To kill innocent people is not a joke!

Let’s bomb Iran is a website about the recent ugly joke of a politician who sang the sung “let’s bomb Iran”.

To kill innocent people is not a joke actually.

This is not the first threat of US politicians who always emphasize to use force to stop Iran in making nukes, while they themselves have nukes and they have nuked Hiroshima and Nagasaki and I believe it will not be the last threat!

Meanwhile the only thing that caused me to write this short note is that this is perhaps for the first time that a politician expresses his threat to bomb Iran by making jokes!

The MoveOn.org wrote “war with Iran is not a joke.”

But those who joke with the history of a very old civilized society of Iran (by showing Persians as wild animals in the movie 300), may bomb Iran and kill innocent people just for their fun. Don’t you see innocent people are killed in Iraq and Afghanistan everyday?

Download Free Music

In this page, the links for downloading free music sound files are offered:

Download Tar, Kamancheh and Vocal Free MP3s from Iran, Azerbaijan and Armenia

Download Free MP3s of Persian, Indian, Arab, Western Classical, Gospel, POP, Folk, Country and Jazz Music from Dove Song MP3 Library

Miscellaneous Links

Oyax: Oyax is a social bookmark manager. It allows you to easily add web sites you like to your personal collection of links, categorize those sites with keywords, and share your collection not only with your own browsers and machine, but also with other people.

Link.ir: List of Iranian websites

Parseek: Iranian Search Engine

Iran Press TV

Iranian News

Blogfa: Free Persian Weblog Service

Baznegar A wonderful host for Persian blogs

Balatarin: A nice collection of links in Persian language

Search Engine Optimization and Free Submission

Search Engine Marketing

Important Search Engines and Directories:

Google Yahoo MSN ODP

Hooman Homayoonfard: IT specialist

Persian Calligraphy and Ostad Gholam Hossein Amirkhani, The very famous Persian calligrapher

Ostad Gholam Hossein Amirkhani was born in 1939, Taleghan city, Iran. He learned calligraphy by the great experts and masters of calligraphy such as Ostad Sayyed Hossein Mirkhani and Ostad Sayyed Hassan Mirkhani.

He has been the head of Supreme Council of the Society for Iranian Calligraphers since 18 years ago and is presently a member of its Board of Trustees.

He has also been teaching and instructing the calligraphers during this period. He is a member of Board of Juries for the worlds Calligraphy Competitions under the title of Yakut held in Turkey and he is the chief member of UNESCOs National commission of Iran as well.

Ostad Amirkhani, this great master of Persian calligraphy, has created so many precious calligraphies such as Tarjih-Band by the famous poet of Persia, Hatef Esfahani, Tarkib-Band by the famous poet of Persia, Mohtasham-e-Kashani, Divan-e-Hafez, Sarv-e-Sayeh-Afkan, Tazmin-e-Golchin-e-Sadi, Yad-Name-ye-Kalhor, Ghazaliyat-e-Khaju-ye-Kermani, Adab-al-Khat, Ghaside-ye-Qoraniyeh and Sahife-ye-Hasti.

Ostad Amirkhani, as well as taking part in more than one hundred exhibitions in Iran, has also participated in various exhibitions held in the other countries such as England, France, Germany, Turkey, Syria and Emirates.

Mathematical Autobiography and Interests

My serious mathematical studies started at the age of 15, as I was fond of generalizing mathematical formulas. For example from the Phytagorean identities 3^2+4^2=5^2 and 5^2+12^2=13^2 I got 3^2+4^2+12^2=13^2 and Finally n^2+(n+1)^2+(n(n+1))^2 = (n(n+1)+1)^2. This is true in every ring with identity.

Later I collected this and some other problems in a paper which was published in a Persian mathematical journal. This was my first publication at the age of 19.

I entered Shahid Behshti University (before known as National University) department of mathematics in 1993. My main studies in those years were focused on Mathematical Analysis. Being an active student I had three lectures during the B.Sc. program.

I was acquainted with Dr. Siamak Yassemi in the last years of the program. During his lectures in modules in Commutative Algebra I found a counterexample for a formula. This has been mentioned in one of his published papers titled Maximal Element of Support.

After getting the Bachelor’s Degree in 1997 I went to the University of Tehran where Dr. Yassemi was one of the professors in the department of mathematics.

It should be mentioned that I stood at the 12th position in the second State Student Scientific Olympiad 1997, among 2836 participants, in the field of mathematics.

I got my Master’s Degree in pure mathematics in 1999. My thesis is on cancellation ideals and content modules. I loved that three-month period when I worked on my thesis. That was the most serious mathematical research during my academic studies.

Content of polynomials was one of the important fields of research at that time. A part of the thesis (Generalization of the cancellation ideals and content of module polynomial rings) has been published in Kyungpook Mathematical Journal with the title M-cancellation Ideals. This was my first academic paper.

My curiosity in knowing the fundamentals of mathematics led me to study mathematical logic. I was fortunate to find a good master when I decided to understand the concept of mathematics, logic and the language. I studied Wittgenstein’s Philosophy under the supervision of professor Seyyed Abdollah Anwar for eight years. This had important effect on my thought and my mathematics. Also he taught me about Old Modal Logic (Mantegh-e-Jahat) of the Islamic period and Old Theoretical Persian Art Music (Talif-e-Negham and Igha). As you may know music used to be the forth topic of mathematics in ancient time. I have been studying some parts of the famous book, “Human Knowledge” of Bertrand Russell under his guide.

I have been teaching mathematics since 1992 sometimes as a university lecturer, sometimes as a high school teacher and sometimes as a private tutor, but most of my mathematical activities in the field of training (education) of mathematics has been collaborating with seminars and confrerences in order to popularize mathematics in the society of Iran. Here is what one of my professors, Dr. Zahra Gooya, says about me:

“He also took an elective course in “mathematics education (teaching method)” with me, in the spring semester of 1996-97. His active participation in this course and his great interest in learning, made me believe that he has a very special talent that should be discovered, and should be nurtured by a suitable learning environment.

In addition, Mr. Nasehpour was my teaching assistant in a nationwide training session of 480 mathematics teachers, for new geometry textbooks for the 2nd and 3rd year of secondary school in Iran (I was curriculum designer and co-authored of these textbooks.) My main reason for asking Mr. Nasehpour to assist me in this national event was his stimulating ideas, and his friendly and very sociable character.”

Research Interests

Algebra (in particular Commutative Algebra)

Computational Mathematics (in particular COCOA)

Theoretical Computer Science (Formal Languages)

Philosophy (in particular Philosophy of Ordinary Language by Ludwig Josef Johann Wittgenstein and Bertrand Russell and Mathematical Logic)

Relations of Mathematics, Music, Computer Science and Philosophy

Computational Music Theory

The Fourth Workshop on Computational Music Theory to be held in Madrid July 24-28

In this workshop people concentrated on mathematical analysis and synthesis of rhythms. The participants of the workshop were both musicians and mathematicians in order to make a significant contribution.

It turns out that many rhythms used in world music belong to special families of strings or sequences, such as mechanical sequences and Sturmian words.

Therefore there is a very close connection between formal language theory and musical rhythm theory.

The participants were Godfried Toussaint, Paco Gomez-Martin, David Rappaport, Rachel Hall, Inaki Cortes and Peyman Nasehpour.

Percussion Part:

What I did in this workshop was to offer Persian, Azerbaijani and Kurdish rhythm cycles. Also Inaki Cortes, a txalaparta player from Basque area (Northern part of Spain) had a great workshop on txalaparta.

Music, Mathematics and Computer Science

By Peyman Nasehpour

Music and mathematics have always been considered two fields of research to be related very closely to each other and fortunately computer science has come to help the progress of the research recently. The history of investigating of the relationship of music and mathematics goes back to the ancient times and many mathematicians and musicians from Greece, Persia, India and Arabic States have worked on music and mathematics. Today new aspects of the relationship between music and mathematics have arisen and some researchers have started working on them, though it seems the relationships of musical rhythms and drums with mathematics have not been worked very broadly, though some have started to work over this field too. In this short note, we will discuss about the survey of how music, mathematics and computer science relate to each other.

MIDI Files

MIDI is the abbreviation of “musical instruments of digital interface” and apparently since 1982, the MIDI files have been a standard for communication and storage between electronic musical instruments. My friend, Jeff Senn (AKA Jas) has worked on MIDI Files of Arabic rhythm cycles to transfer them into electronic sounds to be played by a computer machine with a certain tempo on the WWW through a Web browser. The extension of the theory and practice of MIDI Files are necessary to use MIDI Files to be able to extract a more natural sound from MIDI Files and transfer the musical rhythms of other cultures such as Persia and India.

More info can be found here:

http://it.stlawu.edu/~math/activities/FOS/2000/

MIDI Files and Prime Numbers:

http://www.2357.a-tu.net

Jas’ Middle Eastern Rhythms FAQ:

Computer Music Composition:

For the theory of computer music composition the fields of mathematics, computer science and music are used. There is a book written on music and computers by the following people:
Phil Burk, SoftSynth.com
Larry Polansky, Dartmouth College
Mary Roberts, Princeton University
Dan Rockmore, Dartmouth College
Douglas Repetto, Columbia University

More info can be found here:

http://www.keycollege.com/catalog/titles/music_and_computers.html

The Relationships of Music and Algebra

The consideration of the relationships between music and elementary arithmetic has an ancient history going back to Pythagoreans. For example Fibonacci Numbers and Golden Section in Art, Architecture and Music has been discussed here:

http://www.mcs.surrey.ac.uk/Personal/R.Knott/Fibonacci/fibInArt.html

Then more advanced topics such as logarithm and differential equation has been used (particularly in acoustics and sound engineering).

Another interesting topic is the application of combinatorics in music (melody and rhythm):

A good example is the book “Adventures of Musical Combinatorics”:

http://members.aol.com/s6sj7gt/poly.htm

Recently some mathematicians have tried to research about the relationships between music and algebra. Some of the references are:

G-systems

An algebraic theory of chord structures is being presented in this paper. Every tone grouping is depicted as an instance of the so-called G-system. The aim is to provide a simple algorithm for a generation of musical structures. It should be useful for programmers of computer music as well as for those interested in musical analysis. The theory of G-systems gives some known mathematical results in a simple and clearly organized way. Therefore it might be inspiring for mathematicians studying methods of enumeration, theory of groups, algebraic solutions of combinatorial problems and other areas (Fermat’s theorems, Gauss’s theory of equation classes, Polya’s enumeration, Sylowov’s groups…).

http://www.sweb.cz/vladimir_ladma/english/music/articles/dide99.htm

Another article is:

http://graham.main.nc.us/~bhammel/MUSIC/compose.html (Finite groups and so on…)

Can One Hear the Shape of a Drum?

The sounds of different types of drums in a marching band are easy to distinguish, even without seeing the instruments.

What makes these sounds so readily identifiable is that each drum vibrates at characteristic frequencies, depending mainly on the size, shape, tension, and composition of its sound-generating drumhead. This spectrum of frequencies — the set of pure tones, or normal modes, produced by a vibrating membrane stretched across a frame — gives a drum’s sound its particular color.

Physicists and mathematicians have long recognized that the shape of the boundary enclosing a membrane plays a crucial role in determining the membrane’s spectrum of normal-mode vibrations. In 1966, mathematician Mark Kac, then at Rockefeller University in New York City, focused attention on the opposite question.

Kac asked whether knowledge of a drum’s normal-mode vibrations is sufficient for unambiguously inferring its geometric shape. His paper, which proved remarkably influential, bore the playful title “Can One Hear the Shape of a Drum?”

Reference:

http://www.maa.org/mathland/mathland_4_14.html

Another interesting book on this topic is the book that will be released very soon, as Dave Benson reports in his website: http://www.math.uga.edu/~djb/html/math-music.html

Prof. Dr. Habil Guerino Mazzola is the Zurich-based specialist of MusicMedia Science and has many books and articles on music and mathematics. His university page is:

http://www.ifi.unizh.ch/staff/mazzola/

And his website is:

http://www.encyclospace.org/

And another mathematician is the late Iannis Xenakis (1922-2001) that has worked on music, mathematics and computer science broadly. There is a website for his remembrance here:

http://www.iannis-xenakis.org/english/

Maestro Habil Aliev, the great and very famous master of kamancha

Ostad Habil Aliev, one of the great masters of Azerbaijani Classical music, was born on May 28, 1927 in Azerbaijan. His first concert was relayed from the TV in 1961. He played “Segah” with a new style of performing and technique, which caused a great reflect among the admirers of Azerbaijani music. He began to extend his creative researches from day to day. He gave a new life to many of mugams (Azerbaijani modal system). In 1952, he entered the kamancha (Azerbaijani spike fiddle) Dept. of Musical School after A. Zeynalli. Lately he worked at Philharmonic Society in Baku, Azerbaijan. He has been to more than 60 foreign countries, promoting Azerbaijani Classical music. He also became famous accompanist. To sound every mugam in its own language in a tripet, to protect its united spirit and to stress the individuality of all the components of the music is one of his splendid efforts.

Habil Aliyev website

Azerbaijani Music

Azeri music has 12 mugham-s (mugam-s). Mugham is melodic modal system in many Middle Eastern and Central Asian countries. Even Uyghur Turks have 12 mugham-s. The similarity of the melodies, their names and the musical instruments in these areas shows the deep mutual impact of these musical systems and styles.

Azeri music has four major rhythm cycles that I have discussed and explained with suitable MP3s in my articles and ghaval lessons.

Some useful Azerbaijani music links:

Naghara (Nagara), the Azerbaijani Cylindrical Drum

Azeri tar and kamanche info

Discussion Forum for Persian and Azerbaijani Classical Music

Azerbaijan International Magazine: World’s Largest Web Site about Azerbaijan. It is an independent magazine published since 1993 and committed to the discussion of issues related to Azerbaijanis around the world.

Maestro Habil Aliev, the great and very famous master of kamancha

Encyclopedia of Persian Percussion Instruments

An Article by Peyman Nasehpour

Akhlakandu: A very ancient percussion instrument. It was made of skull that it includes gravel stones in it. Today its name is Jeghjeghe that literally means rattle. It was played by shaking the instrument.

Ajlakandu: Another name of Akhlakandu.

Alvah: It is a set of wooden or metallic plates that is played by being struck with sticks.

Arabaneh: A kind of frame drum, maybe with jingles.

Arkal: A kind of drum, maybe frame drum.

Ayine-pil: A big metallic ancient drum that was banded on elephant and it was played with sticks. Its French name is Gong.

Batare: A kind of frame drum, maybe the same as Daf. It should be mentioned that Bateri is the same as the English word Battery (sound of drum and also a kind of percussion instrument).

Bendayer: A kind of frame drum, maybe the same as Bendir. Please refer to Bendir.

Bendir: A kind of frame drum with bells. Today the Bendir is a typical frame drum. Similar instruments are common in the whole Near East from Morocco to Iraq and also in Northern Africa. The special feature of this Instrument lies in the snare strings that run inside the instruments body near the drum skin.

Boshghabak: Small cymbal to be used by dancers.

Chaghabeh: Another name of Chaghaneh.

Chaghaneh: A kind of percussion instrument that is made of small dried gourd, which includes gravel stones. Dancers sound it during their dance performance.

Chalab: A kind of cymbal that is played in mourning ceremonies. Its smaller size is played in festive ceremonies. Another names of Chalab are Chalap, Senj, Zang, and Tal.

Chambar: It literally means frame. It has also been interpreted as a Persian tambourine.

Charkh: Any kind of frame drum. It literally means wheel.

Chini: A kind of percussion instrument to be played in army. Its body is made of clay that it is hung some little bells from its body. Shaking it sounds it.

Chumlak-dombolak: A kind of Turkish-Egyptian Dombak with clay body.

Dabal: Big drum. Dabalzan means Dabal player.

Dabdab: Drum, maybe kettledrum.

Daf: Daf is one of the most ancient frame drums in Asia and North Africa. As a Persian instrument, in 20th century, it is considered as a Sufi instrument to be played in Khaghan-s for Zikr music but now this percussion instrument has recently become very popular and it has been integrated into Persian art music successfully.

Daf-e-chahar-gush: A kind of squared Daf. This percussion-skinned instrument is played in Egypt and Syria.

Dafif: Another name of Daf.

Damameh: A kind of drum. It is a big bowl covered with skin. Also it is a kind of cylindrical drum.

Damam: Another name of Damameh.

Damaru: It has been interpreted as a very ancient Persian long-necked lute. But in India and it is a small hourglass drum traditionally ascribed to Shiva. Two small beads are attached to a string that winds around the middle of the instrument. Held in the right hand and rolled from side to side. It is played in Nepal also.

Damz: A kind of frame drum.

Daneh: A kind of drum that one side is covered with skin and the other side is left open. Maybe the same as the Indian drum Danka.

Dap: A kind of frame drum. Some believe that Dap or Dup is a Hebraic word, which means stroke or beat and Daf is arabicized of Dap. In Uyghuristan (Xinjiang of China) there are two kinds of frame drums. One is Dap and other that is smaller is Kichik Dap (Kichik literally means small). In Malaysia Dup is a double-headed drum and is cylindrical in shape. Dup is usually used in the Ghazal and ‘Gambuh’ performance. Goat hide is used to produce sound and it is hit using the hand or hitting equipment, which is wrapped with soft cloth. Dup is famous among the Malay community in Johor. The word “Dup” originated from the onomatopoeic system.

Dara: Dara-y. Please refer to Jaras.

Dara-y: Dara, Jaras. Please refer to Jaras.

Dara-ye-Hindi: A kind of Dara.

Dareh: A kind of Persian frame drums same as Dayereh. It is played in folk music of Dezful city in Khuzestan province of Iran. There is a proverb that is: Dara seda nadara, which means Dareh, has not sound! Dara is a dialect of Dareh and Dareh in Dezful is called Dara. In Dezful Dar means coarse sieve.

Dariye: Another dialect of Dayereh.

Davat: A kind of drum to be stroke by Ghazib (drum stick).

Dayereh: It literally means circle. It is a kind of Persian frame drum, though apparently Dayereh is an Arabic word. Some believe that Dayereh is the same as the Persian word Dareh.

Dayereh-zangi: Tambourine.

Desarkutan: A kind of drum to be played in Mazandaran province of Iran. Please refer to Naghghareh-ye-Shomal.

Dizeh: In Bojnord city of Khorasan province of Iran, Dareh is called Dizeh.

Dobol: A dialect of Dohol in Shushtar city of Khuzestan province of Iran.

Dofuf: Arabic pl. of Daf.

Dohol: A big cylindrical two-faced drum to be played by two special drumsticks. One is wooden thick stick that is bowed at the end and its name is Changal (or Kajaki). The other is thin wooden twig and its name is Deyrak. (In Hormozgan province of Iran, Dohol is played by two hands.) Dohol is the main accompaniment of Sorna (Persian Oboe, Turkish Zurna, Indian Shehnay and Chinese Suona).

Dohol-e-baz: Small brazen Dohol to be played in the time of hunting in order to encourage the prey hawk (falcon) for hunting.

Doholak: A kind of Dohol to be played in Baluchestan by two hands. Its name in Pakistan is Nal. In Mahashtra of India its name is Dholki. Dholak in India is crude folk drum characterized by a cylindrical wooden shell covered with skin on both sides.

Dombak: Another name of Tonbak. It is derived from the Pahlavi (Persian ancient language) word, Dombalak.

Dombalak: Pahlavi name of Tonbak.

Dombalak-e-ayyubi: Dombalak attributed to Ayyub. It is interesting to say that Ayyub is a Middle Eastern rhythm to be played in belly dance.

Donbak: Another name of Tonbak.

Donbalak-e-Moghren: An ancient drum that was a pair of Tombaks.

Doplak: Small drum. Please refer to Tablak.

Dora: A kind of small frame drum (Not to be confused with Japanese Dora that is a kind of Gong). It should be another dialect of Dara. Please refer to Dareh. In Tajikistan and Afghanistan Dareh is called Doira.

Dorokkor: A kind of Baluchestani cylindrical drum, similar to Indian Khol. Please refer to Tombak.

Dulab: Sarcastic or ironical name of drum.

Dulak: Dohol of Pakistan and Afghanistan. A kind of cylindrical drum.

Gapdohol: A kind of Dohol to be played in Hormozgan province of Iran.

Gavorga(ke) : Kus (Kettledrum).

Ghashoghak: Castanets.

Ghaval: Azerbaijani frame drum with or without rings. Ghavalchi means Ghaval player.

Ghodum: A kind of drum to be played in Turkish Sufi music. Another name in Turkey is Kudum.

Ghopuz: Jew’s harp of Turkmen Sahra of Iran. Please refer to Zanburak.

Gong: Metal disk with a turned rim giving a resonant note when struck with a stick. Gong apparently is of Chinese origin.

Gushdarideh: Tablak (Small drum).

Jalajel: pl. of Joljol. It literally means bells.

Jam-Danbolak: A kind of drum similar to Tonbak. It should be mentioned that Jam literally means cup.

Jaras: A kind of metallic percussion instrument. This is an Arabic word that its meaning in Persian is Dara-y. It is sounded by sledge. Its Chinese name is Chak.

Jeghjeghe: Persian rattle. Today in Iran it is considered as an instrument for entertaining children.

Jure: A kind of cylindrical drums same as Dohol to be used in folk music of Hormozgan province of Iran for accompanying Sorna (Persian Oboe, Turkish Zurna, Indian Shehnay and Chinese Suona) in wedding ceremonies or any other festive occasions.

Kabar: Drum, Tabl.

Kafeh: A kind of Daf (frame drum) to be played by the palm of the hand. Kaffeh means circular thing.

Kas: Please refer to Kus.

Kasat: It is a set of china bowls that are filled with water. Each bowl is struck with a light wooden mallet to cause it to ring. Its Indian version is called Jal-Tarang. Jal-Tarang can be translated to water-bowl chimes.

Kaseh: Literally means bowl. But in music it is considered as kettledrum. Kasehzan and Kasehgar both mean Kaseh player.

Kaseh-pil: A kind of drum that was banded on elephant. Please refer to Ayine-pil.

Kastan: It is two bowls that dancers struck them to each other during their performance. It should be the same as Castanets.

Keser: A kind of Dohol to be played in Hormozgan province.

Khanjari: A kind of small drum played in Qawwal music of Pakistan. Maybe there is a relation between Khanjari and Indian Kanjira.

Khar-mohre: A kind of Gong.

Khom: Kettledrum.

Khombak: Another name for Tonbak. Khomak: Khom-e-ruyin. It literally means small barrel. There is a kind of cylindrical drum in Bengal and its name is Khomok. The khomok of the Baul people of Bengal is also known as a khamak, anandalahari, and gubgubi. It looks like a small drum with a wooden body and a skinhead. The head is pierced with a string attached to a small piece of wood or metal to prevent it from passing all the way through the skin. The other end of the string travels through the instrument to come out the bottom opening and is attached to a small brass handle. The khomok is played by placing the drum body under the arm and pulling on the handle thus pulling the string and placing tension on the drum skin. The string is plucked while the tension on the string is varied, producing a surprising vocal-like sound. Some khomok have two strings that are played at the same time increasing both the volume and complexity of the sound.

Khom-e-ruyin: A kind of Khom with brazen body.

Khonb: Khom. Please refer to Khonbak.

Khonbak: Some believe that Khonbak was a small Kettledrum with metallic body. Then it was made of clay and now it is made of wood and it is same as today Tonbak.

Koli: A kind of Persian frame drum.

Kube: In Arabic, Al-kube. A kind of hourglass drum. Kube comes from the Persian verb Kubidan (to strike).

Kurka(e): A Turkish word. Please refer to Gavorga.

Kus: Persian Kettledrum.

Kus-e-Ashkebus: Kus attributed to Ashkebus, famous commander of King Afrasiyab mentioned in masterpiece Shahnameh of the famous poet of Persia, Ferdosi.

Kus-e-dolat: Kettledrum to be played during the victories.

Kus-e-id: Kettledrum to be played during id (festival).

Kus-e-Iskandar: Kus attributed to Iskandar.

Kus-e-jang: Kettledrum used in wars in order to embolden and encourage the soldiers.

Kus-e-khaghani: Kettledrum for Khaghan (title of Chinese emperors).

Kus-e-Mahmudi: Kettledrum attributed to King Mahmud Ghaznavi.

Kus-e-rehlat: Kettledrum to be played during the decamping.

Kus-e-ruyin: Kettledrum with brazen body.

Kust: Another name of Kus mentioned in Shahnameh of Ferdosi.

Mandal: Apparently a kind of Indian drum. Mandalnavaz means Mandal player.

Mohre: A kind of drum to be used in wars.

Naghghareh: It is a pair of drums to be played with sticks. They are kettledrums of old Nobat (traditional ensemble of nine instruments). Today it is used to accompany Sorna. Naghgharechi means Naghghareh player. We have a same instrument in India that its name is Nagada or Nagara to be used usually accompanying the Shehnay (Indian Oboe). Some believe that the root of Indian Tabla should be Persian Naghghareh.

Naghghareh-ye-Fars: A kind of Naghghareh to be played in Fars province of Iran.

Naghghareh-ye-Sanandaj: A kind of Naghghareh to be played in Sanandaj city of Kurdistan province of Iran.

Naghghareh-ye-Shomal: A kind of Naghghareh to be played in North of Iran. Its name in Mazandaran province of Iran is Desarkutan. Desarkutan is the combination of the words De, Sar and Kutan that they respectively mean two, head and to beat.

Naghus: Gong.

Naker: Naghghareh. Nakers were made of wood, metal, or clay and were sometimes equipped with snares. They were almost always played in pairs and were struck with hard sticks. They were probably tuned to high and low notes of identifiable pitch.

Nal: Please refer to Doholak.

Ruyin-khom: Kettledrum. Please refer to Khom-e-ruyin.

Samma: A kind of frame drum to be played in Sufi (mystic) music of south of Iran, esp. Sistan-Baluchestan.

Saz-e-fulad: A kind of percussion instrument that is made up of 35 metallic plates with different sizes. Fulad literally means steel. Fulad is arabicized of Pulad. Saz literally means musical instrument.

Saz-e-kubei: Percussion instrument. Kubei means percussion and comes from the verb Kubidan that means to beat, to strike and so on.

Saz-e-zarbi: Percussion instrument. Literally Saz means musical instrument and Zarbi means rhythmic composition.

Saz-e-zarbi-ye-pusti: Percussion skinned instrument. Pust and pusti literally mean skin and skinned.

Shaghf: A kind of frame drum.

Shahin-Tabbal: Shahin literally means royal falcon, but here is a kind of wind instrument. Tabbal means drummer. Shahin-Tabbal is a person who plays Shahin by one hand and Tabl (drum) by the other one.

Senj: Cymbal. Senj should be the same as Indian Jhanj (Large Cymbal?) or Manjira.

Tabang: Another name of Tonbak (Persian goblet drum).

Tabare: A kind of drum. Please refer to Tabire.

Tabire: It literally means drum. In Arabic it means Tabl. In French encyclopedia of Littreé it has been mentioned that the French word Tabur (small drum used in medieval times to accompany folk-dancing) comes from the Persian word Tabire.

Tabl: Drum.

Tabla: Indian drums to be played in Northern Indian music. The invention of Indian Tabla is attributed to Amir Khosro Dehlavi, famous poet-musician.

Tablak: Small drum. Doplak should be another version of Tablak.

Tabl-e-baz: A kind of drum to be used in the time of hunting. Please refer to Dohol-e-baz.

Tabur: A kind of Eastern percussion instrument, which it has immigrated to west and has been called Tambour there. Please refer to Tabire.

Taburak: A kind of frame drum. It comes from Tabire and the diminutive suffix “ak”. So it means small Tabire.

Taher: A kind of percussion instrument.

Tal: A kind of percussion instrument that is two small bowls. The bowls are beaten to each other to sound by dancers during their dance performance. This instrument can be found in India also.

Tanbal: Tablak or Dohol.

Tar: A kind of frame drum. This word is arabicized of the word Dareh.

Tas: Two kinds of percussion instrument are called Tas. One is a copper bowl covered with skin. This should be the same as Indian Tasa or Tasha. Tas is a small drum, which is beaten with sticks. Please refer to Tasht. It is interesting to mention that there was a custom that during the lunar eclipses the Tas or Tasht were played in Iran. Tas in ordinary use is a copper bowl used in bathhouses. Tasht literally means tub or basin. The other is a set of copper bowls without skin that its Indian version is called Jal-Tarang.

Tasht: A kind of percussion instrument. Tashtgar means Tasht player. Please refer to Tas.

Tempo: A kind of goblet drum very similar to Turkish-Arabic Dumbek or Darbuka (Not to be confused with the English word tempo).

Ter-yal: A kind of ancient percussion instruments same as Tirpal.

Timbook: A kind of cylindrical drums same as Dohol.

Tirpal: Please refer to Ter-yal.

Tombak: Another name of Tonbak. There is a kind of cylindrical drum in Baluchestan province of Iran. Its name is Tombak but it can be compared with Indian Khol. Khol also called mridang is a folk drum of northeast India. It has a body made of clay, a very small head on the right side (approximately 4 inches), and a larger head on the left side (approximately 10 inches).

Tombak-e-zourkhaneh: A kind of Tonbak to be played in zourkhaneh (Traditional Persian Gymnasium). Zourkhaneh literally means house of power.

Tonbak: Persian goblet drums. There are many names for this instrument. Some of them are: 1. Dombar 2. Dombarak 3. Tabang 4. Tabnak 5. Tobnak 6. Tobnok 7. Tobnog 8. Tonbik 9. Tonbook 10. Tontak 11. Khonbak 12. Khombak 13. Khommak 14. Damal 15. Dambal 16. Donbalak 17. Dombalak 18. Khoorazhak 19. Khomchak 20. Tonbak 21. Tombak 22. Donbak 23. Dombak 24. Zarb.

Tonbak-e-bazmi: A kind of Tonbak to be played in parties.

Tonbak-e-razmi: Tonbak-e-zourkhaneh.

Tonbak-e-Ta’lim: A kind of Tonbak for training the athletes in zourkhaneh (Traditional Persian Gymnasium).

Tonbak-e-zourkhaneh: A kind of Tonbak and bigger than ordinary Tonbak that it is played in zourkhaneh (Traditional Persian Gymnasium).

Tonbook: Another name of Tonbak.

Tulomba(e): A kind of percussion instrument.

Zanburak: Persian Jew’s harp. It is played in Turkmen Sahra of Iran and its name in there is Ghopuz, Ghobuz and Khabuz. Its Indian name is Murchang.

Zang: Bell. Please refer to Jaras.

Zang-e-sarangoshti: Copper cymbals, played per pairs fixed on the inch and the major one of each hand. Mainly employed to stress the dance, one finds them in particular present in the miniatures Persians on figurines dancers of the beginning of the century, and in the past on low-relieves. Their existence seems to go back to immemorial times.

Zang-e-zourkhaneh: A kind of Zang to be played in zourkhaneh (Traditional Persian Gymnasium).

Zangol: Another name of Zang.

Zangolicheh: Small Zang or Jaras. It comes from Zangol and the diminutive suffix “cheh”.

Zanguleh: Small bell.

Zanjir: Literally means chain. Its Pahlavi name is Zanchir. It is made up of some hawk bells to be hanged from somewhere. It sounds by shaking.

Zarb: Another name of Tonbak. Zarbgir is old expression for Tonbak player and it comes from the verb Zarb gereftan that means to play on Zarb.

Zarb-e-zourkhaneh: A kind of Tonbak to be played in zourkhaneh (Traditional Persian Gymnasium). Zourkhaneh literally means house of power.

Zarbuleh: A kind of goblet drum to be played in North Africa and Syria. In Syria it is covered with fish-skin and in North Africa with goatskin.

Zerbaghali: Another name of Zirbaghali.

Zirbaghali: A kind of goblet drum very similar to Persian Tonbak to be played in Afghanistan. Zirbaghali is clay goblet drum and played with a technique somewhat between Persian Tonbak and Indian Tabla, with some Darbuka techniques thrown in for seasoning. Indian Tabla has influenced the Afghans, particularly Kabulis. This word has been spelled Zerbaghali too. It is interesting to say that there is a black spot (siyahi) on the skin of Zirbaghali, which shows the influence of Indian Tabla on Zirbaghali. Zirbaghali can be considered as an Indo-Persian musical instrument.

Zu-jalal: A kind of frame drum with bells.

Acknowledgements:

The author wishes to thank Hormoz Dilmaghani for his technical support.

