Hear Seyler from Around the Globe Your passport to a new world of music JEFF PERETZ Alfred, the leader in educational publishing, and the National Guitar Workshop, one of America’s finest guitar schools, have joined forces to bring you the best, most progressive educational tools possible. We hope you will enjoy this boak and encourage yau to laok for other fine products from Alfred and the National Guitar Workshop. Copyright © MMIV by Alfred Publishing Co, Ine All rights reserved. Printed in USA, ISBN 0.7390.3559-1 (Book & CD) ‘This book was acquired edived and produced lay Workshop Arts: Ine, dhe publishing str. of ‘dhe Nasional Guitar Workshop. ‘Nathaniel Gunos, maraging and acquistont editor ‘Anes Golo, muse typeset “Timethy Pholps, interior design CD recorded at Monkey Boy Seudios. New York, NY. ‘Cover guitar phocograph coursesy of Daisy Rock Guitars thie one ai 29 1-2NH=¥tContents z ‘CHAPTER 3—Wasn Rhyth Basic Belly Dance Rhyxhn Belly Bunce Exrerpt ass. on PRONUNCIATION GUIDE/GLOSSARY 223 Magri Belly Dine sverscrscrverrcrncencnrn 32 Morrocan 6. cnninen 33 re Histor . eens Geography: Four Regions esunsannuedd HAPTER 4—Musical Forms and Seyles Musical Diversity of the Four RegionSwwsssus8 Sung Poettvu sous mo (Oriental Are Styles... 2 7 a 9 CHAPTER 5—Madern Mi le Eastern Styles CHAPTER 2—The Magam Phenomena ocowinI Bai 4 How the Magam Are Created (Tetrachords)... 230) 40 Magam Playable by the Guirar moenmenaeld Other Styles and Artists....cenanannienenn lS ‘sh Shel Ree (My Heit ce AB APPENDIX Middle Easter Tonal Systems The Persian Dhagsta S98t1oerenc-rcore People of the Dark (Modulation) Dafne Dilewr The author wishes to thank his wife, Neta, and his children Maya and Zohar, for their patience and support compact disci included with thishook. Thisdise can make leaming with the book easier and more enjoyable. The symbol shawn a¢ the lft appears next to every example that ion the CD. Use dhe CD to help ensure chat yeotreeapeuring the feel oF he examples, inrerpeting the chyahis corey and saan, The track number below the symbol corresponds directly eo the cxample you wane eo heat. Teac 1 wilh you tune your guitarra this CD. Have fun!About the Author ‘Jeff Perera was boen in. Newark, NJ, and attended che Berklee Cal- lege of Music before finishing his education in Jace Performance at William Paterson University. The author of Zeu aiid the Art of Guitar (Narional Guitar Workshop/ Alfred Publishing #21907), Jeff performs regularly with the Arabic jazz group Abu Gara, which he founded in 1996. He is also the musical director for Yemenite! Isracli singer Bat-Sheva, and has performed all over the United States, the Middle Ease and Europe. While his main instrument is the guitar, Jeff regularly perfor the ud and dumbek as well, including performances on ud with the Grammy nominated Latin group Yerba Buena. His jaze/hip-hop group, Jeff Peretz Group, has shared the stage with The Fugees, Groove Collective and Brooklyn Funk Essentials. He is a faculty member at both the Third Street Music School Settlement and the New School University Pronunciation Quide/ Glossacy Abu-Ata ah-boo-Ab-tah Hawai how-ZEE Quynah = AGharl == ahf-shah-REE Homayun = ho-MAHL-yun Rabb = Agam = ah-GAHM Huda = Hoo-dah Radif = Andalusi = au-dah-LOO-see = cede Rai = Artik = = @KEElee Rast = tahst ayali - ns Rastpanjgah = Bakiye = = Kahr-TUHM rigg) = Bashraf = = Kash-LAHM Sa . Bayati = BAH-YAHTtee KAl-bul Samat = barnoki = bah-Z00-kee = ki-TAHB Samargand = Belo = Beh-lob-dee = koo-SUHK siz - Berber = Behr-her KUHR dee Segab . Buyuk == Buh-YUHK E setar = ‘Chifearclli = Chifttah-TELAce - Seyir = Gs = sins = Shaabi = Daf = dhe Malfuf UHE Shur Darbukah = dahr-BOO-hah Malhun == mahl-HOON Sikah Dashi = = DAHSH-tce Magam = = mah-KAHM. Sinad = sc-NAHD Dhagsah = DAHG-sah Magamac mah-hahm-AHT | Tahmilah = tom-mee-LAH Dhagstaha = DAHG-stah-ah Magsum mahi IM tabu TAHN-bur Dum = duhm Mashrig = MAHSH-tig Tanini rahn-NEE-nee Dumbek = DUH M-bck Masmoodi = mahsMOQD-ce | Tagsim = tahkeSEEM © = Mizan = mi-ZAHN tar * tah Esfahan = evfahsHAHN Mucennep = moosehn-EHP | Tatum = tahsLOOM = Nahawand = nah*WHAHND — | Tchahargih = -HAHR-gah 7 Nab NAH-sib Tika = Thhah 7 Nava = nah-VAH Tek = tehk E Nay ay Tork = otk = Nubah noo-BAH ud ood = goo quanum == Kah-HUHM Wasn WAH.2in = heJAHZ, Qiyan kee-YAHNCAAPECED ssicovcn0 “This book assumes that you are itemnediate guitarist with de ability-to read guitar tablature and/or standard music notation. You should have a good grasp of basic music theory, including scales and chords. You should also have some experignve using scales 10 improvise, although the style you