The Structure of Kurdistan Daf (VII)

1 November 2022 – 2:58 pm Posted in Articles' List, Contemporary Music, General Information, Instrument & Playing

Researcher:
Mohammad Tarighat

Translator:
Fatemeh Alimohammadi

Conclusion

“Daf” is one of type of percussion instruments that has a long history and is commonly known as circular instruments (with a rim). In some tribes, Daf was used as the main instrument in festivity and joy ceremonies; in another tribe it was used as the main instrument for war and campaign ceremonies and some others used it for ritual and religious ceremonies.

In Iran, there are many different names for circular instruments such as: Daf, Dayereh, Charkh, Gharbal, Deire, Ghaval, Dap, Doyah, Sama, Daryeh, Buter, Doub, Taborak and so on.

In this article, a circular instrument called “Daf” in Kurdistan was studied that its components include:

Arch, frame, Gharbali: The type of wood used in Daf depends on the variety of trees in the area. In this instrument, woods of grape, orange, fig, walnut, maple, berry, quince, plane tree, ash (Van, Benav, Benavch) and Salicaceae such as: poplar and red willow are used.

The piece of wood, about two meters long, is made in a circle shape with a diameter between 53 and 55 centimeters. Dimensions will be different for children and youth and a diameter of less than 50 cm is considered for them. In some cases, the diameter may be more than 55 cm , which is made only for the type of sounding in an orchestra. The thickness of the arch wood in the part where the studs are located is about one and a half centimeters. The Avazeh of Daf also starts from the middle of the frame and gradually decreases to a thickness of two and a half to three millimeters at the junction of the skin. The width of the frame is between five and seven and rarely 10 cm (these are known as monastery Daf), it is preferably compared to the size of the player’s palm, so that the knuckle of the thumb does not bend. Such a width will also prevent the wrist from bending in the “middle” beat.

Thumb index: The location of the thumb to hold the Daf. The size of the thumb should be appropriate with the size of the player’s palm and the length of his fingers so that the wrist does not bend during the “middle” beat.

Today, hooks and rings, unlike the past that were made of brass, steel or copper, are only made of iron. The rings are made of iron wire about one and a half to one and eight centimeters in diameter and about one millimeter thick. The distance between the hooks and the skin is calculated by taking into account half the width of the arch and adding about half a centimeter from the skin. The distance between the ring and the side rings should be as large as the diameter of a ring, which makes for a better arrangement and less interference of the rings and a clearer sound, and also helps to keep the instrument lighter. 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 rings in pairs.

Skin: Old, fat-free, clear, and transparent skin of animals such as sheep, goat, yeanling, lamb, ewe, antelope, fish, camels, calve, and deer, but today sheep skin and in some cases goat skins are used.

Studs or tacks made of brass, copper or iron are used to attach natural skin to arch.

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.

The best weight for Daf is a weight that applies a slight pressure to the forearm muscles. In simple terms, the musicians feel the weight of instrument.

It is hoped that this article has led Daf learners to take a deeper look at the form and components of this ancient instrument than before, and that the art of making Daf, especially Dafs with artificial skin, will be revived by using veterans’ experiences, having no weaknesses and shortcomings in the structure. Another important issue that needs basic research is the study of the relation between the weight and diameter of the arch of Daf with limbs, ossification and muscle mass at different ages of Daf musicians, which can be divided into different groups and as a result, design and construction of instruments in various dimensions in accordance with medical science standards and without possible damage to Daf players.

Resources

Ahmadi, A., 2019, Daf officials, New Note Publications, Yazd, First edition.
Pahlavan, K., 2015, Daf and Dayereh, Arun Publications, Tehran, First edition.
Tohidi, A., 1998, Daf playing style, Soroush Publications, Tehran, First edition.
Khaktinat, A., 2005, Daf and playing Daf, Sureh Mehr Publications, Tehran, First edition.
Darwish, M.R, 2005, Encyclopedia of Iran Instruments, Mahour Cultural and Artistic Institute, Tehran, Volume 2, First Edition.
Mohammadi, B., 2001, Daf and its feasts in Ghaderi’s Takaya, Mahidasht Publications, Kermanshah, First edition.
Moradi, A., 2020, Daf in monastery, Arshadan Educational and authoring Institute, Tehran, Volume One, First Edition.
Mogharab Samadi, A., 2009, Exercise of Love, First book, Tasnif Publishing, Tehran, First edition.
Nasrollahpour, A., 2000, Kurdish instruments, Taghbostan Publications, Kermanshah, First edition.
Naqib Sardasht, B., 2007, Knowing instrument in Kurdish music, Tavakoli Publications, Tehran, First Edition.

Researcher’s Interviews

Jabari, A., 2022, About pathology of Daf players, May, In person interview, Tehran.
Hosseini, B., 2021 and 2020, About his Daf playing Style, September and January, In person interview, Sanandaj.
Mohammadi, H., 2021, About the structure of Daf, September, In person interview, Sanandaj.

