· Web viewIn one of his treatises the word musiqa was used for the first time in Arabic. Abulfaraj (897–967) wrote a great book about music. Kitab al-Aghani is an encyclopedic

Nadirah Johara www.nadirahjohara.com

Arabic Music: Understanding & Appreciation

Outline:

1. History: Basic Arabic Music formulation over the ages2. Identification & Type: Identifying what type or kind of music on the top level 3. Beat and Rhythms in the music: Identify and Interpret4. Instruments: Learn and Identify in the music5. Lyrics: Its important to have an idea of the meaning of the words to avoid incorrect

interpretation6. Phrasing of Orientale melodies: Often not convenient 4 or 8 count bars. Raks Sharqi

music can have long, irregular bars and often end in partial phrases called “tails”7. Maqams: Oriental scales quarter tones, different ones create different moods8. Orchestration: Finding the Rhythm, Instruments, Melodies, Maqams in the music9. Dynamics: Be aware of and work with these variations. LARGE/SMALL, SMOOTH/SHARP,

HEAVY/DELICATE etc10. Mapping: How to formulate your music in preparation for choreography

GOAL: Increase Awareness, Understanding, and Interpretation of Arabic Music

1. History2. Identification3. Beat and Rhythms4. Instruments5. Lyrics6. Phrasing7. Maqams8. Orchestration9. Dynamics10. Mapping


1. History

Arabic music is said to be the oldest music of mankind although no facts or records can prove this the music comes from the oldest know region of the world.

Pre-Islamic Arabic music was similar to that of Ancient Middle Eastern music. Most historians agree that there existed distinct forms of music in the Arabian peninsula in the pre-Islamic period between the 5th and 7th century AD. Arab poets of that time—called shu`ara' al-Jahiliyah ( الجاهلية شعراء ) or "Jahili poets", meaning "the poets of the period of ignorance"—used to recite poems with a high notes.[2]

It was believed that Jinns revealed poems to poets and music to musicians.[3] The choir at the time served as a pedagogic facility where the educated poets would recite their poems. Singing was not thought to be the work of these intellectuals and was instead entrusted to women with beautiful voices who would learn how to play some instruments used at that time such as the drum, the oud or the rebab, and perform the songs while respecting the poetic metre.[3] The compositions were simple and every singer would sing in a single maqam. Among the notable songs of the period were the huda (from which the ghina derived), the nasb, sanad, and rukbani.

In the early Islamic Period Both compositions and improvisations in traditional Arabic music are based on the maqam system. Maqams can be realized with either vocal or instrumental music, and do not include a rhythmic component.

Al-Kindi (801–873 AD) was the first great theoretician of Arabic music. He proposed adding a fifth string to the oud and discussed the cosmological connotations of music] He surpassed the achievement of the Greek musicians in using the alphabetical annotation for one eighth.[vague] He published fifteen treatises on music theory, but only five have survived. In one of his treatises the word musiqa was used for the first time in Arabic.

Abulfaraj (897–967) wrote a great book about music. Kitab al-Aghani is an encyclopedic collection of poems and songs that runs to over 20 volumes in modern editions.

Al-Farabi (872-950) wrote a notable book on music titled Kitab al-Musiqi al-Kabir (The Great Book of Music). His pure Arabian tone system is still used in Arabic music.


Al-Ghazali (1059–1111) wrote a treatise on music in Persia which declared, "Ecstasy means the state that comes from listening to music".

In 1252, Safi al-Din developed a unique form of musical notation, where rhythms were represented by geometric representation. A similar geometric representation would not appear in the Western world until 1987, when Kjell Gustafson published a method to represent a rhythm as a two-dimensional graph.

By the 11th century during the Al-Andalus Period, Moorish Spain had become a center for the manufacture of instruments. These goods spread gradually throughout France, influencing French troubadours, and eventually reaching the rest of Europe. The English words lute, rebec, organ and naker are derived from Arabic oud, rabab, urghun and nagqara.

