Rubric - Percussion (Indian) Audition Rubric

A traditional 4-level, 100-point Indian percussion audition rubric scoring hand technique and bol production, composition recall, tala and laya, tone and dynamics, and improvisation within tradition.
4 - Exceeds Expectation 3 - Meets Expectation 2 - Approaching Expectation 1 - Below Expectation
Tabla or Mridangam Compositions & Improvisation
100%
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Hand Technique & Bol Production
20%
20 Points
Every bol is produced with textbook clarity and correct finger placement; na, tin, dha, ge and ta are unmistakably distinct....
15 Points
Bols are clear and correctly produced with minor inconsistencies in the more demanding strokes....
10 Points
Bols blur together and finger placement is imprecise; the syllables are hard to identify....
0 Points
Bol production is not established; strokes are indistinct and technically incorrect....
Composition Accuracy & Recall
20%
20 Points
Kaidas, relas, tukras and tihais are recited and played from memory with complete accuracy and correct development....
15 Points
Compositions are accurate and well developed with occasional small lapses....
10 Points
Compositions are partially recalled and development is incomplete or incorrect....
0 Points
Compositions cannot be recalled or played as taught....
Tala, Laya & Rhythmic Cycle
20%
20 Points
The cycle is held with absolute security; sam is always landed exactly and laya is controlled across all three speeds....
15 Points
The cycle and sam are secure; tempo changes are handled with brief adjustment....
10 Points
The cycle is lost in places and sam arrives late or early; laya is unstable....
0 Points
The tala cannot be maintained; the cycle and sam are not tracked....
Tone, Resonance & Dynamic Control
20%
20 Points
Excellent resonance and tuning with a wide dynamic range; open and closed strokes are precisely balanced....
15 Points
Good resonance and clear dynamic contrast; balance between the drums is mostly even....
10 Points
Resonance is muted or uneven and dynamics are compressed into a narrow band....
0 Points
Tone is poor, tuning is neglected, and dynamics show no control....
Improvisation, Tradition & Expression
20%
20 Points
Improvises inventively and idiomatically within the gharana or tradition, with authoritative phrasing and expressive nuance....
15 Points
Improvises competently within tradition with clear phrasing and appropriate vocabulary....
10 Points
Improvisation is repetitive or steps outside the tradition; phrasing is unclear....
0 Points
No usable improvisation and no evident grounding in the tradition....