Qur’an
Koran-sacred text; literal word of god
Diaspora
scattering of Jews
Sufism
mystical for of Islam that is more accepting of music in religious context
Dervishes
Sufi dance whirling for spiritual union
Ud
plucked chordaphones, fretless pear shape (precurser to Renn. Lute, European)
Rabab
spike fiddle bowed chordophon (similar to Chinese erhub)
Santur
trapezoidal hammered dulcimer (zither) string all across body (Cimbalom similar) Yanjin
Nay
end blown notche flute, Iran, Turkey, Arabic countries, side of mouth blown
Zurna
double reed w/bell flare (oboe or shawm)
Darabukkah
goblet shaped drum, played with fingers
Tarab
transcendant emotional experience of highly expressive music/poetry, suite music
Maqam
(Arabic) built up scales of 4 notes (tetrachords) mathematics of vibrating string ratio
Sayr
(Arabic) path of the maqam
Iqa’
complex meters of classical Arabic poetry–framework for rhythm
Takht
Arabic suite ensembles of 5 players
Iranian suite
1) Pishdaramad, 2) chahar mezrab, 3)avaz, 4) tasnif, 5) reng
Umm Kulthum (her style of singing)
Singer w/Takht, qasida for performance (25 min refined poetry)
Dastgah
(Iran) organizing pitches like scales
Gusheh
(Iran) the small segments w/in dastgah scale, like a tetrachord
Radif
(Iran) 300 Gusheh–entire collection
Chahar mezrab
metered section in Iranian Suite–classical music, virtuosic
Shofar
ram’s horn trumpet
Cantillation
standard method of chanting Biblical text
Klezmorim
folk jewish musicians
Tar
plucked lute of Iran
Distinctive characteristics of music of the Middle East/North Africa
>>Elaborate melodies and melismas (highly decorated)
>>Improvisation based on basic tones or melodies
>>Heterophony
>>Rhythms based on specific beat patterns within the meter
>>Use of quarter tones