(Outlines and Proposal)

 Ancient evidence

In ancient Arabic times, the art of song came about before instrumental music. Huda (The Caravan of camels' Song) has been long regarded by Arab historians as the first song to originate; its source traced back to Mudar Ibin Nizar Ibn Ma'add. The song occurs in the Rajaz (a poetic meter), corresponding to the sound of camels' footsteps. According to Al Masudi and Ibn khaldun, Mudar fell from his camel and broke his hand, and in his pain he cried out ‘Ya yadah, Ya yadah'.

 After Huda, the Nasb song came about which was not much of an improvisation of Huda. The Nasb and Nuah were the only type of songs practiced until the end of the sixth century. More advanced songs have been come from Al-Hira (Iraq now), when the poet and musician Al- Nader Ibn Al- Harith (624) introduced several creative musical ideas. In his work, Al Farabi (d.950), describes instruments of his period that are different compared to those in the pre- Islamic time, with the Oud known as various names and shapes as Muwatter and Mizhar. Perron in his book, Femmes Arabs pre-Islam, says ‘Before Islam, music was little ales than unpretentious varied and declaimed, by the singer, male or female or rather caprices'.

 

The Golden Age 

 ‘The arts of music continued to make progress with the Arabs, and under the Abbasids it was carried to perfection' Ibn Khaldun, Al Muqaddima. Translated by H.G. Farmer.

 During the period of the Islamic Golden Age (800-1200 AD), Arabian music made greater progress than during any other period. The main two causes are considered to be the economic and political progress of the time. Side by side with stability, a society can find intellectual prosperity and artistic magnificence, including music brilliance.

 Famous singers (girls and professional musicians were treated very well and with generosity) and even ordinary professional musicians made a small fortune by his art in those days. Theoretical and practical progress was original and in this period genres and melodic modes were first methodically established.From the works (books, manuscripts and letters) we get a close insight into the theatrical and practice works, so we can see the progress of rhythms, music terminology, music instruments, teaching methods and lyric and poetry.    

 Musicians and Singers

Many great singers and musicians have been contributed to Arabic music, past and present. Most of them had and still have creative live innovations and inventions such as: Nashit per-Islam, Isaac Musally and Zriab during 8^th century, Alarmaoy 14^th century, Abdo Al Hamoly, Abu khalilal Qabani and Mula Otman Mossali in the late 19th century and Um Kalthom Farid Al Atrash, Firuz and Abdul wahab in the mid-20th century.

 Musical instruments

As early as the 10^th century A.D., Arabian scholars such as Al- Kindi, Al farabi, Ibn Zaylah, the Ikhwan as-Safa (Brothers of Serenity), and Ibn Sina, devised a special classification system for musical instruments that led to their subdivision into percussion, plucked, bowed, and wind instruments. In addition to these classifications, it was important for the systemisation whether the duration of the tone produced by the instrument was short, long or sounded continuously, and whether the neck of a stringed instrument was with equipped with frets.

From time immemorial, the Arabs have preferred to make music in small ensembles. The only exception to this was presented by the splendid court orchestras in Iraq, Morocco, and Egypt, as reported to us by historians. Up to one hundred musicians were said to have performed in these orchestras on drums, timpani, horns, and oboes.

 Oud

The Oud is a fretless, plucked short-necked lute with a body shaped like half a pear. The Oud can indeed be considered the very embodiment of Arabian musical culture. Music theory, in particular the Arabian tones system, was and is still illustrated with it. It is regarded as the cornerstone of Arabian art music in concerts, on the radio, and in the domestic sphere. It is not without reason that the Arabs call the Oud the ‘Sultan of the Musical Instrument'. Since the beginning of Arabian musical history, both men and women have performed on this instrument.

 Qanon (Ka-noon)

The Qanon is a plucked box zither used in Arabic and other Oriental music and is a classical instrument of the Arab world. The Qanon was invented in the Abbasid period (750-1258 AD), by legendary musician and instrument maker Al Faraby (950 AD). The Qanon has a trapezoid body with one rectangular side. The longer side varies in length between 75 and 100 cm (29-39 in) and the box, between 32 and 44 cm wide, runs across a bridge resting on five patching of fish skin. The instrument has range of about four octaves.  The player rests the Qanon on his knees or on a table with the longest side facing him and the perpendicular side to his right. Ring-shaped plectra made from buffalo horns are placed on both index fingers pluck the strings.

 Nay

In spite of the many wind instruments extant, the Nay is still the most popular and common used instrument in Arabic music. The Nay is an oblique rim-blown flute of Arab world. The classical Nay consists of an open-ended segment with six finger holes in the front and one in the back. The Nay is the only wind instrument played in Arab music art.

 

Percussion instruments

Percussions instruments in Arab art music play a very important role, as it helps keep the rhythm and timing in all musical genres, especially in vocal music, which makes up more than 85% of traditional Arab music art. For this reason, many kinds of percussion instruments can be found that have different sounds and colours and play circular rhythms with the same key signature.

 For instance:

Dombak: single-headed goblet-shaped drums

Riqq:  a small, circular frame drum with jingles

Tar: a circular frame drum found throughout Arab world. Diameter from 12 to 70 cm. Mizhar: frame drum

Khishba: a single-headed, narrow hourglass drum, made from wood original used by gypsies.

