3.4 Traditional instruments and ensemble types of the Middle East

Middle Eastern music features a rich array of instruments, each with unique sounds and roles. The oud, qanun, and ney form the melodic core, while percussion like the riq and darbuka provide rhythmic foundations. These instruments blend in ensembles, creating the region's distinctive musical textures.

Traditional ensembles like the takht and firqa showcase the interplay between instruments. Heterophony, improvisation, and call-and-response are key elements. The music's complexity stems from the interaction of diverse timbres, microtonal inflections, and rhythmic patterns, all rooted in the maqam modal system.

Middle Eastern Instruments

Plucked Instruments

Top images from around the web for Plucked Instruments

• 

  Oud | openDemocracy | Flickr View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Oud | Oud Musical Instrument | AL.Eyad | Flickr View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Oud | openDemocracy | Flickr View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Oud | Oud Musical Instrument | AL.Eyad | Flickr View original

  Is this image relevant?

1 of 2

Top images from around the web for Plucked Instruments

• 

  Oud | openDemocracy | Flickr View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Oud | Oud Musical Instrument | AL.Eyad | Flickr View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Oud | openDemocracy | Flickr View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Oud | Oud Musical Instrument | AL.Eyad | Flickr View original

  Is this image relevant?

1 of 2

• The oud is a pear-shaped, fretless plucked lute that is considered the ancestor of the European lute and modern guitar
  • It has 11 or 13 strings grouped in 5 or 6 courses
• The qanun is a plucked zither with a trapezoidal soundboard, 74-81 strings in triple courses, and small levers for fine tuning
  • It is played with finger picks

Wind Instruments

• The ney is an end-blown reed flute that comes in various sizes
  • It is played by directing air across the embouchure against the sharpened edge
• Other wind instruments used in folk and rural ensembles include the mijwiz double-pipe, arghul, and sorna
  • Instrumentation varies by region

Percussion Instruments

• The riq is a small tambourine with five sets of cymbals around the frame
  • It is popular as a lead instrument in takht ensembles
• The darbuka is a single-headed goblet drum played with a variety of strokes and tones
  • It provides the underlying pulse in many Middle Eastern genres
• Frame drums like the def are also used in folk and Sufi ensembles

Bowed Instruments

• Spike fiddles like the kamancheh and rebab are upright bowed lutes with a small resonating chamber, long neck, and 3-4 strings
  • They are played while resting on the knee or lap
• The joza spike fiddle is featured in Iraqi maqam ensembles like the chalghi baghdadi

Construction and Playing Techniques

Plucked Instruments Techniques

• The oud uses a soloist technique of melodic development called taqsim, involving improvisation within the maqam (mode)
  • Tremolo is used to sustain notes
• The qanun covers the middle register and often plays the heterophonic melody line along with the oud or violin
  • It can also provide improvised solos and melodic embellishments

Wind Instruments Techniques

• Ney players use circular breathing and half-holing techniques to extend melodies
  • Different sizes are used to accommodate the tonal centers of various maqamat
• Microtonal inflections and ornaments played on the ney contribute to the distinctive sound of Middle Eastern ensembles

Percussion Instruments Techniques

• The riq marks accented beats and fills out rhythmic patterns
  • Skilled players produce a variety of tones through finger rolls, slaps, and shakes
• Darbuka rhythms use dum (center) and tak (edge) strokes to construct patterns in cycles called iqa'at
  • Finger snaps and slaps add tonal variety

Bowed Instruments Techniques

• Spike fiddles like the kamancheh and rebab play melodic lines, heterophony with the oud, or improvisations
  • They are fingered with light pressure to glide between microtonal intervals
• Unisons and octaves played by spike fiddles and other melodic instruments are flavored by microtonal variations between them

Common Ensemble Types

Urban and Court Ensembles

• The takht is a common small ensemble featuring the oud, qanun, ney, riq or darbuka, and sometimes spike fiddle or voice
  • It was historically popular in urban centers and courts
• The firqa is a larger ensemble that adds more percussionists, melodic instruments, and sometimes a choral section to the takht
  • It developed in the mid-20th century

Regional Ensembles

• Maqam ensembles like the Iraqi chalghi baghdadi feature the joza spike fiddle, santur hammered dulcimer, riq, and darbuka
• Folk and rural ensembles feature indigenous instruments like the mijwiz double-pipe, arghul, sorna, davul drum, and def frame drum
  • Instrumentation varies by region

Sufi Ensembles

• Sufi ensembles typically revolve around the ney, frame drum, and voice
  • They may add the oud, tanbur lute, or spike fiddle depending on the Sufi order
• The choice of instruments in Sufi ensembles is influenced by the musical traditions and practices of each specific order

Instrumental Interaction and Texture

Heterophony and Melodic Interaction

• Heterophony is a key texture where each instrument or voice performs versions of the same melodic line, with varying degrees of embellishment and improvisation
• Instruments tend to be played in different registers to fill out the musical texture
  • The oud and spike fiddles cover the low range, the qanun and ney play in the middle, and the riq adds high percussive accents

Call-and-Response and Improvisation

• Call-and-response alternation between a soloist and the ensemble is a common technique, especially when featuring an improvised taqsim
• Improvisation within the framework of the maqam is a central feature of Middle Eastern music, showcasing the skills of individual musicians

Rhythmic and Timbral Interaction

• Percussion instruments provide the rhythmic framework of iqa'at (rhythmic modes)
  • The riq delineates the pulse and accents while the darbuka fills out the pattern
• Instrumental timbres are often contrasted, such as the buzzing of the riq against the resonant oud, to create a dynamic and engaging musical texture
• The combination of different timbres, registers, and microtonal inflections gives Middle Eastern ensembles their distinctive sound