Download The Riqq The riqq (also called daff) is a small tambourine (approx

The Riqq
The riqq (also called daff) is a small tambourine (approx. 8.5 inches in
diameter & 2.5 inches deep) traditionally covered with goat or fish skin and
equipped with five double rows of brass cymbals (approx. 2 inches in
diameter). In the late 1980s, a mylar-headed, aluminum (or wooden) bodied
instrument was introduced and was adopted by a number of professional
riqq players. The riqq is especially valued for the variety of sounds it can
produce and appreciated for the subtle yet virtuosic manner in which it is
performed. In the first half of the 20th century it was common for the riqq to
be the sole percussion instrument in art-music ensembles. In the second
half of the 20th century, with the addition of the tablah and other
percussion instruments to these ensembles, riqq players adopted a
technique that emphasizes the cymbal over the membrane sounds.
The Bendir
Moroccan bendir with snares
The bendir (Arabic:
; also called erbeni or arbani) is a frame drum used as a
traditional instrument throughout North Africa, more specifically in Morocco.[1] Unlike
the tambourine, it has no jingles but most often has a snare (usually made of gut)
stretched across its head, which when the drum is struck with the fingers or palm gives
the tone a buzzing quality. The bendir is a frame drum with a wooden frame and a
membrane. It creates different tones according to the spreading of the shockwaves
moving across the skins itself. A frame drum is the oldest and most common kind of
drum. The bendir is used throughout North Africa, Ancient Egypt, and Mesopotamia,
more specifically in Morocco. The bendir drum has been around since prehistoric times.
The bendir is about 14 to 16 inches. The drum is played kept vertical by inserting the
thumb of the left hand in a special holes in the frame. The bandir or bendir is used in the
special ceremonies of the Sufi. The Sufi tradition is strongly characterized by the use of
music, rhythm, and dance to reach particular states of consciousness. The bendir has a
small hole in the bottom, which is used to balance the drum at the base of the left thumb
as the left hand fingers that the rim and the right hand plays the rim and center. During
the tradition another drum the accompanies the Bendir which is small and close ended
called the bongos. Bongos produce a very high pitch. They are made of clay or glazed
pottery and are laced together with a leather strap.
The Qanun
The qanun (also spelled kanun, kanoon) is a 75stringed zither used in Near Eastern Music. The sound
box is trapezoidal in shape; it somewhat resembles the
autoharp, but is larger. It's played with small picks
attached to the forefingers of either hand. A long bridge
on the right-hand side of the instrument rests on goat or fish-skin covered windows in the top of the
instrument; on the left hand side, each course of strings
passes over a series of small brass levers that are
used to make microtonal changes in pitch. The word
qanun means "law," and the word exists in English in
the form of "canon." In Near Eastern music, the
instrument lays down the law of pitch for other
instruments and singers; the qanun player is often the
leader of the orchestra.
The Mijwiz
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The mijwiz (Arabic:
) is a traditional musical instrument of ancient Egypt and the
Levant. Its name in Arabic means "dual," or "married" because of its consisting of two,
short, bamboo reed pipes put together, making the mijwiz a double-pipe, single-reed
woodwind instrument. The mijwiz consists of two pipes of equal length, between 6 and 8
centimeters; each pipe has around five or six small holes for fingering. It requires a
special technique of playing known as "circular breathing," and can only be done by
trained musicians. The mijwiz is played in Egypt and the Levant as an accompaniment to
either belly dancing or dabke, the folkloric line dance of the Levant. Although Egyptian
in origin, the mijwiz is most popular today in the Levant (Lebanon, Palestine, and Syria).
Many popular folk songs either include the mijwiz on recordings, or include the
instrument's name in the song's lyrics. One example is the famous Lebanese dabke song
Jeeb el Mijwiz ya Abboud (Arabic:
) by the singer Sabah.
The Mizmar
In Egypt, Mizmars are used primarily for weddings and for belly dance. The mizmar is a member
of the oboe family of wind reed musical instruments and produces a loud, blaring sound. Mizmar
performers in High Egypt, popularly named Zoummarin, play in a trio. The shaft and bell of each
mizmar is carved from a solid piece of wood.. Each mizmar has 7 finger holes on front & 1 on
back. The mouth piece is carved separately and is a reeded instrument. It comes in three
different sizes, small, medium, and large:
1. Small mizmar is 10.25" long with a 2.25" diameter bell; the shaft has an outside diameter
of 0.75"
2. Middle mizmar is 12.5" long, with a 2 5/8" diameter bell; the shaft has an outside
diameter of 7/8".
3. Large mizmar is 14.25" long with a 3" diameter bell; the shaft has an outside diameter of
1"
The Nay
The nay (Farsi for 'reed') is an open-ended, obliquely end blown flute made of cane. They nay was
known in the Near East since antiquity. The nay is nine-jointed, and usually has 6 holes in the front
for the fingers to play and 1 hole underneath for the thumb. It is played with the pads of the fingers.
Nays come in different lengths, each one being tuned to a specific pitch and named after the note
produced with the 1st fingerhole open (D4 for the nây used in the demonstration. Lowest note: C4).
The nay is blown using a unique lip technique called bilabial blowing, with both upper and lower
lip used to partially close the end of the bevelled tube. The 2nd and 3rd registers are overblown a
fifth and an octave higher than the 1st register respectively. Some of the tone-holes are assigned to
certain microtonal steps, although microtonal variations can also be achieved by partially opening a
tone-hole, changing the blowing angle or a combination of the two.
Fine, mellow tones are brought forth by blowing gently over the orifice of the tube while
manipulating the fingers and thumbs; by blowing with more or less force, sounds are produced an
octave higher or lower, and tunes in different scales can be played by utilizing nays of various
lengths. The nay has a wide range of over two octaves.
Although very simple, the nay is one of the most difficult Arabic instruments to play. A fine player
can produce a large variety of liquid sounds and ornaments; it is an extremely soulful instrument.
Its poetical timbre makes it especially suitable for melancholy effects expressing both joy and
yearning. It is the only wind instrument used in Arab art music, widely appreciated for its warm,
breathy sound and its subtle tonal and dynamic inflections.
The oud (or ud) is one of the most popular instruments in Middle Eastern music. Its name derives
from the Arabic for 'wood', and this refers to the strips of wood used to make its rounded body. In
Greece it is known as the outi and in Iran as the barbat. The neck of the oud, which is short in
comparison to the body, has no frets and this contributes to its unique sound. The most common
string combination is five pairs of strings tuned in unison and a single bass string, although up to
thirteen strings may be found. Strings are generally made of nylon or gut, and are plucked with a
plectrum known as a risha or mizrap. Another distinctive feature of the oud is its head, with the
tuning pegs bent back at an angle to the neck. The oud used in the Arab world is slightly different
to that found in Turkey, Armenia and Greece. Different tunings are used and the Turkish-style
oud has a brighter tone than its Arab counterpart. The European lute is a descendant of the oud,
from which it takes its name (al-oud)
http://www.oud.eclipse.co.uk/
http://www.rainbowcrystal.com/music/music6.html
The Rababah
Rababah is probably the most important folk instrument in Levant and Iraq. Played with
a horsehair bow. Rababah has a quadralateral sound box covered with skin and a single
string made from horsehair.Sound box is made from a coconut shell.(also refered to as
spike fiddle)In the 19th century was replaced by the western violin.
Rababah in the world music category is chordophone.
Rabab in medieval times was also a generic term for any bowed instrument.
The rababah is capable of dynamic accents and ornamentation. It is the essential melody
of nomadic Bedouin. Customarily played by the Sha’ir (poet-singer) to accompany heroic
or love songs.