References:

Abbas Aryanpur and Manoochehr Aryanpur, The Concise Persian-English Dictionary, Amir Kabir Publication Organization, Tehran, 1990.
B. Chaintanya Deva, Indian Music, New Delhi, 1974.
David R. Courtney, Fundamentals of Tabla, Vol.I, Sur Sangeet Services, Houston, 1998.
Michael Kennedy, The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music, Oxford Univ. Press, London, 1980.
Mehran Poor Mandan, The Encyclopedia of Iranian Old Music, Tehran, 2000.
Cemsid Salehpur, Türkçe Farsça Genel Sözlügü, Tehran, 1996.
Mehdi Setayeshgar, Vazhe-Name-ye-Musighi-ye-Iran Zamin, Tehran, Vol. I (1995) & Vol. II (1996).

Drums in Persian Paintings

A Research by Peyman Nasehpour and Mehdi Moghiceh (Painter)

We found the two above paintings to be painted in 1519 and 1590 that they show the tonbak. These are the oldest documents that show the Persian tonbak vividly. What is important is that in the paintings the tonbak players are in fact the Persian gypsies. Luti or Motreb-e-Doregard (traveller Motreb) is the Persian expression for gypsy. This needs more explanation:

First we like to have a lexical discussion of the word Motreb. Motreb is an Arabic word that comes from the word Tarab, witch means joy. Motreb means the musician who plays allegro and joyful melodies in the festive ceremonies particularly in wedding ceremonies.

Poets and writers have used the word Motreb very much through the history. For example Hafiz, the shining star of the Persian literature, has composed a very famous poem about the Motreb:

The translation of the verse is:

Wonderful harmony and great melody, the minstrel of love hath:

Every picture of the hidden he striketh, path to place hath.

Riq

It is really wonderful that the frame drums to be painted in Persian paintings (that is called in West Persian miniatures) are so similar to the today riq to be played in Turkey, Egypt and the other Arabic countries.

Anyway today riq is not played in Persia (Iran). Riq is small, tambourine-like frame drum used in classical, popular, and dance music. Jingles (circular metal discs) are inserted into its wooden frame. Other spellings are Riqq, Req, Rik, and Rikk.

Also we should mention that there are some poems to be composed by the very famous Persian poet and Sufi, Molana Rumi, which contain the word riq as a drum.

In so many Persian paintings that we considered we found some paintings that the frame drummers put the frame drums on their shoulders for amplifying their voice. This tradition has been remained also in Azerbaijani singers that play ghaval (Azerbaijani frame drum) for accompanying the traditional Azerbaijani ensemble of three instruments (tar, kamancheh and ghaval).

As the paintings show the frame drums were used to play in darbar (court of kings) and khanghah (temple of dervishes).

Kus and Naghghareh

Kettledrums have been painted in Persian paintings very much.

Persian large-sized kettledrums are called Kus. Many poets have mention to the word Kus in their works. It was a pair of drums to be made of clay, wood or metal in the form of a hemispherical kettle, with skin stretched over the mouth of it. Kus was played with drumsticks of leather or wood (The leather drumstick was called Daval). Kus usually was carried on backhouse, backcamel or backelephant. It was played in many occasions such as festivals, wars, decamping and so on.

It was the accompaniment of the Karnay (Persian trumpet or horn). Particularly the Persian epic poets Ferdosi and Nezami for describing the war fields have mentioned to Kus and Karnay very much. Many Persian paintings (miniatures) show the presence and importance of the Kus and Karnay in the war fields. There were applied to encourage the army. The antiquity of the Kus and Karnay reaches Achaemenid period (533-330 B.C.).

Apparently after Islam the word Naghghareh has been used to mention to small-sized kettledrums of the world of Islam. It seems that the word Naghghareh comes from the Arabic verb Naghr that means to strike and to beat (Today in Turkey Naghghareh is called Nakkare). A few poets have mentioned the name Naghghareh such as Molana Rumi.

Other Drums to Be Painted in Persian Paintings

Most of the drums to be painted in Persian paintings are frame drums and kettledrums. Here we explain the other drums to be painted in Persian paintings.

We have seen the dohol in Persian paintings also.

Dohol is a big cylindrical two-faced drum to be played by two special drumsticks. One is a wooden thick stick that is bowed at the end and its name is Changal (or Kajaki). The other is a thin wooden twig and its name is Deyrak. (In Hormozgan province of Iran, Dohol is played by two hands.) Dohol is the main accompaniment of Sorna (Persian oboe). It is played in outdoors in regional music of Persia in the festive ceremonies (The famous poet Molana Rumi has mentioned sorna and dohol in his poems). Dobol is a dialect of dohol in Shushtar a city in Khuzestan province of Iran. Dohol is called daval in Kurdistan. Saz-daval is an expression for sorna and dohol in Kurdistan. Other names such as davul, tavel and so on have been applied too. Since dohol is a double-faced drum sometimes it is called do-ruyeh in Persian language. I should mention that ghaval and daf are yek-ruyeh (one-faced).

There are some proverbs in Iran about this drum. The most famous proverb that many poets have been used in their works is: “Avaz-e-dohol shenidan az dur khosh ast” that literally means dohol sounds pleasant from a distance.

For more information about Persian drums and Persian drumming please refer to my articles.

Introduction to Persian Drums

Introduction

We are very lucky that we live in an era where we are the first generation of humans to experience the communication benefits of the internet. In the past, people typically had to study books that researchers had written about different drums. Other people were fortunate to meet drummers from different parts of the globe, those who had the chance to travel to different countries and play their drums in some festivals. But today, with the help of the internet, you can visit many percussive web sites and become acquainted with the drums of many different cultures, all from the comfort of your own home.

In 1997, Peyman learned first hand of the power of the internet as a research and communications tool. The first drums that he found information on were the Indian tabla (this wonderful pair of small drums), and the Middle Eastern tabla or the doumbek (the name that has been used by Americans for this great goblet-shaped drum). It was noticed however, that there was almost no information about the drums of Persia (Iran), and so a decision was made to introduce them to people as soon as there was time and opportunity to do so. Since November of 2000, Peyman has been lucky enough to meet many kind people who promote different drums of the world, and with their help has published some articles about Persian drums such as tonbak, dayereh and daf.

In this article, a brief introduction of the historic journey of Persian drums to different parts of the world will be offered. The internet will allow the journey of information on these drums to other parts of the world much easier than ever before.

Tonbak: The Persian Goblet-shaped Drum

Tonbak is the chief percussion instrument, and the first national drum of Persia (Iran). Etymology states that the Pahlavi (Persian pre-Islamic language) name of this drum was dombalak. Though there are many ancient manuscripts attesting to the different names of this drum, the oldest documented pictures that have been found by the author and his friend, Mehdi Moghiseh, are two Persian paintings painted in the 16th century showing some gypsy drummers and dancers, including tonbak players.

The name dombalak is still used in Turkey today. In Turkish dialect it is called dumbelek. A similar name is the name of the Greek goblet drum, which is called toubeleki. The doumbek, with different spellings such as dumbek, doumbeq, dumbeq and so on, has been brought to the USA by Middle Eastern immigrants, and is also related to these names.

The tonbak is played with a style that is very different from the style that the other goblet drums are played with, though they seem very similar at first sight. Also, the similarity of the names of different goblet drums should not cause the reader to assume that all goblet drums are played with the same style. The Turkish style is different from the Arabic style, although there are some similarities also. In Turkish style, like the Persian style, finger snapping is used. However, the structure of Arabic goblet drums doesn’t let you play finger snaps on it.

Fortunately for the Arabic/Turkish goblet drums, they have received widespread promotion. On the other hand, the Persian goblet drum is still relatively unknown today. The only goblet drum that the author knows is played similar to the Persian goblet drum, is the Afghani goblet drum which is called zirbaghali.

Thanks to many Iranian tonbak masters such as Hussein Tehrani (the father of modern tonbak) and Nasser Farhangfar, the awareness of the tonbak in the general population of Iran has progressed very much.

Dayereh: The Persian Frame Drum

Dayereh is one of the most popular frame drums played in the regional music of Iran today. Though it is not used in Persian art music, you can find it in many different regions of Iran. One of the most important styles of frame drumming in Iran is the Azerbaijani style played on the Azerbaijani frame drum called ghaval. Again, the similarity of the names of different frame drums should not cause us to assume that they are all played in the same style.

The Pahlavi (Persian pre-Islamic language) name of dayereh is dareh. This name is still in use in Dezful city of Iran. The pandeiro of Spain, Portugal and Brazil is related to the dayereh.

Ghaval is the Azerbaijani frame drum and is known by Persians as dayereh-ye-azari, which means Azerbaijani dayereh. Ghaval was the accompaniment drum in Azerbaijani art and folk music. The legendary ghaval player, Latif Tahmasebi-zadeh, has played many ghaval solos and added some interesting new techniques to the art of ghaval playing.

Thanks to some frame drummers and drum makers in the western world, this drum has been introduced to the western world, but more promotion is still needed yet.

Daf: The Persian Frame Drum

Daf is a very famous drum in Iran that was used in Sufi music. Many famous poets such as Hafiz and Rumi have mentioned to this drum in their poems. Thanks to many daf players, particularly daf players from Kurdistan of Iran, this drum has been widely promoted in Iran, and today it is considered to be the second national drum of Iran (Persia).

Originally, the Pahlavi name of daf was dap. Daf in Arabic countries is called duff and the adufe (the Portuguese drum) is related to this drum. The name dap is still used in Uyghuristan of China today.

Acknowledgement: The author wishes to thank David Johannes of Drum Journey, who helped to make the English of this article more understandable, and for publishing it to make it available to those who are interested in the drums of different cultures.

Tonbak and Daf, the Two National Drums of Iran (Persia)

An Article by Peyman Nasehpour

Tonbak is the Persian goblet drum and chief drum of Persian music. Goblet-shaped drums are played in different regions of Asia, East Europe and North Africa. Though there are some similarities among all goblet drums, but the techniques for playing the tonbak is very different from the other goblet drums of the world. The finger patterns and techniques of the only goblet drum that is very similar to the tonbak is zirbaghali (the Afghani goblet drum).

The structure of tonbak is considered to have five parts: Skin, Body, Throat, Small Opening and Large Opening. Skin of Tonbak is glued on the head of Tonbak. Goatskin is most popular. Body of Tonbak is wooden. This is in fact the sound box of Tonbak. Sometimes many furrows are carved on its wood. Throat is almost cylindrical and it is connected from top to the body. Tonbak is open from the top and bottom. Small opening is in the bottom. It is similar to the mouth of trumpet. In fact throat and small opening together are in the form of a trumpet. Large opening is in the top and the skin is covered on it.

Daf is the Persian frame drum. There are many similar frame drums in all over the world. The structure of daf is divided into six parts as follows: Frame is wooden. The diameter of the frame is 48-53 centimeters. The width of the frame is 5-7 centimeters. Skin is glued on the frame. The most popular is goatskin. Pins are applied in behind part of the frame in order to keep the skin on the frame tightly. Hooks are applied in order to hang the rings in the inner part of frame. Rings are the jingles of daf. Leather band is applied in order to help the player for long duration performances.

Tonbak and daf are considered as pre-Islamic drums of Persia, since there are some pre-Islamic books mentioning to the names of these drums. The Pahlavi (Persian language spoken during pre-Islamic ages) name of the tonbak is dombalag. And etymologists believe that the name tonbak and similar names such as tombak, donbak and dombak and so on have been all derived from this Pahlavi name. It is so interesting that even today the word dumbelek is used for the Turkish goblet drum. I wonder if there is any relationship between the tonbak and gedombak, the Malay goblet drum. The Pahlavi name of daf is dap and it is believed that daf is the Arabicized name of dap. The name daf with its different dialects used in some other areas is not the aim of this article to be discussed here. Only one point that the name dap even today is used in Uyghuristan (a part of today China).

Unfortunately the history of Persian musical instruments is in dispute. The history of Persian music shows that many books have been written on Persian music and it is unfortunate that many of them have not survived and many of them that have survived have not been published in Iran.

According to my personal research, there are no books for describing Persian drums, though in many books many names of Persian drums have been mentioned. What we know is that tonbak and daf were played in the past, but how, I have not found any info!

Anyway, my friend, Mr. Mehdi Moghiceh (painter) and I found two Persian paintings belonging to 16th century, showing some gypsy tonbak, daf and dohol (Persian cylindrical drum) players. Also recently I found a poem of the very famous poet, Amir Khosro Dehlavi, mentioning to tonbak-e-hindi that should be a kind of Indian goblet drum, maybe related to Kashmiri goblet drum, tumbaknari.

Today, Tonbak is played in different genres of Persian music: It is played in Persian art music genre. Thanks to many books written on the tonbak recently, we know much about the tonbak and tonbak players from ghajar period up to present. Also it is played in motrebi style. Motrebi music is that genre of music that is played in some festive occasions such as wedding ceremonies, though today unfortunately this style of tonbak playing is going to be forgotten. It is played in regional (folk) music of Persia, particularly the regions of Lorestan, Kurdistan and Hormozgan too. Another kind of tonbak, called tonbak-e-zourkhaneh, that its size is larger than ordinary tonbak, is played in zourkhaneh, Persian traditional gymnasium.

Fortunately there are more paintings showing people playing frame drums. Daf, in the works of many poets such as Hafiz, Rumi have been mentioned and it has been the chief instrument of many Sufi gatherings. Even today daf is played in khangah (temple of Sufis).

What is important here is to mention that daf was considered a spiritual frame drum to be played in Sufi gatherings. Thanks to many daf players, recently daf has been promoted in Iran very much. This instrument that was considered only a Sufi drum to be played khangah (temple of Sufis), now it is played in many other Persian music genres successfully so that it is considered the second national drum of Iran beside the tonbak.

Sufi rhythms are played in Persian art music after the introduction of the daf to this genre of music. On the other hand, some modern daf players applied tonbak techniques on the daf. Therefore today we have two major styles for daf playing, one the traditional khangah style and the other modern style to be nurtured in Tehran.

Kettledrums of Persia (Iran) and some other countries

An Article by Peyman Nasehpour

Introduction.

Persian large-sized kettledrums are called Kus. Many poets have mentioned the word Kus in their works. It is a pair of drums made of clay, wood or metal in the form of a hemispherical kettle, with skin stretched over the mouth of it. Kus was played with leather or wood drumsticks (The leather drumstick was called Daval). Kus usually was carried on horseback, camelback or elephantback. It was played in many occasions such as festivals, wars, decamping and so on.

It was the accompaniment of the Karnay (Persian trumpet or horn). Particularly the Persian epic poets Ferdosi and Nezami have mentioned Kus and Karnay when describing the battlefields. Many Persian paintings (miniatures) show the presence and importance of the Kus and Karnay in the battlefields. There were applied to encourage the army. The antiquity of the Kus and Karnay reaches Achaemenid period (533-330 B.C.).

After Islam the word Naghghareh has been used for small-sized kettledrums of the world of Islam. It seems that the word Naghghareh comes from the Arabic verb Naghr that means to strike and to beat (Today in Turkey Naghghareh is called Nakkare). A few poets have mentioned the name Naghghareh such as Molana Rumi. There is a Persian popular poem that mentions the Naghghareh.

The translation of the above poem is:

Dambel-e-Dimbo Naghghareh!
The bride has not Tonban [long, loose skirt formerly worn by women]!
The bridegroom has gone to fetch one
May he comes back healthy

Dambel-e-Dimbo or Zimbil-i-Zimbo is the sound made by a drum (compare with Rub-a-Dub in English).

This is a very important poem because the rhythm of the verses calls to mind the rhythm of ‘chahar-chubeh’ of Mazandarani regional, which is played by Desarkutan.

Different names such as Gavorga, Kaseh, Khom, Naghghareh and many similar names have been applied for the kettledrums. For more information about these names please refer to:

Encyclopedia of Persian Percussion Instruments

Iran (Persia)

Naghghareh can be found in different sizes in different regions of Iran:

Naghareh-ye-Shomal (northen naghareh)

One of them is Naghghareh-ye-Shomal that is played in North of Iran. Its native name in Mazandaran province of Iran is Desarkutan. Desarkutan is in fact a pair of small drums. The body of drums is made of clay. Their structure is like bowl. One is larger than the other. The large one is called bam and the smaller one is called zil. It should be mentioned here that bam and zil respectively mean bass and treble. The diameter of the bam is about 22 centimeters and the diameter of the zil is about 16 centimeters. Two drums are covered by cow’s skin, though in the past the skin of boar was used. The skin is tightened on the drums by bands to be made of cow cut. The drums are played with two wooden drumsticks. The length of the drumsticks is from 25 to 27 centimeters. The thicker drumstick is used to play on the larger drum. The diameter of the drumsticks is from 1 to 1.5 centimeter.

Serna (Mazandarani oboe, same as Persian Sorna) is accompanied by one or two Desarkutan-s. These instruments are played in festive ceremonies such as wedding ceremonies, sport ceremonies and so on. Desarkutan is not used as a solo instrument.

It is really wonderful that we have the same occasion in India. Naghghareh can be found in India and its native name is Nagada or Nagara.

Nagara of India is a pair of drums. These are the kettledrums of old ‘naubat’ (traditional ensemble of nine instruments). It is played with sticks. Today this instrument is usually used to accompany the shehnai (Indian oboe). Shehnai is an indispensable component of any North Indian wedding (shadi).

Naghghareh-ye-Azerbaijan

In Azerbaijan there is a kind of kettledrum that is called Ghosha-Naghara. Ghosha literally means pair.

Naghghareh-ye-Fars

The Naghghareh played in the Fars province of Iran is a little larger than ordinary Naghghareh.

Naghghareh-ye-Sanandaj

The Naghghareh played in the Sanandaj city of Kurdistan province of Iran is a little larger than ordinary Naghghareh.

Egypt and the Other Arabic Countries

The Naqqarat is the name of kettledrums to be applied in Arabic countries. Naqqarat, hemispherical with the skin stretched over the top, come in pairs. The larger ones are carried on camels and played during the pilgrimages. Another type is used to accompany one of the Mawlawi ceremonies. Under the late Abbasids and Fatimids in Egypt, kettledrums were beaten before the five daily prayers, and small ones form part of the present-day orchestral ensembles.

Turkey

In Turkey Naghghareh is called Nakkare (small kettledrums beaten with the hands or two sticks). The Kös (giant kettledrums) played on horseback that is a dialect of the Persian Kus. These drums and davul (Turkish cylindrical drum) were used in the Ottoman Mehter Music. (Mehter is a Persian word and means greater, senior, elder and groom).

Uzbekistan

In Uzbekistan the kettledrum is called Naghara.

Dul-Naghara is a large kettledrum that gives a low and loud sound (i.e. “tum”).
Rez-Naghara is a small kettledrum that gives a high and loud sound (i.e. “tak”).
Kosh-Naghara is a small-paired kettledrum, a pair of clay pots with goatskin tops.

Naghghareh goes to Europe.

According to history with the Islamic culture the kettledrums spread through other parts of Asia, Africa and Europe.

I should mention that kettledrums were adopted in Europe during the Crusades (13th century). The Arabic term Naghghareh became the French Nacaires, the Italian Naccheroni and the English Nakers. Nakers have been described like this:

They were more or less hemispherical, 15-25cm in diameter, frequently with snares and usually played in pairs, suspended in front of the player. They were usually played with drumsticks, mainly for martial purposes but also in chamber music, dance and processional music and probably for accompanying songs.

Kettledrums in Europe today are called tympani or timpani. They entered the symphony orchestra as a purely musical instrument in the mid 17th century; they were played in pairs tuned to tonic and dominant pitches. Beethoven was the first composer to vary the tuning of kettledrums from the conventional tonic-dominant. Berlioz was possibly the first to require a change of tuning during a single movement. Bartok made use of the glissando, which is a rapid slurring effect created by mechanical tuning of the kettledrum.

Indian Tabla and Persian Naghghareh

As the excellent study of tabla by Rebecca Stewart (The Tabla in Perspective. Unpublished thesis, UCLA, 1974) has suggested tabla was most likely a hybrid resulting from experiments with existing drums such as pakhawaj, dholak, and naqqara. The origins of tabla repertoire and technique may be found in all three and in physical structure there are also elements of all three: for example, the smaller pakhawaj head for the dayan, the naqqara kettledrum for the bayan, and the flexible use of the bass of the dholak.

Naghghareh-Khaneh

Khaneh literally means house, home, room, place etc. In Iran there were different kinds of Naghghareh-Khaneh and there were places for announcing important news by playing on the kettledrums such as rising and setting of the sun, victory, mourning, birth of a male baby etc. Naghghareh-Khaneh is also called Kus-Khaneh or Naubat-Khaneh.

References:

[[C]: David R. Courtney, Fundamentals of Tabla, Vol.I, Sur Sangeet Services, Houston, 1998.
[Le]: The World of Islam, Written by Thirteen Authors (Edited by Bernard Lewis), London, 1976.
[Ly]: Debby Lyttle, A Brief History of the Timpani, 1998.
[G]: Jamshid Gholi-Nejad, Musighi-ye-Bumi-ye-Mazandaran, Sari City, 2000.
[K]: James Kippen, A Brief Discussion of the Delhi Tabla Gharana.
[Sa]: Cemsid Salehpur, Türkçe Farsça Genel Sözlügü, Tehran, 1996.
[Se]: Mehdi Setayeshgar, Vazhe-Name-ye-Musighi-ye-Iran Zamin, Tehran, Vol. I (1995) & Vol. II (1996).

Dohol and Related Cylindrical Drums

An Article by Peyman Nasehpour

Introduction.

Dohol is a double-headed cylindrical drum for accompanying the sorna (Persian oboe) to be played in outdoors in regional music of Persia in the festive ceremonies. Different names are applied for this drum in Iran and other countries. In this article I will discuss different versions of this instrument in different regions. Any other information is welcomed.

Armenia

Dhol is an Armenian cylindrical drum traditionally covered with goatskin on both sides, one high and one low in pitch. It is covered with pre-fabricated head which is unaffected by changes in humidity, unlike natural skin. Played with the fingers and hands the dhol rests in your lap and sets off to one side with one arm resting on top of the drum. This is the same as Azerbaijani naghara. There is a proverb in Azerbaijani language that says toy-dan-sora-naghara! This literally means after the wedding ceremonies naghara!

Baluchestan of Persia

Dohol: Persian dohol.

Timbook: Small dohol.

Doholak: This is a small dohol but longer than timbook, to be played by two hands. There are two kinds of doholak; one is tunable while the other is not.

Bulgaria

In Bulgaria dohol is called tupan. It has a cylindrical wooden body on which two goat skin or sheep skin is stretched by means of a hoop and lacing. The tupan is played like the Persian dohol.

Egypt

In Egypt dohol is called tabl ballady.

Greece

In Greece dohol is called dauli.

Kurdistan

The dohol in Kurdistan is called daval. Daval is one of the most broadly used percussion instruments in festive ceremonies by the Kurds of Iran, Iraq and Turkey. The daval along with the saz (another name of sorna, Persian oboe) is played during group dances. It makes a very loud sound. The instrument is played by a stick-shaped cane in the right hand and a thin stick in the left. The cane like stick plays the strong beats of the rhythm, whereas the thin stick plays the ornaments and shorter beats.

India

There are three cylindrical drums in India that seems to be related to Persian dohol. Here is a brief description of the drums.

Dholak: A crude folk drum characterized by a cylindrical shell covered with skin on both sides. The name is Persian and a diminutive of Dhol, but this drum is of a distinct type, with its own historical roots. The dholak survives chiefly in North-Central and Northwest India and Pakistan, among performers such as the qawwal (singers of Muslim devotional music, qawwali), the Manganiyar musicians of Rajasthan etc.

Dholki: A small cylindrical folk drum, called also nal, popular in tamasha (street performance) of Maharashtra.

Tavil: A large cylindrical drum used in south Indian temples and wedding ceremonies sometimes accompanying the nadaswaram (a large south Indian oboe used in temples and wedding ceremonies).

Some believe that dohol and the other dialects of this name come from the Sanskrit name dholaka. Today dholaka is a kind of cylindrical Hindi drum.

Macedonia

In Macedonia dohol is called tapan. Tapan accompanies zurna (Macedonian oboe) in festive occasions such as wedding ceremonies. It is believed that these instruments are borrowed from the Turkish culture, while the others believe that they are borrowed from Persian culture. The musical culture of Turkey and Persia are very similar and at times very difficult to make a distinction.

Persia

Dohol is a big cylindrical two-faced drum to be played by two special drumsticks. One is a wooden thick stick that is bowed at the end and its name is Changal (or Kajaki). The other is a thin wooden twig and its name is Deyrak. (In Hormozgan province of Iran, Dohol is played by two hands.) Dohol is the main accompaniment of Sorna (Persian oboe). It is played in outdoors in regional music of Persia in the festive ceremonies (The famous poet Molana Rumi has mentioned sorna and dohol in his poems). Dobol is a dialect of dohol in Shushtar a city in Khuzestan province of Iran. Dohol is called daval in Kurdistan. Saz-daval is an expression for sorna and dohol in Kurdistan. Other names such as davul, tavel and so on have been applied too. Since dohol is a double-faced drum sometimes it is called do-ruyeh in Persian language. I should mention that ghaval and daf are yek-ruyeh (one-faced).
There are some proverbs in Iran about this drum. The most famous proverb that many poets have been used in their works is: “Avaz-e-dohol shenidan az dur khosh ast” that literally means dohol sounds pleasant from a distance.

The famous Persian astronomer-mathematician-poet, Hakim Omar Khayyam Naishpuri (1048-1131), the creator of the Jalali Calendar and contributor to Non-Euclidean Geometry, has composed the following robai (quatrain) that involves the above proverb:

The English translation by Edward Fitzgerald is:
Some for the Glories of This World; and some
Sigh for the Prophet’s Paradise to come;
Ah, take the Cash, and let the promise go,
Nor heed the music of a distant Drum [dohol]!

There are some expressions for dohol player in Persian language such as doholchi, doholzan, doholnavaz and doholkub. It is said that only sornachi (sorna player) is able to meet the protests of doholchi!

Russia

In Russia dohol is called tumyr.

Sri Lanka

The Sri Lankan “dolak” is used extensively in Sri Lanka, in both Buddhist and Hindu communities, to accompany musical forms imported from India. It is now usually conical in shape, with a badama spot (which affects the tuning and timbre) on one head. The hemp (or nylon) braces pass lengthways down the drum, through metal rings and over wooden blocks, both of which are used for tuning.

The term is also used more or less indiscriminately in Sri Lanka to denote any folk or popular drum, those that are more properly termed demala-bere, for example, often being called dolak.

Turkey

In Turkey dohol is called davul that is the accompaniment of zurna (Turkish oboe). It varies in sizes. One side is made of goatskin; the other side is made of sheepskin. It is played while hung on the shoulder with knitted or leather strap. The thin-skinned is beaten with a light wooden stick or twig, and the thick side is hit with a tokmak (in Persian and Azerbaijani tokhmagh that it literally means beetle but here a heavy drumstick for producing the bass sound). The davul is generally played in outdoors. There is a proverb in Turkish language that is interesting to mention here: Davul birinin boynunda, tokmak bir baskasinin elinde. This literally means: The davul in on the shoulder of one person while the tokmak (heavy drumstick) is in the hand of the other person! Another proverb is: davulun sesi ozaktan hos gelir that literally means: the distant davul sounds pleasant. The latter one is exactly the same as the Persian proverb mentioned in above. I should mention that there is another cylindrical drum in Turkey that is called naghara (nagara) and is defined in Turkish koltuk davulu that means armpit davul. Koltuk (in Azerbaijani, gholtukh) means armpit. This is similar to Azerbaijani naghara and Armenian dhol.

Yugoslavia

In Yugoslavia dohol is called teppan.

Acknowledgment. The author wishes to thank Ms. Anna Smart for e-mailing the information about the Sri Lankan dolak.

References:

[AA]: Abbas Aryanpur and Manoochehr Aryanpur, The Concise Persian-English Dictionary, Amir Kabir Publication Organization, Tehran, 1990.
[C]: David R. Courtney, Fundamentals of Tabla, Vol.I, Sur Sangeet Services, Houston, 1998.
[D]: B. Chaintanya Deva, Indian Music, New Delhi, 1974.
[K]: Omar Khayyam, Rubaiyyat of Omar Khayyam in 30 languages, by effort of Mohsen Ramezani, Padideh Publication, Tehran, 1987.
[P]: Mehran Poor Mandan, The Encyclopedia of Iranian Old Music, Tehran, 2000.
[SA]: Cemsid Salehpur, Türkçe Farsça Genel Sözlügü, Tehran, 1996.
[SE]: Mehdi Setayeshgar, Vazhe-Name-ye-Musighi-ye-Iran Zamin, Tehran, Vol. I (1995) & Vol. II (1996).

Naghara (Nagara), the Azerbaijani Cylindrical Drum

An Article by Peyman Nasehpour

Naghara is a dialect of Naghghareh that comes from Naghr. That is an Arabic verb that means to beat.

Though in different regions – so far as I know – naghara with its different dialects is used to mention to different kettledrums with different sizes and styles, but it is a little bit strange that in Azerbaijan, it is used to refer a cylindrical drum. I should mention that in Azerbaijan, there is a kind of small kettledrums that is called ghosha-naghara.

Cylindrical drums are used broadly in many regions. The most famous name for cylindrical drums in Persia is dohol. So it is quite natural to see that in Armenia, this cylindrical drum is named dhol (or duhole).

Though the drum that accompanies the Azerbaijani traditional ensemble is a frame drum called ghaval (in Persia dayereh with its pre-Islamic name dareh) that is played by the singer, but the naghara is also used broadly for different purposes. Thanks to some American drummers, ghaval has been introduced and promoted in the West, but Azerbaijani naghara (or Armenian dhol) is still unknown and in this article, my aim is to explain a little about this nice Azerbaijani-Armenian drum. I should mention that this drum is played in Georgia too.

Naghara traditionally has wooden body but today plastic things are used too. It is covered on both sides by natural skins such as goatskins, sheep skins one high and one low in pitch but today again plastic heads are used too. The heads are stretched and zigzagged by a special string that tunes the drum by tightening or loosening the string.

Played with the fingers of the both hands the naghara rests in your lap and sets off to one side with one arm resting on top of the drum.

The basic strokes of naghara:

The bass stroke is produced by the touching four-fingers of the free hand while beating somewhere near to the center of the head.

The treble stroke is produced by the touching four-finger (louder version) or touching middle and ring fingers (softer version) of the free or non-free hand while beating the rim of the head.

Another interesting stroke is produced by snapping the rim with both hands particularly the non-free hand.

Of course there are more strokes and every nagharachi (naghara player) uses her/his own taste to produce different sounds, but what I mentioned above are the least important basic strokes.

Anyway, though for playing the cylindrical drums both the heads are beaten by either hands or two different drumsticks but it is so interesting that Azerbaijani naghara (and similarly the Armenian dhol) is played like goblet drums such as the Persian tonbak and Turkish darbouka.

There is a proverb in Azerbaijani language that says toy-dan-sora-naghara! This literally means after the wedding ceremonies naghara!

For a nice picture of naghara and ghosha naghara and garmon player click Azer.com.

Different Daf-s

The antiquity of daf, with the Pahlavi name dap, goes to pre-Islamic ages. Persian literature shows us the importance of this Persian frame drum in Persian Sufi music. Daf was considered a spiritual drum played in khanghahs of Iran, particularly Kurdistan. It should be mentioned that similar frame drums with similar names are played in some other countries such as daf in India, tef in Turkey, duf in Arabic countries and dap in Uyghuristan of China.

Thanks to some famous daf players, daf integrated into Persian art music and it became the second national drum of Iran. The chief national drum of Iran is tonbak (the Persian goblet drum).

Today daf is used in all genres of music in Iran and in this article I will give a brief description of different daf-s used in different genres of Iranian (Persian) music.

Solo-Daf: A kind of daf that is used in solo performances. It should have a very strong sound and its jingles should have a clear sound. A daf soloist should be able to show her/his finger patterns by this solo-daf easily.

Studio-Daf: A kind of daf that its skin is not so sensitive of humidity changes. A studio-daf player should not be worry of the change of the tune of the skin of her/his daf during the recording.

Orchestra-Daf: A kind of daf with not a very strong sound. It should be mentioned that daf has generally a strong sound and if the sound of daf is very strong, like solo-daf, then the orchestra-daf player should be always worry of her/his drums sound. A strong-sounded daf may kill the orchestra’s sound. An orchestra-daf should have a warm and soft sound.

Bass-Daf: A kind of daf with a bass sound (its size is larger and its skin is thicker).

Treble-Daf: A kind of daf with a treble sound. This kind of daf may be used in winter also.

Ring-Daf: A kind of daf with a thin skin and lots of jingles.

Summer and Winter Daf: The skin of summer-daf is not covered on its frame tightly, while the skin of winter-daf is covered on its frame so tightly.

Remark: A good ensemble of different daf-s may use different daf-s such as solo-daf, bass-daf, treble-daf and ring-daf.

Reference:

Zakariya Yousefi, Daf with its Different Applications, Magham Musical Monthly, Vol. 3, Page 88, 2003.

