User Manual
39A User’s Guide to Garritan World Instruments
• Rhythm—Rhythms in Middle Eastern music are organized into patterns of emphasized and
non-emphasized beats, and the patterns can be quite complex and exciting. Rhythm often sets
the emotional tone of the song: energetic, romantic, sad, etc. ere are many dierent beat
styles in Middle Eastern music.
• Oral Rather an Written—Most Middle Eastern music traditions are passed on by ear. Be-
cause modern notation developed around a Western twelve tone scale, representation of Middle
Eastern scales and characteristic rhythmic embellishments can be dicult. Additionally, while
the transposed music reads left to right, accompanying Arabic text or lyrics is predominantly
read right to left.
Middle Eastern music traditions emphasize the soloist or small ensemble—most likely the outgrowth
of nomadic traditions. e instrument ensembles (called takht) that accompany the singers can range
from two to thirty instruments. Some of the instruments popular in a Middle Eastern takht can
include the Oud, the Quanun or Santoor, various utes, Da (tambourine), Dumbek, Darabuka,
Naqqara, goblet drums (Zarb), a variety of frame drums (Riqq), nger cymbals (Zills) and various
other instruments.
Like much of the region, music in the Middle East is in conict. ere is a struggle going on between
ideologies in the Middle East, and certain types of music (especially popular music) are frowned upon
by certain elements of society. Some regard music for pleasure, rather than for religious purposes, as
sinful. Nevertheless, Middle Eastern rulers throughout history have supported the musical arts. In
recent years, the rise of the oil economy has brought workers to the Middle East from Africa, India
and other areas, and these musical traditions are having an inuence upon modern music in the
Middle East.