During Medieval times the Arabic instruments and music influence started to spread over the world. Many classical instruments used today are said to be derived from an Arabic counterpart. Examples: the lute was derived from the Oud, the rebec (ancestor of violin) from the rebab, the guitar from qitara, which in turn was derived from the Persian Tar.

In the 16th Century Bartol Gyurgieuvits (1506–1566) spent 13 years as a slave in the Ottoman Empire. After escaping, he published De Turvarum ritu et caermoniis in Amsterdam in 1544. It is one of the first European books to describe music in Islamic society. In India, the Islamic Mughal emperors ruled both Muslims and Hindus. The greatest of these, Akbar (1542–1605) had a team of at least fifty musicians, thirty-six of whom are known to us by name. The origins of the "belly dance" are very obscure, as depictions and descriptions are rare. It may have originated in pre-Islamic Arabia. Examples have been found from 200 BCE, suggesting a possible pre-Islamic origin.

Through the 20th Century Arabic Music evolved significantly. Secular formations evolved from being “Islamic” to regional. Egypt was the first in a series of Arab countries to experience a sudden emergence of nationalism, as it became independent after 2000 years of foreign rule. Turkish music, popular during the rule of the Ottoman Empire in the region, was replaced by national music. Cairo became a center for musical innovation.


One of the first female singers to take a secular approach was Umm Kulthum, quickly followed by Lebanese singer Fairuz. Both have been popular through the decades that followed and both are considered legends of Arabic music.

Interactions with Western music started to develop during the 1950s and the 1960s, Arabic music began to take on a more Western tone with such artists as Abdel Halim Hafez paving the way. By the 1970s several other singers had followed suit and a strand of Arabic pop was born. Arabic pop usually consists of Western styled songs with Arabic instruments and lyrics. Melodies are often a mix between Eastern and Western.

This era until today birthed such styles as Arabic R&B, Reggae & hip hop, Arabic Electronica, Arabic Jazz, and Arabic Rock.

There are also many different kinds of music that compliment new styles of dance that have been birthed in the western world such as fusion and American tribal style.


2. Identification

This is an over-simplification, intended only to provide an introductory look. Ethnomusicology is a topic that graduate students and college professors can spend their entire careers studying

The particular flavors of Middle Eastern music that are usually used to accompany dancers can, for the most part, be divided into the following categories:

Classical music Folk music Egyptian classical music Pop music

In this respect, at least, it is not so very different from Western music. The term “traditional music” can often refer to either folk music, modern music, or classical music, depending on the context, but would not refer to pop music

There are, of course, other styles of Middle Eastern music that are not used for dancing. For examples, it would be extremely offensive to do a dance performance using sacred Islamic music. This article focuses on the type of music most likely to be heard with dance performances.

Further, more detailed, classifications of music can be done and can be helpful when deciding what to dance to or music organization in today’s digital music software. For example they can be descriptive words such as “dramatic” or “upbeat”. Folk music can also be broken down into the type of folk music such as Saidi, Nubian, Hagallah, Debke etc. Specific drum rhythms can also be used as a category. Most popular, classic songs have many various remakes and can also be categorized this way. The Table listed below is an example of how to categorize music and examples of descriptors.


Song titleOrientaleArtistOriginSaidiDebkeNubianHagallahEskandandriRaks AssayaGhawazeeShaabiZeffaKhaleegySaidiSamaiiBelediMalfoufAyoubMasmoudiDebkeSong titleArtistMawaalBeledi TaximOrientaleLebaneseEgyptianTurkishGypsyAndulasianGreekLebaneseSaidiShaabiLove songAli-BabbaDramaticFastSlowModern OrientaleDramaticDrillsDrum SolosFusionMellow Modern OrientaleTribalTechno

Descriptive

Classic

Folk

Rhythms

Egyptian Classical

Type

Pop


3. Beats and Rhythm

Arabic music can be difficult to work with since it sometimes isn’t conveniently put into 4 or 8 count boxes. The Drum Rhythms define the metronome or tempo for music and its sections. There are MANY drum rhythms in the Arabic world that show up in the music. These along with the instruments give changes and dynamics that give the music depth and texture. Finding the “beat” or the “one” in the music is simple, keeping up with where the counts are can be hard. Especially since western ears are pried to hear even counts such as 2, 4 or 8. Some middle eastern rhythms can come in 6, 9, or 10.

