The Structure of Kurdistan Daf (VI)

1 October 2022 – 8:52 am Posted in Articles' List, Contemporary Music, General Information, Instrument & Playing

Researcher:
Mohammad Tarighat

Translator:
Fatemeh Alimohammadi

Hooks and attached rings: The junction of the ring to the arch is about 3 centimeters from the skin.  The ring with its side rings should be as far as the diameter of a ring (about one and a half to one and eight centimeters) to make a proper arrangement and less interference of rings and clearer sound, it also helps to the lightness of the instrument (Mogharab Samadi, 2008: 79).

It is mentioned elsewhere that the distance of each hook from the skin is about three and a half centimeters and from the adjacent hook is about three centimeters. In each hook, there are four rings that the first and second rings are connected from above as a single and the next two rings are connected to the second ring in pairs (Tohidi, 1998: 83).

Khaktinat also mentions the position of the rings:

“We nail around the frame at a distance of three and a half to four centimeters from the opposite edge of the Avazeh. The distance between the nails is one to one and a half centimeters” (Khaktinat, 2005: 64).

To ensure the correct position of the rings, we put one of the fingers on the last ring, which is in pairs, and we move it towards the skin in an oblique shape; of course, the Daf should be standing and vertical. If only the lower pairs of rings hit the skin, they will be in the proper place and the sound will be of high quality. But if, in addition to the lower pair of Malilehs, the middle Malilehs normally come in contact with the skin, they are misplaced and cause excessive contact with the skin (same: 71).

Mohammadi says: “The distance between the hooks is one and a half centimeters, which one centimeter can be added to this distance, but the weight of the Daf will increase. The distance between the hooks and the skin is calculated as follows: Consider half of the width of arch and add half a centimeter from the skin side to it to be the exact location of the hooks “(Mohammadi, 2021). In the past, the diameter of the rings was two centimeters and their thickness was one to one and a half millimeters and they were made of brass and steel. Today, the rings are made of iron wire with a diameter of one and a half to one and eight centimeters and a thickness of about one millimeter.

Skin: Old, fat-free, clear and transparent skin of animals such as ewe and sheep, which put less elastic pressure on the arch and they are also very good (Mogharab Samadi, 2009: 79). Naqib Sardasht believes that the skins of animals such as sheep, goat, yeanling, lamb, ewe, mountain goat and deer are used and deer skin has been introduced as the best one (Naqib Sardasht, 2007: 295), but today due to the high cost and scarcity of deer skin, this skin is less used.

It should be noted that sheep skin is thicker and lighter than goat skin. The thickness of the skin used in Daf, is about one to two millimeters (Tohidi, 1998: 81). The most suitable sheep skin, which is called ” Kavor” in Kurdish, is a female, healthy, one-year old, and lean sheep (Hosseini, 2021). Today, the skin of animals such as sheep and goat with a thickness of less than one millimeter are used. The skin of fish and deer are useless due to their high cost and scarcity.

In terms of the type of sound produced, skins can be classified from tenor to bass sound in the following order:

  1. Fish skin;
  2. Goat skin;
  3. Deer skin;
  4. Ewe skin;
  5. Sheepskin;
  6. Calf skin;
  7. Camel skin (Khaktinat, 2005: 72).

The natural skins mentioned above change according to different weather conditions; due to heat, the skin becomes more elongated and so-called firmer, and in cold and humidity, it becomes free and so-called looser. For this purpose, some manufacturers use a kind of artificial or plastic skin in making Daf, and in some cases they use fibrous skin, which is consists of natural fibers and is stable in different weather conditions. This has caused changes in the structure and components of the Daf, including the removal of studs, changes in the strength and narrowing of the arch width, changes in the Avazeh of Daf, and etc.

Strap: When the duration of playing Daf is long, a strap is installed on the inner edge of the Daf, which the musician wraps around his wrist to reduce hand fatigue.

This entry was written by HarmonyTalk
Tagged: .

Post a Comment

Required fields are marked *
*
*
Your email is never shared.

Farhad Poupel: The Voice of the Shahnameh in the Orchestras Around the World

In an era when almost no trace of contemporary Iranian music can be heard in international concert halls, except (so-called!) avant-garde works that owe their existence solely to the fashionable slogans of the “pseudo-intellectual” crowd who have seized the already meager resources for performing classical music from the true artists of the field, the numerous performances of Farhad Poupel’s works shine as a ray of hope for lovers of sincere musical art. Without resorting to trendy slogans, he has kept the flame of Iranian classical music alive purely through the power of his artistry.