 

Bowed Instruments

 There are many names for the bowed spike fiddle instrument typically found in the area, such as Joza in Iraq, Kamanja in Egypt, and other names, depending on the length and number of the strings. It ranges between 60-100 cm long with a resonator made from a hollowed-oud coconut. It is cut off at both ends, with one opening covered by lamb or fish skin.

 Rababah

The Rababah is a spike fiddle, traditionally used to accompany Bedouins poetry. The Bedouin version has a quadrilateral sound box covered with skin and a single horsehair string. It is played with a horsehair bow. The Moroccan variant has a boat-shaped sound box and the string may be positioned to the side of the neck. In Egypt, the sound box is made from a coconut shell. Some versions have two strings.

 Music Theory (Scales and Rhythms) Today

Every Maqam consists of seven notes in each octave with the first note added to form the next octave up, which brings the total number of notes up to eight. Each Maqam is divided into two main ‘Jins' or genders consisting of four notes each, barring certain rare exceptions. Each gender consists of a scale that is independent of the genders that follow or precedes it. This is what is referred to as tetrachord. For example, in Maqam, Rast C (C - D - E half flat - F) is the first gender and (G - A - B half flat or flat depending whether one is ascending or descending the scale - C) is the second gender, we notice that the notes of each gender are independent of each other and are not shared. The first gender is usually derived from one Maqam and the second gender is derived from another Maqam.

Rhythms (iqa'at) can be highly complex, with patterns sometimes consisting of as many as 48 beats. The basic components of a rhythm are two kinds of beat and silences (rests). The downbeat (dumm) is a deep sound made by hitting the drum or tambourine near the centre. The upbeat (takk) is a crisper, high-pitched sound made by tapping the rim of the instrument. Players usually ornament the basic pattern with improvisations.

 Present Genders

There are many genders and musical forms in Arab music arts heritage. The first are vocal music genders, such as Dawr, short and long song and Qasidah. The second type is the musical treatment genders, such as Sama'ai, Longa, Peshrav and Dowlab. Vocals in local Arab music include Nuba, Malof and Malhon in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya, and Maqamt in Iraq, Qiddod in Syria, Taqtoqa, in Egypt and Sout in Arabian Peninsula. But today all of these styles and genders are exercised within the heritage and traditional music, and most of the music used today is called modern, youth or electronic music, and is played at a variety of places for entertainment and enjoyment.

 

Taqasim

In Arabic music, the basics of a piece are notated, while ornamentation and embellishments are left to the performer. This is where we find a greater freedom of expression being afforded to the musician and we see him/her adding their own touches and interpretation to the composer's ideas. Therefore, the piece is a sort of tandem work between the composer and whatever musician happens to be playing the piece at the time. These embellishments and additions are either improvised by the instrumentalist during the performance or are prepared prior to it. However these embellishments are not fixed and change according to the mood of the performer. We can therefore say that Taqasim and improvisation enters all forms of Arabic music in varying degrees. Improvisation does not feature the prepared musical themes and depends on the creation in the course of playing, but the Taqasim features the prepared musical themes mostly plus a few simple additional improvisations by the player in the course of the performance.

The word Taqasim remains the most accurate way to describe this distinct form in Arab music art and so. However, Taqasim was translated into ‘improvisation' in other languages, which does not describe the form, as accurately, even though the two words have rather similar meanings. Upon closer inspection, we find that the difference between them is that improvisation is prepared or created during the performance and relies entirely on the musician's ability, technique and knowledge of the various Maqams. Taqasim, however, consists in part of phrases and ideas that were prepared before the performance in the form of composition, or modifying other musicians' phrases or Taqasim (from folklore or otherwise) to be performed in a way that suits the performer (i.e., not necessarily performed exactly as it was notated).

Concept of Tarab

Tarab is "the ecstasy, elation, pleasure of delight spiritual of listening to excellent singer, the excellence of the singer who could fascinate her/his audience'. The marvellous voice that could sing with harmonic modulations of Maqams also had a unique quality of voice.  All those descriptions could be suitable to define and identify Tarab. Without understanding and feeling the meaning of the words (lyrics) of Tarab, it is hard to influence audiences. The concept of Tarab could include other forms of arts, such as dance. In general, certain distinctiveness connected to the appreciation of art in Arab music.

 

Between prohibition and legality

 The legality of music and singing in Islamic law is an issue hotly debated among individuals and scholars in Islamic societies of our present day. Arriving at the correct view requires an unbiased, scholarly research of the available literature, which must be supported by authentic, decisive proof.

 A considerable amount has been said and written both for and against this subject, and the proliferation of doubt and confusion necessitates another critical, meticulous analysis and assessment of this whole matter, in order for one to come to a clear, decisive conclusion which leaves not the least bit of doubt in the mind of the reader.

 Done by Ahmed Mukhtar

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 Arabic Bibliography.

1. Arab Music History pre-Islam (A.H Rashid)
2. Instrument music in Islamic centuries. (A.H Rashid)
3. Dictionary Of Arabic music Terms. (Prof. Dr. Hussein Ali Mahfuz)

 English Bibliography

• 1. In the course of performance. (Bruno Nettl and Melinda Russell)
• 2. A History of Arabian Music. (H. G. Farmer).
• 3. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music. (Michael Kennedy)
• (Femmes Arabs pr- Islam) (K. Pesson)