Common Instruments In Arabic Music

[Kellye Tunks]

Arabicmusical instruments can be broadly classified into three categories: string instruments (chordophones), wind instruments (aerophones), and percussion instruments. They evolved from ancient civilizations in the region.

Arabic music is a culture that has a deep history. So, what is the history of Arabic music? What are the 5 most common Arabic musical instruments and what are their features? Let's examine the history of Arabic music and Arabic instruments together.

It is known that Arabic music was in the form of oral poetry accompanied by a drum or oud between the 5th and 7th centuries in the pre-Islamic period. At the time, the songs were simple enough to only have a maqam or a melody. In the early Islamic period, Greek music principles were translated by the Muslim scholar Isḥaq al-Kindi, who published 15 articles on music theory. The word "mussiqa" was used for the first time in Arabic. During the ninth and tenth centuries, academics produced their first encyclopedic poetry and music collections. A physicist named Abū Naṣr al Farabi published the Great Music Book, in which the authorities still use in Arabic music today to document the pure Arab tone system.

In the late 13th century, Safi al-Din al-Urmawi developed musical notes for rhythm using the geometric representation that did not appear in the Western world until the late 20th century. In the 11th century, Andalusia was the production center of musical instruments that eventually went to Europe. Ottoman music was influenced by Byzantine, Armenian, Arab and Persian music, with the rise of the vast Ottoman Empire, which spanned from the 13th to the early 20th century. As a result, when we look at the borders of Arab countries as we know today, the melody maqams of Arabic, Turkish, Armenian, and Byzantine music are the rhythm rudder system. Maqams are the way Arabic music defines the melody. Poetry and music in each region continued with oral traditions, leading to de facto standards for each field.

Also known as dumbelek or darabukka, darbuka is mainly used in Arabic music. In addition, it is a very popular Arabic instrument in Balkan, Persian, and Turkish music. The hull is made of goat or fish skin. Today, various metals and plastics are used in its construction. Darbuka has two voices called dum and single. The sound produced by hitting the middle of the instrument gives the rudder sound, and the sound emitted from the edge gives its only voice. The rudder provides the basis for the rhythm, while the spokes add harmony to the melody.

The oud takes its name from al-oud, which means "aloe". One of the oldest instruments of Arabic music, oud is in the category of strings and stringed instruments. Oud, which has a 3 octave sound range, is known as a fretless instrument. This Arabic instrument, whose body is reminiscent of a pear, is produced with hardwoods. There are varieties known as "Zenne Oud", "Arabic Oud" and "Children's Oud". Elements such as size, shape, and workmanship of each variety are variable.

A dulcimer is one of the Arabic musical instruments that belong to both string and percussion group made with walnut and similar exotic trees. The dulcimer, which is known to be of Iraqi, has Iranian and Indian origin and is performed by hitting the plectrums. It has a total of 72 to 160 wires. It may vary according to the region. Iraqi dulcimer, Iran dulcimer, Turkish dulcimer, Indian dulcimer, Greek dulcimer, Hungarian dulcimer, Chinese dulcimer, Belarus dulcimer and so on. It can be tuned as triple, quadruple, or quintet.

Rebap, which is in the stringed instruments category, is one of the popular Arabic musical instruments in the whole of Central Asia and Islamic geography and has a long history. Rebab is a three-string, fretless, stringed musical instrument made by stretching the skin over the coconut shell. Goats, fish, or sheepskin are stretched on the boat of the rebab. A hard tree is used on its stem and its size is adjusted to approximately 65 cm. Rebap is an Arabic instrument that can be played with a bow. The bow is obtained from horsetail hair and the sound is formed by manual stretching.

It is a violin, stringed instrument that may differ depending on the region. It weighs about 400-500 grams. A 4/2 spring system is preferred in the pumpkin violin. It is divided into three parts as violin, stem, body, and leather is produced using gourd. The pitch is much softer than other stringed Arabic instruments. Pumpkin or coconut is used on the trunk and skin on the chest. Although its execution is difficult at the beginning stage, it can be taken under control over time.

Stylistically, melodic instruments are divided into two families: sahb (pulling or stretching), and naqr (plucking or hammering). The violin and the nay fall under sahb, the oud and the qanun fall under naqr. The two families are meant to complement each other in order to create a richer and more complete sound.

