User Manual
38 A User’s Guide to Garritan World Instruments
e Music and Instruments of the Middle East
e Middle East is regarded as the cradle of human civilization and that distinction may also apply to
its music. Middle Eastern music can be traced back to the Bedouins of ancient times, whose caravan
songs reected nomadic life.
As the geographical crossroads between Africa, Europe, and Asia, there are many inuences that have
left their mark upon Middle Eastern music. From Arab folk song, to Persian classical music, to Su
“whirling dervish” music, to belly-dancing music, to religious chant, to Egyptian pop—Middle East-
ern music is as dierent from Western idioms as it is fascinating.
Here are some of the major dierences between Middle Eastern and Western music:
• Quarter Tone Scales—Some Middle Eastern music uses quarter-tones, whereby an octave can
have 17 notes, 19 notes, or 24 notes. us, there are notes that don’t exist in Western music.
• Vocal Emphasis—A common thread throughout the region is the connection between words
and music. Most Middle Eastern music is oriented towards vocalization. ere is also a high
regard for poetry, often accompanied by musicians.
• Melody and Ornamentation—Melodies are a main component in Middle Eastern music.
Melodies seem to progress by step with various instrumental parts moving independently. Mu-
sicians will often repeat what a singer or soloist plays and then improvise on the melody, but
with no harmony. A unique aspect is the focus on ornamentation by each instrument, rather
than from the combining of various tones.
• No Harmony and no Chords—Middle Eastern music is usually monophonic (one line at a
time) and does not typically employ harmony and chords. In contrast, Western music typically
includes harmonization and backing chords.