Theka refers to the playing of an unembellished version of a rhythm cycle (taal) either once or in many avartan (cycles). You can find the theka of a taal in any simple teaching manual. The theka of teentaal (ie the unembellished form of a 16 beat rhythm cycle) is:
Dha Dhin Dhin Dha/
Dha Dhin Dhin Dha/
Dha Tin Tin Ta /
Ta Dhin Dhin Dha/ Dha
this is the form you would find in any book or the form your teacher or guruji would first teach you when teaching teentaal.
Kaida is something different altogether. Imagine composing a poem using tabla syllables. There are certain rules. Firstly the words in each stanza of the poem must be the same as that of the words used in the very first stanza. The poem must follow a time cycle (taal) so that words begin or end on certain beats. Finally each stanza should rhyme so that the last line in every stanza is the same. A simple kaida and its palta are shown below.
1)dha dha ti ta
dha dha tin na
taa taa ti ta
dha dha dhin na
2) dha dha ti ta
dha dha ti ta
dha dha ti ta
dha dha tin na
taa taa ti ta
taa taa ti ta
dha dha ti ta
dha dha dhin na
This is an example of a kaida in a 16 beat rhythm cycle therefore a kaida of teentaal.(the divisions, taali and khali and sam of the kaida and its variations are the same as teentaal). The first stanza is called the kaido (which means rule). Therefore you are only allowed to use the bols (words) allocated in this stanza to form subsequent stanzas.
(note how the bols in the second stanza have not changed from those in the first stanza.)
The second stanza is called a palta as it is a variation of the kaida (first stanza). The last line of the palta is the same as the last line of the kaida. therefore the stanzas rhyme.
The way in which kaidas are formed vary regionally in India. the different schools of tabla called gharanas have each developed a unique stlye in playing and these variation are transmitted to their kaidas.
This may sound confusing but it is better to have it explained by a teacher or guru.
