Matra (music)

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{{Main article|Music of India}}

In Indian classical music, a Matra[http://www.surgyan.com/matra.htm Matra]- Retrieved 2016-12-08 is a beat, the smallest rhythmic sub-unit of a tala - the musical meter. It is one of the three levels of structure for tala[http://chandrakantha.com/articles/indian_music/tala.html Tala or Tal]- Retrieved 2016-12-08 along with Vibhag (measure)[http://chandrakantha.com/articles/indian_music/vibhag.html Vibhag]- Retrieved 2016-12-08 and Avartan (cycle).[http://chandrakantha.com/articles/indian_music/avartan.html Avartan]- Retrieved 2016-11-08 The significance of beats depends on their occurrence in a cycle. However, the value of the beats may be stretched or contracted depending on various factors.