Sufi Music and Drumming (Daf)

Daf the spiritual frame drum

An Article by Peyman Nasehpour

Introduction

Frame drums are most ancient type of musical instruments. They have a simple structure with strong spiritual and entertainment effect. Frame drums are usually round made of wood with animal skin and sometimes metal rings or plates incorporated into the drum to provide jingle. They have different sizes; the larger drums are played mainly by men in spiritual rituals and medium size drums are played mainly by women. Frame drums are originated in the ancient Middle East, India and Rome and reached medieval Europe through Islamic culture. Similarity of the names of frame drums in these regions shows the common history of these drums. Daf is one of the most ancient frame drums in Asia and North Africa. In Iran, Sufis use Daf during their Zikr (spiritual chanting) ritual; in recent years Iranian musicians have successfully integrated it into Persian music.

A Brief History of Daf

Its Pahlavi (Persian ancient language) name is dap and daf is arabicized of dap. Some pictures of dap have been found in the paintings to be painted before the birth of Christ. The presence of Persian dap in the stonecutting of Bisotun is really wonderful. (The monuments of Bisotun are situated 25 kilometers from Kermanshah city.) Also there is a kind of square frame drum in the stonecutting of Tagh-e-Bostan (famous monument located 5 kilometers northeast from Kermanshah city). It is said that Nowruz (the first day of the Persian New Year and the national festival of Persia) and other festive occasions have been accompanied by dap in the period of Sassanian (224 A.D. – 651 A.D.). In this period dap has being played in order to accompany khosravani songs.

The presence of the word daf in the poems of many Persian poets shows the importance of this instrument. For example Hafiz, very famous Persian poet and the shining star of the rich Persian literature has applied the word daf in his works ten times. His famous verse that includes the word daf is:

The translation of the verse is:

I, who nights, with the daf and the chang, have dashed down the path of piety,
I, suddenly, bring my head to the path! What a tale this is!

Moors introduced Daf and other Middle Eastern musical instruments to Spain and Spanish adapted and promoted Daf and other musical instruments in medieval Europe. In 15th century daf was only used in Sufi ceremonies, Ottomans reintroduced it to Europe in 17th century.

The art of daf playing in Iran has reached us by the effort of the Iranian Sufis especially in 20th century the late Sayyed Baha-al-Din Shams Ghorayshi (1872-1947), Ostad Haj Khalifeh Karim Safvati (1919-…), Ostad Haj Khalifeh Mirza Agha Ghosi (1928-…), Mohi-al-Din Bolbolani (1929-…), Sayyed Mohammad Shams Ghorayshi (1930-…) and Masha-Allah Bakhtiyari (1940-…).

It is fortunate that daf has been integrated into Persian art music successfully and many young Persian boys and girls have started learning this ancient drum.

Structure of Daf.

Daf has six parts: 1. Frame 2. Skin 3. Pin 4. Hook 5. Ring 6. Leather Band.

1. Frame is wooden. The diameter of the frame is 48-53 centimeters. The width of the frame is 5-7 centimeters.
2. Skin is glued on the frame. The most popular is goatskin.

3. Pins are applied in behind part of the frame in order to keep the skin on the frame tightly.
4. Hooks are applied in order to hang the rings in the inner part of frame.
5. Rings are the jingles of daf.
6. Leather band is applied in order to help the player for long duration performances.

The other instrument that is played in khanghah is the Tas. It is a percussion instrument that is played with wooden or leather sticks. Its body is a copper bowl and the skin is stretched on it. It doesn’t have a standard size and its diameter can be from 20 to 30 centimeter. It is played only during the Zikr-e-Ghiyam ceremonies.

Brief Biography of Ostad Haj Khalifeh Karim Safvati

Ostad Haj Khalifeh Karim Safvati, outstanding daf player and master of Sufi vocals, was born in Sanandaj, Kurdistan province of Iran, 1920. He learnt the art of daf playing and Sufi vocals from his father Darvish Abdolmohammad. He was appointed khalife (spritual leader) by sheikh abdolkarim Kasnazani of Kirkuk. His sons Mashallah and Jamal are good daf players and accompany their respected fathers in his performances.

Brief Biography of Ostad Mirza Agha Ghosi

Ostad Mirza Agha Ghosi, outstanding daf player and master of Sufi vocals, was born in Sanandaj, Kurdistan province of Iran, 1928. He learnt the art of daf playing and Sufi vocals in during his teenage from his father Haji Ghowsi and later with Darvish Karim. He was appointed khalife (spritual leader) by sheikh abdolkarim Kasnazani of Kirkuk. He is one of the oldest daf players of Iran and he has a very nice vocals. He has performed in many festivals of Iran, France, Colombia, Turkey, Panama, Peru and Ecuador. His sons Abd-al-Rahman and Ali-Reza are good daf players and singers and accompany their respected fathers in his performances.

Bijan Kamkar

Bijan Kamkar, was born in Sanandaj, Kurdistan province of Iran, 1949. He started learning the music under the training of his father, the late Hassan Kamkar. He was learnt tombak. After receiving the Diploma Degree of High School, he entered the Fine Arts Faculty of University of Tehran to continue his musical studies. He started playing Daf in 1974 and for the first time as a member of Shayda Ensemble. He introduced Daf into traditional Iranian music at Shiraz Art Festival and Toos Art Festival.

Acknowledgement

The author wishes to thank Ostad Mirza Agha Ghosi and his sons Abd-al-Rahman and Ali-Reza for their help.

References:

Kurdistan Zikr et chants soufis, Radio France, Paris, November 1994.
[B]: Arfan Beomid-e-Hagh, The School of Playing Daf, Ebteda Publication, Tehran, 1998.
[H]: Khajeh Shams-al-Din Mohammad Hafiz Shirazi, Divan-e-Hafiz, by the effort of Ms. Salehe Salehpour, Persian to English Translator: Henry Wilberforce Clarke, Booteh Press, Tehran, 1998.
[N]: Peyman Nasehpour, Personal Research in Khanghah of Ostad Haj Khalifeh Mirza Agha Ghosi (Sanandaj city), 1996.
[S]: Dr. Mahindokht Sadighian and Dr. Abutaleb Mir Abedini, Farhang-e-Vazhe Nama-ye-Hafiz (Concordance et Frequence de la Hafiz), Amir Kabir Publication Corp., Tehran, 1987.
[T]: Emad Tohidy, An Introduction to Daf Playing, Kerman Music Society, Third Publication, 1994.

Frame drums in Asia, North Africa and East Europe

By Peyman Nasehpour

Abstract

Daf is one of the percussion-skinned instruments of Persia that it has become very popular these years. In Middle East there is a broad class of drums known to musicologists as Frame Drums. In this article I will discuss these percussion instruments.

Introduction

Frame Drums are the musicologist’s term for a class of percussion instruments constructed of a shallow cylindrical frame over which a skin is stretched and may or may not have jingles. Persian Daf (left) is a good example of a frame drum with jingles. The history of the frame drum begins in the ancient Middle East. The following is a list of frame drums:

Afghanistan

Daira – Daira is a frame drum similar to Persian Dayereh.

Armenia

Dap – A medium to large sized frame drum without jingles similar to the Duff. It is used mainly in classical and folk music. Other spellings of this instrument are Daf and Def.

Azerbaijan

Ghaval – A medium to large sized frame drum with jingles same as Persian Dayereh. It is used in classical and folk music. It is usually played by singers. Ostad Latif Tahmasebi-zadeh, Persian Ghaval player is a pioneer of modern method of Ghaval playing.

Egypt and Arab Countries

Riq- Small, tambourine-like frame drum used in classical, popular, and dance music. Other spellings are Riqq, Req, Rik, and Rikk.

Mazhar – A bass version of the Riq common in popular, dance and folk music.

Duff – A large diameter frame drum with no jingles used to provide bass rhythm accompaniment. Other spellings are Daf and Deff, and Taf. These names and the ancient name Tof must have the same root.

Bendir: A frame drum with jingles. The Bendir is a typical frame drum. Similar instruments are common in the whole Near East from Morocco to Iraq and also in Northern Africa. The special feature of this Instrument lies in the snare strings that run inside the instruments body near the drum skin.

Tar: A frame drum with a single head, played with the hands. Often has a hole in the rim for the left thumb. This drum is found all over North Africa and has many names and one of them is Tar. It is common throughout the Mediterranean and Middle East also. Traditionally, this drum is played with the fingers, holding the drum in front of you, drumhead facing out. You can use your hand or a stick if preferred. Skin headed Tars are very temperature sensitive and will crack if left in the heat, such as in direct sun or in a car. If the drumhead is too tight, lightly mist with water.

India

Daf – In India there are many different types of Frame Drums, one of them is Daf. It is interesting to say that Indian Daf is played by drumsticks. It is quite large, about two feet across, with a conspicuous absence of jingles. It is commonly used in folk music but is rarely heard in other styles. It is also called dapphu, daffali and number of other names.

Kanjira – Kanjira is a small Frame Drum from South India. Stretching lizard skin over a wooden frame with one metal jingle mounted in it makes it. The skin is kept loose, and the pitch manipulated by squeezing the head at the bottom, near the rim, while striking it with the other hand. The lizard skin is very susceptible to changes in climate.

Persia

Daf – Daf is one of the most ancient frame drums in Asia and North Africa. As an Persian instrument, in 20th century, it is considered as a Sufi instrument to be played in Khanghah-s during Zikr ceremony. Daf has recently become very popular and it has been integrated into Persian music successfully.

Dayereh – Dayereh is Persian Frame Drum. There is variety of names for this instrument in different regions of Persia. It is called Dariye in Kashan, Dizeh in Bojnord, Deyreh in Birjand, Das-Dayereh in Mazandaran, Dayereh in Bushehr, Dara in Dezful and Diyareh in Talesh.

Tajikistan

Doira – Doira is a frame drum similar to Persian Dayereh.

Turkey

In Turkey there are many different types of Frame Drums. One of them is Tef. It is the same as Persian Daf.

Mazhar – This is a percussion instrument made by stretching a skin over a wooden hoop. Rhythm is produced by striking it with the fingers.

Uyghuristan

In Uyghuristan there are two basic kinds:

Kichik Dap is about 25 cm in diameter, with a wood frame, and is used for playing the rhythm part in the Twelve Muqams (Kichik is a Turkish word and literally means small Please compare with the Persian word Kuchak which means small also). The larger Dap is about 75 cm in diameter and used for dance tunes.

Uzbekistan

Dayera – Dayera is a frame drum similar to Persian Dayereh.

Acknowledgement

The author wishes to thank Hormoz Dilmaghani for his technical support and Prof. Nathan Light for the information on the Frame Drums of Uyghuristan. Some of this information has been gathered from Internet.

References

B. Chaintanya Deva, Indian Music, New Delhi, 1974.
David R. Courtney, Fundamentals of Tabla, Vol.I, Sur Sangeet Services, Houston, 1998.
Mehran Poormandan, The Encyclopedia of Iranian Old Music, Tehran, 2000.
Cemsid Salehpur, Türkçe Farsça Genel Sözlügü, Tehran, 1996.
Mehdi Setayeshgar, Vazhe-Name-ye-Musighi-ye-Iran Zamin, Tehran, Vol. I (1995) & Vol. II (1996).

Ghaval, the Azerbaijani Frame Drum

An Article by Peyman Nasehpour

Ghaval (also spelled gaval in Azerbaijani latin alphabets and not to be confused with qawwali music) the Azerbaijani frame drum is played in Azerbaijani folk and art music. In folk music of Azerbaijan Ashigh (poet-musician) sings and plays on gopuz (nine-stringed long-necked lute) and sometimes composes poems in different festive occasions. The drum that usually accompanies the Ashigh is ghaval. In Azerbaijani art music a traditional ensemble contains a singer, which plays on ghaval and two instrumentalists, one plays on tar (long-necked lute) and the other plays on kamancheh (bowed spike fiddle). In modern art music of Azerbaijan an ensemble can contain more than two instrumentalists. Usually the drum that accompanies the modern ensemble is naghara (a kind of cylindrical drum that is called in Armenia dhol).

Ghaval is the same as Persian dayereh. In Persia (Iran) there are different types of frame drum. But only daf is considered as the only national frame drum. It is unfortunate that ghaval is not integrated into Persian art music like the daf, though some ghaval players particularly the late Mahmoud Farnam tried to do this by accompanying the great masters of Persian art music, Ostad Eghbal Azar (very skillful vocalist) and Ostad Gholam Hossein Bigchekhani (very skillful tar player).

The history of dayereh goes back to many centuries. An engraved bronze cup from Lorestan at the Notional Museum of Iran, Tehran, portrays a double ney (reed pipes), chang (harp), and dayereh in a shrine or court processional, as similarly documented in Egypt, Elam, and Babylonia where music involved the utilization of large orchestral ensembles.

Some believe that the word dayereh comes from the Pahlavi (Persian pre-Islamic language) name dareh. Abu Saeed Abolkheir (967-1048), the poet, has mentioned in his works to the word dayereh as a drum.

Ghaval was not considered a solo instrument. After the effort of Ostad Latif Tahmasebi-zadeh ghaval has found an independent role.

Ghaval’s frame is wooden and the skin stretched on it can be goatskin or fish skin, though today the head of modern ghavals is synthetic (plastic) because the skin-headed ghaval is sensitive to changes in humidity. Some metal rings are incorporated into the drum to provide jingle. Its is much larger than Western tambourine but smaller than daf.

Basic Rhythms of Ghaval

There are four basic rhythms in Azerbaijani art music.

Diringi: Diringi is a light rhythm for dance music, though it is found in vocal music also. It is played in both low and high tempo, depending on the occasion of the performance. Diringi can be considered the same as Persian Reng.

Diringi is in 6 beats.

Yalli: Yalli is another light rhythm for different rhythmic compositions of vocal and instrumental music.

Yalli is in 4 beats.

Lazgi: Lazgi is the most famous Azerbaijani dance. It is played in medium to high tempo. It is for instrumental music.

Lazgi is in 6 beats.

Mahni: Mahni is in fact the rhythmic form for vocal music. The most famous rhythm for Mahni has been linked here. Mahni can be considered the same as Persian Tasnif.

6 beat version of Mahni.

Free ghaval lesson at rhythmweb

Glossary

Ashigh: (Pl. Ashighlar) Some believe that Ashigh comes from the Arabic word eshgh (love). While the others believe that Ashigh comes from Ashk and Ashkanian. They reach the history of Ashigh to the Ashkanian period (Parthian period 247 B.C.-224 A.D.) and they mention to this point that Ashghabad (capital of today Republic of Turkmenistan) had been one of the most important centers of Ashkanian. A famous tradition in the art of Ashighlar is really wonderful. This tradition that is called de’ishma is a kind of musical debate. According to a very old tradition of the skillful Ashigh-s, occasionally the Ashigh-s do this musical debate (de’ishma) and every Ashigh that loses should give his instrument (the saz or the gopuz) to the winner and leave his job. In this musical debate to compose poems by improvisation is often the winning trump.

Gopuz: Gopuz is the long-necked lute to be played by the Ashigh in Azerbaijan. It is called Saz too and Saz is generic name for musical instrument in Iran, Turkey and India. There is a similar instrument to gopuz in Turkey that is called Baglama.

Kamancheh: Kamancheh is bowed spike fiddle to be played in Iran, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Central Asia, Turkey and Egypt. Kaman literally means bow. Many musicologists consider the kamancheh the predecessor of the violin.

Qawwali: Qawwali or ghawwali or kawali is the Islamic devotional song. It is a lively, light style, which has a popular appeal for both Muslims and Hindus alike.

Tar: Tar is a long-necked lute to be played in Iran. Its Persian version sometimes is called tar-e-shiraz (tar of Shiraz which is one of the most important cities of Persia and located in SW) and its Azerbaijani version is called tar-e-ghafghaz (tar of Caucasus). Tar literally means string, chord and so on. The word tar can be see in some other musical instruments such as ektar, dotar, setar, sitar, khoshtar and guitar. Not to be confused with Egyptian tar witch is a kind of frame drum.

References:

[N]: Peyman Nasehpour, Personal Interview with Ostad Latif Tahmasebi-zadeh, Aug. 1994-Aug. 1995.
[S]: Mehdi Setayeshgar, Vazhe-Name-ye-Musighi-ye-Iran Zamin, Tehran, Vol. I (1995) & Vol. II (1996).

The art of world percussion styles

Percussion instruments are played with hands or sticks and some drums are played with both, i.e. while one hand uses a stick, the other hand uses palm and fingers to play the drum. For example in Iran (Persia), there are some drummers who play the dohol (double faced cylindrical drum) in a way that one face is played by the hand of the artist, while the other face is played by a stick.

It is obvious that it is not easy to explain about all playing styles of world percussion instruments in this short note, but hopefully with some good examples and links, one can learn more. One may consider percussion instruments in four sub-categories:

1) Percussion instruments made of wood or metal (but not having skins for producing sounds) and played by sticks. Good examples are: marimba, xylophone, triangle and txalaparta. One may consider piano and hammered dulcimers in this category too.

2) Percussion instruments made of wood or clay (but not having skins for producing sounds) and played by hands. Good examples are: cajon, ghatam, udu and so on…

It is clear that the most important sub-category of percussion instruments is drums, therefore one may consider drums in two important sub-categories:

3) Drums played by sticks and good examples are: timpani, dohol (Persian cylindrical drum) and so on…

4) Drums played by hands and good examples are: djembe, doumbek, daf, bongo, conga, tabla and so on…

How to play hand drums

Since hand drums are too many drums with different shapes and every hand drum has its own hand drumming techniques, therefore it is almost impossible to give a formula or a method for playing hand drums. Even those drums that are similar to each other have very different methods of playing. For example goblet shaped drums are so similar to each other, but the way that the Persian goblet drum (tonbak) is played is somehow very different from the way that Egyptian goblet drum (tablah) is played.

Traditionally every drum has its own techniques that are the result of the experience of many drummers. Today with the help of Internet that many drummers of different regions have been connected to each other, people are going to use the techniques of different hand drums on their own drums and hopefully this will enrich the techniques of all hand drums.

Tonbak (Persian hand drum) is one of very rare hand drums in the world that is played with all fingers of the drummer.

Perhaps one of the best resources for world percussion is rhythmweb. Therefore if one likes to learn more about the art of world percussion styles, rhythmweb.com is strongly recommended.

Some other useful links:

Drums Database

Drum Dojo

Drum Journey

Styles of Tonbak Playing in Classical Music of Persia

An Article by Peyman Nasehpour

Introduction

Every artist has his own unique style. Therefore, any classification will be very broadly based. Modern method of playing Tonbak can be divided into four major overlapping styles. One of them is based on traditional style of playing Tonbak and recent masters have developed the others.

Tonbak Players of the Past

Before Ostad Hosain Tehrani we had a primitive style of tonbak playing. Tasnifkhans (Tasnif performers) were playing on tonbak and it was considered as an accompaniment instrument. A good example for this style is Ostad Abdollah Davami. According to our information the oldest tonbak player that had this style is Agha Jan-e-Avval. Folk style is very similar to the old style of the Tonbak players of the past, though this needs more research. Folk styles can be found in folk music of Kurdistan, Lorestan and Hormozgan, three provinces of Iran. Unfortunately the folk style is not considered an important style and has not been researched carefully.

Ostad Hosain Tehrani

Ostad Tehrani is considered as the father of modern style of Tonbak playing. He devoted his life to the promotion and development of the art of tonbak playing. Before his time, Tonbak was not considered as an independent instrument. He gathered motrebi and ruhozi rhythms, added many techniques to the art of tonbak playing and made many attractive pieces for tonbak. Also he established a Tonbak ensemble in Tehran and started performing in many places. He has trained many students. Major characteristic of his style is to mute the skin of tonbak, to play on the wooden part of the Tonbak and to use two rings of middle fingers of the two hands. His style is the most colorful. Today some tonbak players follow his style.

Ostad Nasser Farhangfar

Ostad Farhangfar has spent a great deal time in zourkhaneh during his youth and because of this his style is strongly based on the heroic and ancient style of tonbak-e-zourkhaneh. In this style there is no muting of the skin of tonbak or using the wooden body of tonbak. He has added some special techniques such as compound-pelang and chakkoshi. For more information please refer to Composed Rhythms of Ostad Nasser Farhangfar. Today many tonbak players follow his style.

Ostad Bahman Rajabi

Ostad Rajabi has added new techniques, which most of them can be found in his book. He has developed the techniques of the other masters of tonbak particularly Ostad Amir Naser Eftetah. The most important characteristic of his style is to develop rhythmical motifs. He has trained many students.

Glossary

Motrebi rhythms: Rhythms to be played by motrebs (musicians who play at wedding and other festive ceremonies).

Ruhozi rhythms: Motrebi rhythms.

Tasnif: This literally means “song”. It is a rhythmical composed piece for vocals and one or several instruments, which can be placed anywhere in a performance. Most of the traditional tasnifs are in 6 beats and almost always in slow tempo.

Tonbak: Persian goblet drum.

Tonbak-e-zourkhaneh: Persian large-sized goblet drum to be played in zourkhaneh for leading and encouraging the athletes.

Zourkhaneh: Zourkhaneh (that literally means the house of power) is a place for traditional Persian martial art. In zourkhaneh morshed (leader of athletes) plays on Tonbak-e-zourkhaneh (Persian large-sized goblet drum to be played in zourkhaneh) and sings heroic poets in order to encourage them. Recently, after the great morshed, Pahlavan Akbar Khorasani, Zang (a kind of bell to be played in zourkhaneh) has been used, though in the past it was only an ornamental instrument. Also we should add that in the past Ney (Persian knotgrass reed) had been played there.

Notes on the Strokes and Roll Techniques of the Tonbak (Ostad Nasser Farhangfar’s Style)

An Article by Peyman Nasehpour

The tonbak has lots of different strokes and rolls, using all the fingers of the both hands. In this article, I like to explain the most popular ones of the style of Ostad Nasser Farhangfar (my master of tonbak).

The bass stroke that is played in the center of the skin of the tonbak is called Ton or Tom (Similar to Turkish-Arabic Dum). For playing the Ton, the hand is not completely open or closed. As an example, envision your hand is partially cupped as if you were scooping water to wash your face and you should strike the skin with fingertips of the four fingers, from pinkie to index. Please consider that the Dum of Turkish-Arabic darbuka is played with the flat of the fingers. That is used in the motrebi style of tonbak playing. Motrebi music is the genre of music that is played in festive occasions particularly wedding ceremonies. Motreb (literally means somebody that creates joy) is the player that plays in these festive occasions.

The treble stroke that is played in the rim of the skin of the tonbak is called Bak (Similar to Turkish-Arabic Tek or Tak). The Bak is played in two ways. Two-fingered Bak that is played with the flesh of the first joint of the two middle and ring fingers. One-fingered Bak is played in the same way but only with the ring finger. It is obvious that the sound produced by the one-fingered Bak is softer than the sound produced by the two-fingered Bak.

It is to be noted that some believe the name of the tonbak comes from the sound produced by the Ton and Bak strokes, i.e. Ton+Bak.

The other essential stroke is the Pelang or Beshkan that is simply the snap. The snap is played with pinkie, ring and middle finger. However it is possible to play the Pelang with the index finger too, but my master was always advising us to play the index finger similar to one-fingered Bak instead of snapping, while you put the index finger on the middle finger and forcefully strike middle or center part of the skin with your index finger. Since this is not a snap stroke, it is called Bargardan. I should explain that the skin of the tonbak is divided into three parts: 1. Center 2. Rim 3. Middle that is a part between the center and rim.

All strokes of the tonbak are played with the two free and non-free hands — I should explain that I have coined these two new words in order to ignore any confusion between the right and left hands. The hand that rests on the body of the tonbak is the non-free hand. So it is obvious that the other hand is the free hand. Similar names can be used for some frame drums such as daf or ghaval.

One of the most essential and at the same time, the most difficult techniques of the tonbak is the roll that is called Riz in Persian language. Riz is a combination of some strokes played absolutely rapidly and periodically. We have many kinds of roll techniques and five of them come from the tradition of tonbak playing. Perhaps the most popular one is called Riz-e-por that literally means full roll. Full roll (Riz-e-por) is produced by combining two strokes of the free and non-free hand. When playing these two strokes you should not think of playing your fingers individually. For the free hand, when you play the stroke, you should drop the thumb, pinkie, ring, middle and index fingers on the skin respectively. For the non-free hand, you should play in the same way just from the pinkie to index finger. Since the non-free hand almost always rests on the body of the tonbak, it is not so easy to strike the thumb finger on the skin. At last since the Riz-e-por is produced by nine fingers of the two hands, it is sometimes called nine-fingered roll.

In the above, I explained that the combination of these two strokes configures the most popular roll of the tonbak, i.e. Riz-e-por. In order of reference, I again have to coin a new word, Takriz for those strokes. Therefore Takriz of the free (non-free) hand is played with five (four) fingers of the free hand (non-free hand) in the way that I explained before.

Another distinctive technique of the tonbak is Eshareh (literally means allusion) or Zinat (literally means ornament). Eshareh is the combination of some strokes and is a flourish prior to an accented stroke. The duration of the Eshareh should often be as short as possible unless you have enough time and as it is said it should be solved in the rhythm and adds beauty to the main stroke and its role is something like seasoning for food. This is one of the trickiest strokes of the tonbak.

The most popular Eshareh of our style — that is quite different from the Eshareh of the style of Ostad Hossain Tehrani (the father of modern tonbak) — is produced by playing the Takriz of the both free and non-free hand together but with a short time gap between them. It is clear that the main stroke should be played after the Eshareh, again with a short time gap between them. This reminds me the similar stroke for the Indian tabla, the Kre, which is a tricky bol produced by playing Ka and Te together but with a short time gap between them. Ka comes first and then Te.

At the end, I like to explain some other kinds of roll techniques of the tonbak as follows:

Riz-e-shallaghi is the combination of the both two-fingered Bak of the free and the non-free hands. This kind of roll is played by morshed, the leader of athletes, singer and tonbak player of the zourkhaneh (literally means house of power) that is a Persian traditional gymnasium. The size of the tonbak played in zourkhaneh is larger than ordinary tonbak and is called tonbak-e-zourkhaneh or tonbak-e-ta’lim (literally means training). In Persian language ‘e’ is the same as ‘of’ in English. Therefore for instance tonbak-e-hindi means the tonbak of India or simply Indian tonbak.

A similar Riz to Riz-e-shallaghi is the combination of the both one-fingered Bak of the free and the non-free hands that the sound produced by this kind of Riz is obviously softer than the sound produced by the Riz-e-shallaghi. This kind of Riz is sometimes called Riz-e-timpani since the sound produced by this roll is similar to the roll produced by the drumsticks on timpani.

It is good to be noted that similar techniques to one fingered Bak, can be played in middle and center part of the skin of the tonbak and therefore similar rolls can be produced by these similar techniques.

Another kind of roll technique is produced by combining the one-fingered Bak of the free hand and ring finger snapping of the non-free hand. This is called Riz-pelang though some believe this name is error allowed by usage.

Date: Feb. 5th, 2003.

Tonbak Players of the Past

An Article by Peyman Nasehpour

Introduction

In this article I try to recall some Tonbak players of the past that there is no much information about most of them.

Agha Jan-e-Avval

He was a very famous tonbak player of Ghajar. There is no more information about him.

Sama’ Hozour

He was a very famous tonbak and santour player. His father, Mirza Gholam Hossein, was kamancheh player. His santour’s master was Mohammad Sadegh Khan Sorourolmolk. His son, Habib Sama’i, became a very famous santour player in his time. He trained many students, which all of them were very good tonbak players. Some of his famous students are: Agha Jan-e-Dovvom, Haji Khan, and Mohammad Taghi Khan.

Agha Jan-e-Dovvom

He was a very famous tonbak player. He has accompanied many instrumentalists such as Mirza Abdollah, Mirza Hossein Gholi, Darvish Khan and Arfa’olmolk. One of his famous students is his son, Reza Ravanbakhsh.

Reza Ravanbakhsh

He was a good tonbak player and the son of Agha Jan-e-Dovvom. One of his famous students is Ostad Hossein Tehrani, which he is considered as the father of modern tonbak. He passed away in 1941.

Haji Khan-e-Zarbgir

He was a very famous tonbak player. He was student of Sama’ Hozour. Some people believe that he is the son of Agha Jan-e-Avval. His famous students are Ostad Abdollah Davami and Ostad Abol Hassan-e-Saba. Khaleghi in his book says that Darvish Khan (very famous tar and setar player) had named him the Metronome of Orchestra.

Bala Khan Kalimi

He was a good Jewish tonbak player. He and his sons, Ostad Morteza Khan Ney Davoud (tar player) and Mousa Ney Davoud (violin player) were very famous instrumentalists, which they have accompanied the very famous singer of Iran, Mrs. Ghamarolmolouk Vaziri.

Sheikh Taher Khorasani (Ziya’ozzakerin)

He was a very famous vocalist and tonbak player. One of his students is Gholam Hossein Banan. He passed away in 1953.

Tal’at Khanoum

Maybe she is the only female tonbak player that we know her. There is no more information about her.

Hossein Kohandani

He was born in 1895. He learnt the tonbak and tasnif from the master of tonbak and tasnif of Ghajar period Ostad Isa Agha Bashi.

He studied repairing of musical instrument under Bashir Khan (the brother of Darvish Khan, famous tar and setar player) for two years and became very skilfull.

He died in 1975 and was interred in Ghom city.

The other tonbak players, which we should mention are:

Gholi Khan Shahi, Haji Ahmad Kasa’i, Agha Ziya Rasayi, Isa Agha Bashi, Akbar Khan, Mohammad Hossein Beyk, Agha Jan Kalimi, Bagher Khan (Bagher Labou), Habib Kashi, Ne’matollah Khan Soubeygi, Asghar, Karim Monajjem Bashi, Mehdi Ghiyasi, Nasrollah Khan Morshed, Hassan Basteh Negar, Mirza Ali Agha, Esma’il Ghadiri, Mirza Mahmoud Mohabbat, Hossein Khan Malandugh, Reza Gholi Tajrishi, Shokrollah Khamse’i, Zaman Khan, Ali Zahedi, Habib Gha’ani, Rahim Ghashoghi, Esmail Ghadiri, Morshed Habibollah Kashi, Haji Ahmad Kashi,

Some students of Ostad Hossein Tehrani: Jahangir Malak, Mohammad Esmaili, Houshang Zarif (tar player), Houshang Mehrvarzan, Asghar Sabz, Djamchid Shemirani and Ostad Nasser Farhangfar.

References

Rohollah Khaleghi, Sargozasht-e-Musighi-ye-Iran, Tehran, 1974.
Hassan Mashhoun, Tarikh-e-Musighi-ye-Iran, Tehran, 1994.
Mehran Poormandan, The Encyclopedia of Iranian Old Music, Tehran, 2000.

In Remembrance of Ostad Nasser Farhangfar

In Remembrance of Ostad Nasser Farhangfar (1947-1997)

By Peyman Nasehpour

Ostad Nasser Farhangfar was a brilliant poet and calligrapher as well as a great tonbak artist. The above poem is one of the most famous verses composed by him. Maybe it can be translated to:

We wrote at the Gate of the Existence:
The sorrow of not having camaraderie killed us!

This genius of tonbak has added the most favorite style of tonbak playing after the father of modern tonbak, Ostad Hosain Tehrani. Many artists have praised his style. Some of his compositions are more attractive than the melodies, which his tonbak accompanies. Therefore you concentrate on the tonbak involuntary. Here there are some lines in remembrance of this great man.

He started learning tonbak at the early age of nine. In 1972 he had started creating his style and promoting it in Iran. At this time the great master of tonbak, Ostad Hosain Tehrani was sick and had recorded his last performance: rhythms of zourkhaneh. The father of modern tonbak, Ostad Tehrani passed away in 1974.

In 1973 Ostad Farhangfar had some concerts in Belgium. Then in 1975 he moved to New York, because he had been invited by Robert Wilson in order to collaborate with his theater group. He returned to Tehran the same year and started collaborating with Shayda and Aref Ensembles. This collaboration continued until 1984. In 1984 he and Mohammad Reza Lotfi (tar player) had a private recording; believed by many of his students to be the best musical performance of Ostad Farhangfar.

During these 12 years (1972-1984) he created a new style of playing tonbak and attracted many followers. After 1984 he preferred to stay at home and teach his students of tonbak. When someday I asked him: “Ostad why have you stayed at home and why you don’t perform in any concerts?” He replied: “My job is done! Now is the time for the young players to flourish.” He was young to say farewell to the world of musical performance. Then he recited the following verses of Hafiz:

To him that hath chosen solitude, of the spectacle is what need?
When the street of the Beloved is, of the desert is what need?
Hafiz! End thy verse: for skill itself becometh clear:
Disputation and contention with the pretender is what need?