To be a good dancer, it is crucial to understand the rhythm of the music. A rhythm is a repeated pattern of beats; each one of these patterns is called a “bar”. In Western music, there are strong beats and weak beats forming the patterns, but Eastern music also includes the concept of a “space”; that is, a count where there is no beat at all. In Middle Eastern music, the strong beat is represented by the sound “dum” and the weak beat by “tek”. And that's how the drum called the dumbek got its name!

A “time signature” is used to represent a rhythm, and it is written like a fraction; for example, 2/4. The top number tells how many beats are in a bar, and the bottom number gives an idea about the speed of the rhythm; 2 is slow, 4 is medium, and 8 is fast. Unfortunately, a time signature does not indicate which beats are accented.

The strongest beat usually occurs on the first beat of a bar, but there are exceptions. For example, hip-hop has 2 beats to the bar, but the heavier accent is on the second beat.


4. Instruments

Today, much modern Middle Eastern music is played on instruments that look very familiar to Westerners: synthesizers, keyboards, clarinets, accordions, and violins. Some of these must be specially tuned to work with the quarter tones that appear in Oriental music. However, traditional Middle Eastern music was played on instruments that were distinctly unique to the Middle East.

String Instruments

The oud, sometimes spelled ud, was the forerunner to the lute that was known in Medieval Europe. It is pronounced “ood” where the “oo” sound is like that in “moon”. It has 11 strings and no frets. The melody is produced through plucking the strings. Literally, the word “oud” means “wood”, and the instrument is made by gluing thin tapered strips of wood edge to edge. The glue line is usually no more than a thousandth of an inch wide! The oud was introduced by the Persians to Arabia in the Middle Ages, and passed to Europe through Islamic Spain.

The qanoun, sometimes spelled kanun or kanoun, somewhat resembles a zither. It is pronounced “kuh NOON”. This instrument is common in Turkey and Arabic countries. Its wooden frame is designed to lie flat on a surface such as a table or the performer's lap, and the strings across it are plucked to produce the melody.

The rebaba, sometimes spelled rababa, is a stringed instrument with one or two strings and played with a bow. The echo chamber is typically made of a coconut, and the strings are typically made of hairs from a horse's tail. It is pronounced “ruh BAH buh”. This is typically used in music of the Said (Upper Egypt). The music by Metkal Kanawi uses rebabas extensively.

The saz, pronounced “sahz”, is a gourd-shaped Turkish stringed instrument, resembling a lute but with a smaller base. It has frets whose positions can be adjusted, enabling the musician to produce varying quarter tones. Different maqamat require the frets to be set in different positions because they employ different musical notes. The saz was the ancestor of the Greek bouzouki.


Percussion Instruments

The hourglass-shaped sometimes called dumbec or darbuka, is a very popular percussion instrument used with Arabic music. It is pronounced “DOOM bek”. Traditionally, dumbeks were made of ceramic, with the head made of either goatskin or fish skin. In modern times, many dumbeks have synthetic heads, and the drum body may be made of metal.

The def, pronounced “def”, is a Middle Eastern frame drum which looks like a large tambourine. In a band large enough to have more than one percussionist, one musician might play the primary rhythm on the tabla while another plays a background rhythm such as ayyoub on the def.

The riqq, sometimes spelled riq or reque, is the Arabic tambourine. It is pronounced “reek”. The riqq can be used for either lead percussion (instead of the tabla) or background rhythm, however the musicians prefer.

