam slaps, we dont the song, must we still conclude that that the audio sample is still in catusra gati? Why? Because i said it is rUpata catuSra gati? What would be the musical basis for it? Shouldnt we ask "where is the groupings in sets of 4" - the common part of both #1 an #2 above?
What if I come back later and say "sorry guys it goofed up on the song, and it was actually kalpana swaras delivered with a song always performed in tiSra gati Adi" - Now all of sudden conclude that the musical component that is gati is now different? But on what musical basis? Also - what instead if the pattern had 120 syllables - that can fit tiSra, catuSra and khaNDa?
If there is a point to that it is just this: IMVHO, the concept of gati was to convey different rythmic gaits, and from a strict musical perspective #1 alone is enough. But it had to be obviously conveyed within the framework of tala the backbone of rhythm and hence #2. Now only if you bring in nadai switches (which is not mandatory to show the dynamics of a gati ), you then find that #2 as in it fails to account for how nadai switches must be done.
May be experts like akella-garu can tell us what the historical works talk about naDai switches - and whether they point to 3a or 3b.
Arun