Here I should mention to a point. In Persian we call him who has chosen solitude, “Khalvat-Gozideh” which is the title of an album, which was produced in 1991 that he performed one of his tonbak solos.

Some days before his demise he phoned my father and said: “I have composed some poems. Do you like me to recite them for you?” After his call my father said to me: “He has composed very nice poems. Maybe someday I will sing them.”

He passed away on August 14th, 1997, while he was only 50.

May he always be brought happily to mind!

July 29th, 2001.

Ostad Farhangfar’s Biography Supplied by Peyman Nasehpour

Tonbak (Zarb): A Brief History

“When I started playing on zarb, the instrument had fallen into disrepute. The zarb player was considered a low-level musician, a joke; no one dared to want to play zarb. To do so was to give up all prestige, all respect as a musician. Nonetheless, I began to play it. Love for the instrument outweighed the derision and scorn. At this time, I decided that I should change this negative view in any way possible. To this end, I practiced the zarb incessantly.”

Ostad Hosain Tehrani – from his book, ‘Amouzesh-e-Tombak’

An Article by Peyman Nasehpour

Introduction

Knowing and appreciating the history of the Tonbak may not be essential to being a great tonbak player. For some, it may not even be of interest. But I believe that understanding and being familiar with the history of music and its musicians gives one a broader perspective, and a more comprehensive view of what it means to be a musician. In this article I will try to give a brief history of the Tonbak.

The Tonbak (also called Zarb, the Persian goblet drum) and the Daf (the Kurdish frame drum) are the only national drums of Persia. Also the presence of goblet drums in Asia, North Africa and East Europe shows the importance of this class of drums. Unfortunately, the origin of the Tonbak is still in dispute. Etymologists say that the Pahlavi (Persian pre-Islamic language) name of the Tonbak is ‘Dombalag’, and it was known to be present in the Zourkhaneh (the Persian traditional gymnasium) so we know that it is ancient, pre-dating the Islamic period. Various names for the Tonbak, throughout its history, trace the application of this instrument in different parts of ancient Persia. For a lexical discussion please refer to the article section of the Tombak Network.
There is a very good ancient manuscript (Kanz-al-Tohaf, by Hassan Kashani) on theoretical Old Persian music, in which, at the end of the book, the author tries to describe the methods of making the various musical instruments of his time. But unfortunately he has not included the drums (particularly the Tonbak) in his descriptions. Still, our information about the Tonbak and tonbak players of the Ghajar period is sufficient, thanks to two important books on the history of Persian art music ([KH] and [M]).

Ostad Hosain Tehrani

The Tonbak before the late Ostad Hosain Tehrani was considered as an accompaniment instrument that was played by tasnifkhan-s (tasnif performers). Here I should explain that in Ghajar period vocalists were of two kinds: avazkhan and tasnifkhan. The Avazkhan’s job was to sing the non-rhythmic compositions of Persian radif repertoire and the Tasnikhan’s job was to sing the rhythmic compositions of Persian art music.

The first person that tried to give an independent role to tonbak was Ostad Hosain Tehrani. He devoted his life to promote the Tonbak in Iran and Europe. Along with the help of some other musicians, he also wrote the first instructional book for the Tonbak, i.e. [T].

The skin of the Tonbak is quite sensitive to changing humidity. This was a problem for every tonbak player. He asked Ostad Ebrahim Ghanbari-mehr (maker and designer of musical instruments) to find a solution for this problem. In fact Ostad Ebrahim Ghanbari-mehr was introduced to Ostad Hosain Tehrani by Ostad Abol-Hasan Saba (multi-instrumentalist). This resulted in Ostad Ebrahim Ghanbari-mehr designing the tonbak-e-kouki (tunable tonbak). Alas, this kind of tonbak has not a good luck. It seems that tonbak players prefer not to use tonbak-e-kouki. Tonbak players today still tune mostly by the old method, garm-kardan-ru-ye-atash (i.e. heating in front of a fire).
A Bright Future

Step by step the Tonbak has gained respectability as a serious instrument. Ostad Tehrani’s activities have stirred interest in the Tonbak, throughout Iran and Europe. The efforts of Ostad Tehrani and the other tonbak players (particularly Ostad Nasser Farhangfar) have assured that the Tonbak has a secure place in instrumental music. Before these artists, the Tonbak was little more than a metronome! Fortunately I am able to say that today the public image of tonbak is really very good. Many young players promote it.

Some tonbak players have even started integrating tonbak into fusion music ensembles. Perhaps this type of music is not of interest to those who only like pure Persian art music, but still, the drum’s use in fusion music can only mean one thing: more worldwide popularity for the Tonbak.

And judging by the number of tonbaks sold by the manufacturers, the number of books being written on the Tonbak, and the number of young people who enjoy it, it seems that the Tonbak has a very bright future indeed. May it be so!

Acknowledgement. The author wishes to thank Eric Stuer for his edition.

References
[KA]: Hassan Kashani, Kanz-al-Tohaf, by effort of M.T. Binesh, Tehran, 1992.
[KH]: Ruhollah Khaleghi, Sargozasht-e-Musighi-ye-Iran, Tehran, 1974.
[M]: Hassan Mashhoun, Tarikh-e-Musighi-ye-Iran, Tehran, 1994.
[N]: Peyman Nasehpour, Personal Interview with Ostad Fereydun Helmi (tonbak maker), Tehran, 2001.
[P]: Mehran Poormandan, The Encyclopedia of Iranian Old Music, Tehran, 2000.
[T]: Hosain Tehrani, Amouzesh-e-Tombak (Tombak Rudiment), Tehran, 1970.

How to Play the Doumbek (Tonbak and Darbuka)

Useful Links and Info for Playing the Doumbek

The American name doumbek should be derived from the Persian name dombak that is the new form of its Pahlavi name, dombalak and brought to USA by Eastern emigrants. This name is used for all genres of goblet drums, particularly for those goblet drums that are used for Middle Eastern music and dance (called Arabic music and belly dance). Though goblet drums are similar in shape but they are not played so similarly and one need to be very careful about that.

The doumbek played in Arabic language countries such as Iraq (that is not Iran), Syria, Lebanon, Egypt and so on… is called darbuka and is somehow different from the Persian doumbek (tonbak).

The doumbek is called tabla (also tablah) in Arabic countries. This is not the Indian tabla that is a pair of small drums. Anyway, doumbek is called dumbelek in Turkey and the edge of the large opening of Turkish goblet drum is squared not round and this is why the finger snapping can be played on it easily similar to what we have for the tonbak very much. It is good to mention that the only goblet drum that I know it is played very similar to the tonbak is the Afghani goblet drum called zirbaghali (also zerbaghali).

The many names of doumbek are listed here:

Darabuke (Albania)
Darabuka, Darambuka, Tarambuke and Tarambuka (Bulgaria)
Darabukka, Derabucca, and Darbouka (Egypt)
Derbekki, Drbekki, and Drbakka (Lebanon and Syria)
Derbocka (Morocco and Algeria)
Derbouka (Derbuka) (?)
Dobouk (Hungry)
Donbak, Dombak, Tombak, Tonbak and Zarb (Persia)
Doumbek (USA)
Dumbelek, Darbuka and Deblek (Turkey)
Gedombak (Malaysia)
Khalouze (?)
Shuhai-Gata-Katamen-Taiko (Japan)
Tarambuka (Yugoslavia)
Tarija (Morocco)
Tarabuka (Macedonia)
Tablak (Tajikistan)
Thon, Thab and Thap (Thailand and Cambodia)
Toubeleki (Greece)
Tumbaknari (Kashmir of Indian)
Ghumat (Goa of India)
Jamuku (South India)
Zirbaghali (Afghanistan)

The many name of doumbek

Goblet Drumming Group: A Forum for all Doumbek-s (Goblet Drums)

The Differences Between Tonbak and Darbouka

An Article by Peyman Nasehpour

There are lots of different goblet drums in Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe. Though I have an article about the many names of doumbek, but at that article I have not mentioned to the following goblet drums:

Dabakan is a goblet shaped drum from Philippines and I don’t have any info about that.

Djembe is the very famous goblet shaped drum from West African countries like Mali and one can find lots of info about that in Internet fortunately.

Klong-Yaw is a large goblet shaped drum, the bowl of the drum is more slender than the djembe and it comes from Thailand.

Tarija is a small goblet drum used in Melhoun genre of Moroccan art music.

The reason is that so far as I know these goblet drums are not played in the way that tonbak (Persian doumbek) and darbouka (Arabic doumbek) are played.

So without discussing more about the recently mentioned goblet drums, I start my discussion about the difference between tonbak and darbouka.

Structure

The structure of all goblet drums can be theoretically divided into five parts:

Skin, Large opening, Body, Throat and Small opening

For tonbak goatskin, sheep skin, cow skin, camel skin and horse skin is used and the most popular is goat skin, while for the darbouka the fish skin is used. Also many use prefabricated head for the darbouka; I have never seen any use of prefabricated head for the tonbak.

The body of tonbak is wooden, while body of Arabic darbouka is traditionally clay and body of Turkish darbouka is metal.

We have clay and tin-plated tonbak but they are not used in Persian art music. The tonbak-e-zourkhaneh that is a large-sized tonbak used in zourkhaneh (Persian traditional gymnasium) has clay body but it is rarely used in Persian art music.

The skin of tonbak is not very tight because most of the tonbak players don’t like sharp-sounded tonbak and such a sound for tonbak is undesirable for musicians of Persia (Iran). I personally like sharp-sounded tonbak but its pitch should not be as high as darbouka.

The skin of darbouka should be so tight that it produces a very sharp sound particularly when the rim of the skin is stroked.

Some tonbak players use more head stretching techniques and one of those tonbak players was maestro Hussein Tehrani, the father of modern tonbak. Also please consider that most of the pitch-changing isn’t produced by pressure on the skin, but by using the fingertips and the side of the hand to vary the effective size of the playing surface for producing higher tones. Maestro Nasser Farhangfar was not used to produce pitch-changing sounds on the tonbak, but the sound of his tonbak was still not sharp. In fact he was always used to wet his hand and run it over the drum head, bringing the pitch down a bit. Some believe that this will damage the skin of tonbak if this is done for many times. The better method is to put the tonbak on the tiles of your room up-side-down that the skin can absorb the earth’s wetness and bring the pitch down a bit.

Also if the pitch is too low, then traditionally the skin was heated in front of fire that this will damage the skin if it is done for many times. Recently some use heat-pads and I think it is a better method. Anyway, the best solution is to have two tonbaks, one high pitched and the other low-pitched. One of them will be hopefully suitable for your performance.

Some tonbak makers have tried to make tunable tonbak that you can tighten or loosen the head, but it seems tonbak players prefer not to use such tonbaks and it is because its sound is not as pleasure as the traditional non-tunable tonbaks.

I explained all these things to emphasize that the lowness of the pitch of the tonbak is more related to the taste of the tonbak players than to the techniques that some tonbak players use for playing the tonbak.

The shape of the tonbak is more squared than the darbouka. Also the edge of the Egyptian darbouka is rounded, while the edge of the tonbak and Turkish darbouka is squared that lets the tonbak and Turkish darbouka players play the finger-snapping techniques easier.

Techniques

For playing the tonbak and darbouka wrists and fingers are used broadly but in different ways. And as far as I know darbouka players use fingers more than their wrists. Using the wrists is definitely better than using the shoulders for the strike (which is the tendency of many beginners and djembe players).

Tonbak players have a sort of “floppy wrist action” for producing a technique called full-roll that you do not usually see in Arabic style darbouka. The full-roll on the tonbak requires the fingers to be extremely loose that wrist can basically fling the fingers onto the skin of the tonbak.

The many names of the Doumbek

An article by Peyman Nasehpour

Abstract

Among the percussion instruments used heavily across Asia, North Africa and Eastern Europe are four broad classes of drums, known to musicologists as frame drums, goblet drums, cylindrical drums and kettledrums. This article deals with the goblet drums.

Introduction

Goblet drums are one of the most important broad classes of drums, played heavily across Asia, North Africa and Eastern Europe.

These instruments have many similarities, and there are many similar names in use. Most of the names are derived from two names, the Pahlavi (the Middle Persian language used by Persians during the Sasanid period) name dombalak and the Arabic name darbouka.

The American name doumbek should be derived from the Persian name dombak that is the new form of its Pahlavi name, dombalak and brought to USA by Eastern emigrants.

In this article I will discuss the names of goblet drums.

Afghanistan

Zirbaghali (also spelled Zerbaghali) is the Afghani clay goblet drum and played with a technique somewhat between Persian tonbak and Indian tabla (the double membrane instrument of Indian origin) with some darbouka techniques thrown in for seasoning. Indian tabla has influenced the Afghans, particularly Kabulis. It is interesting to say that there is a round black patch (siyahi) on the skin of Zirbaghali, which shows the influence of Indian tabla on Zirbaghali. Zirbaghali can be considered as an Indo-Persian musical instrument and it is believed that it is of Persian origin.
Albania

In Albania, the name is Darabuke.

Azerbaijan

In present-day Republic of Azerbaijan, the doumbek is used. However, the main percussion instruments are naghara (a cylindrical drum with two heads and same as Armenian dhol) and ghaval (a kind of frame drum).

Bulgaria

In Bulgaria, the names of doumbek are darabuka, darambuka, tarambuke and tarambuka. The tarambuka is of Eastern origin. Tarambuka is made from baked clay. It is similar to the Turkish-Arabic darabuka. It is always played together with other folk instruments. Its sound is soft and low. The tarambuka provides a background rhythm for songs.

Bulgarian tarambuka can be found only in the Southwest. It most often accompanies the tambura (a string instrument very similar to the Turkish saz). In the past these two instruments were played mainly by an ethnic minority called Pomachs, but in the 20th Century they are used in playing professional music based on folklore. Most researchers in the field think that these instruments have entered Bulgarian folklore through the Turkish music. The professional ensembles also use it nowadays (Ensemble “Pirin” and “Philip Koutev”). There are cases in which the tarambuka is played with a tupan (a kind of cylindrical drum). The latter is being used as a base rhythmic party, whereas the tarambuka for more virtuous rhythms. The most popular rhythm in Bulgarian folk music is 7/8 with the accent on the first beat.

Egypt and Arab Countries

Tabl is the Arabic general name for drums and is also the most common name for goblet drums in the Arabic language countries (not to be confused with the Indian tabla, which this name has been brought to India by Persian Muslims). All of them look like the Egyptian drums. The body is traditionally made of clay and the large opening is covered with fish skin.

The other names are:

Egypt -Darabukka, Derabucca, and Darbouka
Lebanon and Syria – Derbekki, Drbekki, and Drbakka
Morocco and Algeria – Derboka
Tarija (Morocco): This is a small goblet drum used in Melhoun genre of Moroccan art music.

It’s interesting to note that most of the above names have their root in the Arabic-Turkish word ‘darab’ that the meaning of the word is the sound made by beating a drum. (Compare with Dambel-e-Dimbo in Persian and Rub-a-Dub in English.)

Greece

In Greece there is a kind of goblet drum that is so similar to dumbelek of Turkey and its name is toubeleki. The both names should be originated in the Pahlavi name dombalak. Toubeleki is played in oriental Greece.

Hungary – dobouk

India

In India there are various goblet drums. One of them is played in Kashmir and its name is tumbaknari. Tumbaknari is used for every singing occasion in Kashmir. The word Tumbaknari is of two parts: Tumbak and Nari. Nari in Kashmiri means earthen pot.

The other goblet drums of India are Ghumat (Goa) and Jamuku (South India).

Japan

There is a kind of goblet drum in Japan. Taiko is the general name for drums in Japan. The name of this instrument is Shuhai-Gata-Katamen-Taiko. It should be mentioned here that Shuhai, Gata and Katamen respectively mean goblet, shape and one-faced. The other drums of Japan are Oke-do-Taiko, Naga-do-Taiko and Shime-Taiko.

Malaysia

The gedombak is a goblet shaped double-headed drum found in Malay folk music. The frame is made from one type of hard wood, usually jackfruit tree wood or angsana. The wider end is covered by goatskin, which functions as a sound producer tensioned using woven rattan strings. The other end is left open.

In the performance context, the gedombak is played in pairs, called Gendang Ibu (Mother) and Gendang Anak (Child). Gedombak Ibu is able to produce a lower pitch than the Gedombak Anak, but both have the same frame size. The drumheads are struck with one hand, while the other is used to stabilize the mnemonic sounds like “doh”, “phat”, and “ting”. Two players, accompanying traditional theatre such as Wayang Kulit and Menora, usually play them.

Macedonia

There is a kind of goblet drum in Macedonia that its name is tarabuka. The body is made of pottery decorated with ethnic designs. The tarabuka is used mostly for playing as part of folk ensembles, usually at weddings and other festive occasions.

Persia

There are three kinds of goblet drums to be played in Persia (Iran). One is the tonbak, to be used in Persian art and folk music. The other is the zarb-e-zourkhaneh (the large sized clay tonbak to be played in zourkhaneh, the Persian ancient gymnasium) and the last one is the tempo similar to the Arabic-Turkish darbouka.

Here is a description of the structure of the tonbak:

Skin: Skin of tonbak is glued on the head of tonbak. Goatskin is the most popular.
Body: Body of tonbak is wooden. This is in fact the sound box of tonbak. Sometimes many furrows are carved on its wood.
Throat: Throat is almost cylindrical and it is connected from top to the body and from the bottom to the small opening.
Small Opening: Tonbak is in the form of goblet, which is open from the top and bottom. Small opening is in the bottom and is similar to the mouth of trumpet. The throat and the small opening together are in the form of a trumpet.
Large Opening: Large opening is in the top and the skin is covered on it.

Other names for this drum are donbak, tombak, dombak, tompak and zarb. The word zarb is Arabic and probably derived from the word darab that means the sound made by beating a drum. In Indian music zarab that literally means to strike is the arrangement of the segments that their combination make a tala (Indian rhythm).

There are two views for the origin of the name tonbak:

Some believe that the name tonbak is originated in the sound to be produced by the two main strokes played on the tonbak known as ‘ton’ and ‘bak’, respectively for the bass tone played in the center of the skin and the treble tone played on the rim and combination of them give us the word tonbak. According to this view tonbak is an onomatopoeic name, while the other believe that the word tonbak is diminutive of the word tonb, witch literally means belly. This view is not so strange because the body of tonbak is convex (belly-shaped).

Tempo is noted as an Arabic instrument and sometimes it is used for accompanying Persian banal songs.

Tajikistan

Tajikistani goblet drum is called Tablak that is diminutive of the word tabl. Like the other goblet drums it is open on both sides. Across one of the mouths is stretched a piece of skin which is beaten with the fingers. The opposite end is manipulated with the other hand to give various tonal effects.

Thailand

The Thai goblet drum is called thon (the other names are thab and thap) that is often played simultaneously with Thai frame drum called ramana. The instruments are known together as thon-ramana. The Thon lies on the player’s lap and is played with the right hand, while the ramana is held in the left hand. The shape of thon is so similar to gedombak (Malaysian goblet drum).

Turkey

The most common name of the Turkish goblet drum is dumbelek. Other names are darbouka and deblek (same as Tajikistani Tablak). The word dumbelek should be originated in the Pahlavi name dombalak. The Turkish goblet drums are mainly made of metals.

Yugoslavia

The Yugoslavian goblet drum is called darbuk.

Acknowledgments

The author wishes to thank Eric Stuer for page design. Some of this information comes from different people by e-mail. My thanks to them: David Brown, Dr. Iveta Pirgova, Dr. Pongsilva Arunrat, Matt Hannafin, Dr. David Courtney, Sachi Sakanashi.
Further References

B. Chaintanya Deva, Indian Music, New Delhi, 1974.
Hossein Khadiv Jam, Avaz-e-Khorasani va Sav-e-Afghani (Shabi dar Khanghah-e-Kabol), Tehran, 1987.
Mehran Poormandan, The Encyclopedia of Iranian Old Music, Tehran, 2000.
Cemsid Salehpur, Türkçe Farsça Genel Sözlügü, Tehran, 1996.
Mehdi Setayeshgar, Vazhe-Name-ye-Musighi-ye-Iran Zamin, Tehran, Vol. I (1995) & Vol. II (1996).
Musical Voices of Asia, Report of [Asian Traditional Performing Arts 1978], The Japan Foundation, 1980.

A brief about the history of percussion and drumming notation in Persia

Tonbak Notation

By Peyman Nasehpour

So far as I know there is no documents mentioning to the notation of rhythms in the pre-Islamic era of the ancient Persia. But after Islam many Persian musicians and scientists started to use a kind of syllabic notation for notating Persian rhythms. This system of notation was called “atanin” method but nobody uses it today. Of course some musicians who are interested in recreation of the ancient music of Persia, try to discover how to play those rhythms on today drums.

The first notation for the tonbak was suggested by Ostad Saba, a very famous and great multi-instrumentalist of Iran who passed away some decades ago.

Anyway, the first book who was published in Iran for the tonbak is the rudiments of tombak co-authored with some Iranian musicians including the late maestro Hosain Tehrani, the very great master of tonbak and father of modern tonbak.

Ostad Saba’s method was one-lined system and it was developed by some other tonbak players like Ostad Eftetah and the others, but Ostad Tehrani’s book’s method was three-lined method.

Today both the methods are used but the problem is that in every method there is no standard for notating the finger patterns. Anyway, since the key is always mentioned in those books, people don’t have any problem in reading such books.

Dombak and Dombaki, Tonbak and Tonbaknavaz

Tombak Expressions

By Peyman Nasehpour

Dombak: Another name of tonbak. It is derived from the Pahlavi (Persian ancient language) word, dombalak. It seems the American name doumbek (also spelled dumbek, dumbeq, doumbeq) comes from the Persian name dombak.

Dombaki: A slightly derogatory term for a tonbak player.

Dombalak: Pahlavi name of tonbak.

Dombalak-e-ayyubi: Dombalak attributed to Ayyub. It is interesting to say that Ayyub is a Middle Eastern rhythm to be played in belly dance.

Donbak: Another name of tonbak.

Donbalak-e-Moghren: An ancient drum that was a pair of tonbaks.

Jam-Danbolak: A kind of drum similar to tonbak. It should be mentioned that Jam literally means cup.

Khombak: Another name for tonbak.

Khonbak: Some believe that khonbak was a small kettledrum with metallic body. Then it was made of clay and now it is made of wood and it is same as today tonbak.

Ruyin-khom: Kettledrum. Please refer to khom-e-ruyin.

Tabang: Another name of tonbak (Persian goblet drum).

Tombak: Another name of tonbak. There is a kind of cylindrical drum in Baluchestan province of Iran. Its name is tombak but it can be compared with Indian khol. Khol also called mridang is a folk drum of northeast India. It has a body made of clay, a very small head on the right side (approximately 4 inches), and a larger head on the left side (approximately 10 inches).

Tombak-e-zourkhaneh: A kind of tonbak to be played in zourkhaneh (Traditional Persian Gymnasium). Zourkhaneh literally means house of power.

Tombaknavaz: A respectful term for tombak player.

Tonbak: Persian goblet drums.

Note: There are many names for this instrument. Some of them are: 1. Dombar 2. Dombarak 3. Tabang 4. Tabnak 5. Tobnak 6. Tobnok 7. Tobnog 8. Tonbik 9. Tonbook 10. Tontak 11. Khonbak 12. Khombak 13. Khommak 14. Damal 15. Dambal 16. Donbalak 17. Dombalak 18. Khoorazhak 19. Khomchak 20. Tonbak 21. Tombak 22. Donbak 23. Dombak 24. Zarb.

Tonbak-e-bazmi: A kind of tonbak to be played in parties.

Tonbak-e-razmi: Tonbak-e-zourkhaneh.

Tonbak-e-Ta’lim: A kind of tonbak for training the athletes in zourkhaneh (Traditional Persian Gymnasium).

Tonbak-e-zourkhaneh: A kind of tonbak and bigger than ordinary tonbak that it is played in zourkhaneh (Traditional Persian Gymnasium).

Tonbaknavaz: A respectful term for tonbak player.

Tonbook: Another name of tonbak.

Zarb: Another name of tonbak

Zarb-e-zourkhaneh: A kind of tonbak to be played in zourkhaneh (Traditional Persian Gymnasium). Zourkhaneh literally means house of power.

Zarbgir: An old and respectful expression for zarb player and it comes from the verb zarb-gereftan that means to play on zarb.

Zarbist: An English term for zarb player, similar to sitarist and guitarist.

Zarb or Tonbak (Persian Doumbek)

Lexical Discussion of the Different Names of the Tonbak (Zarb)

A Research for Different Names of Tonbak (Persian Goblet Drum)

An Article by Peyman Nasehpour

Abstract

There are many Persian Drums, but the tonbak is the chief percussion skinned instrument of Persian art music. In this article, I try to explain different names of the instrument and conclude that tonbak is the most suitable name for it.

Introduction

Tonbak is the chief percussion skinned instrument of Persian art music, though it is used in Persian folk music too. This instrument, after the great masters of tonbak especially the late Ostad Hossain Tehrani and the late Ostad Nasser Farhangfar has advanced in the last century and it has become more popular [Z, p179]. Through the history it has been applied different names for this instrument but the two names, tonbak and zarb have been used more than the others. In this article by explanation of the different names of the instrument I try to get this result that tonbak is the most suitable name for it.

Explanation for Different Names of Tonbak

Zarb

On the whole applying the word zarb for this instrument is error allowed by usage. If we refer to different Persian dictionaries, we will find many meanings for this word that one of them is zadan (to play). By taking its different meanings into consideration perhaps we deduce that since the act of playing is done on this instrument, in other words, with a view to the fact that it is played on, so it has been named zarb; then immediately the question arises, setar (Persian long-necked lute, with 4 strings, 25-28 movable frets and wooden body) that is also an instrument and is played on, why it is not called zarb!

Zarb that has been applied for this instrument of music, is apparently on this occasion that osul-e-zarb va ahang (rhythm) is underpinned to by this instrument [Saj, p9] and this justification is closer to fact. In order to complete this justification it should be stated that the job of tonbak players, as an accompanist, is to underpin to the composition to be performed by the soloist, though occasionally tonbak players perform tonbak solo after the great maestro, Hossein Tehrani.

Dombalag

Dombalag was one of the current instruments during the time of Khosro Parviz (the famous king of Iran in the period of Sassanide) and it was a small drum, the old form of dombak [Dehkhoda dictionary]. Dombalag is Pahlavi (an ancient Persian language) name of this instrument and the oldest text that its name has been mentioned, is a Pahlavi text named Khosro va Gholam [Se, p294]. Also Dr. M. Forough in one of his works has mentioned that in the period of Sassanide, a kind of percussion instrument that it is similar to tonbak of today has been called donbalak or dombalak and both are Pahlavi words and maybe donbak and dombak are transformation of the words [R, p15]. It is good to know that dombarak is another dialect of dombalak [B, p128]. At the end it should be mentioned that in Persian language the pronunciation of the letter “n” is altered to “m” when the letter “n” in a word, comes before the letter “b” without existing any letter between them, so e.g. tonbak is pronounced tombak.

Khorazhak

Though khorazhak has been taken into consideration as an Indian elliptical drum [Sac], but the first part of the word, khor, comes from the word, khordan, in the concept of zadan (to play) and esabat kardan (to hit) and this concept can be perceived in the meaning of zarb (tonbak) [B, p128].

Tabang

Different Persian dictionaries such as Borhan-e-Ghate’, Anjoman-e-Ara’, Rashidi and Anend Raj have mentioned that the meaning of the tabang is tonbak. Also the Persian poet, Suzani, has mentioned to this word as a percussion instrument. Dr. M. Mo’in in his dictionary mentions to this point that from the explanation of Anend Raj, it arises that tonbak and donbak are altered forms of tabang.

Khonbak

Khonbak is a kind of percussion skinned instrument that it is played by hands. In these days it is called tonbak or donbak and transformation of “kh” to “t” and “d” is common in Persian language [Anend Raj dictionary]. The famous poet, Nezami, has mentioned to this word in his works. Also it is good to know that khom is abbreviation of the word khonb and it is a kind of barrel for keeping water, vinegar, wine and so on in; khom also means a big kous (kettledrum) [M, p12]. So it is obvious that khomak and khonbak have the same root and both mean tonbak.

Tonbak

In Persian texts they been applied different names for this instrument but it is obvious that the two names, tonbak and zarb, have been used more than the others. There is an interesting opinion about the word tonbak; tonb means belly and tonbour (a very ancient Persian long-necked lute) means owner of belly. Perhaps the words, tonbak and tonbour, have the same root [Sh, p144]. At the end it should be mentioned that the name of this instrument in Lorestan prov. (west of Iran) and Hormozgan prov. (south of Iran) is tombak and tompak respectively [BD, p127 & p133].

Conculsion

Now that we are acquainted with different names of this instrument, the name tonbak seems to be more suitable than the others. Also there is another justification for the name tonbak, in this way that, some people believe the name of this instrument comes from its sound, for if we play on tonbak in the centre of its skin by the cushions of the fingers, then we will hear a sound like ton and if we play on tonbak at the side of its skin by the cushions of the two, middle and ring fingers, then we will hear a sound like bak.

Acknowledgment

The author wishes to thank Prof. Sayyed Abd-Allah Anwar and Ms. Ferdos Navabi for their helpful advice.

References

[B]: Binesh, M.T., Shenakht-e-Musighi-ye-Iran, Tehran, 1997.
[BD]: Boustan, B., & Darvishi, M.R., Morouri bar Musighi-ye-Sonnati va Mahalli-ye-Iran, Tehran, 1991.
[M]: Mojarrad, M.I., Chaghane-ye-Tarab, Amouzesh-e-Tombak, Tehran, 1970.
[R]: Rajabi, B., Tonbak va Negareshi be Ritm az Zavaya-ye-Mokhtalef, Tehran, 1977.
[Sac]: Sachs, C., The History of Musical Instruments, New York, 1940.
[Saj]: Sajjadi, Z., Bahs-e-Loghavi, Amouzesh-e-Tombak, Tehran, 1990.
[Sh]: Shoushtari, M.A.E., Iran, Gahvare-ye-Danesh va Honar, Tehran, 1969.
[Z]: Zonis, E., Musighi-ye-Kelasik-e-Irani, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1973 (Translated from English to Persian by M. Pour Mohammad).

Note

All references are in Persian language except [Sac].

Regional Music of Iran, the Voice of Minorities

A Letter to Dr. Mostafa Moeen, the Presidential Election Candidate in 2005:

Mr. Dr. Mostafa Moeen,

I am happy you expressed your sorrow when you heard one of the Iranian musical ensembles will never play in Iran.

The fact is that it is not possible to talk about the rights of minorities and not to pay attention to regional music of Iran. Regional music of Iran (i.e. the music of minorities) is the foundation of the art (official) music of Iran (i.e. the dastgah-radif (modal) music of Iran). But when the official music of Iran is not official, then the situation of regional music of Iran is clear.

Why the folk music instruments should not be taught in the universities, while western musical instruments are taught as “universal” musical instruments! Let’s not to mention that the tonbak that is an official-national musical instrument is not taught in our universities. Persian musical instruments that are the mother of the most of musical instruments of the world are in the shadow (not in the public views). This is what should cause our sorrow. The demise of folk music of Iran will cause the demise of art music of Iran and this will be a knock-out to our identity.

Dr. Moeen, thank you so much for your attention to the music of Iran (Persia) that belong to all of Iranians, but if you are the president, bring the music of Iran from the margin to the context! The culture of Iran is one the richest cultures of the world and whenever it is not supported and offered, it will not progress. The voice of voice-less people should be heard! The voice of voice-less people is the folk music of Iran, i.e. the voice of minorities.

I wish you success and victory.

Peyman Nasehpour

The Letter in Persian was originally published at Eqbal Newspaper

Art Links

Iran Artists Organization — Khane-ye-Honarmandan-e-Iran

Iran House of Music — Khane-ye-Musighi-ye-Iran

Harmony Talk: Music online magazine in Persian

Music Discussion

Kargah.com — Iranian Artists’ Website

Pendar.net: Iranian Independent Media for Art News

Cultural Heritage News Agency

Moala: This is a very nice site created by Ostad Hamid Ajami, Iranian calligrapher.

SARA musik (Sources ARAbes sur la Musique): History of music from Arabic and Oriental sources. Texts, manuscripts, writers, bibliography, mailing-list by Anas Ghrab.

Art That I Like: Fantasy art, 3d computer art, History of art, museum listings, art chats and forums, Christmas art, art supplies, digital art, religious art, animal art, online art courses. Add your website to our art database.

The Irish Dancing Directory – Your Irish Dance Website – Worldwide directory of Irish Dancing teachers, schools, suppliers and dressmakers. Europe, America, Australia & New Zealand. Locations, phone numbers, websites & contact info. Your one stop shop for the Irish Dance World.

