Arabic-tuned accordions?
Adrock
accordions, and heard them on a few tracks. I know very little about
the theory or tonal structure of Arabic music (although I know it does
exist), but has anyone ever encountered or played one?
(I imagine it would cost a ton to have an a=440 accordion REtuned to
the Arabic system, so I'm wondering if they are a specialized thing or
if they are made somewhat commonly)
GINO
You might want to search this forum for a man named Ghomaheza, he is
from Iran. He may know something about that, also, I have tried out a
Piano accordion in Kuwait that looked almost like a Gola, I swear.
However the accordion was not wet at all, it was actually dry. I have
asked many Arabs for some of there orignal sheet music an have had
little luck. I get the same answer all the time. They all say that
every instrument is tunned to the specs of another instrument called
"UUD". I think thats how you spell it. UDD is a Arabic guitar, very
expensive, an they all say that percussion is the way of there music,
every instrument is tunned to match this instrument. It is said that
the Harp was invented in ancient Babylon, aka Baghdad, an that it was
the first string instument, so I am guessing that the "UDD" sound
kinda like a harp......
Also, they have there own form of writting, so it would be hard for
someone like me are you to find more clues about there music, I only
know one of there songs, an that is becuase there is a Spanish an
Arabic version, the name of the song is Haa Bi Bi, "I love you". I do
speak some Arabic, but I cant read it, they may take years..hehehe, I
hope this helps friend....
Rolander
> On Sep 12, 6:54 pm, Adrock <morpheus.dra...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > I've heard recently about quarter-tone or Arabic tuned piano
> > accordions, and heard them on a few tracks. I know very little about
> > the theory or tonal structure of Arabic music (although I know it does
> > exist), but has anyone ever encountered or played one?
>
> > (I imagine it would cost a ton to have an a=440 accordion REtuned to
> > the Arabic system, so I'm wondering if they are a specialized thing or
> > if they are made somewhat commonly)
>
> You might want to search this forum for a man named Ghomaheza, he is
> from Iran. He may know something about that, also,
Hi Gino,
I think you might be referring to my friend, GHOLAMREZA SEYED HASANI,
who lives in Tabriz, Iran. He actually makes accordions which have
quarter-note tuning. Go to his website at: www.nardingallery.blogspot.com
for more info.
Mike O'R
Adrock
> every instrument is tunned to the specs of another instrument called
> "UUD". I think thats how you spell it. UDD is a Arabic guitar, very
> expensive, an they all say that percussion is the way of there music,
> every instrument is tunned to match this instrument. It is said that
> the Harp was invented in ancient Babylon, aka Baghdad, an that it was
> the first string instument, so I am guessing that the "UDD" sound
> kinda like a harp......
my disdain for plucked string instruments if I could get my hands on
one.
>
> Also, they have there own form of writting, so it would be hard for
> someone like me are you to find more clues about there music, I only
> know one of there songs, an that is becuase there is a Spanish an
> Arabic version, the name of the song is Haa Bi Bi, "I love you". I do
> speak some Arabic, but I cant read it, they may take years..hehehe, I
> hope this helps friend....
There is an academic book published, called The Music of the Arabs by
Habib Hassan Touma, that's probably the most thoroughly detailed study
of Arabic instruments and music through the filter of the western
tonal system. I'm not an expert on Arabic music, but the book seems to
break it all down pretty thoroughly.
ike milligan
"GINO" <hardcorec...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1189624603.9...@k79g2000hse.googlegroups.com...
ike milligan
news:1189608891.2...@r29g2000hsg.googlegroups.com...
the G#'s.
GINO
wrote:
> "Adrock" <morpheus.dra...@gmail.com> wrote in message
Yes, I believe the instrument is called OUD, or Ewwed? However they
are fanatics at spelling in there vocabulary, any Arab will tell you
that one word can be spelled 10 different ways an it is not wrong.
Gosh! Your ganna make me buy one of thease instruments, Ima check the
price range, but I was told they are very fragile.