Finger cymbals are called sagat (or zagat) in Egypt, meaning “small metal trays”, or zillya in Turkish.

Wind Instruments

The ney, sometimes spelled nay, is a traditional instrument used in Turkish and Arabic folk music that resembles a flute both in appearance and sound. It is pronounced “nay”. The ney is a very difficult instrument to play.

The mizmar is a member of the oboe family of musical instruments. It is pronounced “MIZZ mar”. It produces a loud, blaring sound which is ideal for occasions where an ethnic style of music and dance would be appropriate.Because the mizmar is a folk instrument, it is typical for members of Egyptian bands who play it to wear the gallabeya (robe-like garment) with Egyptian-style turbans on their heads.

The zurna, which is used in Turkish folk music, is very similar to the mizmar and produces a similar sound. Like the mizmar, it is a member of the oboe family. It is pronounced “ZERN uh”. It produces a loud tone that is particularly well-suited to ethnic-style music and dance.


5. Lyrics

Lyrics and vocal play an integral role in Arabic music. Since the roots are related to poetry and stores the lyrics have an intimate relationship with the phrasing and structure of the music. Arab classical music is known for its famed virtuoso singers, who sing long, elaborately ornamented, melismatic tunes, and are known for driving audiences into ecstasy. Its traditions come from pre-Islamic times, when female singing slaves entertained the wealthy, inspired warriors on the battlefield with their rajaz poetry, and performed at weddings.

The influence of religions such as Christianity, Judaism and Islam has had a great impact on the musical culture of the Middle East. Religion forms a major background to many traditional styles of music and dance, ranging from classical to more modern. All over the Middle East, you hear songs of praise and prayer. What is conducted by a muezzin, or prayer caller, for example, are the five daily calls to prayer. Only since the nineteenth century have individual reciters started singing the Qur'an while still strictly abiding by the laws and rules.[10] This, however is grossly inaccurate. This from of Quran recital is called Tajwid, تجويد, which is the Arabic word for elocution.

Its important to translate any music when planning on working with it. The new Egyptian Shaabi music can have controversial undertones. Also with the musics’ close link to Islam its imperitive to know what a piece of music means with or without lyrics.


6. Phrasing

Arabic music is extremely complex and can be difficult to block out in phrases. What are phrases? The sessions of music that define a melody, a specific instrument, vocals and choruses, or even as broad as a section of music that sounds the same. In Raks Sharqi music there are many changes in mood, character, and music.

The structure of a typical Egyptian Raks Sharqi piece of music is: melodic intro, beledi, other folk styles, small taxim, & finale similar to the melodic intro. Pop music is much simpler and is usually only defined by a chorus and versus. A typical Pop song may be structured this way: chorus, verse1, chorus, verse 3, chorus. Sometimes the versus and choruses aren’t as “neat” and can be scattered but typically the chorus remains the same and the versus change similar to the American or Western style music.


7. Maqams

One major difference between Western music and Middle Eastern music is that Western music tends to be based on a scale (sometimes called a key), while Oriental music is based on a maqam. In the words of the late San Francisco musician Mimi Spencer, a maqam is “something more than a scale, something less than a tune.”

In typical Western music, there are 12 possible notes to choose from: A, A Sharp (also known as B Flat), B, C, C Sharp (also known as D Flat), D, D Sharp (also known as E Flat), E, F, F Sharp (also known as G Flat), G, and G Sharp (also known as A Flat). But only 7 of these notes are normally used in a given song. The 7 notes selected as the basis for a given song comprise a scale, and there are certain specific rules regarding which 7 notes can be used in a certain scale. For example, a typical Western song in the key of D Major will use only the notes D, E, F Sharp, G, A, B, and C Sharp. The scale also defines certain relationships between the notes for determining which notes the chords will consist of, and which chords will serve as the basic building blocks for a given song.