Persian Mirror: Online Modern Magazine for Persian Art and Culture

Forever Under Construction: An Iranian blogger who writes about art and many other interesting topics.

pearlbamboo: An American blogger who wrires about music, art, dance, poetry and history.

Sennheiser Wireless Microphones and Headphones: Online store featuring Sennheiser microphones, headphones, noise cancelling headphones and wireless mics.

Neon Plague Music Promotion: music promotion, viral advertising, ecards, flash flyers, e-cards, music promoters, interactive

Haftan: Art news in Persian

Kodoom.com: Every Persian Event on the Planet

Music Links

If you are interested in drum link exchange, percussion link exchange or even music link exchange, then please email me!

Parham Nassehpoor: Iranian multi-instrumentalist (tar, setar, kamancheh and Azeri tar player)

Silk Road Music: Concerts and Events of Persian Classical Music by Farzin Darabi Far

Farzin Darabi Far: Iranian Cologne-based tar and setar player and composer

Persian and Azerbaijani Music Discussion Group: Persian and Azerbaijani Music Group is a group at Yahoo Groups established by my father maestro Nasrollah Nasehpour. Anybody who is interested in Persian and Azeri classical and regional music can join to this group.

Download Free Music

Indian Classical Music Links

Free Music: Free music, free music downloads, MP3 music, MP3 players

Find Free Music: MP3 players, music downloads, find free music online

Free Music Downloads: Find free music downloads. Download MP3 files, MP3 players, software and tools for free online music

PanteA Alvandipour (Iranian/Persian Female Vocalist and a student of maestro Nasrollah Nasehpoor

Vadoud Mo’azzen: Azerbaijani Vocalist, a student of maestro Nasrollah Nasehpoor

NIKOS DIMITRIADIS (Oud site): A very nice website based in Greece.

The Oud: The most popular instrument in Middle East by David Profitt. In this site you will find info of the history, tuning, playing and artists of oud.

Animus Music: Animus, jam’n world fusion music! On this website site you’ll find Animus’ performance dates, history, booking contact, MP3s, Pictures and CD ordering information and more.

RichHeart Music is the music for meditation, inspiration, healing, and enlightenment from Richard Shulman.

Mid-East Mfg., Inc.: The Ethnic Musical Instrument Company TM offering more than 500 ethnic musical instruments at great prices!

Tagafolk and Anamnèse are nice website of Eric Forgeot, France based artist in both English and French. He has a page for Persian Music.

Brain Transfer Project: Website with great sound files that Dana does in the studio. He plays guitar, sax, trumpet, keyboard, sahna (Chinese oboe), accordion and he sings too!

EthnoSuperLounge is dedicated to world peace and cultural understanding through the creation of cross-cultural music in an open, empowering and transcendental way, inspired by the traditional devotional music and mystic philosophies of the world and especially the rich cultural traditions of India and Asia.

Contemplation Garden: World Music Info by Greg Turner

Mohsen Namjoo – Iranian Vocalist, a student of maestro Nasrollah Nasehpoor

Ethnic Music in English and Turkish

Bam Ahang Productions: Canada-based music website for supporting independent music and musicians. Do check their website.

The Malay Nobat Music

Caravansary

Culture and Music Magazine in Persian

Iranian Oud (Persian Lute)

Sol.ir: Persian Music Directory and Music News in Persian

Musicians’ Alliance for Peace

Music News: We spread the word!

Piano Lesson by Tammy: Tammy’s website on Piano lessons

Scandinavian folk music, folk dance and related traditional arts discussion group run by Bruce Sagan US-based musician and mathematician.

VOCALIST: International mailing list and free resource for singers and singing teachers.

If you are interested in drum link exchange, percussion link exchange or even music link exchange, then please email me!

Drums and Percussion Things for Sale

Good Quality Tonbak, Ghaval & Daf: Some pieces of advice about good quality tonbak, ghaval and daf.

Cooperman Fife and Drum Company: The Cooperman Company, as known as Cooperman Fife & Drum Co., is a second-generation family business founded by Patrick H. Cooperman in 1961. They offer hand drums such as Ghaval, Kanjira, Riq, Hadjira, Tar, Bendir, Bodhran and drumsticks, Rope tention drums and fifes. This US-based site is really well-designed by my friend, Chris Sampson.

Great Trading Path: Native American Indian drums, crafts, art, beadwork, jewelry, pottery and Southeastern Indian history. It is a very informative website and do check it out!

Cymbalism Music: Drum sets, electronic drum sets, alchemy cymbals, bongo drums, congo drums for sale.

The Drum and Whistle prides itself on making quality, inexpensive instruments availible to it’s customers. Greg Fisher and the other friends offer doumbek, djembe, Bodhran and some other drums. Have a look the Design Works by Greg Fisher too.

Columbia Products International: Musical Instruments for Sale: Bagpipe, Bodhran, Dumbeck, Harp, Skin Head and Tambourine.

Hand Percussion Drum:Tammy’s site on Djembes hand percussion African drum

African Drum Beat: Dedicated to West African Drumming and Percussion

Mojave Drums: Info about gourd drums (for sale) by Sandra Ainsworth (Instructor and Media Director) and her friends.

Shake and Rattle: They make the finest hand-crafted shekeres using gourds and other natural materials.

African Rhythm Traders: A very good and informative site for books, CDs, workshops and so on about world (particularly African) rhythms.

Drumset Connect – Drums Percussion

Tongue Drum: Website of Steve Roberts who makes tongue drums, which are all wood drum tuned in musical scales.

SEKERE.COM – for custom designed, natural beaded, gourd hand drums. We have been making and selling beautiful sekeres in Pennsylvania since 1993. Because we also play the instrument, we are able to work with you assisting with your customization when necessary. We have also taught many people who have gone on to develop a rewarding hobby making and selling these instruments.

Kevork Drum Factory: owned and operated by Kevork Krikor Kazandjian. Kevork is from Lebanon and has been playing and making percussion instruments for all his life.

Instrument Zone: A website for musicians, instrument retailers, instrument manufacturers selling or buying musical instruments (Category: Musical instrument)

If you are interested in drum link exchange, percussion link exchange or even music link exchange, then please email me.

Good Quality Tonbak, Ghaval and Daf

High Quality Tonbak, Ghaval and Daf

A high quality drum should have at least three characteristics:

1) It should have a good body with a good skin.
2) The sound should be great.
3) It should be beautiful.

Related keywords: buy, buying, purchase, purchasing, tombak, dombak, donbak, zarb, dayereh

Are Drums Unladylike?

In Iran and some other countries, it is believed that some drums are unladylike without offering any reason! Not only this is the duty of girls and women to start drumming, but also boys and men should encourage them to drum!

Also it is promoted that frame drums are very ladylike. Then I hope this will not cause people to think that the other kinds of drums are unladylike.

As a male drummer, I believe that drums are not unladylike and I have some female students that if they continue drumming, they will become a good tonbak (Persian goblet drum) player.

I searched in many different books to find a female tonbak player’s photo and the only that I found is the following photo:

I have listened to Rimpa Shiv female tabla player of India and student and daughter of Swapan Shiv. She is one of the rare female tabla players that has proved the incorrectness of the general belief that tabla playing is unladylike.

Female musicians (drummers and percussionists):

Pamela Lynn: Lady Freestyle Hand Percussionist and Professional Drum Facilitator

Drum Cafe – Drumming in Nordhorn, Germany (djembe, percussion and drum circle) run by Anna Ölerich and Roswitha Bült and info and support by Rosi and Heinz – Jürgen Burrichter. Please be aware that they are different from DrumCafe Germany, but in contact with them.

Lori Cotler: Vocal Percussionist!

Venus Rising: Female Percussion and Dance Ensemble for West African Music

Drumocracy (Drumming for Freedom): Tanya Schur believes that D.R.U.M means devotion, respect, unity and music. She quotes a nice sentence from the late Babatunde Olatunji – father of the rythmaculture movement: “When people drum together, the world is a better place.” Do check out her green and lovely website!

Born to Drum: To provide a positive environment for women to learn, to teach, and to perform drumming arts from diverse cultures

Terri Lyne Carrington: World-renowned drummer, composer, producer and clinician

Jeni Swerdlow: Drum mm… Empowering communities through rhythm and play, featuring interactive, facilitated drum circles.

Ellen Clegg (Facilitator/Percussionist, FOUND SOUNDS: Community Through Rhythm)

Lilian Friedberg is a performing artist/drummer/writer/translator with European, Jewish and Ojibway ancestors, living in Chicago, where she is a djembe instructor and Artistic Director of the Chicago Djembe Project.

Sheila E: My goal in life is to bless just one person a day. If today that one person is you then I have done my job by telling my short story.

Cat Lake: Cat is a female percussionist based in the New Forest, Hampshire, UK. Her website is very well-designed. She is founder of an online community for Bodhrán players – formerly Bodhranii – now a part of Paul Marshall’s bodojo project. For more info about her check her website!

Amazones Woman Master Drummers of Guinea

Mwt Shekemet – The African American Experience in Folklore

Sevinj Sariyeva (Mugam Singer and Ghaval Player) is one of the best female ghaval players that I have seen in my life. In singing she is the student of Arif Babayev that is a very great singer in Azerbaijan.

Layne Redmond a drum sister of mine and a very famous US frame drummer.

Marla Leigh: Multi-percussionist (frame drums, Indian tabla and so on…), flautist, educator and composer based in LA/USA.

Judy Piazza: founder of Resonance & Rhythms and a female multi-instrumentalist.

The African Music Encyclopedia is a very nice website by female djembe player, Janet Planet. Her Drumminfun site has a very good drum links. She has some other websites: DrumCafe.com and DrumCafe.org and is the moderator of some drumming discussion groups powered by Yahoo! Groups that you will find them in her sites.

Drummer Girl: A very good list of many women who drum. Many female drummers have been listed there.

Susie Ibarra is an NY-based female drummer and composer. She has worked with people like David Ware, John Zorn, Derek Bailey and so on…

Anuradha Pal a female Indian tabla player and a famous student of the late Ustad Alla Rakha Khan.

Monette Marino African, Cuban, Brazilizn and Korean Drumming

Evelyn Glennie UK based female drummer. Her site is really nice.

Alessandra Belloni a female drummer of Italy. An exploration of the music of southern Italy, with performance listings, audio samples, drums. Her site has been designed by my friend Chris Sampson (percussionist and web-designer).

Dr. Judith R. Cohen: performer and ethnomusicologist specializing in Judeo-Spanish (“Ladino”) Sephardic songs, as well as in medieval and traditional music, including Balkan, Portuguese, Yiddish, and French Canadian. Her daughter, Tamar Ilana Cohen Adams (born in 1986) often performs with her, on voice, recorders and percussion.

Simone LaDrumma: Group and Private Lessons, Drum Circles and Parties, Programs for Children. Simone, this nice female drummer, has been drumming professionally since 1987.

Female Mugham Singer with Ghaval in AZER.com

Safiya, Khafif’s second drummer, primarily plays doumbek, and occasionally tar and zils. Safiya is also an artist, librarian, and researcher.

Jacqui MacMillan: Washington D.C. based female drummer. She is a very active percussionist and she has a nice website.

This page has been created on 8/03/2003 for the remembrance of International Woman’s Day (somehow related to women’s rights!). If you know any good site related to female drummers, then please email me. Thanks for your help.

Jennifer Quirino (A Very Great Double Bass Player)

Igha’ (Theory of Old Rhythms), A Brief Discussion of Rhythm Cycles (Advar-e-Igha’i)

By Peyman Nasehpour

Introduction

Safi al-Din Ormavi, one of the most celebrated Persian theorists and musicians, was born in Orumiyyeh city of Azerbaijan province in Iran. He has written two important books about theory of Persian art music of his time, which they are Al-advar and Al-sharafiyyeh. In the past music was divided into two important chapters: 1. Talif-e-Negham 2. Igha. Talif-e-Negham (literally means composition of notes) is in fact the same as melody. Igha is the same as rhythm.

Theory of Rhythm

Safi-al-Dins approach to rhythmic analysis is traditional: much of the terminology used to describe the various rhythmic cycles is derived from prosody. Each cycle is divided into feet (vatad, sabab and faseleh), these being defined in terms of long and short syllables. A short syllable is equivalent to one time unit, a long syllable to two. The syllables and feet are represented either by prosodic methods or by the syllables ta and tan (both always initial in a foot), na, nan. Thus the rhythmic cycle Al-saghil-al-sani, for example, is given as:

Tanan Tanan Tan Tanan Tanan Tan

The time units are therefore to be divided:

/1 2 3 /1 2 3/1 2 /1 2 3 /1 2 3 /1 2/

In each foot the first time unit is marked by a percussion, the last in general not, while any other may or may not be so marked, the performer being in some cases bound by convention and in others able to choose.

Thus if we symbolize the first time of a foot as X (an obligatory percussion), the final one as o (generally omitted), and others as x (generally an optional percussion), this cycle becomes:

/X x o X x o X o X x o X x o X o/

It will be seen from this that the rhythmic cycles are distinguished not only by the numbers of the time units but, equally important, by an accentual pattern also which the performer may embroider within certain limits, but in theory not alter.

The rhythmic cycles described by Safi-al-Din in his book Al-advar may be represented as follows:

Al-saghil-al-avval: /X x o X x o X x x o X o X x x o/

Khafif-e-saghil: /X o X x/

Saghil-e-ramal: /X x x o X x x o X o X o X o X o X o X o X x x o/

Al-ramal: /X o X o X o X o X x x o/

Khafif-e-ramal: /X o X x o X o X x o/

Al-hazaj: /X x x o X x o X x o X o/

Al-fakhti: /X x x o X o X x x o X x x o X o X x x o/

The rhythmic cycles described by Safi-al-Din in his book Al-sharafiyyeh may be represented as follows:

Al-saghil-al-avval: /X x o X x o X x x o X o X x x o/

Al-saghil-al-sani: /X x o X x o X o/

Khafif-al-saghil: /X x x o/

Al-ramal: /X o X o X x x o X x x o/

Khafif-al-ramal: /X o X x x o/

Al-hazaj: /X x o X x o/

Al-fakhti: /X x x o X o X x x o X x x o X o X x x o/

Reference

[W]: O. Wright, The Modal System of Arab and Persian Music A.D. 1250-1300, Oxford University Press, 1978.

Middle Eastern Rhythms

Igha’ (Theory of Old Rhythms): The Middle Eastern Rhythms of the Past

By Peyman Nasehpour

Introduction

In this article, I will offer the Middle Eastern rhythms of the past according to a very nice book on theoretical Persian music, written by Mohammad Banai. I believe that all these rhythms can be applied by all musicians of the world for all genres of the world music, not just for Middle Eastern music.

For symbolization of the old rhythm cycles, I use the following modern notation:

X (accented beat)
x (normal or non-accented beat)
o (silence)

For symbolization, Iranians use their own method with Persian alphabet, but this doesnt work for most of the people of the Earth, since they do not know Persian alphabet.

Now it depends on the artists how to interpret the beats (bass and treble strokes, accented and normal beats) and silences.

Seghal: The family of 2 beats rhythm cycles (4, 8, 16 and so on)

Khafif-e-saghil (4 beats, division: 2+2)

X o X x

Another version (16 beats, division: 2+4+4+4+2)

X o X x x o X x x o X x x o X x

Saghil-e-Sani (8 beats, division: 3+3+2)

X x o X x o X o

Ghuriyaneh (8 beats, division: 2+4+2)

X o X x x o X o

Mokhammas-e-Osat (16 beats, division: 3+3+2+2+4+2)

X x o X x o X o X o X x x o X o

Varashan or Saghil-e-Avval (16 beats, division: 3+3+4+2+4)

X x o X x o X x x o X o X x x o

Ramal: The family of 3 beats rhythm cycles (6, 12, 24 and so on)

Torki-ye-Zarb-e-Far: (6 beats, division: 3+3)

X x o X x o

Khafif-e-Ramal (6 beats, division: 2+4)

X o X x x o

Hazaj-e-Saghir (6 beats, division: 4+2)

X x x o X o

Hajaz-e-Kabir (12 beats, division: 4+3+3+2)

X x x o X x o X x o X o

Another version (12 beats, division: 2+4+3+3)

X x X x x o X x o X x o

Ramal (12 beats, division: 2+2+2+2+4)

X o X o X o X o X x x o

Doyek (12 beats, division: 2+2+4+4)

X o X o X x x o X x x o

Shadiyaneh or Saghil-e-Ramal (24 beats, division: 4+4+2+2+2+2+2+2+4)

X x x o X x x o X o X o X o X o X o X o X x x o

Chahar-Zarb-e-Saghir (24 beats, division: 4+2+6+2+2+2+2+4)

X x x o X o X x x x x o X o X o X o X o X x x o

Osat-o-Nim-Saghil (24 beats, division: 4+4+2+6+8)

X x x o X x x o X o X x x x x o X x x x x x x o

Favakht: The family of 5 beats rhythm cycles (5, 10, 20 and so on)

Fakhti-ye-Saghir (5 beats, division: 3+2)

X x o X o

Fakhti-ye-Osat (10 beats, division: 2+4+4)

X o X x x o X x x o

Torki-ye-Sari (10 beats, division: 2+3+2+3)

X o X x o X o X x o

Torki-ye-Zarb-e-Asl (20 beats, division: 5+2+3+10)

X x x x o X o X x o X x x x x x x x x o

Another version (20 beats, division: 5+5+10)

X x x x o X x x x o X x x x x x x x x o

Fakhti-ye-Kabir (20 beats, division: 2+8+10)

X o X x x x x x x o X x x x x x x x x o

Date of publication: 17/May/2003

© 2003 Peyman and his tonbak All rights reserved.

Dadra Theka, Variations and Tihai-s, The Light Classical Taal in 6 Beats

By Peyman Nasehpour

Introduction
There are so many light classical taals. The two of them, kaharba (8 beats) and dadra (6 beats), are the most common. In this article I give some dadra variations.

Dadra Theka from [D]:

Dadra is in 6 beats divided into 3+3. The dadra theka is:

Dha Dhi Na Na Tu Na

Dadra Variations

Dadra Variation No. 1 from [D]:

Dha Ga Dhi Na Ge Na Na Ka Tu Na Ke Na

Dadra Variation No. 2 from [D]:

Dha — Te Te Dha Ti Dha Ga Tu Na Ke Na
Ta — Te Te Ta Ti Dha Ga Dhi Na Ge Na

Dadra Variation No. 3 from [D]:

Dha Ti Dha Na Tu Na Ta Ti Dha Na Dhi Na

Dadra Variation No. 4 from [D]:

Tu Na Dha Ti Dha Na Tu Na Ta Ti Ta Na

Now I give the variations that I have composed them some years ago. It is quite natural that some people have composed sinilar or the same variations.

Dha Ge Na Na Tu Na Ta Ke Na Na Dhi Na

Ti Dha Ge Na Dha Ti Dha Ga Tu Na Ke Na
Ti Ta Ke Na Dha Ti Dha Ga Dhi Na Ge Na

Dha Ge Na Na Te Te Ta Ge Dha Na Te Te

Dha Ge Na Dha Dhi Na Ge Na TeRe KeTe Tu Na
Ta Ke Na Ta Tu Na Ke Na TeRe KeTe Dhi Na

Dha Ti Dha Na TeRe KeTe Dha Ti Dha Na Tu Na
Ta Ti Ta Na TeRe KeTe Dha Ti Dha Na Dhi Na

Dhe Te Dhe Te TeRe KeTe Dha Ga Tu Na Ke Na
Te Te Te Te TeRe KeTe Dha Ga Dhi Na Ge Na

Tihai-s for Dadra:

Here I give a general formula for dadra tihai:

A B C D E F
Dha, — – A B C
D E F Dha, — –
A B C D E F
Dha.

An Example for Dadra Tihai

Dha Ga Dhi Na Ge Na
Dha, — – Dha Ga Dhi
Na Ge Na Dha, — –
Dha Ga Dhi Na Ge Na
Dha.

It is obvious that it is possible to use ektaal tihai for dadra tihai also.

Ektaal, 12 Matra-s Taal

By Peyman Nasehpour

Ektaal, Theka, Kaida-s and Tihai-s

Introduction

Four major rhythms used in Indian Classical music are: Teentaal (16 beats), Ektaal (12 beats), Jhaptaal (10 beats) and Rupak (7 beats). Kaharba (8 beats) and Dadra (6 beats) are the most common rhythms used in light Indian Classical music.

Ektaal is one of the most common rhythms used in Indian Classical music (vocal, instrumental and dance music) with all different laya-s (tempos). There are so many versions in different gharana-s (stylistic schools of music in India). I give the one who has written in the great book, Tabla — Lessons and Practice 2nd Edition, by Pandit Aloke Dutta.

Ektaal is in 12 matra-s (beats) divided into 2+2+2+2+2+2 and in another way into 3+3+3+3.

One of the most famous ektaal theka-s (main cycle) is:

Dhin Dhin Dha Ge TeRe KeTe Tun Na
Kat Ta Dha Ge TeRe KeTe Dhin Na

Now I give some ektaal kaida-s.

Ektaal Kaida No. 1 from [D]:

Dha Ge Na Te Te Dha Ge Na Te Te Te Te Dha Dha Ge Ne Dha Ti Dha Ga Tu Na Ke Na
Ta Ke Na Te Te Ta Ke Na Te Te Te Te Dha Dha Ge Ne Dha Ti Dha Ga Dhi Na Ge Na

Now I give some kaida-s similar to the ektaal kaida No. 1. I have composed them some years ago, but it is very natural that some other people have composed the same or similar kaida-s.

Dha Te Te Dha Ge Na Te Te Dha Dha Te Te Dha Dha Ge Ne Dha Ti Dha Ga Tu Na Ke Na
Ta Te Te Ta Ke Na Te Te Dha Dha Te Te Dha Dha Ge Ne Dha Ti Dha Ga Dhi Na Ge Na

Dha Ge Na Te Te Te Te Dha Ge Na Te Te Dha Dha Ge Ne Dha Ti Dha Ga Tu Na Ke Na
Ta Ke Na Te Te Te Te Ta Ke Na Te Te Dha Dha Ge Ne Dha Ti Dha Ga Dhi Na Ge Na

Dha Ge Na Te Te — Dha Ge Na Te Te — Dha Dha Ge Ne Dha Ti Dha Ga Tu Na Ke Na
Ta Ke Na Te Te — Ta Ke Na Te Te — Dha Dha Ge Ne Dha Ti Dha Ga Dhi Na Ge Na

Dha — Te Te Dha Ge Na Dha Ti Dha Te Te Dha Dha Ge Ne Dha Ti Dha Ga Tu Na Ke Na
Ta — Te Te Ta Ke Na Dha Ti Dha Te Te Dha Dha Ge Ne Dha Ti Dha Ga Dhi Na Ge Na

Dha Ge Na Dha Te Te Dha Ge Na Dha Te Te Dha Dha Ge Ne Dha Ti Dha Ga Tu Na Ke Na
Ta Ke Na Ta Te Te Ta Ke Na Ta Te Te Dha Dha Ge Ne Dha Ti Dha Ga Dhi Na Ge Na

Dha Te Te Dha Ge Na Te Te Dha Ge Na Te Te Dha Ge Na Te Te Dha Ga Tu Na Ke Na
Ta Te Te Ta Ke Na Te Te Ta Ke Na Te Te Ta Ke Na Te Te Dha Ga Dhi Na Ge Na

Te Te Dha Ge Na Te Te Dha Ge Na Te Te Dha Dha Ge Ne Dha Ti Dha Ga Tu Na Ke Na
Te Te Ta Ke Na Te Te Ta Ke Na Te Te Dha Dha Ge Ne Dha Ti Dha Ga Dhi Na Ge Na

Ektaal Kaida No. 2

Ka Ta Dha Ti Dha Ge Na Na Ti Dha Ge Na Dha Dha Te Te Dha Ti Dha Ga Tu Na Ke Na
Ka Ta Ta Ti Ta Ke Na Na Ti Ta Ke Na Dha Dha Te Te Dha Ti Dha Ga Dhi Na Ge Na

Similar kaida-s are:

Ka Ta Dha Ti Dha Ge Na Dha Ti Dha Ge Na Dha Dha Te Te Dha Ti Dha Ga Tu Na Ke Na
Ka Ta Ta Ti Ta Ke Na Ta Ti Ta Ke Na Dha Dha Te Te Dha Ti Dha Ga Dhi Na Ge Na

Dha Ge Na Ka Ta Dha Ti Dha Ge Na Te Te Dha Dha Te Te Dha Ti Dha Ga Tu Na Ke Na
Ta Ke Na Ka Ta Ta Ti Ta Ke Na Te Te Dha Dha Te Te Dha Ti Dha Ga Dhi Na Ge Na

Ektaal Kaida No. 3:

Dha Ti Dha Ti Ge Na Dha Ti Dha Ti Ge Na Dha Ti Ge Na Dha Ti Dha Ga Tu Na Ke Na
Ta Ti Ta Ti Ke Na Ta Ti Ta Ti Ke Na Dha Ti Ge Na Dha Ti Dha Ga Dhi Na Ge Na

Ektaal Kaida No. 4:

It is possible to use the phrases Dha Te Te, Dha Dha Te Te and Dha Dha Dha Te Te to make so many ektaal kaida-s.

Here I give some samples:

Dha Te Te Dha Te Te Dha Te Te Dha Te Te Dha — Te Te Dha Ti Dha Ga Tu Na Ke Na
Ta Te Te Ta Te Te Ta Te Te Ta Te Te Dha — Te Te Dha Ti Dha Ga Dhi Na Ge Na

Dha Dha Te Te Dha Dha Te Te Dha Dha Te Te Dha — Te Te Dha Ti Dha Ga Tu Na Ke Na
Ta Ta Te Te Ta Ta Te Te Ta Ta Te Te Dha — Te Te Dha Ti Dha Ga Dhi Na Ge Na

Dha Dha Dha Te Te Dha Dha Dha Te Te Dha Ti Dha — Te Te Dha Ti Dha Ga Tu Na Ke Na
Ta Ta Ta Te Te Ta Ta Ta Te Te Ta Ti Dha — Te Te Dha Ti Dha Ga Dhi Na Ge Na

Ektaal Kaida No. 5:

Dha Ti Dha Na Tu Na Dha Ti Dha Na Tu Na Dha Na Tu Na Dha Ti Dha Ga Tu Na Ke Na
Ta Ti Ta Na Tu Na Ta Ti Ta Na Tu Na Dha Na Tu Na Dha Ti Dha Ga Dhi Na Ge Na

Ektaal Kaida No. 6:

Dha — Te Te Dha — Dha — Te Te Dha — Dha — Te Te Dha Ti Dha Ga Tu Na Ke Na
Ta — Te Te Ta — Ta — Te Te Ta — Dha — Te Te Dha Ti Dha Ga Dhi Na Ge Na

Ektaal Kaida No. 7:

Dha Ge Na Dha Ti Dha Ge Na Dhi Na Ge Na Dha Ti Ge Na Dha Ti Dha Ga Tu Na Ke Na
Ta Ke Na Ta Ti Ta Ke Na Tu Na Ke Na Dha Ti Ge Na Dha Ti Dha Ga Dhi Na Ge Na

Ektaal Kaida No. 8 from [D]:

Ge Na Ga Dha Te Te Dha Dha TeRe KeTe Dhe Te Dha Ti Ge Na Dha Ti Dha Ga Tu Na Ke Na
Ke Na Ka Ta Te Te Dha Dha TeRe KeTe Dhe Te Dha Ti Ge Na Dha Ti Dha Ga Dhi Na Ge Na

Ektaal Kaida No. 9:

Dha Ge Na Na Te Te Dha Ge Na Na Te Te Dha Ge Na Na Dha Ti Dha Ga Tu Na Ke Na
Ta Ke Na Na Te Te Ta Ke Na Na Te Te Dha Ge Na Na Dha Ti Dha Ga Dhi Na Ge Na

Ektaal Kaida No. 10:

Dha Ge Na Dha Ti Dha Ge Na Dha Ti Dha Ge Na Dha Ti Dha Ge Na Dha Ga Tu Na Ke Na
Ta Ke Na Ta Ti Ta Ke Na Ta Ti Ta Ke Na Ta Ti Dha Ge Na Dha Ga Dhi Na Ge Na

Ektaal Kaida No. 11:

Dha Ge Na Dha TeRe KeTe Dhe Te Dha Ge Na Na
Dha Dha TeRe KeTe Dhe Te Dha Ga Tu Na Ke Na
Ta Ke Na Ta TeRe KeTe The Te Ta Ke Na Na
Dha Dha TeRe KeTe Dhe Te Dha Ga Dhi Na Ge Na

Ektaal Tihai-s:

Ektaal tihai-s are a little bit tricky! The assumption of repeating three times a phrase in k beats started from sam and ended on the other sam gives us the equation 3k=12n+1 and this equation in the field of natural numbers does not have any solution, because k=(12n+1)/3 cannot be a natural number!

Anyway the ektaal tihai given in [D] offers us the general ektaal tihai formula and I give a sample and the others can be made similarly.

Ektaal Tihai from [D]:

Dha Dha Te Te Dha Dha Te Te Dha Dha Te Te
Dha, — – — – — Dha Dha Te Te Dha Dha
Te Te Dha Dha Te Te Dha, — – — – –
Dha Dha Te Te Dha Dha Te Te Dha Dha Te Te
Dha.

Ektaal Tihai:

Dha Dha Ge Ne Dha Ti Dha Ga Tu Na Ke Na
Dha, — – — – — Dha Dha Ge Ne Dha Ti
Dha Ga Tu Na Ke Na Dha, — – — – –
Dha Dha Ge Ne Dha Ti Dha Ga Tu Na Ke Na
Dha.

Teentaal, The King of Indian Taal-s

By Peyman Nasehpour

Teentaal Theka, Kaida-s and Tihai-s

Introduction

Indian musicians believe that teentaal is the King of taal-s (rhythms) and because of this I give here some compositions in this taal.

Teental is the most common rhythm used in Indian Classical music (vocal, instrumental and dance music) with all different laya-s (tempos). There are so many versions in different gharana-s (stylistic schools of music in India). I give the one who has written in the great book, Tabla — Lessons and Practice 2nd Edition, by Pandit Aloke Dutta.

Teentaal is in16 matra-s (beats) divided into 4+4+4+4.

The most famous teentaal theka (main cycle) is:

Dha Dhin Dhin Dha

Dha Dhin Dhin Dha

Na Tin Tin Na

Ta Dhin Dhin Dha

Now I give some teentaal kaida-s. I should mention that kaida is derived from the Arabic-Persian name Ghaedeh that literally means rule.

Teentaal Kaida No. 1 from [D]:

Dha Dha Te Te Dha Dha Tu Na

Ta Ta Te Te Dha Dha Dhin Na

Now I give some kaida-s similar to the teentaal kaida No. 1. I have composed them some years ago, but it is very natural that some other people have composed the same or similar kaida-s.

Dha Te Te Tu Na Dhe Dhe Na Dha Dha Te Te Dha Dha Tu Na

Ta Te Te Tu Na Te Te Na Dha Dha Te Te Dha Dha Dhi Na

Dha Te Te Dha Ge Na Te Te Dha Dha Te Te Dha Dha Tu Na

Ta Te Te Ta Ke Na TeTe Dha Dha Te Te Dha Dha Dhi Na

Dha Te Te Te Te Dha Te Te Te Te Te Te Dha Dha Tu Na

Ta Te Te Te Te Ta Te Te Te Te Te Te Dha Dha Dhi Na

Dha Dhi Na Dhi Na Dha Dhi Na

Dha Dha Te Te Dha Dha Tu Na

Na Tu Na Tu Na Na Tu Na

Dha Dha Te Te Dha Dha Dhi Na

Dha Tu Na Dha Tu Na Te Te Dha Dha Te Te Dha Dha Tu Na

Ta Tu Na Ta Tu Na Te Te Dha Dha Te Te Dha Dha Dhi Na

Dha TeRe KeTe Dha Ge Na Tu Na Dha Dha Te Te Dha Dha Tu Na

Ta TeRe KeTe Ta Ke Na Tu Na Dha Dha Te Te Dha Dha Dhi Na

Teentaal Kaida No. 2 from [D]:

Dha Te Te Dha Te Te Dha Dha Te Te Dha Ga Tu Na Ke Na

Ta Te Te Ta Te Te Ta Ta Te Te Dha Ga Dhi Na Ge Na

This is a very famous kaida and there are lots of different variations. So it is better to refer to the books and I give only two similar kaida-s.