prefer to phiy is not imporeant ‘With this book, you'll be learning to stretch yous inna new sounds chat will and the imaginations of your liste About the Written Music in This Book The written examples printed in chis book are doorways iaro the performance of this music, The key that unlocks them, however, is the CD. The musics of the Middle Ease is only partially possible, While she ions of the performances on the CD, are aural radicions, and capeuring dh written music examples are they will serve as maps to what you are hearing, HISTORY Music has been on che planet longer than humans have been recorsing chem history Archeologist have discovered musical instruments dating back almarst 30,00 believe thar music may even predate human speech. Ancient Mesopotamia (modern day Iraq) is belicved to be where i all scarved. “The Middle East is the birthplace of many things in this world, from civilization and ns 10 paper, our alphabet and recorded hiscary ne keeping). Irshould come as no surprise thac che Middle East is also a birthplace of | improvised music, The music of the region that we call the Middle East is a eradition that has been cultivated for thousands of years. [t is mentioned in the Bible and has been at to mention calendacs and academically documented since the lave 6th century. Many styles which are still played today dare back as far as the Sassanid Dynasty (Persia, 224-651 a.o,), the Byzantine Empire (ith—Sth century! and eazlier, The concept of using a stringed instrument as a vehicle for melodic improvisation comes From these ancient styles, Te truly understand how the music of the region evolved, we muse paint a picture of wwhar life was like during pre-Islamic Arabia, The era that predated Mohammed and che birth of Islam was a time of teal un ade toutes and gypsies. From North Africa through the Eastern Medircrrancan coast ap to the Caspian and Acgean scas, and as far east as the Zagros mounca life wa de sociation, Its story was told through the sung poeary knaven as Layali. The sy was often accompanied by an 1d (also spelled ona) or ocher string inseruments that were fight and portable and could be carried casily in a rade caravan and the Iranian Hi There were theee ways in which peuple lived in the eatly days of the Middle East, Onc cither lived in an urban centcr such as Baghdad or Damascus, a rural region as a farmer or a shepherd, of you were a nomad {Bedouin Gypsy] and traveled the land according tw the seasons and trade, While each way of life had its own unique contribution tw che isical development af the region, the concept af using a group of notes (scale) ax.a basis for free expression (solo) is common theme in the ancient music of the Middle Ease The ud, aleng with the sanbar, bazooki, tarand setar, all precursors to the guitar are the key iasteuments in the development of melodic plucked string approach to: playing these inscrumcnts is the genesis of che way we play the guitar coday. In other words, this is whete the pre-historic Hendriss and Wer Monrgomerys came fiom. Le is he birthplace of the guitar solo, rovisation, TheGEOGRAPHY: FOUR REGIONS “The Middle East, or Near East as it is also known, isa vast region whose boundaries, depending on the subject matter, ate often subject to differen interpretations, As a matter of fact, the term “Middle East” is not inclusive enough for this discussion, since the musical styles being investigated here come from North Africa, he Arabian Peninsula, Persia and the eastern shores of the Mediterranean sea (which is usually what comes to mind when one thinks of the Middle East), Ethnomusicolagists have taken to referting to the entire region as the Dry World. ‘The Dry World can be divided into four main zones: 1._Masiig (where che stn rises) ‘The Eastern Mediterrancan—Persia, Isracl, Syria, [rag a er (where che sun sets} ‘North Africa Morocca, Algeria, Egypt, Sudan 3. The Arabic peninsula Yemen, Saudi Arabia 4. Asia Minar “The former Onroman areas—Turkey, Azerbaijan ‘The music ofeach of the ‘big four” is distinguished by many different cultures, language and echnic «lversities as well as by gengraphy. Early centers of Arab music inchade: Baghdad Cordoba. Mecca, Medina From the 13¢h century on: ‘Aden Beirut Sanaa Algiers Caine “Tetuan ‘Allepo Damascus, Tripoli Bahrain Fer ‘Tunis Copyrighted m alerialMUSICAL DIVERSITY OF THE FOUR REGIONS Urban dwellers, paral farmers and Bedouin nomads coming from arch distane places h Il the way east to Tran and from the Aral t0 Anatolia (Tuckey) make up a huge population, Wichin this population, there exise many different