If you are interested in seeing what Amir is talking about when he’s talking about the “tiny oscillations… almost impossible to transcribe,” this visualizer does a really good job of showing what’s happening in an incredibly virtuosic taqsim by Sukru Tunar: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-fREokjZ7sJU.html
I love the way you talk about music, whether you're diving into the mathematics behind the art, or having more philosophical discussions about music. I'd love to see you do book explanations/analysis (books like Slonimsky's Thesaurus, Lateef's Melodic patterns or even Ben Solomon's etudes). I think that would be really fun and educational.
So glad to see ElSaffar getting some recognition outside the little world of Arabic music! He's a big inspiration for my own cross-cultural music explorations :)
I was born in Iraq and lived there until the age of thirty. I remember a program that used to be broadcast on Iraqi TV weekly by a master Teacher named Mohammed Hashim Alrijab. It was completely frustrating and hard to follow because the system back then insisted on using Persian names for the note numbers on the madam for example: panjigah instead of simply saying the 5th note. I sure hope they have quit this practice and simplified the language used and put together a book that is easy to read.
We actually talked about how singing is the best way to approach it. Check out the book “The Harmonic Experience.” It’ll blow your mind and give you plenty of singing to practice.
Amazing video ! I'm glad I've found your channel, many interesting artists that I've been really enjoying I wouldn't have found otherwise. If I wanted to be pedantic though I don't think that all musical traditions use rhythm, harmony, melody. But the insights you bring out this (the finer focus on important things) are really interesting and something to think about. If someone wanted to keep a similar model and insights, you could maybe add texture or timbre, and you would maybe cover most if not all music.
For ppl interested, here is really cool video of guitarist demonstrating examples of several maqams played Mauritanian style on double fretted guitar-it is so so cool my ass stay prostelitizing this style. Title is "Sidi ould Aḥmed Zeidan - la voie noire/the black way/سيدي ولد أحمد زيدان (1) الدرس - أجانبَه الكحلة". ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-AZ7AXkoayyA.html I am very new to maqam realm but I am certain this style is some of coolest shit on the planet. I discovered this niche through the great musician Ahmed Ahmedou Lowla, who is keyboardist who collabs with incredible percussionists, tidinit players, guitarists, singers etc
On the topic of microtonality, could you make a video on Taylor brook or la monte young? They have some of the craziest just intimated piano music I’ve ever heard. Taylor’s Virtuetes Occultae sounds damn near lovecraftian.
Good, reasonable question. It’s my understanding that the Iraqi Maqam is an aural tradition, with very few modern practitioners. It’s essentially an almost extinct genre. And so, you need someone to teach you each songs by ear, and they are very complex, and as less and less people know them, it becomes harder to get that information. ElSaffar spent five years- first in Baghdad, then in London- immersed in the music. He also helped bring Hamid Al-Saadi to America (he now plays concerts around the New York area). Wish I could give you more information!
Man, this video is missing a ton from everywhere! Im just starting to scratch the surface, but I’m very excited about it. If you have any specific artists or repertoire to recommend, please let me know!