Te Te Dha Te Te Dha Te Te Te Te Dha Ga Tu Na Ke Na

Te Te Ta Te Te Ta Te Te Te Te Dha Ga Dhi Na Ge Na

Dha Te Te Te Te Dha Te Te Te Te Dha Ga Tu Na Ke Na

Ta Te Te Te Te Ta Te Te Te Te Dha Ga Dhi Na Ge Na

In this kaida I have not used the same phrases such as Dha Te Te & Dha Dha Te Te but structurally it is similar to the kaida No. 2.

Dha Ge Na Dha Ge Na Dha Ge Na Na Dha Ga Tu Na Ke Na

Ta Ke Na Ta Ke Na Ta Ke Na Na Dha Ga Dhi Na Ge Na

Similar to kaida No. 2 it is possible to compose lots of different variations. But I only give one:

Dha Ge Na Dha Ge Na Dha — Dha Ge Na Dha Ge Na Dha –

Dha Ge Na Dha Ge Na Dha Ge Na Na Dha Ga Tu Na Ke Na

Ta Ke Na Ta Ke Na Ta — Ta Ke Na Ta Ke Na Ta –

Dha Ge Na Dha Ge Na Dha Ge Na Na Dha Ga Dhi Na Ge Na

Teentaal Kaida No. 3 from [D]:

“Ustad Habibuddin Khan had two styles, which is easy to understand because his father, Shammu Khan of Ajrara School, with whom he started learning, died only four years after his institution. As a result, he continued his studies with Natthu Khan of the Delhi School. For example he played a kaida, from Delhi, which goes as follows:

Dha Ge Na Te Te Dha Ge Na Te Te Dha Ga Tu Na Ke Na
Ta Ke Na Te Te Ta Ke Na Te Te Dha Ga Dhi Na Ge Na”

I give some kaida-s similar to kaida No. 3, which I have composed them some years ago. Again I emphasize that it is quite natural that the same or similar kaida-s have been composed by other people.

Dha Ge Na Te Te Dha Te Te Dha Ti Dha Ga Tu Na Ke Na

Ta Ke Na Te Te Ta Te Te Dha Ti Dha Ga Dhi Na Ge Na

Tu Na Dha Ge Na Te Te Dha Ge Na Dha Ga Tu Na Ke Na

Tu Na Ta Ke Na Te Te Dha Ge Na Dha Ga Dhi Na Ge Na

Dha Ge Na Te Te Te Te Dha Ge Na Te Te Te Te Dha Ti

Dha Ge Na Te Te Dha Ge Na Te Te Dha Ga Tu Na Ke Na

Ta Ke Na Te Te Te Te Ta Ke Na Te Te Te Te Dha Ti

Dha Ge Na Te Te Dha Ge Na Te Te Dha Ga Dhi Na Ge Na

Teentaal Kaida No. 4:

Dha Ge Na Dha Ti Dha Ge Na Dha Ti Dha Ga Tu Na Ke Na

Ta Ke Na Ta Ti Ta Ke Na Ta Ti Dha Ga Dhi Na Ge Na

Ending a teentaal kaida with the phrases “Dha Ti Dha Ga Tu Na Ke Na” and similarly “Ta Ti Dha Ga Dhi Na Ge Na” is so popular in Indian tabla solo recitals.

Here I give some samples:

Dha Ge Na Na Ti Dha Ge Na Dha Ti Dha Ga Tu Na Ke Na

Ta Ke Na Na Ti Ta Ke Na Dha Ti Dha Ga Dhi Na Ge Na

Ka Ta Dha Ti Dha Ge Na Na Dha Ti Dha Ga Tu Na Ke Na

Ka Ta Ta Ti Ta Ke Na Na Dha Ti Dha Ga Dhi Na Ge Na

Dha Ge Na Dha TeRe KeTe Dhe Te Dha Ti Dha Ga Tu Na Ke Na

Ta Ke Na Ta TeRe KeTe The Te Dha Ti Dha Ga Dhi Na Ge Na

Dha Na Tu Na Dha Tu Na Na Dha Ti Dha Ga Tu Na Ke Na

Ta Na Tu Na Ta Tu Na Na Dha Ti Dha Ga Dhi Na Ge Na

Dha — TeRe KeRe Dhe Te Ge Na Dha Ti Dha Ga Tu Na Ke Na

Ta — TeRe KeRe The Te Ge Na Dha Ti Dha Ga Dhi Na Ge Na

Teentaal Kaida No. 5:

Tu Na Dha Ge Na Tu Na Dha Ge Na Dha Ga Tu Na Ke Na

Tu Na Ta Ke Na Tu Na Ta Ke Na Dha Ga Dhi Na Ge Na

Teentaal Kaida No. 6:

Dha Ti Dha Ge Na Dha Ti Dha Ge Na Dha Ga Tu Na Ke Na

Ta Ti Ta Ke Na Ta Ti Ta Ke Na Dha Ga Dhi Na Ge Na

Teentaal Kaida No. 7:

Dha Dha Te Te Dha Ge Na Dha TeRe KeTe Dha Ga Tu Na Ke Na

Ta Ta Te Te Ta Ke Na Ta TeRe KeTe Dha Ga Dhi Na Ge Na

Variation of Kaida No. 7:

Dha Dha Te Te Dha Ge Na Dha TeRe KeTe Dha Ge Na Dha TeRe KeTe

Dha Dha Te Te Dha Ge Na Dha TeRe KeTe Dha Ga Tu Na Ke Na

Ta Ta Te Te Ta Ke Na Ta TeRe KeTe Ta Ke Na Ta TeRe KeTe

Dha Dha Te Te Dha Ge Na Dha TeRe KeTe Dha Ga Dhi Na Ge Na

Now I give some teentaal kaida-s ending with the phrases “Dha Ge Na Tu Na Ke Na” and similarly “Dha Ge Na Dhi Na Ge Na”.

Teentaal Kaida No. 8:

Ka Ta Dha Ti Dha Ge Na Dha Ti Dha Ge Na Tu Na Ke Na

Ka Ta Ta Ti Ta Ke Na Ta Ti Dha Ge Na Dhi Na Ge Na

Variation of Kaida No. 8:

Ka Ta Dha Ti Dha Ge Na Dha — Dha Ge Na Dha Ge Na Na

Ka Ta Dha Ti Dha Ge Na Dha Ti Dha Ge Na Tu Na Ke Na

Ka Ta Ta Ti Ta Ke Na Ta — Ta Ke Na Ta Ke Na Na

Ka Ta Dha Ti Dha Ge Na Dha Ti Dha Ge Na Dhi Na Ge Na

Teentaal Kaida No. 9:

Dha Ge Te Te Dha Ge Na Te Te Dha Ge Na Tu Na Ke Na

Ta Ke Te Te Ta Ke Na Te Te Dha Ge Na Dhi Na Ge Na

Teentaal Kaida No. 10:

Dha Ge Na Dha — Dha TeRe KeTe Dha Ge Na Dha Tu Na Ke Na

Ta Ke Na Ta — Ta TeRe KeTe Dha Ge Na Dha Dhi Na Ge Na

Teentaal Tihai-s:

Tihai indicates the end of a composition. Tihai is the figure at the end of an elaborated or fixed composition, which begins on any matra in the given taal and, after being played three times, ends on sam (the first matra of a taal).

Repeating three times a phrase in 11 beats can be a tihai for teentaal, because (3)(11)=33=(2)(16)+1 and the 33rd beat of the composition will be the first beat (sam) of the third cycle of the composition in teentaal.

Now I give some examples of teentaal tihai-s.

Teentaal Tihai No. 1:

Ti Na Dha Ge Na Ti Na Dha Ge Na Ti Na Dha Ge Na Ti

Na Dha Ge Na Dha, — Ti Na Dha Ge Na Ti Na Dha Ge Na

Ti Na Dha Ge Na Ti Na Dha Ge Na Dha, — Ti Na Dha Ge

Na Ti Na Dha Ge Na Ti Na Dha Ge Na Ti Na Dha Ge Na

Dha.

Teentaal Tihai No. 2:

Ka Ta Dha Ti Dha Ge Na Na Ti Dha Ge Na Dha Ti Dha Ga

Tu Na Ke Na Dha, — Ka Ta Dha Ti Dha Ge Na Na Ti Dha

Ge Na Dha Ti Dha Ga Tu Na Ke Na Dha, — Ka Ta Dha Ti

Dha Ge Na Na Ti Dha Ge Na Dha Ti Dha Ga Tu Na Ke Na

Dha.

Teentaal Tihai No. 3:

Te Te Dha Ge Na Te Te Dha Ge Na Te Te Dha Ge Na Te

Te Dha Ge Na Dha,– Te Te Dha Ge Na Te Te Dha Ge Na

Te Te Dha Ge Na Te Te Dha Ge Na Dha,– Te Te Dha Ge

Na Te Te Dha Ge Na Te Te Dha Ge Na Te Te Dha Ge Na

Dha.

Teentaal Tihai No. 4:

Te Te Ka Tha Ga Di Ge Ne Dha — Ti Dha — Ti Dha –

Ti Dha — Ti Dha, — Te Te Ka Tha Ga Di Ge Ne Dha –

Ti Dha — Ti Dha — Ti Dha — Ti Dha, — Te Te Ka Tha

Ga Di Ge Ne Dha — Ti Dha — Ti Dha — Ti Dha — Ti

Dha.

Teentaal Tihai No. 5:

Te Te Ka Tha Ga Di Ge Ne Dha — Din — Dha — – –

Te Te Ka Tha Ga Di Ge Ne Dha — Din — Dha — – –

Te Te Ka Tha Ga Di Ge Ne Dha, — – — Te Te Ka Tha

Ga Di Ge Ne Dha — Din — Dha — – — Te Te Ka Tha

Ga Di Ge Ne Dha — Din — Dha — – — Te Te Ka Tha

Ga Di Ge Ne Dha, — – — Te Te Ka Tha Ga Di Ge Ne

Dha — Din — Dha — – — Te Te Ka Tha Ga Di Ge Ne

Dha — Din — Dha — – — Te Te Ka Tha Ga Di Ge Ne

Dha.

Acknowledgements

The author wishes to thank Pt. Arvind Parikh (master of Indian sitar) and Mr. Lakshman Rai for their help, encouragement and support.

References:

[C]: David R. Courtney, Fundamentals of Tabla, Vol. I, Sur Sangeet Services, Houston, 1998.

[D]: Aloke Dutta, Tabla (Lessons and Practice), 2nd Edition, Texas, 1995.

Indian Percussion Instruments

By Peyman Nasehpour

Budbudke: Hourglass drum of Mysore beaten with a knocked string by shaking the drum

Chenda: Cylindrical drum of Kerala, usually heard as accompaniment to the Kathakali dance, made of wood, it is suspended from the shoulders of the player almost vertically and only upper face is beaten with sticks.

Daff: A large circular open drum usually played with drumsticks. This word itself has been imported into India from Persia (daf).

Danda: This is a pair of sticks, with or without jingles, beaten together, used in folk dances.

Dhol: (paul’s addition) North Indian (Punjabi) barrel or cylindrical drum, treble and bass heads. played with thilli (cane switch) for treble and curved cane stick for bass

Dholak: Folk instrument known throughout the Indian continent, made of wood in the form of barrel, the two mouths are fixed with hide and beaten with sticks or hands.

Gajjai: Dancers ankle bells of south India

Ghatam: Found in south India it is an earthen pot and it is held with its mouth to the belly of the player and stuck with palms and fingers.

Ghumat: Goblet drum of Goa

Ghungroo: Dancers ankle bells of north India

Gilabada: Small shells of dried fruit tied in a garland and round the waist found in Chenchus of Andhra.

Gna: Two-faced frame drum of inhabitants of Himalayan hills, performing in their Lamaic dances.

Idakka: Hourglass of Kerala

Jaltarang: Which literally means water-waves is a series of porcelain cups filled to various levels with water is arranged in a semicircular manner. The choice of the size, thickness and material of the bowl, and the amount of water in it determines its pitch. The cups are laid out and the player, squatting in the center of the semicircle, beats them with thin bamboo sticks. Its Persian version is called kasat.

Jamuku: Goblet drum of south India

Kal-chilampu: A hollow ring filled with small pellets or balls worn on the feet

Kai-chilampu: A hollow ring filled with small pellets or balls held in the hands

Khanjari: Small sized frame drum struck with hands found in northern villages and may have jingles.

Khanjeera: Small and slightly deep frame drum found in southern India has no jingles and is covered with crocodile or iguana skin.

Kolu: This is a pair of sticks, with or without jingles, beaten together, used in folk dances.

Mridangam: South Indian cylindrical drum

Nagara: Kettledrums often in pairs, the smaller female and the larger male, made of earth, wood or metal, beaten with sticks vary in size from a few inches to feet in diameter. It should be of Persian origin.

Noot: It is an earthen pot, used by Kashmiri singers of the rauf or soofiyana kalam, and is stuck on the sides and the open mouth.

Pakhawaj: North Indian barrel or cylindrical drum and accompaniment of the dhrupad (the ancient style of Indian singing)

Pataha: Ancient Indian frame drum

Pianjan: A hollow ring filled with small pellets or balls worn on the feet

Pung: Barrel drum of Assam

Tabla: A pair of bowl-shaped drums and typically a north Indian instrument, the right one is called dayan and of the form of a large coffee-cup and made of wood, while the left one is called bayan and like an oversized tea-cup and of metal or burnt clay.

Tammatai: South Indian version of Daff

Tamukku: small sized nagara

Tappatai: Another name of Tammatai

Tasha: medium sized nagara accompaniment of shehnai (Indian oboe). Its Persian version is called tas.

Tumbaknari: Goblet drum of Kashmir, similar to Persian tombak.

Tumda: Hourglass drum of Orissa beaten with hands

From the book: B. Chaintanya Deva, Indian Music, New Delhi, 1974.

Tabla Links

Ustad Sheik Dawood is one of the greatest tabla masters of the history of Indian music. His son, Ustad Shabbir Nisar informed me about a new website dedicated to his father and the art of tabla:

Tabla Nawaz Ustad Shaik Dawood Khan Saheb

Prafulla Athalye: young Indian tabla player.

Tabla Site: Tabla Site is an excellent site for Indian tabla created by Dr. David Courtney.

A site for Indian tabla and Japanese shakuhachi

Shawn Mativetsky is a freelance percussionist, living in Montreal. He plays tabla and some other percussion instruments and is one of the people of Tabla Site of Dr. David Courtney.

Sabir Music: Learn Tabla & Harmonium at home – DVDs, Ideal for children.

Pandit Nayan Jyoti Ghosh, the great master of tabla and sitar

He is the sixth generation musician in the Ghosh family.

His Profile:

Acclaimed as one of India’s finest Tabla players, Pandit Nayan Ghosh has drawn the attention of serious musicians and connoisseurs alike for his innate artistry, rich repertoire and tonal brilliance. His immense talent and a wholesome training has seen him blossom into an extraordinary musician and in the words of several senior stalwarts, an important reference source already for today’s younger musicians.

One of India’s front-ranking Tabla players, Pandit Nayan Ghosh is widely acknowledged as a brilliant soloist and a refined accompanist. The hallmarks of his musicianship are a ringing tonal resonance, powerful yet superfine dexterity and an enviable traditional repertoire of the Farukhabad, Delhi, Ajrada and Lucknow styles.

He has received intensive and immaculate training from his late father, the renowned maestro ‘Padmabhushan’ Pandit Nikhil Ghosh, who was considered an important figure in the Indian music scene of the 20th century. Nayanji’s elder uncle was the legendary flautist Pannalal Ghosh. Nayanji grew up listening to such maestros like Ustad Ahmedjan Thirakwa, Ustad Amir Hussain Khan, Ustad Jahangir Khan, Ustad Habibuddin Khan, Ustad Inam Ali Khan and several others.

Since 1974, Nayanji has performed solos and duets with his father at several prestigious international music festivals in the capital cities of Europe, U.K., U.S.A., Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Philippines as also across the length and breadth of India.

He has provided evocative accompaniment to almost all the leading personalities of Indian music, to name a few, Pandit Ravi Shankar, Ustad Vilayat Khan, Pt. Nikhil Banerjee, Pt. Buddhadev Dasgupta, Smt. Sharan Rani, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Pt. Shivkumar Sharma, Ustad Munnawar Ali Khan, Ustad Salamat Ali Khan and Pt. Jasraj.

Nayan Ghosh is also acclaimed in India and around the world as an equally outstanding Sitar player, a fact that gives his musicianship a unique dimension.

In the midst of a busy performing schedule, Pandit Nayan Ghosh imparts advanced training to young professional musicians at Bombays prestigious music academy, SANGIT MAHABHARATI at Juhu.

Pandit Prabhakar V. Patwardhan, the direct student of the late Ustad Ahmedjaan Thirkwar

I had obtained instructional Tabla Training as per the Guru-Shishya Parampara from -

1. Late – Pt. Gopalrao Patwardhan (My uncle) about accompaniment – 8 to 15 years of age.
2. Late – Pt. Govindrao Parastwar – Solo training for about 3 to 4 years.
3. Late – Padmabhushan Ustad Ahamedjaan Thirakwar through N.C.P.A. during end 1972 to end of 1975.

I was employed in Central Railway one of the Zonal Railway of Indian Railways. Serve for 39 years and retired in 1992. It was not possible to be active in tabla field during service. I have devoted my entire life towards this instrument only after retirement.

I wish to bring out the beauty of this instrument with the help of instructional training received by me from my gurus Ustad Thirkwan is known as a pioneer of the solo performance. He has developed many concepets of Abhijaat Shastriya Sangeet in his play. At age of 98, he could be in a position to produce the same effect in his performance as a young. His play was an example for Youngers. He had developed a unique tonal quality with ease through his presentation. He proved that, tabla can explore an exceptionable tonal quality if handle with love.

I had published a book on this subject on the eve of his 25th death anniversery March, 2001. Book is written in Indian National language, ‘Hindi’.

Tabla (Table) of India: A pair of drums for North Indian music

Tabla (not to be confused with Arabic tabla) is a pair of drums. It consists of a small right hand drum called dayan (literally means right) and a larger metal one called bayan (literally means left).

Undoubtedly the most striking characteristic of the tabla is the large black spot (called siyahi) on each of the playing surfaces. The siyahi (Siyah literally means black) is mixture of gum, soot, and iron filings. Its function is to create the bell-like timbre that is the characteristic of the instrument. The invention of sitar and tabla and many other things is attributed to Amir Khosro Dehlavi. There is a tendency among Indians to attribute the development of almost everything to him. Anyway it is unfortunate that the history of the beginning of tabla is still in dispute.

Pandit Nayan Ghosh (Pictured)

If you like to meet some professional tabla players, please join the following group:

Indian Tabla Group

About our tabla forum:

Greetings! This group is for all those percussionists interested in Indian tabla and tala-s.

We welcome your participation. Please introduce yourself, and remember to put your tabla related website URLs in the links section. The calendar too, is available to all. Please keep all posts related to drumming, focusing on the use of tabla. Mentioning other instruments and music in context is fine. However, political posts, flames, and those posts considered hostile or offensive to list members are off topic, and repeated off topic posts are grounds for removal.

The founder of the group is Peyman Nasehpour

MP3s of tabla and pakhawaj at DoveSong archive

Indian Classical Music

Pandit Arvind Parikh, master of sitar, is the famous student of the very great master of sitar,the late Ustad Vilayat Khan (Aftaab-e-Sitar). Purvi Parikh, daughter of Pt. Arvind Parikh, is a very good vocalist. This is a part of his email to me about the Ustad:

“Indian musicians believe that teentaal (16 beats) is the King of all rhythms and once she/he is proficient in playing/improvising in teentaal, she/he can improvise in other rhythms without any difficulty. Though Ustad Vilayat Khan most of the times plays gat-s in teentaal (16 beats), he does occasionally play gat-s in the other rhythms such as rupak (7 beats) and jhaptaal (10 beats). He also plays in ektaal (12 beats) especially in the drut laya (faster tempo).”

Indian Classical Music Links:

Pandit Arvind Parikh: One of the first students of Ustad Vilayat Khan, a great master of sitar.

Veena Sahasrabuddhe: A very great vocalist

Indian Tabla Discussion Group

ITC Sangeet Research Academy (ITC-SRA): A very great website for promoting North Indian Classical Music (Hindustani Sangeet). Presenting lots of great masters of the past and today with their musical samples in Real Format. One need to install Real Media Player to be able to listen this great musical sounds. Some of them are really rare!

DoveSong Indian Classical Music MP3s Archive

Ganesh Kumar (Kanjira Artist): A young and excellent kanjira artist. Kanjira is south Indian frame drum. For more info, please do check his great website built by OM Radio of Chris Sampson.

Mardala is a very nice and great site dedicated to promoting Odissi mardala similar to Hisdustani pakhawaj (North Indian cylindrical drum).

Mridang-Pakhawaj is an article of Paolo Pacciolla (percussionist) in both Italian and English language.

Kalamandalam Unnikrishnan: South Indian percussionist who plays Chenda (cylindrical drum).

Insight Reisen GmbH Hans Wettstein: Sitarist from Switzerland.

A Brief Introduction to Tabla and Indian Tal-s

Tabla Players

An Article by Peyman Nasehpour

Introduction

“Good King Bahram Gour of Persia was moved by the laments of his most impoverished subjects. They called for music, and wished to celebrate like the rich. Bahram Gour asked his father-in-law, King Shankel of Kanauj, who lived in the high valley of the Ganges, to send twelve thousand musicians. When they arrived, the king provided them with a means of living off the fact of land, giving each a donkey, a cow and a thousand bushels of wheat. After a year had passed, they appeared before him, starving. They had simply eaten the cows and the wheat. Annoyed, the king advised them to fit their instruments with strings of silk, mount their donkeys and take to the road – and henceforth earn their living from their music.”

Maybe this was the first influence of Indian music on Persian music. Melodies and musical instruments came to ancient Iran. Even now this influence has been remained in contemporary music of Persia. In Radif repertoire of Persian art music, there are some melodies named Rak-e-Abdollah, Rak-e-Kashmir and Rak-e-Hindi. Rak here is arabicized of Rag and Rag in Indian music means musical mode. Rag literally means color and is the same as Persian word, Rang. The names of melodies say us that they should be Persian version of Indian Rag-s. Also Ramkali in Dastgah-e-Abu-Ata should be related to Rag Ramakali in Indian music. At last it is possible to give another important example, which it is the melody Danaseri, which should be related to Indian famous Rag, Dhanashri [S] & [DA].

The instruments, Dara-ye-Hindi (A kind of metallic percussion instrument from India to be used in Iran) and Van (Van is ascribed as a kind of stringed instrument with two gourd resonators) that should be the same as Indian instrument Rudra Vina, are another examples for showing the influence [S].

It is well known that today there are two systems of Indian music. One system is found in Northern India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. This system is called Hindustani Sangeet. The Carnatic Sangeet is the system found in Southern India. The Hindustani system may be thought as a mixture of traditional Hindu musical concepts and Persian performance practice. The advent of Islamic rule over Northern India maybe caused the musicians to seek patronage in the courts of the new rules. Several centuries of this arrangement caused the Hindu music to absorb musical influences from Islamic world, primarily greater Persia. This shows the influence of Persian music on Indian music. For instance the word tabla is a generic term for drum in Arabic language [C].

It should be mentioned that Persian art music uses a modal system which provides a set of modal frameworks. This system has much in common with the modal music of this part of the world, where the main musical cultures other than that of the Persians are those of the Turks, the Arabs and to some extent to the Indians [T].

Because of the common history of the Persian and Indian musical cultures and applying the tabla in these years by some Persian musicians in Persian music it seems necessary to have a brief discussion about tabla and Indian Tal-s.

Tabla

This is a pair of drums. It consists of a small right hand drum called dayan (literally means right) and a larger metal one called bayan (literally means left).

Undoubtedly the most striking characteristic of the tabla is the large black spot (called siyahi) on each of the playing surfaces. The siyahi (Siyah literally means black) is mixture of gum, soot, and iron filings. Its function is to create the bell-like timbre that is the characteristic of the instrument. The invention of sitar and tabla and many other things is attributed to Amir Khosro Dehlavi. There is a tendency among Indians to attribute the development of almost everything to him. Anyway it is unfortunate that the history of the beginning of tabla is still in dispute [C].

Indian Tal-s

Tal is a framework in time. Tal is structured into two or more sections, each having the same or different numbers of beats. The particular arrangement of audible sounds and silence is what defines the unique character of each Tal. Since drums are used to maintain the flow of Tal in music and dance, the character of Tal becomes vividly when manifested on a drum. The technical term for this manifestation of Tal on a drum is theka [DU].

Here is the theka-s of those Indian Tal-s that I think they can be used in Persian music.

Dadra: Dadra is in 6 beats divided into 3+3.

Dha Dhi Na, Na Tu Na.

Rupak: Rupak is in 7 beats divided into 3+2+2.

Tin Tin Na, Dhi Na, Dhi Na.

Kaharba: Kaharba is in 8 beats divided into 4+4.

Dha Ge Na Ti, Na Ke Tu Na.

Ektal: Ektal is in 12 beats divided into 3+3+3+3.

Dhin – Dhin – Dha Ge, TeRe KeTe Tun – Na -, Kat – Ta – Dha Ge, TeRe KeTe Dhin – Na -.

Dipchandi: Dipchandi is in 14 beats divided into 3+4+3+4.

Dha Dhin -, Dha Dha Dhin -, Na Tun -, Dha Dha Dhin -.

All Tal-s that are in 16 beats are very suitable for Persian music especially the most popular Indian Tal, Tintal.

Tintal: Tintal is in 16 beats divided into 4+4+4+4.

Dha Dhin Dhin Dha, Dha Dhin Dhin Dha, Dha Tin Tin Na, Ta Dhin Dhin Dha.

Remark. These Tal-s have been extracted from [DU].

Acknowledgement. The author wishes to thank Pt. Arvind Parikh (master of Indian sitar) and Mr. Lakshman Rai for helping the author in order to research Indian music.

References

[C]: David R. Courtney, Fundamentals of Tabla, Vol. I, Sur Sangeet Services, Houston, 1998.
[DA]: Alian Danielou, The Raga-s of Northern Indian Music, Barrie & Rockliff (Barrie Books Ltd.), London, 1968.
[DU]: Aloke Dutta, Tabla (Lessons and Practice), 2nd Edition, Texas, 1995.
[S]: Mehdi Setayeshgar, Vazhe-Name-ye-Musighi-ye-Iran Zamin, Tehran, Vol. I (1995) & Vol. II (1996).
[T]: Dariush Talai, A New Approach to the Theory of Persian Art Music (The Radif and the Modal System), Mahoor Cultural & Art Publication, Tehran, 1993.

Arab Music in Khuzestan Province of Iran (Persia)

By Peyman Nasehpour

Though there is no doubt about the antiquity of music in Khuzestan province of Iran (Persia), but it is very unfortunate that its history is still in dispute. There is a stonecutting piece in the very ancient city Shush (the capital of Elamis) that shows three musicians playing a kind of frame drum and two harps. Also there is a pre-Christianity clay statue belonging to Khuzestan showing a semi-naked long necked lute player.

And the name of an ancient melody, i.e. Hoveyzavi attributed to Hoveyzeh, the capital of Moshashaians shows the existence of a genre of music in that period of Khuzestan. In the period of Sheikh Khazal, not only he was used to hire local musicians, but also he has been inviting Arab musicians from Iraq, Lebanon and Egypt to play in his palace.

After the revolution in 1979 and with the help of some researchers of regional music in Iran, different genres of folk music of Iran have been promoted and gradually people have been acquainted with folk music of Iran. But the folk music of Khuzestan is still unknown and I hope this short article will help to the promotion of this important and special genre of music among those people who are interested in oriental music.

Music of Khuzestan can be divided into three different genres.

Magham Music: This is a genre of music played in cities and is very much related to Iraqi Magham music. The antiquity of this genre of music goes back to Abbasid period and the existence of Persian names such as Esfahan and Nahavand shows the impact of Persian music on this genre of Arabic music in Iraq and Khuzestan province of Iran. The instruments used in this genre of music are:

Santoor: This is a kind of hammered dulcimer that is played in Iran, Iraq, Egypt and India.

Kamancheh: This is a kind of spike fiddle of Persian origin. Rubab and violin are the bowed instruments that are used in Khuzestani music too.

Kasoureh: This is a very special goblet shaped drum and smaller than ordinary tonbak (Persian goblet drum). For fast tempo pieces of compositions, kasoureh is used, while for slow tempo pieces, the tonbak is used. Sometimes they are used both.

Zanjari: This is a frame drum that its jingles are metallic plates (called tashtak).

Two famous maghams in Khuzestani magham music are: Maval and Fasih.

Radif Music (Not to be confused with Persian Radif Music): A genre of music played in villages. And every kind of this music is called “tor” and every “tor” may have its own accent and poems. The instruments played in this genre of music are:

Rubab: A kind of bowed instrument

Almatbag: A kind of short double reed that is used accompanying chubiyeh vocal music. Chubiyeh music is in fact a kind of dance music that tonbak and a big drum are used too. Chubiyeh vocal/dance music is also popular in Iraq, Syria and Jordan.

Alvaniyeh Music: This is the music of Arabs of Khuzestan. It is a special genre of music played by a singer/musician that sings using ethic and heroic poems and plays rubab. Alvaniyeh music founded in the end of 1950s by a very famous singer Alvan in Khuzestan was promoted by Alvan in many villages. Since in Alvaniyeh music, the singer mentions to the poets of the poems, therefore the name of many unknown poets have not been forgotten, particularly in villages that poor poets have not been able to publish their books of their works. Therefore not only Alvaniyeh music helped to the richness of the Khuzestani music, but also it helped to the promotion of the folk literature of the area. This genre of music has become popular in Southern parts of Iraq too.

——————–

Remark: The main reference of this article is a short but informative article written by Mr. Sayed Mohammad Mavali in Hamshahri Newspaper, Feb. 15th, 2000.

Female Drummers

Are drums unladylike?

A Short Review of Women Drummers In The World

By Peyman Nasehpour

If one investigates in the history of tonbak, the chief percussion instrument of Persia, will notice that there is no mention to the name of any female tonbak player. This may cause some people to believe that tonbak is unladylike and it is unfortunate that some really believe this. Therefore it is natural to ask, if tonbak is really unladylike.

Unknown female tonbak player of ghajar period (pictured)

Up to now, so far as the author knows, still there is no professional female tonbak player that her level can be compared to great tonbak players such as the late maestro Hosain Tehrani.

In the author’s opinion, the reason is not that the tonbak is unladylike. Apparently the reason is that women have not been encouraged to play the tonbak, if they have not been discouraged. And the only sign that increases the hope to have some great tonbak players in Iran in future, is that in recent years more ladies have started to play on Persian frame drums particularly the daf (large-sized frame drum). One may ask if this problem exists only for the tonbak.

The author decided to research to see if such a problem exists in other societies. It is unfortunate that the more the author investigated, the more he noticed that ‘considering drums as unladylike instruments’ is more or less a general traditional belief that exists in many societies.

For example in India, people believe that tabla (North Indian small pairs of drum) is an unladylike drum and so far as the author knows there is no historical legendry female tabla player, but the good news is that today there are two female tabla players that they have been able to attarct international attentions. One is maestro Anuradha Pal, the famous disciple of the late Ustad Alla Rakha Khan and Ustad Zakir Hussain and the other is the young tabla phenomenon, Rimpa Shiv, the student and daughter of Swapan Kumar Shiv.

Also so far as the authors knows still there is no famous and professional female darbouka (gobelt shaped drum played in Arabic countries and Turkey) player.

At the end the author wishes to mention that recently a report by Boston Globe says that the Amazones, master woman drummers performing Saturday at Brandeis, have been criticized at home in Guinea for playing the djembe, traditionally reserved for men.

In author’s opinion, not only drums (particularly the tonbak and darbouka) are not unladylike, but also every single day the status of women drummers getting better and better. Our duty is just to encourage women to drum.

Drums and Children

Children Are My Best Friends!

I teach the tonbak to children and I believe that it is always easier to teach the children than teenagers, though some believe that children learn music not so easily and you need to spend much time to teach them a line!

This is in fact our problem that we are not able to communicate with them and understand their world.

What my experience says we should use a special language if we like to communicate with them. We should not use strange and complex words. We should not apply long sentences and we should try to explain things as easiest as possible.

The western notation is really hard for children. There are some reasons. The first is they have to learn some symbols that are always with some problems. The second is the duration of the notes. We have to teach them that for example this note is one forth of the other one. Fractions are always hard to understand. Ask yourself what the meaning of 1/8 is.

For teaching the Persian rhythm cycles I apply the ancient method of the Persian music that is called the Ataanin method. The Ataanin method applies some meaningless words such as Tan, Tanan, Tananan, Taan, Taarn, Tanna and so on in order to recite the Persian rhythms. A rhythm cycle is a combination of these words. It is so easy for children to repeat the rhythm cycles by pronouncing these sentences such as Tanan Tanan Tananan Tan (the kereshmeh rhythm cycle that is 12 beats divided into 3, 3, 4 and 2.).