In Arabic and Turkish music, the maqam utilizes only selected notes from the full range of possible notes available, so in that respect it resembles the Western scale. But the maqam goes farther in its influence on the resulting music. It also consists of a melody scrap based on certain key notes from that scale and a certain tendency of movement. So a song written in a certain maqam must not only use the particular notes in that maqam, but it must also incorporate the melody scrap for that maqam into the melody line of the song.

In Western music, the musical notes are a half step (semitone) apart. For example, on a standard Western piano or harpsichord, each white key and each black key represents one of the 12 possible notes that can be used in Western music, and each is a half step higher than the key immediately adjacent to its left.

However, many (but not all) Middle Eastern songs use quarter tones. A quarter tone is a pitch that is halfway between two adjacent keys on a Western piano. So, instead of having 12 possible notes to use as the basis of building a scale, Oriental music has twice as many possible notes to choose from in building a maqam. It would be impossible to play a Middle Eastern song that uses quarter tones on many standard Western instruments such as pianos, trumpets, and saxophones, because certain notes would simply not have


corresponding keys or finger combinations--they would fall halfway between two adjacent ones. (It is possible to tune some Western instruments to play music with quarter tones, but the standard instrument tuned for normal Western symphonic or concert band music would not be capable of playing quarter tones.)

Western music makes extensive use of chords, which are constructed according to certain rules from the notes in the scale that the song is in. Classical music from Europe relies heavily on chords. The typical song designed for a chorus to sing often positions the soprano, alto, tenor, and bass vocalists each on a different note of a chord.

Traditional Middle Eastern music does not use chords--when multiple instruments play, then usually one instrument will carry the primary melody, while the others will layer melody scraps or rhythm segments over it. For example, while one instrument is holding a note in the primary melody line, another might play a little trill over the top of it, with the trill constituting a separate but compatible melody scrap. The rhythm segment concept is also found in Western music--think of a tuba playing “oom-pah” while a trumpet plays the melody line. Alternatively, different instruments can take turns carrying the melody. Or, one instrument will play the melody while another plays a descant. This general concept should be familiar to Western musicians who have experience playing in an ensemble, because orchestral and jazz arrangements will often use these same techniques. The main point is that traditional Middle Eastern music doesn't use chords, although more modern music influenced by Western music might.


8. Orchestration

Orchestration defines the way the Arabic music is put together. It is the sum total of the beats and rhythms, notes, musical instruments, lyrics, maqams, melodies and all of the changes within one piece of music. Think of this as the “sheet music” or orchestra, hence orchestration.

Once all of the pieces are understood then its possible to map and see all of the pieces fit into one.

9. Dynamics

Part of understanding Arabic music is recognizing all o the dynamics that Arabic music can have. These allow a dancer to add texture to her dance. Dynamics can be such things as descriptors of shape like round/spiral angular/smooth, speed such as fast/slow, character like saidi/gypsy or queen/Bedouin, size such as large/small or heavy/delicate, emotions such as love/loss/longing/happy/sad, and other such as smooth/sharp the list can be extensive and is defined by the dancer’s unique interpretation.

Sometimes descriptive dynamics are already built into the music. If there are lyrics then its obvious what the music is about. However the dancer can interpret those lyrics to define which character he would like to portray. For example if the song is about longing or love lost she can take on the one longing for love lost or the one being longed for. Certain rhythms and instrument combinations will define the character or style of dance for a piece or section of music. Saidi rhythm with a Mizmar or Mijwiz would indicate that the dancer should use Upper Egypt Saidi in her music.


References

This document is a compilation of sources from the internet and is not intended to be original.

www.shira.net

www.wikipedia.com

http://www.wikipedia.com/

http://www.shira.net/

Documents

· Web viewIn one of his treatises the word musiqa was used for the first time in Arabic. Abulfaraj (897–967) wrote a great book about music. Kitab al-Aghani is an encyclopedic