Five Major Myths About Mozart’s Life

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the renowned Austrian composer, is undoubtedly one of the greatest geniuses in the history of classical music. However, his life is surrounded by numerous myths and legends, some of which are not based on facts. This article explores five of the most common misconceptions about Mozart’s life.

Latest posts

From Past Days…

“Pledge of Love”

The “Pledge of Love” is the first album in a series composed based on the tasnifs by the renowned Iranian tasnif-maker Mohammad Ali Amir Jahed and recorded by Sahba Kohan Ensemble with Ramin Bahiraie as signer.

Illusion or Ingenuity?

Mohsen Renani in the preface of his book entitled “The Political Economy of nuclear conflict; an introduction to traversing the civilizations” writes:

Henry Cowell: “Persian Set”

Persian Set: Four Movements for chamber orchestra: Moderato; Allegretto; Lento; Rondo

Henry Cowell, one of the most innovative American composers of the 20th century, was born in 1897. Cowell and his wife visited Iran in 1956 and stayed there the whole winter, upon the invitation by the Iranian Royal Family, when he composed his album “Persian Set” in four movements for chamber orchestra. His composition is expressive of the characteristic quality of the Persian or the Iranian music.

Principles of Playing Violin (V)

3/1/2/5: When the first finger lands next to the nut, continuation of first phalange of this finger, on back of the hand, should be in line with continuation of the back of the wrist and the left hand; moreover, it should not pass them and bend at knuckles. Otherwise, an uncommon stretch is created in first finger’s knuckle also reducing the freedom of other fingers (especially the fourth finger) in finger placement.

Hossein Aslani passed away!

Hossein Aslani, Iranian pianist residing in the US, passed away due to cancer in late January 2020. His last musical activity was an article written for Harmony Talk entitled “Iran amidst musical struggle” in 2016, his memoir entitled “I Play You Again” in the same year and his album “Symbolic Emotion” published by Arganoun Publications in 2014. Here is a brief biography of Hossein Aslani according to his own website:

Interview with Farhad Poupel (I)

Born in Isfahan, Iran, and based in the UK, Farhad Poupel’s music has been performed and will be performed in numerous prestigious concert halls and festivals throughout the world including Suntory Hall in Tokyo, Japan; La Roque-d’Anthéron Piano Festival, La Roque-d’Anthéron, France; Biarritz Festival, Biarritz, France; Stoller Hall, Manchester, UK; Janacek academy of music and performing art, Brno, Czech Republic; Karlskrona International Piano Festival, Karlskrona, Sweden; by distinguished artists such as Kotaro Fukuma, Peter Jablonski, Daniel Grimwood, Margaret Fingerhut, Catherine Carby, Kristýna Znamenáčková,Jeffrey Biegel, Jean-Francois Bouvery and orchestras such as Windsor Symphony Orchestra or broadcasted on the NPR Radio 4, Netherland. The following is an interview with him on the ocaasion of the premier of the Legend of Bijan and Manijeh.

The Structure of Kurdistan Daf (VI)

Researcher: Mohammad Tarighat Translator: Fatemeh Alimohammadi Hooks and attached rings: The junction of the ring to the arch is about 3 centimeters from the skin.  The ring with its side rings should be as far as the diameter of a ring (about one and a half to one and eight centimeters) to make a proper…
Read More »

Kayvan Mirhadi and O.R.P Qaurtet

Establishing O.R.P. Quartet is Kayvan Mirhadi’s latest activity as a guitarist, composer and conductor of Kamerata Orchestra. Besides working with this Quartet, Mirhadi is busy these days recording and mixing some of his own works as well as some pieces by 20th century composers. O.R.P Quartet performed a concert in Rasht, Gilan Province in late May 2016 and offered a master class.

Bahma Rajabi Passed Away!

Bahman Rajabi, the renowned tonbak (Persian goblet drum) player and educator, passed away at his home at the age of 86 due to a heart condition. He was the founder of a distinctive school of tonbak playing, and his teaching methods have been widely used by instructors of the instrument for decades..

Behzad Abdi’s opera Rumi was physically released by Naxos

Composing a traditional Iranian opera using the Iranian modal system, dastgāh, has always been my dream. I first approached this by composing an opera called Ashura followed by the operas Rumi and Hafez. I believe that in order to attract an international audience for Iranian opera, it is essential to fuse dastgāh with Western classical forms.