Arabized instruments are non-Arabic instruments that came in to the Arabic music ensemble in the 20th century and became part of the Arabic music sound of that period. Most of these instruments were pioneered in Egypt, where musicians developed new ornamentation styles and playing techniques that made these instruments sound "Arabic". Some Arabized instruments were altered to play additional notes and deliver a close enough version of the correct Arabic maqam intonation. Others were used as 12-tone equal-tempered instruments without any alteration.

These include the piano, the electric piano, the electric organ, the Oriental keyboard, the accordion, the electric guitar, and the electric (fretted) bass. Some of these instruments can be altered to produce quartertones. Drum sets and electronic percussion are are also commonly used with contemporary Arabic pop/dance music.

The flute, saxophone, clarinet, and trumpet are not equal-tempered instruments and allow greater control over pitch than the above. They are used to various extents in Arabic music, especially in modern Arabic Jazz fusion styles.

The violin, viola, cello and upright bass are very widely used in Arabic music, especially in large ensembles like Umm Kulthum's Orchestra and the Diamond Orchestra in Egypt. Being all fretless, these instruments can be comfortably used to perform the Arabic Maqam scales.

In adapting the instrument for Arabic music, cellists have developed a complex set of techniques and approaches over the last century. In general, this genre is characterized by stylistic freedom, oral transmission, ornamentation, melodic and rhythmic mediation, the use of quarter tones, and improvisation.

As an oral tradition, Arabic music has been passed down by ear, rather than by notation, for centuries. Today, sheet music is commonly used in Arabic music ensembles, but instrumentalists are encouraged to play more than what is notated on the page. For example, ornaments are not always notated in sheet music, but ornamentation is considered essential. Common ornaments for cellists include portamento and glissando, trills, turns, mordents, grace notes, tremolos, ghost notes, hammer-ons, and vibrato.

Vibrato? Yes, you read that correctly! Cellists commonly consider vibrato an ornament in Arabic music because it is used sparingly and intentionally in specific melodic contexts. Cellists and string players generally agree that vibrato in Arabic music is wider and slower than in Western classical music.

For cellists who begrudgingly hold down the bass line and live for the moments when they finally get the melody, Arabic music is for you! Cellists generally play the melody in Arabic music ensembles. Most play the melody with the bow, but typically one cellist switches to pizzicato during the verses of a song. The cellist playing pizzicato serves as a mediator between the rhythm and melody, bringing out important notes while emphasizing the main beats of the rhythm.

The Inspiring String, Arabic Orchestral Cello Method by Emad Ashour and Mahmoud Abdel Maksoud (2020). This method book introduces maqāmāt through scales, exercises, and excerpts from folk songs and modern repertoire.

In Arabic music, instrumentalists are generally expected to be able to improvise. The traditional form of solo, melodic instrumental improvisation in Arabic music is called tāqāsīm. Playing tāqāsīm requires a deep knowledge of the maqām system including common phrases and modulations. Consult the sources listed above to get started.

The best way to learn to play Arabic music on cello is by listening. Be omnivorous in your listening. Seek out instrumental pieces, songs, and recordings from many regions. Listen to recordings by cellists such as Naseem Alatrash, Emad Ashour, Kinan Abou-afach, Yahia Mahdi, Bashar Sharifah, and others.

This type of lute is a fretless stringed instrument shaped like a pear. It is short-necked as well, consisting of 11 strings grouped in twos and a single bass string. Compared to its Turkish and Persian counterparts, the oud is bigger. Thus, it produces a deeper sound.

The traditional Ney was made of a hollow cane or reed with six holes for the fingers and another for the thumb. The modern ones are made of metal or wood. The mouthpiece is made of either horn, brass, or plastic to protect the wood.

To play the Kawala, one has to position it at an oblique angle in front of him. The beveled rim must rest on his lower lip. Because of the design of the mouthpiece and how air is blown, the Kawala produces a breathy sound.

Some players play the Kawala to accompany Sufi singers. But experienced players can produce different sound effects using the circular breathing technique. In this technique, the player will breathe in through the nose and retain some of the inhaled air in the mouth to control the output.

We are featuring next an indigenous stringed instrument from Egypt. Simsimiyya is a type of hand-plucked lyre made of beech wood. It has steel strings and a movable bridge, its shape similar to a harp.

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