BASIC THEORY

IN THE NORTH INDIAN CLASSICAL SYSTEM

       A BEAT IN NORTH INDIAN CLASSICAL MUSIC IS CALLED "MATRA"

1ST BEAT OF A TIME CYCLE IS CALLED "SUM"

DIVISION (OF BEATS INTO A GROUP) IS CALLED "VIBHAG"

 SPEEDS (LAYA)

SLOW SPEED IS CALLED VILAMBIT LAYA" 

MEDIUM SPEED IS CALLED "MADHYA LAYA"

FAST SPEED IS CALLED "DRUT LAYA" 

WHAT DOES EKGUN MEAN? (pronounced EKGOORN)

       EKGUN - MEANS 1 BOL PER BEAT (Single speed)

              DUGUN - MEANS  2 BOLS PER BEAT

           TIGUN - MEANS 3 BOLS PER BEAT

         CHARGUN- MEANS 4 BOLS PER BEAT

        AATGUN-MEANS 8 BOLS PER BEAT

                    THEREFORE DUGUN IS 2 X THE SPEED OF EKGUN

                    TIGUN       3 X EKGUN

                   CHAR         4 X EKGUN

ETC

Gun in Hindi means character- so there literal meaning of Ekgun means 1 character, Dugun means 2 characters.

1     2      3      4

dha  dhin  dhin  dha  

1              2             3           4

DhaDhin   DhinDha  DhaDhin   Dhin Dha

1                    2                          3                     4

DhaDhinDhin    DhaDhaDhin    DhinDhaDha    DhinDhinDha

The first example above is Ekgun- whereby there are 1 sound (called bol)  per  1 beat

the second example above is Dugun- wherebythere are 2sounds per  1beat

the third example above is Tigun- whereby there are 3sounds per  1 beat 

For  convenience - I have used an easy 4beat example.

The words Dha and Dhin are bols (sounds) on the tabla.