Persians Are Not Arabs

 

The music of each nation is like a mirror in which the social situation, the change and the decline of society can be observed. Iranians have long since had a great deal of passion for music. The Persian music lost its previous flourishing in the after Islamic era. However, during the Qajar period, with the efforts of Amir Kabir, the music of Iran was greatly revived and, with the help of the musicians of that time, compiled a reference for Iranian music.

 

The national music of Iran is a collection of melodies and songs that have been created in this land for many centuries, reflecting the ethical features of the political, social and geographical events of a nation that have great and lasting history. 

 

Persian music consists of a few different styles:

Pop music
Traditional music
Symphonic music
Ritual music

 

The assemblage includes above 200 melodic movements which are named Gusheh, and are categorized into seven modes more commonly known as “Dastgah”. Persian traditional music consists of seven instruments and five or six songs from their belongings:

Shour Dastgah (containing 15 Gusheh)
Homayoun Dastgah (includes 12 Gusheh)
Mahoor Dastgah (includes 20 Gusheh)
4gah Dastgah (including 10 Gusheh)
3gah Dastgah (including 10 Gusheh)
Nava Dastgah (includes 14 Gusheh)
Rastpanjgah Dastgah (including 14 Gusheh)

 

Among the Iranian musical Dastgah, Shour is ever greater. The most important way of recognizing and enjoying Iranian Dastgah and songs is long, scientific, and professional education of this type of music. Frequent exercises and various performances also help. In this case, by hearing a short section of each piece, the type of Dastgah and Gusheh will be specified.

 

Iranian original instruments

In general, Iranian instruments are divided into three categories:
A) stringed instruments, b) wind instruments, c) percussion instruments, d) keyboards instruments

String instruments
String instruments are those musical instruments in which sound is produced from vibration wire, such as tar,3tar, santour and ...

Wind instrument
the instrument is said to produce sound through air blown. Such as: straw, horn, and trumpet

Percussion instruments
the percussion instruments are a building where the sound is created by knocking, shaking, rubbing or scratching. The main task of the instruments is usually to perform the rhythm, but they also have the ability to perform the melody, such as: Daf, Daryeh, Tonbak, ...

Keyboard instruments
the keyboard instruments are used to play the keyboard. The most well known instrument is piano.

 

Percussion instruments are more ancient than wind instruments and strings. To choose a musical instrument, there are many factors that should be taken into consideration, such as the musical preferences of each person, the amount of available budget, the space occupied by each instrument, the personality traits of each person, the ease of transportation and the potential Every instrument"s job.