I listen an hear Arabic music everday, I have a few freinds from
Sudan, Egypt an Iraq, an if you have sattelite Tv, mabe you can
request some Arab Tv stations? They Do have Arab music telivison,
there are 22 Arabic countries, so you may have to ask the the cable
man to give you some stations from, Egypt, Morroco, Syria, Lebanon,
Sudan, or Saudi Arabia. In some of the music videso you will see
accordion players.
Iran is not a Arabic country, but GHOLAMREZA SEYED HASANI, may be able
to help being that he recides in a neighboring country.
Tom Peel
I'm not sure about accordeons but have a look here for keyboards:
http://www.maqam.com/gem-keyboards-wk2000.shtml
Try googling "maqam" for more info.
I've got a video CD of Najwa Karam in concert in Tunis, the guy playing
accordeon is brilliant, any idea who he is?
Adrock
> Try googling "maqam" for more info.
from a distance that looks almost exactly like the Yamaha workhorses
they have in American department stores...but damned if I wouldn't
want programmable Arabic scales and rhythms...thanks for linking
that.
Gholamreza
Dear Mike,Gino,Group,
I will be very glad to help you in any topic.As you may know I myself
don`t play Arabic toned music but can help you as far as I know about
it and also by asking from prof. players.I have some explanations on
my website as my dear friend Mr.Mike O`Regan has indicated.
Gholamreza Seyed Hasani,
Tabriz / Iran
www.nardingallery.blogspot.com
joeb...@gmail.com
raising the 6th tone of the scale a quarter of a tone which, when
playing a fret-less instrument like the lute (or "oud"), can be
created on-the-go (as you play along). On an instrument like the
accordion where pitches are fixed, the instrument has to be tuned
ahead of time by filing the particular reed to the required frequency.
You can therefore only have 1 scale modified, and you have to decide
ahead of time as to what scale you will be playing your songs in. For
instance, if you decided on the scale of, say, A minor, you would
raise the F a quarter of a tone. (You could also lower the F# a
quarter of a tone and that would achieve the same thing). What you
need is a key that would play a pitch that is half way between F and
F#. Since the distance between F and F# is half a tone, halfway
between is a quarter of a tone, thus the "quarter" name.
Some Arabic songs alternate (within the same song) between this scale
and normal western scales as we know them, in particular Egyptian
songs from the 30's to the 50's during the renaissance of Egyptian
music when the Tango made its way into the hearts of parts of Arab
land (Egypt & the Levant) and many songs were composed that are based
on the alternating major/minor scale particular of Argentione Tango
music. Certain songs from that era as well as some genres of Lebanese
music can be played on an unmodified accordion.
A small collection of sheet music related to songs from that era are
published in the book: "Asmahan's Secrets, Woman, War, and Song" by
Sherifa Zuhur(a Visiting Research Scholar at the Center for Middle
Eastern Studies at the University of California, Berkeley). Asmahan
and her brother (Farid Al-Atrash) were pioneers composers/singers in
that movement. Interesting to note that the Arabic wording on the
music sheets are written backwords to correspond to the music notes
(Arabic is normally written right to left as opposed to music written
from left to right).
There are many movie clips on U-Tube of their work, especially that of
Farid, and many show an accordion player in the orchestra.
By the way, Petosa Accordions in Seattle should be aware of quarter-
tuning because they built an accordion for a certain Lebanese
accordionist that I heard playing in Cotati, CA a couple of summers
ago. He did a superb rendition of Abdelwahhab's "Ya Msafer
Wahdak" (same era). Hope this helps/Joe
Jack Campin - bogus address
> Habib Hassan Touma, that's probably the most thoroughly detailed study
> of Arabic instruments and music through the filter of the western
> tonal system. I'm not an expert on Arabic music, but the book seems to
> break it all down pretty thoroughly.
That's quite good but there is a lot more in the Garland Encyclopaedia
of World Music volume 6 (The Middle East). I hate to think what it
would cost, though - find a library that has it.
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