ethnicities, cultures, religions and languages. The russe of this population i like a tree ‘with many branches. Iris sometimes called "Arabic music,” but as you will come co see, vas well as: wussic: of the A i is also of the Persians, Turks, Berbers and Jews. Ie face, the music of the Middle East i the music of all dhe groups whe fil out che cultural landscape of the Dry Warld and they are all key concriburors ro ie sounds of the region, Middle-Eastern music can be divided n categories: 1) secular (folk} music; and 2) sacred (religious) music, The oldest recorded history of the music of the region rells of the gipan {plural of qaynaih}. whe were servant/slave/prostitutes whose duties also included singing, There were two distinct singing styles that were popular during the day of the qiyan. One is that of the Bedouin whose Hud (song of camel driver) and Nasb (song of remembrance) were mainly sting while traveling in large caravans, "The other is the style of music associated with the non-nomadic: The qiyan in the towns and cities were well known and celebrated for their virtuosic singing abilities, There were also two-man stylesamongst the non-nomadiec population ‘One ws the sinad, which were serious songs dealing with dignity and pride based on ing, classic Arab poems, The other, hajaz, were fatk tunes sung for entertainment and usually accompanied by an ud, derek (aun) and sometimes stay Ruse) we RELIGIQUS/CULTURAL INFLUENCE Much of the music from the Middle East is incimanely commected 00 the spread of Islam ‘doughout the region. {cis fae that reason that rhe verm “Arabic Music” isafien used asa synonym forthe music af the Middle East. For the most part directly linked to the spread of Tslamicculture and trade, music was celebrated and highly valued during certain times and audlawed in athers. The Koran never specifically forbids nar endorses music, singje or dancing and therefore hus been subject to many differens interpretations dhroughour istory: The cultures of Moraces, Algeria, Tunisia, Sudan, Egypt, Palestine. Syria, Lebanon, Jan, Saudi Arabia and Yerien arc all intimately encwined wich Islam. Aside from Ishamic influence, there are several ocher key religions and culeures in the region. These include the Berher people (indigenous people ro the Mediterrane: sf North Afvica), who speak called Kaybleand have a strong, hiscory oF sung poctry thar still thrives today. In Judaism, the prayer and falk melodies ary grounded in the concept of Miganr, which is a set of notes with traditions that define relationships between them, habitual patterns, and their melodic develpme ‘Throughout histary, che Jews have populated mose of the countries of the Middle East, contributing greatly to che musical landscape. The effects of che Jewish diagpone (scattering), as well asthe establishmencof the state of Israel, have had profound effects con the music of dhe region. Likewise, the effects of conquesc by the Orcoman empire (1326-1923 4.0.) also had effects on music and art. The Oxtomans were ims, not to be confusecd with the Shiaa Muslims of the Persain territories. They in effect tosk aver the Byzantine Christian territory and combined Arabic musical influences with Byzantine modal monophonic (single-note, melody only) styles. In fact, the Byzantine empire and its shodox Christian beliefs once conrvolled the entire Middle East and eventually shrank include only Constantinople (Istanbul. The monophonic eh: the hallmark of Christian Orthodox prayer has much to do with why Arabic music, for the most part, remained monophonic.THE GUITAR / INSTRUMENTS, A book for guitar about Middle Eastern music is a tricky undertaking: it’s like a book abyour squash for tennis players. The guitar isa relative (kind of like a nephew or nicve) of the ud, saz; tat, tanbur, buzooki and setae, which areal featured prevalently in Middle Eastern music. The guitar, however, s not importane in the modern music of the region and is absent from the traditional music of the ile East. In fact, the traditional music of the Middle East predates che guitar's existence, A serious problem arises when one tries to view the music of the Middle East rhrough the eyes of a guitarist, As you will come to sec, what makes the music of the Orient sound so different than ce music of the West is that che music of che Middle Ease is not based on our 12-note, tempered system. The guitar, because its frets ane based on a tempered system, is limited in what it can play. However, since the guitar has evolved as the modern Western version of its Middle Eastern. ancestors, and sinec the approach and technique of