The tali, along with the khali, is used for helping to keep time and is the pattern of clapping. When a vibhag is tali, it means that one should clap on the first beat, which is highly stressed. This system of clapping is important for communicating with other musicians without interrupting the performance.
Ascending numbers are used to designate tali, with the exception of 'X' in place of '1' (to emphasize the sam). For example, in teentaal, the first clap would be marked 'X', the second clap would be marked '2', and the third clap would be marked '3'.