This entry was written by HarmonyTalk
Tagged: .

Nasser Masoudi: The Voice of Gilan and a Legacy of Iranian Music

In Iranian music, certain singers have become emblematic of their homelands through their distinctive voices. Historical figures such as Eghbal Sultan, who epitomized the grandeur of Azerbaijani music, and Taj Isfahani, who conveyed the authentic essence of Isfahan, serve as notable examples from the Qajar era. Nasser Masoudi occupies a similar position; his voice emerged as a symbol of Gilan while also achieving national acclaim. Before him, Master Ahmad Ashurpur represented Gilan’s musical landscape, but his extended residence outside Iran limited his continuous engagement in the music scene. In contrast, Masoudi’s consistent presence allowed him to introduce the voice of Gilan to audiences across Iran.

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.

Latest posts

From Past Days…

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.

Reza Vohdani; Unveiling unpublished works, preservation of Iranian classical music

Reza Vohdani is a renowned name among tar (traditional Iranian instrument) players, especially within the Iranian music community that values the meticulous practice and teaching of traditional music. While Vohdani honed his skills in music theory and tar playing under the guidance of masters like Ali-Naghi Vaziri, Ali-Akbar Shahnazi, Hossein Dehlavi, and Ahmad Forutan-Rad, it is his unwavering dedication to studying, documenting, and teaching the Iranian classical music repertoire that has solidified his prominence in the field. Recently, Vohdani’s family decided to make his preserved works accessible to the wider art and music community. In this regard, The Persian-language newspaper ‘Iran’ spoke with Sadjad Pourghanad, a musician, university instructor, and music researcher, who shared his opinion into the project, as detailed in the interview below.

The Role of Arts in Development of Societies

Mr. Mohsen Ghanebasiri, author and critic in the field of economy, culture and arts, as the next speaker, highlighted the role of arts, specially the music, in development of societies: “As far as the individual upbringing is concerned, a newborn baby is absolutely dependent. The relation between the baby and the parents is based on orders. There is lots of relativity in these orders; therefore, they are political orders. In the economy, however, the relations are mutual and based on common logic; hence, the formation of the concepts of democracy and individuality.

A Look at Ali Tajvidi’s Manifold Musical Activities (I)

Ali Tajvidi (1920 – 2004), one of the most prominent Iranian musicians, passed away sixteen years ago. He was one of the most distinguished Iranian artists. To specify one of the fields in which he was unique, one can refer to Tasnif composition. A brief review of his manifold musical activities is presented below.

A note on “Illusion or Ingenuity” article

The author of the “Illusion or Ingenuity” article, who is apprehensive of the future of the Music in Iran, enumerates some symptoms of the music weakening in the country for example decreasing in the quality of the music as well as lack of the innovation in creating them, a gradual decline in the music public taste and the drop in the application of layered sound and polyphony in music. He explains that one reason for this gradual weakening might be our unawareness of the fact that we are not so intelligent nation. He believes that we, Iranians, have a comprehensive “Illusion of the high national intelligence “that make us ignorant of the unfavorable realities of our music and consequently no searching for the remedy is taking place. His point of view brings to the mind a patient who thinks he is healthy, therefore delays the treatment and finally is killed by the disease. The author also refers to the national difficulties which gradually will lower the national intelligence score such as the increased rate of the immigration and brain drain, low quality of the nutrition, incompetence of the education system and etc and predicts that the condition of the music of Iran might deteriorate in the future because of the mentioned illusion of its great status.

“The Art of Silence” Project Will be Released

Shaahin Mohajeri, the award-winning Iranian microtonal compose, has contributed to The Art of Silence is an international project which features unpublished pieces by microtonal composers from Iran, Japan, the United States, and other countries.

Principles of Violin Playing (IX)

4.3.1. To practice playing of doubles of notes involving two different fingers, each note is played at separate bows with slow tempo, each note is played perfectly regarding its bass and tenor sounds and then the considered double is played at another bow while considering the resulted sound of the double.

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:

Principles of Violin Playing (X)

Creating sound continuity between two notes in the source and destination positions when left hand position changes and “two different finger numbers” are involved is called portamento. Portamento can be performed on single string or two neighboring strings and with hand moving on fingerboard either upward or downward.

Simorgh Criticised

Simorgh (Simorq) Orchestra was founded by the renowned Iranian composer, Hamid Motebassem, in 2011. Simorgh Orchestra is the largest orchestra featuring Iranian national instruments. Although the orchestra established by Master Hossein Dehlavi, the great Iranian composer, in 1993 was larger than Simorgh Orchestra, it only featured the Iranian plucked string instruments unlike the latter one. The first album which was recorded by the Orchestra, conducted under Motebassem’s baton, was his Simorq based on Zal story from Shahnameh by Ferdowsi, the great Iranian poet.