the traditional string instruments of the region are very similar, it can be a worthy vessel te trek the sands of the Dry World, “The guitar belongs to che lute family as-do all of the stcinged instruments of he Middle Eat. [n fact, che word lute isa Europeanization of the words “la ud.” A lute is noching, more than an ud with frets, and is another very clase relative of the guitar. ‘The word “ar” chat is in guiney, sear; dusar and sitar means “drum in mosc old world languages. All of ee instruments in the lute family can be considered drums with aecks and strings. Itis believed thar some type of guitar arrived in Spain from the Arabs around 1200. The earliest mention of the ud is around 300 A.0., although it is likely that some type of ud-like instrument has been around since days of antiquity (8.c.) The udSmall day figurines showing musicians playing ud-like instruments have been found narqand (Ciabekistan) and date as far back as 800 3.c. There are seals and statucetes from Mesopotamia, circa 3,000 W.C., that depict long-necked lures. The common dhinking is that plucked stringed instruments are descendants of the fu (ar ancient instrament similar ta a harp), which is also: mentioned as far back as 3,000 ac. nea § so ele You will came to see thar the ud is che most common guitar-like instrument in the music of the Middle Bast, and as such will be the focus of much of the study here, ‘The saz and bazeoki, as well as the ud, are important in the Turko-CQteoman regions and the setaris the main guitar relative in the music of the Persian region, However, the farnil tree of plucked stringed instruments has many branches, Alimese every subeultre in the region has its own version. ‘The Arab world doesn't, as of yer, have a“ almost always used ni the guitar is present, itis ls For virtuosity. Mh supporting, fear players who are attracted to the soundsof the Middle East eventually pick up an ud, su ‘or bazooki, The techniques are so-similar that most who take the plunge almost always find ie extremely fulfilling, The following digas combinations char exist. should give you an idea of the different shapes, sizes A Sampling of the Plucked Sering Family A course isa set of strings, usually cuned in unison. Sng LP aieg Europe) lage ' pling fine 8 popesTHE ARABIC TONE SYSTEMS Given thar "the Middle East” isan umabredla verm foe many dil religions and languages, and chat the music was cultivated by tade routes, nomads and aypsies. these are many different ways in takes place. In some cultures, the music is written down (Turkey; Iran}, bur not wich our Weste post cases, see music is learned and eransterred aurally—ic is a tradition that is handed down fram generation to generation, from father to son, and is taught through repetition. and memorization ferent countries, cultures, Since Middle rely different cone system, using Wescern notation and guitar eablatute so transeribe ir can bea bis dihivult. This ism Middle stern music alten uses nores other ean the 12 eames that exist in In the West, we divide am octave into T2 equal pitches, bus in the music of the Middle Easran octave will be divided inte: 22, 24, 25 oF sametimes even more differenc pitches Herein lies the great difficulry of exploring the a arsare designed to express the 12 noresof the Western system and therefore will leave ig so do some “tricks” te play ather notes, and intervals smaller than a half step. To effectively transcribe Middle Eastern music for readersof Westcen notatig add some symbols that refer to nates that all in-between our 12 notes, called meevatenes. ct system of dividing om octave of the region with a guitar. Out As you wall come has ies oven dis oe, each regi The comman practice is to refer to the microtonal notes as lf fla or half sharp. = half sharp The biggest adjustment hata Western player must make to understand the non-Westeen he non Western notes can be difficult; x frst chey may sccm ns will come co hear chet otional qualities, Consider how of frequeney sound waves nusie isin the eae. Heat of tine” oF just plain wrong, Eventually, howeve a chere oven tones and beable ro evurgnize cei fers we recognive different colors, Afterall, colors, lke notes Colors ate Frequencies of light waves and pitches are frequencies Asa child, you begin co discem che different colors, starting with the primary colors Evertually yout are able ta reengnize the many different coloes tharesise berweet blue atid red The the Western system are like the primary colorsand wich time you will be able ro recognize the notes that fll between these Western, “primary colo a manitfestatio notes,