Unity of Arab music

Unity of Arab music: What are some of the shared features?

The following attributes are by no means universal in music of the Arab world.

They are not even universal attributes of what is generally considered to be "Arab music".

However, constellations of the following features, in much of the music termed "Arab", help us to understand the coherence of "Arab music" and its continued use in (internal or external) discourse.

Textual

• Texts are central in music cognition: people listen for poetry
• songs predominate over instrumental music
• Use of Arabic language, both classical (fusha) and colloquial dialects
• Most dialects are only understood regionally; the exception is Egyptian which is understood by Arabs everywhere
• Use of poetic forms: qasida and muwashshah (classical); zajal, mawwal, and others (colloquial)
• Particular poetic themes and metaphors: language of love dominates, crossing even to some religious genres. Also: narratives, songs of praise, work songs
• Language-centric; people listen for words. This is a problem for us! Focus on clear enunciation, often.
• Repetition in the text, repetition of the text (in performance).
• Focus on the “I” (which thus merges with the performer’s identity – see tarab)

Timbral

• Timbrally vocal-centric. Results from centrality of text. Few instrumental genres, except as interludes, dance music. People love a good voice. The cognate word for music (al-musiqa) is not even Arabic.
• Vocal timbre: some nasality, tension, strong voices; mid-range singing for men and women
• Traditional aesthetic from tajwid al-Qur’an; for sound and musical training it had a broad influence; although this has shifted with changes in education, the heritage is still there.
• Characteristic Arabic instruments are used (qanun=zither, ud=lute, nay=reed flute, kamanja=violin, riqq=tambourine, tabla or darabukka=hourglass-shaped drum). Many have been dropped in recent years, but the traditional percussion at least tend to be retained.
• Centrality of strings (‘ud, qanun, violins – rabab); winds are rare; no trumpets, together with percussion.
• Timbral heterogenity.

Temporal

• Temporal system of rhythmic modes (cycles): the iqa‘at or durub (like meter – can tap your foot)
• Use of explicit cyclic rhythms played on percussion (demonstrate).
• Possibility of improvisation within the cycles.
• Occasional of non-metric segments, especially in improvisations.

Tonal

• Use of microtones (intervals not equal to integer multiples of semitones)
• Tonal system: the maqamat, containing potential for improvisation on small and large scales.
• Lack of polyphony (occasional bassline)
• Lack of explicit functional harmony, except under transformation by west. Any harmony or polyphony is usually simple and transient.

Melodic

• stepwise melody predominates
• Characteristically highly-ornamented lines
• Instrumental melodies (lawazim)--improvised or precomposed--fill gaps in vocal line; no empty space (similar to calligraphy).
• Use of limited improvisation (instrumental: taqsim; vocal: mawwal)

Textural

• Use of solo/chorus style (bitana, madhhabgi)
• Heterophony: single melody restated with variations in timbre, timing, ornamentation

Form

• Form: the Suite concept: series of genres work together to create an arch-form, or build-up form.
• The macropiece thus expands to contain a set of micropieces, and fill an entire evening.
• This has eroded in recent past. But in live music there remains the sense of balance: opening instrumental genre, series of lighter forms moving to heavier, sometimes preserving musical features such as mode.
• Applies in folk, religious, long popular song.

Emotion

• Emotion is traditionally central.
• Expressivity in voice: very important to communicate emotion of poetry.
• System of emotional interaction between performers and listeners; little passive listening.
• Notion of tarab is central to aesthetics even in decline. Shawq, huzn, shajan are key values. Developed through freer solo styles, vocal expressiveness, occasional non-metricity and improvisation, taswir al-ma‘na, power of the qafla, modulations. This feature has declined somewhat, however, due to factors discussed below, although there is still tremendous receptivity to the idea of tarab except among youth.

Behavior

• Tarab: active listening - the way people listen and respond to music, interacting and feeding back to musicians (see it in videos)
. Life of the musician
• Limited formal training, either in school or private lessons. Learning is largely informal.
• Strong professionalism. Little amateur music-making. In the past, the “artist” patronized by court. Then: theater, film, radio. Today emphasis on succeeding financially drives most musicians.
• Nevertheless musical careers are not considered respectable, even when highly lucrative.

Performing group

• Lead vocalist directs (or, more recently, a conductor)
• Lead vocalist claims most of the fame and fortune
• Chorus often responds to lead vocalist.
• Instrumentalists usually remain anonymous
• Music group (band) rarely acquires independent recognition

Taste

• Musical taste is not a strong marker of social grouping, at least in Egypt, when compared to the West. Great singers are focus of broad attention across society. For others, fans are broad subcategories of society: the youth, the working class. Not so many social subgroups by musical taste as here (classical, jazz, techno, glam, heavy metal, etc.). Christians and Muslims listen to the same things, except religious genres.