The first basic stroke that I teach to children is the snap that we call it in Iran the pelang or beshkan.

Then I teach them the tom and the bak. I start with simple rhythms and then gradually I make the rhythms complex.

The most important thing is that you should let the child talk in your class and if you listen carefully then you will be able to understand what he/she wants to say. They are always honest and this is really valuable.

We should always be kind and never be angry and be patient and encourage them.

I love children. They are my best friends!

We Love Drums

A Brief About Time, Rhythm and Drums

By Peyman Nasehpour

In this article I will discuss about time, rhythm and drums. Drums (percussion skinned instruments) have their unique role in music. Though different sounds to be extracted from any drum by applying different techniques is one of the characteristics of the drum, but it is supposed that there is one characteristic common among all of them and that is to keep the rhythm of any musical piece. According to some topics of applied mathematics, music has at least three important dimensions: melody, rhythm and accent.

So the role of drums is as important as the role of the other musical instruments that produce the melody. Since rhythm is the framework of time so it is good to start from a discussion of time.

Time and Rhythm

Rhythm is to measure the time among the strokes. But how do we measure the time? Of course we need a criterion. What is the criterion for measuring the time?

The first step is to distinguish that this time is longer than the other, similarly to this case that this mass is heavier than the other one. For measuring we need a unit. The movement of the pendulum of the metronome causes to have a unit and by that we are able to measure the time. In fact we compare which movement follows the other. But how do we understand that this movement follows the other one? By remembering! (Man learns the concept of the past by remembering. [Wittgenstein, Philosophical Investigations, p. 231]).

Drums

Drums are percussions skinned instruments. The drumhead can be stretched by natural skin or pre-fabricated head which is unaffected by changes in humidity, unlike natural skin.

Sound is obtained by striking the drumhead with a stick or hands of the drummer (fingers, palm and so on).

Though the main role of drums is to keep the rhythm, but some drums can produce melody also. A very good example is the tabla-tarang. Tabla-tarang is an Indian musical instrument composed of numerous wooden tabla-s tuned to different pitches.

Different techniques can produce different sounds but the main trick that a drummer has in his hand is to play with the duration of the times among the different strokes. To use more variations can make the rhythmic piece more beautiful. This is at most the concept of the mathematical complexity of the rhythms, which a good example for this concept is the tala-s of Hindustani sangeet (rhythms of the Northern Indian system).

My Favorites Drums

These are my favorite drums: tonbak (Persian goblet drum), ghaval (Azerbaijani frame drum), daf (Kurdish frame drum) and tabla (Indian pair of small drums).

Tonbak

The most popular percussion instrument in Persian music today is a Dumbek-type drum known as the Tonbak. The Tonbak is a large wooden instrument with a goatskin head. Unlike other Dumbeks, this drum has a much more squared-off shape and produces lower-pitched and softer tones due to its size and skin being put on with less tension. Other names for this drum are Donbak, Tombak, Dombak, Tompak and Zarb. Maybe the name Zarb has its origins in the Arabic word darb, meaning to strike, as mentioned above. The other names have a more interesting origin. The two main strokes played on this drum are known as Ton, for a bass tone played in the center of the drum head, and Bak, for a treble tone played on or near the rim. Combining the terms results in the name Ton-Bak. It is highly likely that the name Dumbek is derived from one of the Persian names. At the end it should be declared that in Iran there is another kind of Goblet Drum and its name is Tempo. This instrument is the same as Arabic Dumbek and it is noted as an Arabic instrument and sometimes it is used for accompanying Persian banal songs.

Ghaval

Ghaval (not be confused with qawwali music) the Azerbaijani frame drum is played in Azerbaijani folk and art music. In folk music of Azerbaijan Ashigh (poet-musician) sings and plays on gopuz (nine-stringed long-necked lute) and sometimes composes poems in different festive occasions. The drum that usually accompanies the Ashigh is ghaval. In Azerbaijani art music a traditional ensemble contains a singer, which plays on ghaval and two instrumentalists, one plays on tar (long-necked lute) and the other plays on kamancheh (bowed spike fiddle). In modern art music of Azerbaijan an ensemble can contain more than two instrumentalists. Usually the drum that accompanies the modern ensemble is naghara (a kind of cylindrical drum that is called in Armenia dhol).

Daf

Daf is one of the most ancient frame drums in Asia and North Africa. As an Persian instrument, in 20th century, it is considered as a Sufi instrument to be played in Khanghah-s for Zikr music but now this percussion instrument has recently become very popular and it has been integrated into Persian art music successfully.

Tabla (Table) of India

This is a pair of drums. It consists of a small right hand drum called dayan (literally means right) and a larger metal one called bayan (literally means left).

Undoubtedly the most striking characteristic of the tabla is the large black spot (called siyahi) on each of the playing surfaces. The siyahi (Siyah literally means black) is mixture of gum, soot, and iron filings. Its function is to create the bell-like timbre that is the characteristic of the instrument. The invention of sitar and tabla and many other things is attributed to Amir Khosro Dehlavi. There is a tendency among Indians to attribute the development of almost everything to him. Anyway it is unfortunate that the history of the beginning of tabla is still in dispute.

Persian Dance

General Info about Dances of Iran

By Peyman Nasehpour

Dance is to move rhythmically to music. In every age and among every race dancing has existed either as recreation or as a religious manifestation in the world. Persian term for dance is ‘bazi’ though bazi literally means game, playing and sport. There are some expressions that they contain the word bazi in this meaning.

Here are some examples:

Pay-bazi: It literally means foot-dance. This expression has been mentioned in a pre-Islamic manuscript, named Khosro-va-Gholam. The other pre-Islamic Persian expression for dance is ‘vachik’. Hafiz, the very famous Persian poet, has mentioned to this name once in his works too that I bring its translation here:

Dishevel Thy tress; and, to mystic dancing, bring the Sufi,
That, from every patch of his ragged garment, thousands of idols, Thou mayst scatter.

Chub-bazi: It literally means wood-dance. Please refer to Raghs-e-Chub.

Shamshir-bazi: It literally means sword dance.

The term ‘raghs’ (also spelled as ‘raqs’) is the most popular term for dance in today Persian language.
Hafiz, the very famous Persian poet, has mentioned in his works to the word ‘raghs’ eight times and I bring the translation of two beautiful verses of his poems.
Last night, when with the intention of dancing, my idol stood up,
From the tress, she unloosed the knot; and on the hearts of beloved ones beat.
To sweet song, and to the reed’s voice sweet is the dance:
Especially, that dance wherein, an idol’s hand, they take.

Here are some examples:

Raghs-e-Baluchi: Baluchistani Dance

Raghs-e-Pa: Dance to be based on movements of feet. This dance can be seen in zourkhaneh (Persian ancient gymnasium). Zourkahneh literally means house of power.

Raghs-e-Do-Pa: A kind of Kurdish and Lorestani dance.

Raghs-e-Se-Pa: A kind of Kurdish and Lorestani dance.

Raghs-e-Jalajel: Dance with tightening the jingles around the hands or the feet of dancer.

Raghs-e-Charpareh or Raghs-e-Chalpareh: A kind of dancing.

Raghs-e-Chep-chep: Dance with chalap. Chalap is a kind of cymbal that is played in mourning ceremonies. Its smaller size is played in festive ceremonies. Another names of Chalap are Chalab, Senj, Zang, and Tal. Tal is Indo-Persian name of cymbal.

Raghs-e-chubi or Raghs-e-chupi: A kind of dancing consist of at least two dancers that they beat wooden sticks to mark the rhythm. This kind of dancing can be found in Romania also.

Raghs-e-Halat: Dance of Sufis.

Raghs-Khaneh: Place for dancing. Khaneh literally means house and home.

Raghs-e-Darvishan: Dance of Dervishes.

Raghs-s-Shateri: Famous popular dance to be based on movements of bakers while they are cooking bread in bakeries.

Raghs-e-Shotori: Dance to be based on movements of camel.

Raghs-e-Shekam: A kind of dancing very popular in Egypt. It is called belly dance and in Iran it is called Arabic dance.

Raghs-e-Sheikhi: A kind of Persian folk dance in suburb of Iranshahr city.

Raghs-e-Arefan: Dance of Sufis.

Raghs-e-Ammi: Opposite of Raghs-e-Arefan. It is a kind of dance that has not a sophisticated aim.

Raghs-e-Ghasemabadi: A kind of Persian folk dance of Ghasemabad region to be located in North of Iran, Gilan province, showing the weeding of farmers.

Raghs-e-Kachul: A kind of dance to be mentioned in Persian literature.

Raghs-e-Torki: It literally means Turkish dance. But it is used for denoting the Azerbaijani folk dance. The most famous Azerbaijani dance is Lezgi. The other is diringi. Diringi is a light rhythm for dance music, though it is found in vocal music also. It is played in both low and high tempo, depending on the occasion of the performance. Diringi can be considered the same as Persian Reng. Reng is the principal dance form in Radif music. It can be improvised or composed, performed by one or more instruments. A reng usually occurs towards the end of a radif performance. Some famous rengs are included in the radif repertoire, while others have been composed later. It is almost always in 6 beats and medium tempo.
There is another interesting term for dance in Persian language.

Dast-Afshan: It literally means hand scattering. (Afshan is suffix and it literally means scattered.) But dast-afshan means dancing. In this meaning this word has been mentioned by Abd-al-Ghader-e-Maraghi in his books on Persian music. The expression dast-afshani-va-pay-kubi is for dance particularly Sufism dance.

Sama

Sama literally means a joyful song and comes from the Arabic word, sam that means to listen, but Sama’ at whole means song (avaz), ecstasy (vajd) and dance (pay-kubi and dast-afshani) with its special rules and orders. Sama-o-raghs means the Sufism dance.

A Brief About Ghajar Dance

Raghs-e-ba-zang (dance with castanets): The dancer wears two couple of small metallic bowl-shaped castanets. One is for thumb finger and the other for middle finger. The dancer marks the rhythm by striking them together. The history of this kind of dancing goes back to pre-Islamic ages.

Raghs-e-ba-Gilas (dancing with glass): Holding the glass with teeth in a way that the dancer bends from the back and the liquid of the glass should not be dropped.
Moallagh-zadan: To turn a somersault. Some dancers were turning a somersault during their dance performances.

Raghs-ba-Sham’dan: Sham’dan literally means candlestick. The dancer during the dance does the acrobatic movements and the lightened candle should not be blown out.

Raghs-e-Ard: Ard literally means flour. Some dancers were spreading the flour on the floor of the stage and by dancing on the tiptoes they were drawing a design or writing someone’s name on the stage.

Female Dancers of Ghajar Period (Raghghaseh-ha-ye-Doreh-ye-Ghajar)
In the Ghajar period there were some famous female dancers who are mentioned in some historical books. The following are the name of these dancers:

Arus was specialist is raghs-e-chep-chep.

Akhtar-zangi was a good dancer and her name shows that she was skillful in raghs-e-ba-zang.

Zahra-ye-Ahad was a good dancer and specialist in using zang-e-riz (small zang) and since her father’s name was Ahad she was titled to Zahra-ye-Ahad.
Galin was a good singer and dancer and the conductor of a group. Some of her students are: Malus, Jalis, Turan and Sedigheh.

Gohar was a good dancer and sister of Mashallah who was male dancer and kamancheh (Persian spike fiddle) player.

Munes was a good dancer and her sister, Anis, was a good tasnifkhan and dayereh (Persian frame drum) player.

Ghazal and Maral were both good dancers.

Ghamar-e-Saleki was a good dancer and tasnifkhan.

Heshmat was specialist in acrobatic movements such as Mo’allagh-zadan.

Monavvar-e-Shirazi was specialist in raghs-e-ard.

References:

[KH]: Ruhollah Khaleghi, Sargozasht-e-Musighi-ye-Iran, Tehran, 1974.
[N]: Peyman Nasehpour, Personal Interview with Ostad Dadashi (Master of Azerbaijani Dance), 1992.
[S]: Mehdi Setayeshgar, Vazhe-Name-ye-Musighi-ye-Iran Zamin, Tehran, Vol. I (1995) & Vol. II (1996).

Farzaneh Kaboli is a very famous Iranian Choreographer, Dance Artist and Actress.

Djanbazian Dance

History of Mathematics, Iranian (Persian) Mathematics

Persian or Arabic Mathematics!

A short note by Peyman Nasehpour

Before I start criticizing to the great works of two Scottish mathematicians who have worked on the history of mathematics, I congratulate for their works and I express that I have tried to seek for reality and there in no place for nationalism in my critics.

The question is that why most of the Iranian (Persian) scholars in the history are considered as Arabs. For example while Khayyam is considered as a Persian poet, he is introduced as an Arab mathematician!

Iran is a big country that different nations live beside each other and some of them are Arab too, but they live in Kuzestan, a southern province of Iran. Also we should not forget that in the past Iran (Persian Empire) was bigger and after different separations, Iran has become smaller.

This is right that many of those scholars have written their works in Arabic (the international scientific language among people of that time), but this should not cause us to think that they have been Arab. Today most of the scholars write in English, then should we consider them American for instance?

Though it is wonderful that the two esteemed mathematicians have started publishing some great articles about the contribution of Iranian mathematicians in the history of mathematics in Internet, but it is surprisingly strange that why they have categorized it as Arabic, the mathematics that has been nurtured and flourished by these great mathematicians, most of them non-Arab mathematicians!

The title of this great article is “Arabic mathematics: forgotten brilliance?” and then they start their article by this passage that “recent research paints a new picture of the debt that we owe to Arabic/Islamic mathematics. Certainly many of the ideas which were previously thought to have been brilliant new conceptions due to European mathematicians of the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries are now known to have been developed by Arabic/Islamic mathematicians around four centuries earlier. In many respects the mathematics studied today is far closer in style to that of the Arabic/Islamic contribution than to that of the Greeks.”

Again the question is why Arabic/Islamic contribution?

And this passage becomes more interesting when they add that “there is a widely held view that, after a brilliant period for mathematics when the Greeks laid the foundations for modern mathematics, there was a period of stagnation before the Europeans took over where the Greeks left off at the beginning of the sixteenth century. The common perception of the period of 1000 years or so between the ancient Greeks and the European Renaissance is that little happened in the world of mathematics except that some Arabic translations of Greek texts were made which preserved the Greek learning so that it was available to the Europeans at the beginning of the sixteenth century.

That such views should be generally held is of no surprise. Many leading historians of mathematics have contributed to the perception by either omitting any mention of Arabic/Islamic mathematics in the historical development of the subject or with statements such as that made by Duhem in [3]:-

… Arabic science only reproduced the teachings received from Greek science.”

And at the end when they want to describe the period that they want to discuss they write:

“Before we proceed it is worth trying to define the period that this article covers and give an overall description to cover the mathematicians who contributed. The period we cover is easy to describe: it stretches from the end of the eighth century to about the middle of the fifteenth century. Giving a description to cover the mathematicians who contributed, however, is much harder. The works [6] and [17] are on “Islamic mathematics”, similar to [1] which uses the title the “Muslim contribution to mathematics”. Other authors try the description “Arabic mathematics”, see for example [10] and [11]. However, certainly not all the mathematicians we wish to include were Muslims; some were Jews, some Christians, some of other faiths. Nor were all these mathematicians Arabs, but for convenience we will call our topic “Arab mathematics”.”

The inconvenience shows itself when they vividly express that “the regions from which the “Arab mathematicians” came was centred on Iran/Iraq but varied with military conquest during the period. At its greatest extent it stretched to the west through Turkey and North Africa to include most of Spain, and to the east as far as the borders of China.”

And when one refers to the biographies of these mathematicians understands that most of them have been from Persia (now Iran), so why those mathematicians must be considered as Arabs. And since Persians has had a very great and glorious culture and civilization in pre-Islamic ages, then why there is no mention to the probable influence of pre-Islamic Persian mathematics on “Persian mathematics from the end of the eighth century to about the middle of the fifteenth century”!

And at the end, despite of this critic to their work, I consider their works very useful for the history of mathematics, since thanks to the great efforts of these specialists of the history of mathematics, today we know that what they did was not just a reproduction of the works of Greeks!

References:

Arabic Mathematics: forgotten brilliance?

List of Iranian (Persian) Mathematicians

Noruz, The Persian New Year

Noruz — that is a Persian name and literally means New Day — begins on the vernal equinox and lasts 13 days. Noruz is a the most important Persian celebration that celebrates life, happiness, health, prosperity and the abundance of nature.

Prior to the celebration, families clean their homes, bake pastries and plant seeds and bulbs to grow new plants as a sign of renewal. They set ceremonial tables decorated with seven symbolic items — haft-seen — each beginning with the Persian letter seen “s”.

During the celebration, people visit friends and family, share gifts and enjoy a feast. At the end of the celebration, on the morning of the 13th day — sizda-be-dar — friends and relatives gather for a picnic at a park to show appreciation for nature.

Iran (Persia), the Country of Lion and Sun

In a number of important ways, Iran is the ‘odd man out’ in the Middle East. First, it was an imperial power in ancient times. The first Persian Empire, Cyrus the Great, found it in 550 B.C.

Second, Iran differs ethnically its immediate neighbors. The Iranians are not semantic, nor do they belong to the family of Turkic peoples. They are, as the name of their country indicates, of Aryan origin.

Third, Iranians speak a language, which is different from that of most of their immediate neighbors. Indeed, the term ‘Aryan’ is used more often these days to denote a language family than a family of peoples. Modern Persian and its cognate Iranian languages and dialects, together with the Indian languages like Hindi and Bengali, which stem from Sanskrit, derive from a common Indo-Iranian parent language. By contrast, the other principal languages spoken in the Middle East, Arabic and Turkish, belong to quite different language families.

After the advent of Islam, Arabic replaced Pahlavi, the Middle Persian language used by Persians during the Sasanid period. For some five centuries, the majority of the works written by Persians in the field of theology, philosophy, medicine, astronomy, philology, mathematics and even history, were written in Arabic. The reason is simple. Until the downfall of the caliphate in 1258, the Iranian world was part of the Islamic empire, and Arabic was the ‘lingua franca’ of that empire from Spain and Morocco to South-East Asia.

The Iranian Contribution Literature and Science:

Each of these subjects needs a separate chapter in a book, but we only give a brief outline here.

There was an intimate alliance between Persian mysticism and Persian literature. The ecstasy of the soul with the Creator has never been more beautifully expressed that in the very famous work of Jalal-al-Din Rumi. Ranking close to him in sublimity are Farid-al-Din Attar and Hafiz-e-Shirazi, who brought allegorical mystical expression to its highest pitch of refinement.
Other poets, of whom Umar Khayyam is the best known (though his principal claim to fame is as a mathematician, and without the genius of Fitzgerald it is doubtful whether he would have obtained much renown in the West), reveal another strain, which is characteristic of the Persian mind.

The part played by Persia in the development of Islamic science again needs no introduction. In the pre-Mongol period at least three names stand out: Kharazmi who gave us the words algorithm and algebra; Umar Khayyam (the famous Persian astronomer-mathematician-poet) who classified the forms of cubic equations, is the creator of the Jalali Calendar and contributor to Non-Euclidean Geometry and at last Biruni who did pioneering work in empirical physics.

The Persian contribution to medicine consisted of advances in treatment rather than diagnosis. Persia led the world in pharmacy. Without question, the greatest Persian physician and one of the greatest physicians of the medieval world, was Razi who discovered alcohol, known to the West as Rhazes. His chief encyclopedic Hawi, became a standard tesxtbook in European universities.

From the book The World of Islam, the Article Land of the Lion and the Sun by Roger M. Savory

Some points about the words Iran, Iranian, Persia, Persian, Fars and Farsi

By Peyman Nasehpour

From the beginning of the history, we have called ourselves, Iran. Native English speakers have called our homeland Persia and have called us Persians for centuries. It seems this has been started by Greeks and has been continued by Romans and other Europeans. This means that the words, Persia and Persian can be found in the oldest English texts. In 1789, Sir William Jones used the word Iranian in English to explain about different branches of Persian languages in the family of Indo-European languages.

In 1930s, the Government of Iran (Reza Shah) decided to do something for the confusion between the words Persia and Iran and wanted the world to call our country Iran not Persia and after that we became The Kingdom of Iran and now we are The Islamic Republic of Iran.

Now the United Nations and all countries know us as Iran with the abbreviation, IRN (our official websites are like this: domain.ir)

But this is not the end of the story. This never ended to the use of the word, Persia in newspapers and magazines. In fact the confusion between Iran and Persia still exists.

Fortunately the meaning of Persia is clear like before. It is the land of Fine Arts! Yet people love Persian famous poets such as Rumi, Hafiz, Sadi and Khayyam. But the meaning of Iran is still in dispute! Is Iran the same as Iraq? Are Iranians Arab and is their language Arabic?

Of course Iran is not Iraq! Most of Iraqi people speak in Arabic. But the formal language of Iranians is Persian, though we have Azerbaijanis, Kurds, Turkmen and Arabs in Iran.

According to this background, the following suggestions are offered:

What is official or governmental should be translated to Iran and Iranian. Some examples are: The Iranian Government or Government of Iran, Iranian President or President of Iran.

What is related to culture, civilization and art should be translated to Persia or Persian. Some examples are: Persian art music, Persian carpets, Persian rugs, Persian painting, Persian calligraphy, Classical music of Persia etc

It is better not to use Iranian language. Persian language is much better. Not all Iranians speak in Persian. Almost one third of Iranians are Azerbaijani (Azeri) that they speak in Azerbaijani language that is a branch of Turkish language. Azerbaijani language has lots of Persian and Arabic words but its grammar is totally different from the grammar of Persian language. Here I would like to mention that Persian and Azerbaijani music are very similar to each other in the way that we can say they are almost the same.

Recently some medias use Arabic Gulf or even Gulf instead of Persian Gulf. This is not right! According to all historiocal/geographical documents and UN directives, the name of this waterway that separates Persia (Iran) from Saudi Arabia is the ‘PERSIAN GULF‘.

Recently, Americans use the word Farsi for Persian language that we do not like this. This is right that we Iranians use the word Farsi for our language, but this is quite unknown for the rest of the world and will increase the confusion. The word Farsi is arabicized of the word Parsi and Parsi means Persian.

In some cases that our text is historical, then we may use the words Persia and Persian in our translations instead of Iran and Iranian in order to show the antiquity of the text.

From this useful book:

Iran & Iranian in English, Kamran Safaeian, BAZ publications, 2001.

Democracy and Freedom of Music

In my opinion, democracy and freedom of music means that every musician has right to offer her/his music and every audience has right to listen to her/his own favorite songs and nobody has right to ban any musician or audience from their rights mentioned in above.

Nobody has right to say that this genre of music is forbidden or the like.

It is obvious that a teacher will emphasize on the style and techniques of their own training, but this should not cause some teachers to say her/his students that their style or school is the best and such-an-such styles or schools are not good and the like. A teacher who says to her/his students such things, not only may be doing a major disservice because she/he causes the students to lose some other styles and techniques, but also is doing something against the democracy and freedom of music, because in this way the teacher tries to ban the other musicians and take the freedom of her/his students. It is obvious that those behaviors of the musicians increase the tension among musicians and their students, discussing which style or school is the best and so on.

Ethnomusicologists and musicologists started researching about different genres of music and tried to document and offer them to people. This has had a good affect on the social status of musicians, particularly the musicians of poor countries. At least their music became more available.

I strongly believe that Internet is one of the most useful tools for offering music. This is right that today, most of the people on the Earth, particularly the people of poor countries do not use Internet or their Internet connection is not so fast (Dial-up Networking), but very soon, everybody will use Internet with better connections and in a near future, all the people of the Earth will get in touch with each other and exchange their ideas about the subjects of their interests.

Internet is helping to the democracy and freedom of music at whole. In the past you would not be able to offer your music to music lovers, except your music were offered and advertised by big companies or Medias, but today you may offer your music on the web free of charge or at least much cheaper than before. For example, the MP3 has helped many musicians to offer their music on the web. At least MP3 offers their music internationally and makes them a little more famous. You may not become that famous, but at least you are more available than before!

Music lovers were not able to find some info about different genres of music easily, but today they may find their favorite songs easier and cheaper than before. In the past you had to listen to that genre of music that big companies or Medias were offering you, but today you have more freedom in choosing your own music by surfing in Internet.

I believe Internet is empowering musicians, audiences, democracy and freedom of music. Now it is the time for all musicians to offer their music on the web and at last people will decide what they should listen and what they should not!

Date of Publication: July 08, 2003

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And now YouTube.com has come up! It helps people to broadcast themselves!

Call for Peace: No War in Iran

To desire peace, to have freedom, justice and democracy, to respect to human rights, to wish for the happiness of one’s family, to seek secure and safe life, these are all the shared sentiments of people everywhere.

And the most important question is:

Can wars bring all these shared sentiments?

The human being’s historical experience shows that the answer is clearly negative.

And yet, human history has been stained without cease by the horror of war and meaningless suffering. Despite the bitter lessons of millennia of bloods and tears, humanity remains unable to free itself from the shackles of folly and hatred.

There is no parent anywhere who does not grieve at the death of a child in war.

So the following question rises:

How, then, can we transform enmity to empathy, conflict to coexistence?

The only answer that I always find is: to respect our cultures and civilizations, to learn from each other, to understand our common sentiments and spread the love among all nations. Therefore, it depends on every culture’s ambassadors (particularly artists) how to promote peace, love, mutual respect and understanding.

We are all from the Earth. This is what it is materialized in the following poems of great Persian poet, Sa’di, who says:

The children of Adam are limbs of each other
Having been created of one essence.
When the calamity of time afflicts one limb
The other limbs cannot remain at rest.
If thou hast no sympathy for the troubles of others
Thou art unworthy to be called by the name of a man.

Wars are disasters! Don’t beat the drums of wars! It is really dangerous!

War is caused by people. It is, therefore, up to people whether or not they create a peaceful world. Let’s have a peaceful life for ourselves, our children and the next generations!

By Peyman Nasehpour

An Open Letter from Peyman Nasehpour to all Musicians of Iran (Persia)

Saturday, 12 March 2005

Music has three dimensions: 1) Melody 2) Rhythm 3) Accent. Since skin headed percussion instruments are the main instruments for performing rhythmic cycles, consideration of the percussion instruments of Iran (Persia) has special importance. Because of cultural varieties in Persian music, we have a lot of different percussion instruments in Iran. It is not possible to discuss all of them here so this letter will be about the “tonbak” and the “daf”, the only national drums of Iran.

According to organology, tonbak is considered as a member of the goblet-shaped drum family. Similar drums are the “darbouka”, played in Arabic countries and Turkey, and the “zirbaghali” in Afghanistan. The antiquity of tonbak with its “Pahlavi” (Persian pre-Islamic language) name, “dombalak” goes back to pre-Islamic ages and according to the late Dr. Moeen, “dombak” is a transformed form of this ancient name. The Tonbak has progressed in recent decades and it is thought of as a solo and independent instrument. This progress is in debt to the pure efforts of valuable masters of the tonbak, and among them, the role of the late maestro Hosain Tehrani is so important that he can be labeled as the father of modern tonbak. Even though this instrument has progressed so much and it is used broadly in different genres of Persian music, unfortunately it is not taken to be as important as it should be. For example one cannot receive his bachelor’s degree in music as a tonbak player, while on the other hand choosing instruments such as “tar”, “setar”, “kamancheh”, etc., she/he can.

According to organology, “daf” is considered as a member of the frame drum family. Similar drums are the “ghaval”, “riq” and “bendir” in neighbor countries of Iran. The antiquity of “daf” with the Pahlavi name, “dap”, goes back to pre-Islamic ages and “daf” is an arabicized form of “dap”. The “daf”, which was played in Sufi gatherings, now is played broadly in all genres of Persian music. And according to the view of Mohammad Reza Darvishi (esteemed researcher of Persian regional music), “daf” should be considered a national drum the same as tonbak. When the tonbak with its status is not considered as important as it should be, then guess what happens to the “daf” as well as the other percussion instruments of Iran.

According to what it was said in the above, the following suggestions are offered:

A new major of music in the universities should be created in the way that one can receive a bachelor’s degree in percussion music as a tonbak or daf player.

International percussion festivals should be performed in Iran with a focus on Persian percussion instruments.
An independent committee for percussion instruments should be created in the most famous Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) for Persian music, called “Iran House of Music”.

Remark: Perhaps harmony can be considered another dimension in western music, but this open letter discusses about Persian music.

Acknowledgments: The writer of the letter wishes to thank Mr. Grant Smith for his useful pieces of advice about the translation of the letter from Persian to English.

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The letter in Persian was originally published at the online daily magazine for music, harmonytalk.com

Impact of Persian Music on Flamenco Music

Zaryab, the Persian musician

The impact of Persian music on other cultures have been discussed on the following article of Maestro Nasrollah Nasehpoor in details:

Impact of Persian music on other cultures and vice versa

In this short note we like to mention of the impact of Persian music on flamenco music. It is famous that the musician, “Zaryab”, Persian style, also spelled as Zyriab, Zorab, Kurdish style, Ziryab, Arabic style (some name him as Abolhasan Ali Ebn Nafe) immigrated to Cordoba in Spain and established a music school and conveyed the music that he learnt from his master, Eshaq Museli. And since the music that his master offered was the music strongly affected by Persian music, we can imagine why we can talk about the impact of Persian music on Flamenco music.

Etymology of Zaryab

Zaryab comes from the combination of the two words “zar” (Persian word, literally means gold) and “yab” (comes from the Persian verb “yaftan”, literally means to find) and therefore “zaryab” literally means gold-finder.

Point: Some believe that he was entitled as ziryab, an Arabic word that is the name of a special bird.

Originality of Zaryab

While some believe that he is African, possibly a Zang of Tanzania, some researchers believe that he is a Persian Kurd.

Zaryab Immigration

It is said that Zaryab immigrated from Baghdad of Iraq to Syria, sometime after the death of Caliph Al-Amin, then to Tunisia and then Andalusia because of the invitation of Hakim, Umayyad prince.

The signs of the impact of Persian music on Flamenco music:

If one listens to Flamenco music can easily feel the similarity of flamenco vocal music with Persian music.

Guitar

Etymology of guitar: the word guitar seems to be the combination of the two words “guit” that may have its origin in the word “sangeet” that in sanskrit it means music and dance and “tar” that means chord and string. Actually many instruments in Persia (Iran) and India and other places related to Persian culture contain the word “tar” such as Persian tar, Persian setar, Persian dotar, Indian sitar, Indian ektar and so on…

The antiquity of these long-necked instruments goes back to at least 2000-1500 BC, the shape of these instruments found in some statues found in Susa of Iran, kept in National Museum of Iran.

The structure of guitar is quite similar to Persian tar and the big hole on the sound-box of the guitar shows the influence of ud (or barbat). Therefore one may consider guitar as the fusion of the two instruments ud and tar.

Article by Peyman Nasehpour

Traditional music therapy in Iran (Persia)

Traditional music therapy in Iran (Persia)

Gwat: Gwat literally means wind. Gwati is a kind of mental illness. A Gwati person is not mentally balanced. The melody is for dancing and their actions and figures are monotonous. After doing these monotonous actions and figures the dancers go to the world of ecstasy. The name of the conductor of gwat ceremonies is gwati-mat. The text of this melody is the praise of Lal Shahbaz Ghalandar and Sheikh Abd-al-Ghader Gilani. The ceremonies are continued during three to seven days. Every day the ceremonies are done from one to four hours. It is believed that after the seven days if the illness is not removed then she/he will die. This illness is for women more than men. Gwat melody can be considered a kind of traditional music therapy.

Damal: This illness is something like gwat but for men more than women. The conductor of the damal ceremonies is called khalifeh.

In both damal and gwat ceremonies all musical instruments especially sorud, tamburak and doholak can be used.

Maled: These are the ceremonies very similar to the ceremonies to be done in khanghah of ghaderi dervishes. The unusual actions are a part of the both ceremonies. Mastan is the name of those people that do the unusual actions. The melodies to be used in the ceremonies are used sometimes for music therapy also. The only musical instrument that is used in the ceremonies is sama (a kind of frame drum similar to daf).

Translated by Peyman Nasehpour

Ostad Nasrollah Nasehpoor in Press

Nasrollah Nasehpoor’s Words Published in Hamshahri Newspaper on the Problems of Persian Music Training in Iran:

“Given that not any remarkable musicians have ever been observed among the graduates of music faculties, the performance of the faculties has not yet been satisfactory. The tests to be taken initially by the students have nothing to do with music at all and the individuals achieving to obtain high marks might have insufficient knowledge on music. However, those failing to get good marks in music will after all manage to pass on account of the high marks obtained in other subjects. It is quite evident that once such candidates manage to pass, those known to be gifted in music will be left out.”

