Twelve matras in six vibhags of two — claps on 1, 5, 9, and 11, waves on 3 and 7. The theka's paired construction ("Dhin Dhin | Dhage Tirekite | Tu Na | Kat Ta...") gives landmarks every two beats, which is why this tala handles the widest tempo range of any major cycle: from the vast ati-vilambit of bada khayal to brisk drut compositions.
At slow tempo the pairs are heavily filled and the "Tu Na" pair becomes the ear's beacon; at speed the cycle rolls with momentum. Chautaal shares the twelve-beat skeleton but belongs to the pakhawaj world.