Arabic Songs
Ludmila Hargett
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.
Tunisian singer-songwriter, Selima Terras is joined by the Maine Takht Ensemble for an enchanting concert celebrating Arabic music. Expect songs from the repertoire of the legendary Lebanese singer, Fairouz, as well as traditional instrumental pieces from Egypt, Lebanon, and Syria.
Throughout the years, Selima Terras developed a versatile artistic identity that allowed her to spread her voice across borders and cultures. She began her musical journey as a classically trained pianist and joined the conservatory of El Manar in Tunis where she studied Arab music theory. Later, she joined the orchestra as a choir member and then as a cellist. Her secondary education continued at the African Leadership Academy in Johannesburg. She is currently a sophomore at Bowdoin College.
Maine Takht Ensemble performs classical, art, and folk music from the Arab World on instruments that make up the traditional chamber ensemble of Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine known as a Takht. The group members are Eric LaPerna (riqq, darbouka, and nay); Nathan Kolosko (oud); Duncan Hardy (qanun); and Mary Hunter on the violin.
A wedding is a magical day filled with cherished moments, and one of the most heartwarming and emotional moments is the father-daughter dance. This cherished tradition symbolizes the bond between a father and his daughter as she embarks on a new chapter of her life.
As you plan this special dance, selecting the perfect song can be a daunting task. Fear not, for we have curated a list of enchanting songs that capture the essence of this beautiful relationship, ensuring that the father-daughter wedding dance becomes an unforgettable memory.
As you prepare for the father-daughter dance at your wedding, remember that the song you choose holds the power to create an unforgettable and touching moment between you and your father. Whether you opt for a classic ballad, an upbeat tune, or a soulful melody, the key is to select a song that resonates with the unique bond you share. These handpicked songs are just a starting point to help you find the perfect soundtrack for this special moment, ensuring that your father-daughter dance becomes a cherished memory that you both will treasure forever.
We have over 10 years of experience and a very talented DJ and technicians. KRZ Productions has established itself as a trusted DJ & lighting brand, servicing all of the National Capital Region. Serving Arabic/Lebanese, English, French & Spanish Music.
One of my favorite classroom practices is playing songs on Youtube while students arrive to class. It exposes learners to the target language from the moment they enter the classroom, it wakes them up, and it helps them decompress if coming from another (stressful) class or meeting. Videoclips can even break stereotypes.
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Interesting thing about arabic music is that Arabic music contains microtones, which are notes that lie between notes in the Western chromatic scale. While notes in the chromatic scale are separated by semitones (or half steps), notes in Arabic music can be separated by quarter tones. In addition to that, the intonation of many of those notes differ slightly from region to region.
The typical Arabic music ensemble in Egypt and Syria is known as the takht, and includes instruments such as the 'oud, qānūn, rabab, ney, violin. The world of Arab music has long been dominated by Cairo, a cultural centre. Beirut also become a major center of Arabic music. Classical Arab music is extremely popular across the population, especially a small number of superstars known throughout the Arab world.
Most popular Arab singers of modern age are Amr Diab (habibi albi), Fairuz, Nancy Ajram, Ahmed Bukhatir, Tamer Hosny and many more. If you never listened to Arabic music, give it a try: you will discover and be delighted and amazed by the world of absolute beauty, divine harmony, incredible emotional depth, pleasure to the senses, sublime melody and unusual rhythm. One more thing to make your life more enjoyable! What can be better than sitting in arabic cafe smoking sheesha pipe, drinking arabic coffee and listening to arabic music? If you visit Arab countries this experience is a must! If you live in Arab countries, you know what I mean. If you are an Arab, then this music lives in your blood.
Almost all arabic songs include a word Habibi - my love, because Arabic music is the music of the heart! There is an Arabic expression which says that what comes from the heart goes to the heart, and this is true with Arabic music - music of the heart.......
Arabic music (Arabic: الموسيقى العربية, romanized: al-mūsīqā al-ʿarabīyyah) is the music of the Arab world with all its diverse music styles and genres. Arabic countries have many rich and varied styles of music and also many linguistic dialects, with each country and region having their own traditional music.
It was believed that Jinns revealed poems to poets and music to musicians.[2] 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 lute or the rebab, and perform the songs while respecting the poetic metre.[2] 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.
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.
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.[8]
By the 11th century, Islamic Iberia 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, and naker are derived from Arabic oud, rabab or Maghreb rebab, and naqareh.[9][10][vague]
In the early 20th century, 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. Any English, French or European songs got replaced by national Egyptian music. Cairo became a center for musical innovation.
Female singers were some of the first to take a secular approach. Egyptian performer Umm Kulthum and Lebanese singer Fairuz were notable examples of this. Both have been popular through the decades that followed and both are considered legends of Arabic music. Across the Mediterranean, Moroccan singer Zohra Al Fassiya was the first female performer to achieve wide popularity in the Maghreb region, performing traditional Arab Andalusian folk songs and later recording numerous albums of her own.
Western pop music was also being influenced by Arabic music in the early 1960s, leading to the development of surf music, a rock music genre that later gave rise to garage rock and punk rock.[20] Surf rock pioneer Dick Dale, a Lebanese American guitarist, was greatly influenced by the Arabic music he learnt from his uncle, particularly the oud melodies and skills which he later applied to his electric guitar playing when recording surf rock in the early 1960s.[20]
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