–

Nasrollah Nasehpoor’s word published at Iran Daily Newspaper:

TEHRAN, Jan. 11–Each country’s music is considered the gem of its culture and every nation’s cultural identity is assessed on the basis of its regional literature and music, observed head of board of directors of Music House, Nasrollah Nasehpour.
Commenting on the Sixth Iranian Regional Music Festival, he told Mehr news agency that a country, which boasts of diverse regional music, enjoys cultural richness.

“Iran’s regional music is one of the richest and most diverse in the world but unfortunately little attention has yet been paid to it,” he noted.

Nasehpour further stated that regional music festival is one of the most qualitative events to be held in Iran.
In conditions that the Iranian music is grappling with difficulties and the national media do not show the instruments, the festival provides the opportunity for the youth to become familiar with regional music directly, he noted.

Nasehpour said that the reason that Iranian youth are more interested in western instruments is that they see them in the films, programs and music performed on them.

“If the youth has such an exposure to the Iranian regional music, they will also be interested in it,” he said.
Calling for holding the festival more than once in a year, Nasehpour noted that officials should pave the way for presenting such music on more occasions.

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Impact of Persian Music on Other Cultures and Vice Versa

An Article by Maestro Nasrollah Nasehpoor

In order to examine Persian music, that of the neighboring countries should first be tackled, since the states which have either impressed our music or have been influenced by it have either been part of Iran in ancient times or just adjacent to it. Besides the relation between the neighboring countries, given that Iran was located in-between the east and west, the frequent crossings of various tribes left its impressions on Persian culture. The two issues needs to be examined closely. Though a thorough discussion of the issues in question won’t be possible here, but I will do my best to show such a mutual impact as far as possible.

Persian culture is one of the world’s most ancient. Given that no remarkable information and documents are available on its ancient era, nonetheless, on the basis of the existing evidences one might realize the existence of an integrated music in the ancient Persia. The oldest document is a cylindrical stamp dating back to the 5th millennium BC, which has been unearthed at Choghamish near Dezful city. It shows the world’s most ancient music ensemble, which is consisted of a harpist and a drummer.

On the other hand, Persian music might have been influenced by the Indian music, which might be linked to the music of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan. This is, nonetheless, nothing new and its evident sample is Abu Reyhan Birouni’s book titled “Mal ol-Hind”.

The impression left on Persian music by the Indian music since ancient times is quite evident from the common Aryan traditional music, among which the one with the well-known story about the Indian gypsies might be the most famous. It is said that Bahram Gour requested his father-in-law, who was India’s monarch, to send 12,000 musicians to Iran in order to entertain the Iranian nation by playing Indian music. The consequent impression left on Persian music has been talked about to some extent. The existence of such Indian musical instruments as “van” and “darai” in Iran marks the traces of Indian music. Besides coming across musical pieces such as Ramkali in Abu-Ata, Denasari in Homayoun, Rak-e-Abdollah, Rak-e-Hindi, Rak-e-Kashmir in Mahour and Rast-Panjgah are samples of such an impression. It should be clarified that Ramkali and Denasari are Indian Ragas (modes). Besides Rak is the Arabic version of Rag, which is somehow related to the Persian word Rang (color). The impression of Iranian music on the Indian music is still more evident, which is contributed to the presence of Iranian musicians specially Amir Khosro Dehlavi, the Indian Persian-speaking poet and the famous singer and musician at Akbar Shah’s court. Indian music of today is based on two styles known as Hindustani and Karnatic Sangeet. Hindustani style commonly played in northern India appeared under the impression of Iranian music. The Indian singing styles including Qavali, Ghazal, Tarana and so on are all rooted in Persian music. The Indian sitar is taken after the Persian setar, which has undergone some changes to produce the melodies suitable for Indian music. According to the latest research, the Indian “tabla” is rooted in three instruments including the Iranian “naghareh”, the Iranian/Indian “doholak” and the Indian “pakhavaj”. On the other hand the presence of the Iranian and Arabic words such as “saz” (instrument), “mezrab” (plectrum) denotes such an impression. Unfortunately, further elaboration in this respect would divert our attention from the original issue.

Given that China played a decisive role in the cultural and musical exchange, it should be mentioned as well. Several Iranian instruments, which were taken to China, were influenced by some characteristics of the Chinese music. For instance, the Chinese instrument known as “suona” is rooted in the “sorna” (Persian oboe) and is related to some extent to the “shahnay” (Indian oboe). Another such example is the Iranian “barbat” (Persian lute) that was taken to China and became known as “pipa”, which should have later been taken to Japan and the Japanese called it “biwa”. Another instrument quite resembling the Persian “tonbak” (goblet-shaped drum) called “shuhai-gata-katamen-taiko” is also commonly played in Japan, while the instrument played in Sistan-Baluchistan province of Iran, known as “binjo” is probably of Japanese origin.

It is interesting to note, however, that the culture of Uyghur Turks has been greatly impressed by the Persian culture and the presence of such Persian instruments as “tar”, “khoshtar”, “dap”, etc. is the best evidence. Uyghuri music is based on modal style and is comprised of 12 modes, which should be rooted in the well-known Iranian 12-modal.

Given that we already surveyed the common music of eastern Iran, let’s tackle that of western Iran. According to the surveys conducted so far by unknown researchers, it has been revealed that the Greek music is originally rooted in the Orient. Likewise, the Turkish music has so much in common with Persian music that they might hardly be considered independent from one another. Therefore, the Persian music should be taken as one of the basics of the Turkish music. For instance, the Greek goblet drum known as “toubeleki” which is from the same family as the Turkish instrument called “dumbelek”, should have been rooted in the Persian goblet drum known as “dombak”. “Dombalak” is a Pahlavi (middle Persian language) name which is a converted form of “dombak”. It should be noted, however, that once the Islamic Civilization prevailed, the use of Greek texts in theoretical music became common, which might be taken as the theoretical impression of the Greek music on the theoretical music of the world of Islam.

But what is more important is to discuss the music of Arabic-speaking countries. Everything that is related to the Islamic civilization has been attributed by some biased historians to the Arabs on the mere ground that they have been written in Arabic, while the share of Persians have either been ignored or rendered quite pale. The Islamic civilization is known to have been quite common in the world of Islam over 9th-11th centuries owing mostly to the committed attempts of the Iranian scholars. It should be mentioned that what is known today as the Arab music is rooted in the music of Mesopotamia, Egypt and Persia.

Once the governments ruling Assyria and Babylonia collapsed in the 6th century BC, the Mesopotamian and Persian civilizations were combined to form a single much richer civilization.

The Egyptian music is also impressed by Persian music. The presence of Persian instruments such as kamancheh (spike fiddle) and santoor (hammered dulcimer) as well as various Persian musical modes including chahargah, sehgah, Isfahan, Nahavand, souznak, rast, basteh-negar, souz-e del in the Egyptian music is the best evidence to this end. Besides the instrument known as hammered dulcimer, is also commonly played in China, India, Iraq, Hungary, Romania and Germany.

The western musical instruments are mostly rooted in or taken after the oriental ones. Almost all European instruments were taken to Europe by Muslims from Asia through the southeast of Byzantine and northern Africa in the Middle Ages. The Persian “barbat” known as “Al-oud” among the Arab states was called lute once it arrived in Europe. Later on, it underwent changes and was converted into guitar and mandolin. It should be clarified, however, that guitar is not quite unlike the Persian stringed instrument known as tar (literally means string) and that the occurrence of the word “tar” in guitar is not accidental.

It is already evident that the basics of piano should be looked for in dulcimer and that the Turkish and Arabic “sornas” have also been derived from similar Persian instruments. It should be noted that even the percussion instruments have mostly been taken to the West from the Orient. The French word “tabor” is proved to have been derived from the Persian word “tabireh”. “Tabor” was an instrument which was played in Europe in the Middle Ages. Besides the history of the western music shows that kettledrum known as “naker” is the father of its present version known as timpani. Naker is derived from the word “naghareh” which was taken to Europe through the Ottoman martial music. All types of frame and goblet drums are rooted in the Middle East. For instance, the north African instrument called “bendayer” also referred to as “bendir” is of the same root as the Persian frame drum known as “dayereh” which was taken to Spain and Portugal by Muslims, whence it was taken to Brazil and became known as “pandeiro”.

Let’s now survey the impression left on the Persian music by the western music over the recent two centuries. It can be definitely said that such an impression dates back to the Qajar era. Under the rule of Fathali Shah Qajar, once Iran’s ruling system and army was introduced to the new European system and the army was equipped with cannons and guns, the martial musical instruments – mainly played in naghareh-khanehs (special centers where naghreh were played) – were also replaced. Since then the naghareh-khanehs were replaced by new martial musical arrangements. In-between the two world wars, when Iran and the Tsarian Russia were apparently in good terms, the ambassador plenipotentiary representing the Russian government heading a delegation arrived in Tehran via Tabriz. A 30-member orchestra accompanying the visiting delegation performed tunes in Tabriz for the crown prince Abbas Mirza and for Fathali Shah who resided in Soltaniyeh, Zanjan for an indefinite period of time. Once Abbas Mirza heard the played tunes, he became inquisitive about their instruments and after getting enough information about them, he decided to form an orchestra of martial music according to the new style. This was the very time when the Persian music got impressed by the western music. Then a new department was added to Darol-Fonoun School, where modern martial music was to be taught in order to train experts of martial music. A music master called Loumer was employed. In 1918, a music school was established at the proposal of General Gholam-Reza Minbashiyan.

The book called “Western Theoretical Music” was translated into Persian for the first time ever by Mirza Ali Khan-e Naqqash-Bashi, known as Mozayanoddoleh, who used to teach French and painting at Darol-Fonoun. It was published at the school’s printing house. Piano was brought into Iran under the rule of Fathali Shah. Mohammad Sadeq Khan Sorour ol-Molk, the well-known santoor player, tuned it in accordance with Persian intervals for the very first time.

Violin is also one of the European instruments, which became common in Iran under the reign of Nassereddin Shah after the establishment of Darol-Fonoun. Then it was adopted by orchestras of Iran and taking it as a model, a fourth cord was added to the Persian spike fiddle, the kamancheh.

It should be noted, however, that Persian music gradually became more and more impressed by the western music, so that its traces are evident even in the most traditional type of today Persian music. The most significant cases of such impression might be summarized as follows:

- Devised forms of the late Qajar era such as “pish-daramad” (overture), etc.
- Singing and playing styles
- Various styles of performing in ensemble
- Imitation of western styles including martial music, waltz, polka, etc.
- Chamber and Symphonic orchestras
- Opera and ballet groups
- Music schools and western teaching methods
- Writing music and notes
- Survey and research on music

Since elaborating on all the above is out of question, some of the cases will just be briefly pointed out. At the music courses proposed by Salar Moazzez besides martial music, other branches of western music were also taught. Thus civil trainees were also attracted to the said music school.

In 1923 the Master-Course Music School was established under the supervision of Ali-Naqi Vaziri, who was trained on Persian music by Iranian masters. He also studied western music in Germany. Under the impression of western educational music books, Vaziri complied and published in Berlin his book on playing both European and Persian music with ‘tar’. He compiled a musical theory on the Persian music with a western outlook on the basis of which, for instance, the 24-part scale might be redesigned. Such a theory was earlier brought up and proposed for the oriental music by Michael Moshaqeh, the Arab mathematician. He meant to moderate the intervals of Persian music similar to the 12-part western scale so that they would correspond to rules of harmony.

As concerns formation of orchestras, one might recall the orchestra of Okhovvat Society, which was the first orchestra of Persian instruments formed under the impression of western music. The orchestra included such western instruments as violin and piano, which eventually led to the establishment of the orchestra of Vaziri’s music school.

The idea of initiating opera in Iran might have occurred to the mind of some Iranian artists around 70-80 years ago. In the outset of the constitution era, when stage performances became common, the idea of musical dramas also popped into the minds of the artists. As a matter of fact, the idea of operas and operettas was introduced by the Caucasian musicians residing in Iran. One may actually talk about writing harmonized melodies on the basis of Persian music.
The brief reference made above calls for multilateral survey in order to further introduce the connection of Persian music with the cultures of other states. Fortunately, dialogue among civilizations can assist researchers across the world, once the principles and the nations’ votes are respected.

Remark

This is an English version of the following article:

Nasrollah Nasehpoor, Impact of Persian Music on Other Cultures and Vice Versa, Art of Music — Cultural, Art & Social (Monthly), pp 4-6 (Vol. 37) Sep, 2002.

Interview of Aftabnews with maestro Nasrollah Nasehpour: Why the looks are to the other side of the fence?

Translated by Peyman Nasehpour

Thursday, 2005-04-7

Aftab: Iranian musical society has broad demands that a part of them is said in this interview by Nasrollah Nasehpoor, the well-known master of Persian vocal music and the head of board of directors of “Iran-House-of-Music”.

These demands can be categorized in musical fields of training, research, job security and music related to ladies. Nasehpoor is the student of the late maestro Abdollah Davami and many have listened to his voice with his work with Mohammad Reza Lotfi, in the famous tasnif (rhythmic form of vocal music) written by Darvish Khan (Ze-man-negaaram). Read the interview:

Mister Nasehpoor, according to your view, what factors in the professional life of a musician can give ease of mind and what factors can take it away?

In my opinion, the first factor that can give to a musician ease of mind that the she/he can progress in her/his work is the society’s respect to the musician. Usually in these topics, to be straitened circumstance financially, is considered as one of the factors of the ease of mind, but in my opinion, if the position of the livelihood of an artist is at high level and that enough respect is not dedicated to the artist, then she/he will not have the ease of mind. Art is entirely about love, emotion and pureness and in other words art is the river-bed of mutual respect. When the artist cannot receive the necessary respect from the society, is a broken human-being; a broken individual that has not the job security.

You mean to venerate of an artist is more obligatory than to earn her/his bread?

Yes, because I have seen many artists that they have lived with absolute poverty, to the end of their lives, but they didn’t reproach. And if they reproached, it was because of favoritism and to be forgotten. And this point that they are used as tool will be offended them. When during a year they are not regarded and suddenly because of an advisable case, they are appealed for help, this look to them will make their morale out of order. Perhaps to tolerate such a position cannot be difficult for one or two times, but continuously it will be very difficult and her/his spirit will be annoyed. Of course if artist’s livelihood is at low level, her/his spirit and mind will be disheveled.

Where the roots of these disrespects should be investigated?

I believe when the music production has not demand, artists among each other will experience a restricted space, exactly like a glass-pitcher that tiny fish swim in it and when the fish grow, the place becomes narrow for all of them and then problems rise. When like the other countries, 200 hours of music is demanded, all the artists will not be able to produce them, but when the music restricted from one festival to another one or from this occasion to another one, it is natural that the necessary space for the activity of all musicians will not be existed and the result is that a kind of unsafe competition will be constitute in the society that it will be cause of unpleasant behaviors. This problem will cause the artists of the society to keep their distance and some disrespects also will be leaking out.

What is the role of people here?

According to Aristotle, in a safe system, people should be trained by social and cultural activists. When the definition and application of art is based on the relations and tastes of the politicos, people will not be trained correctly and a kind of anarchy will be raised that this situation has incompatibility with the true and original art.

How the duties of states can be defined?

In my opinion the first duty of a state is to supply a budget that primary affairs of art can be configured. Another duty is that the confidence of artists should be attracted, i.e. the works that they produce, by holding in trust, should be offered to the users. This is a very important issue that when the demand of the addressee is not paid attention, then the present conditions come to existence that most of those who have TV and satellite, are not interested in the governmental TV programs. The state should first answer to this question that why most of the looks are to the other side of the fence! Today the biggest danger is for the music of our country. There is no such an arrangement that our culture and music come from Washington! Whatever it is, it must be nurtured in this land. In the first instance we should publicize our music to our people. Woe is to that culture and art that in its source is forgotten or undervalued, that the natural result is its overthrow.

As a musician in comparison with other possessors of art, what status do you imagine for yourself?

Lonely an artist cannot publicize herself/himself in the society, but these are the people who publicize an artist. An artist cannot determine a status for herself/himself; the status will be determined by people of the society, but if god forbids the knowledge of people is weakened, the merited artists will be isolated and instead of them artists with less level will be substituted that this point will be the biggest knock to the culture, art and music.

Are you content of your musical life?

Music for me is a kind of responsibility and obligation, not an amusement. When you accept something from this angle of view, there is no status for being piqued, tired or if it happens to stop in the middle of the path and this attitude usually belongs to wanting-self-reliance people. In the bad positions, whether before or after the revolution, I have always had my class for Persian vocal music and I have never been tired of teaching. Maybe some colleagues disagree with this opinion that mothers are the first teachers of music. The training basis of a child is configured with mother before going to kindergarten, primary school, high school and university, and according to this base the child will learn science and art. If today I have attained a position in music, I am indebted to my mother. Because of this reason and despite of undesirable and unfavorable situations, I have used a part of my strength for training mothers and sisters that hopefully they will train qualified musicians in future. I am very happy that I can help to the forgotten half of the society, i.e. mothers.

As you mentioned, many of the students of Persian vocal music are ladies. According to this point that female vocalists have some restrictions and therefore there is no equal future for women as men have after the educating from their vocal music trainings, please tell us why they welcome to Persian vocal music this much?

Here I like to explain statistically. Up to present I have had about 4000 students. I have all of their CVs. I mean I know when they have started their trainings, how much they have continued, whether they have finished their courses or not and so on. Many of my students perform on the stages inside or outside of the country and I am very proud of them. And among them the activities of ladies have been very important and I never felt they have been hopeless because of the reasons that you express. Human being is alive with its hopes. I disagree with your words that only for this reason that women cannot imagine a future for their job — because of the restrictions — they should be hopeless and disappointed. Vocal is not the mere art of singing. Art itself carries different values. Art gives to human being energy and knowledge. Art teaches altruism to human being. Art makes human being. According to these benefits of art, what are the reasons that women cannot be better than men? At the beginning of the course, some of the students have a negative view to the subject, but after the two or three months I change their mind and give them energy. My last words are that if women cannot be an artist for their society, they can be a good artist/mother for their children.

Apparently you expressed your final words, but I do have a question. Is this acceptable for women themselves that female vocalists have some restrictions for singing, and at last have they absorbed it?

No, repeatedly they ask about the restrictions and at any rate they cannot accept them. The reason is that some of them are really better than men. Among my students, there are some as well as Ghamarolmoluk and someday in the history of music we should substitute them. I hope these artists will know and do their duties based on honesty and purity, loving to the family and the homeland.

Hammered Dulcimers

The santoor (also spelled as santour and santur) is most likely of Persian origin. It is believed that “traveling musicians” spread the santoor across Europe and Asia.

Here are the names of hammered dulcimer of different countries.

Chinese Yang-Chin

Yang-Chin is Chinese hammered dulcimer.

Egyptian Santoor

Musical instruments of Egypt are so similar to Persian ones and even the names are the same. One of them is santoor.

German Hackbrett

The hackbrett is the German hammered dulcimer that is played in south of Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Greek Santoori

Santoori is the name of Greek hammered dulcimer and it is so similar to Turkish santoor.

Hungarian Cimbalom

Hungarian hammered dulcimer is called Cimbalom or Zymbalon. The similar instrument is played in Romania.

Indian Santoor

Santoor in India was played in Kashmir area for Kashmiri music, particularly in Sufi style music. Later it was integrated into Indian classical music successfully. This is due to the great works of Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma.

Iraqi Santoor

Iraqi santoor is so similar to Persian one and it is played for accompanying Iraqi magham to be sung by the traditional vocalists.

Persian Santoor

The santoor is a three-octave wooden-hammered dulcimer with seventy-two strings, which are arranged on adjustable tuning pegs in eighteen quadruple sets, nine (bronze) in the low register, and nine (steel) in the middle register. The santoor can be made from various kinds of wood (walnut, rosewood, betel palm, etc.) depending on the desired sound quality. The front and the back of the instrument are connected by sound posts whose positions play an important role in the sound quality of the instrument. Although the santoor is very old, it was neither depicted in miniatures, nor presented in any other medium until the nineteenth century. The secret of making the trapezoid-shape sound box lies in the quality and age of the wood, as well as in the arrangement of the sound posts which connect the table of the instrument to its back.

Turkish Santoor

Known as santoor-e-torki, is the Turkish hammered dulcimer.

Hammered Dulcimer Discussion Group: This group is for all those instrumentalists interested in the hammered dulcimers.

Ostad Mehdi Nazemi, the most famous Iranian santoor maker

This trapezium made me crazy!

By Pooyan Nassehpoor

The great craftsman Mehdi Nãzemi, who developed the most reliable, scientific and effective method of making santoors, is the second child of his family among four brothers and two sisters.

His ID shows his birthday 1905, but a document written by his father shows his year of birth as 1910. These different dates arose because it was not usual to have a birth certificate in the Ghãjãr era.

Nãzemi says: “It was a local custom for rich families in Yazd that when a son was born in a family, a great party would be held. When my brother was born, among those invited to the celebration was an ensemble of the most famous singers and musicians of the region. They played instruments such as the santoor, tãr (Persian long necked lute), kamãnche (Persian spike fiddle) and arabãne (a kind of frame drum), and the famous singer Rezã Boland accompanied them. The santoor player of the ensemble, whose name was Gholãm-Hossein Naghãrechi, most strongly drew my attention. I was a nearly eight years old and hearing the sound of Santoor made me feel very happy. After the end of party I went to Gholãm-Hossein Khãn and asked him to give me a santoor, but I received only a smile. It was my first contact with the santoor and a santoor player”.

Drums and Percussion Links

Rhythm Web: RHYTHMWEB is an excellent site for different drums and has lots of cool links. Created by Eric Stuer, percussionist, web designer and a dear drum brother of mine.

Watch Drumming Demonstration of Peyman Nasehpour at YouTube

Tombak Network: Tombak Network is an educational site for tombak (tonbak, Persian/Iranian drum) created by my friend, Hormoz Dilmaghani. I have published some articles there.

Drumdojo is Paul Marshall’s website. He is sound artist and percussionist from North Ireland and a dear drum brother of mine.

Online Doumbek Guide: Kamuran’s Guide for Doumbek Players. On this website of my dear drum brother, you will find:

* How to make specific sounds on the doumbek
* Consistent, easy-to-read notation for dozens of rhythms — the rhythms are grouped by count length, from 2 to 32
* Difficulty rating for each rhythm
* Articles on accompanying dancers and buying riq

Rick Walker’s LooppooL: The exotic sonic world of Rick Walker’s Loop.pooL. A leading figure in the emerging international live looping movement, Rick is a sound designer, electronic music composer, author, percussionist, trapset drummer, multi-instrumentalist and “found sound” artist. He is a dear drum brother of mine.

Daveed Korup’s DrumFest: A percussionist, poet, composer, instrument maker, workshop facilitator, and above all else, a teacher. Daveed offers an energetic, highly participatory, multicultural program called DrumFest! which is available to both children and adults. He is the hand drummer of Turku Music (Turku Eurasian Folk Ensemble – Columbia, SC). And a dear drum brother of mine.

Middle Eastern Rhythms FAQ (rhythms for middle eastern dance for dumbek, dumbec, doumbec, doumbek, Arabic tabla, darabuka, tombak, zarb …) created by my dear drum brother, Jas. This is the best list for ME rhythm cycles with Jas’s MIDI Rhythm Generator that I have seen in Internet.

Drum Journal: Drum Journal is a site dedicated to the experience of making your own music using drums and percussion instruments, drum circles, music education, and the sharing the creation of music across cultures. This great website has been created by my dear drum brother Dale Wambaugh.

Rhythmuseum: A site dedicated to many drums such as Japanese Taiko, Senegalese Sabar, Korean Chango, Persian tonbak and Indian Tabla by Christopher Arnold.

PERCUweb: Quebec percussionists’ great website by Prof. Robert Leroux and his friends!

Rene Dalton is a Brazilian percussionist in Brasilia working on Arabic rhythms and plays derbuka. Very well designed website!

Drums and Drum Sets – Offers drum lessons, tips, and advice for beginners. Discusses the history of drum sets and manufacturers, such as Pearl, Ludwig, Drum Workshop (DW), and Tama.

Daniel Ruegg: Switzerland based, German language percussion website of Daniel Ruegg. His works moves over drums and rhythms (instruction, workshop, drum and rhythm circles, organizational developement and so on), drums for sale (Bata, Bougarabou, Darabukka, Djembe, Surdo, Tabla, Timbales), drumming and introducing some African musicians… Check his informative website.

David Elia Kuckhermann: Germany based multi-percussionist. His site has some useful info about basic strokes and lessons of tar, riq, bodhran, darbuka, tonbak.

Eric N. Peterson: Eric’s Middle Eastern Drum Page. Info of Middle Eastern Drums and Drummers and Link to other Websites.

PAS: The Percussive Arts Society® (PAS®) is a music service organization promoting percussion education, research, performance and appreciation throughout the world.

World Percussion Music and Resources: Australia based percussion website by Kevin Tuck. Music for percussion ensembles, from beginner to advanced pieces and e-Books for drums and percussion, great for teachers and students.

Jon Mattox: A very active percussionist, artist, web-designer. His site is very well-desinged and has a very detailed link section!

DrumRhythms: Lessons for Drumset and some small hand percussion instruments such as congas, djembe, bongos, timbales and so on.

Ralf Schuh AKA Thorralf, German Bodhran Player has very good websites for Bodhran (Irish frame drum)

Tomás Howie Drumming Web: A website for drums and drumming rudiments by Tomás Howie, the moderator of Rudiments Yahoo Groups.

Khalouze (Kalouze): Khalouze is a kind of goblet-shaped drum and has inside two strings attached just under the skin so the sound is a little buzz. Belly-dance.org has offered a very nice historic photo of a female khalouze player. Check it out! Also some words about Persian zarb and Arabic derbukka that is interesting.

Hands-On Drumming: A very nice website of Internationally known percussionist, educator and community drumming leader Jim Greiner.

Tim Rayborn: Multi-instrumentalist with specialities in medieval, Middle Eastern, and Central Asian music.

Kenne Thomas: Great website of Kenne Thomas, professional drummer, percussionist, author and educator. Info of djembe, taiko and so on.

Alex Pertout: Percussionist, composer and educator in Australia. His website is so informative and has info of different drums and percussion. Please do visit his website to find out about different world traditional drums, rhythms and percussion.

Alex Spurkel is an accomplished drummer with over 15 years of experience in both Western and Non-Western traditions. His forté is world percussion–particularly the Middle-Eastern Doumbek–and his unique brand of electronic drumming suited for various genres of dance music.

Fredrik Gille is a Swedish percussionist that collects instruments, playing-techniques and inspiration from percussion-traditions all around the world. He plays Indian tabla too.

Mauro Gatto: Drums and Percussion Website of Italian percussionist Mauro Gatto both in Italian and English language.

Harmonic Motion is a not-for-profit arts organization resident in South Florida. Harmonic Motion’s music and dance performing groups focus on folkloric and ethnic idioms, cross cultural, and improvisational projects. The core performers and teachers are musician/composer Joe Zeytoonian and dancer/percussionist Myriam Eli.

Erik Smith: Norway based drumset site of Erik Smith, a very active drumset player.

Tony Natale: American wonderful percussionist. He is now located in Bach’s city in Germany and recording his own CDs. He owns a very nice website both in English and German.

El Toque De Candombe: Traditional Afro-uruguayan rhythm – for Afro-Uruayan Chico, Repique and Piano drums, Drumset and Bass – Culture and more.

A Gaita Do Fol: A site by Juanjo Fernandez dedicated to Galician music.

ALGORHYTHM: South African Percussion Portal, info about djembe, conga, tabla, zarb (tonbak), tama, sabar and so on…

Patrick Graham: Canadian percussionist and explorer of new percussion techniques. He has worked on Western classical music, frame drums, Japanese, South-Indian and Mediterranean and Irish rhythms.

River Paul Guerguerian: US-based Multi-percussionist, composer and educator. He is frame drummer of Omar Faruk Tekbilek’s Ensemble. His website has been designed very well.

The Ocean of Rhythm: Website of Christoph Haas, German percussionist, vocalist and composer. He has studied on many rhythmic styles such as Rock, Jazz, Mediterranian countries, West Africa, South America and Southern India.

EthnoSuperLounge is a network of musicians from many cultural backgrounds who come together to share their songs and sounds in the spirit of unity, healing and transcendence. It’s a mellow world music fusion group including musicians from India, Tibet, Turkey, Japan and Africa, along with many Australians strongly influenced by various ethnic music traditions as well as jazz, ambient and electronica.

Alchemy Drumming and Dance

Peter Giger – Master Percussionist based in Switzerland

Rafael Pereira – US based hand drumming expert from Brazil

Jon Sterckx – UK based percussionist

Virtual Drummer School (The world’s first online school for drummers and percussionists)

Numan Elyer (All finger style of darbuka)

Andrea Piccioni: great drummer (frame drums particularly Italian Tamburello)

Drum Radio

Michael Drake: A useful website having articles, books, and music downloads on shamanic drumming, including a very interesting article on drum therapy.

Harmen Sikkenga (Tamburisto): Multi-Percussionist from Netherland

Taaliqa: UK-based Multi-instrumental Duo Website for Oud, Tabla,Tabla Tarang (row of tuned tablas), Darabouka, Zarb, Daf & Gatam.

Pete Lockett UK-based multi-percussionist, Pete Lockett is one of the most active percussionists of the world who has worked on many drums and percussion instruments. Here is the list of the instruments that he plays:

North/South Indian percussion: tabla, mridangam, kanjira, ghatam, vocal percussion, dholak, naal, bhangra dhol. Middle Eastern percussion: darabuka, req, bendir, frame-drums. Latin percussion: congas, bongos, timbales, berimbau. Also Irish Bodhran, Nigerian Udu, West African djembe, Japanese taiko, Western drumset and many weird and wonderful percussion effects such as waterphones & spring drums, along with many strange percussive objects built and customised by Pete. He also works extensively with electronics & samplers, both live and in the studio, using samplers, effects units and live electronic looping to create densely alternative percussion fabrics.

GRAMMY-AWARD WINNING San Diego Rock Funk Blues Drummer Bill Ray

Japan Frame Drum Association

Afro-Percussion: Switzerland based Website of Markus Maggiori on African percussion in German language.

Paulinho Silva – Percussão – Brasil: Spanish language website of pandeiro player from Brazil.

Chip Ritter Drummer: Free Drum Solo MP3s

High Energy Drums: High Energy Drums publishes e-books on how to make Native American Stave Drums, Tongue Drums, Thumb Pianos, and Gourd Drums. Free chapter samples are available. Immediate download through PayPal.

Mario Calandrelli: drummer, percussionist, educator, clinician and “computer – drum machine programmer”. His Italy-based website is really great in both in Italian and English language and very well-designed.

Wooden Bongo: A nice site by Pedro E. Barriera Colon about Wooden Bongo.

Gene Krupa: American Ace Drummer Man (1909-1973). He is famous for having recorded the first drum solo in the history of American popular music. He was also famous because he soloed a lot on the tom toms and had a ‘tribal’ feel (read: African) which was very unusual in the jazz tradition. Thanks to my drum brother Rick Walker for his explanation.

Grant Smiths Drums and Percussion: Grant Smiths plays drumset, hand drums, timpani and mallets.

Wayne June: Wayne June is an active freelance vocalist and drummer.

Norberto Mazzoni: Italian Percussionist and drummer, a professional musician, chorus and composer who tries to promote ethnic music from different cultures and countries.

Ramon Rossi: Italy-based website of Italian drummer. He is the member of the following band: Millenium Band.

Mathieu Soucy: Canada based website of Mathieu Soucy, multi-instrumentist, composer and multimedia specialist.

All About Goblet Drums

General Drum and Percussion Resources

Drum Journey: This site is dedicated to the promotion and support of community drumming and hand drums as a vehicle for healing, personal and community spirit, or just plain fun!

Tabla links: Links to different websites related to tabla, the Indian pair of small drums.

DrumminMen: The Drummers Resource and Detailed Drumming Directory!

Drum Magazine: Enter Music Publishing by Drum Magazine!

Drummer World: Pictures and Sound of Famous Drummers of Jazz and Folk.

DrumsOnTheWeb: General Info of Drums, Drumming and Drummers.

DrumPRO Magazine: Lots of free downloadable stuff for drums and drumming.

Percussion Press: is a newsletter for percussion related news. Join us to receive the news as soon as we receive them.

Drumming Discussion Forums:

Goblet Drumming Group is a group at Yahoo Groups established by Peyman Nasehpour (moderator) and Eric Stuer (co-moderator). Anybody who is interested in discussing about goblet drums may join to this group.

Indian Tabla Group is a group at Yahoo Groups established by Peyman Nasehpour (moderator). Anybody who is interested in tabla can join to this group.

Female Drummers

If you are interested in drum link exchange, percussion link exchange or even music link exchange, then please email me.