Core and periphery in Islamicate music

• Core and periphery model
  • Core features: recurrence of organic musical style, linguistic and tonal (maqam phenomenon)
    • modal principle (7-tone scale, plus melodic tendencies, modulations, limited drones, continuous sound): maqam, makam, dastgah, mugam
      
    • rhythmic cycles, often lengthy, but not overlaid (as in African)
      
    • compound forms
    • microtonality (in scale, and as means of expression)
      
    • heterophonic stepwise melody but not: harmony, harmonic movement, polyphony, or polyrhythm (lack of harmony enabling microtones?)
      
    • limited improvisation, fills, and ornament
      
    • portable melodic instruments, microtonal, esp. strings – enabling tolerance of multiple tuning systems (across broad empire).
      
    • Continuity of sound: bowing, tremelo, circular breathing.
      
    • Plucked and bowed lutes are central; may accompany voice (often same musician).
      
    • frame and goblet drums.
      
    • Small heterogeneous ensembles, featuring the voice.
      
    • language, voice, poetry centered (focus on voice more than instruments in music is roughly analogous to focus on ornament rather than representation in art)
      
    • tarab phenomenon (ecstatic feedback model)
  • Periphery features: recurrence of musical traits, mainly timbral (vocal qualities, instrumental resources). Diffusions and localizations of:
    • timbres, textures: harmonics, echoes, ornament, noise, breath
      
    • concepts: prohibitions, emphasis on text and poetry
      
    • material artifacts, e.g. instruments and ensembles
      
    • names (instruments, modes, genres)
      
    • languages
    • poetic themes (e.g. madih)