Inefficiency of some chords and harmonization systems in Iranian music

By Pouria Nasiri and Sadjad Pourghanad
Discussions and research have been conducted on the harmonization of “dastgah” and melodies in Iranian music, and several books have been published on this topic, including “Armenian Music of Iran” by Ali Naghi Vaziri, “Harmony of Iranian Music” by Farhad Fakhreddini, and “Harmony of Iranian Music” by Ali Ghamssari. A master’s thesis titled “Presenting a Solution for Harmonizing Based on the Structure of Tritone Intervals” was written by Atefeh EinAli in 2014. Additionally, the invention and use of “Even Harmony” by Morteza Hannaneh should be mentioned.

Sometimes, the lack of using certain chords (such as triads) and harmonic progressions in some “dastgah” or melodies is discussed and examined.

Considering the published materials on this subject and the wide differences in opinions among authors of books and theses, it can be concluded that the presented opinions are not definitive solutions, but merely reflect the perspectives of individuals regarding harmonization in Iranian music.

It is important to note that the rejection of using harmonic progressions or specific chords does not have a general rule, and at best, it is only the personal opinion of the speaker. Therefore, it is necessary to clarify this matter, especially for students and music learners, to avoid misunderstandings.

On the other hand, since each instrument or “tune” consists of several “gooshe” and has different tonal roles while using its specific “gooshe”, it is necessary to discuss the best harmonization approach (again based on personal opinion) considering these two factors.

In other words, rejecting the use of harmonization techniques for a broad entity like an “dastgah” or “tune” means disregarding the existing modal foundations and eliminating the tonal roles that can vary in each corner. Naturally, the elimination of these roles leads to the formation of weak harmonic progressions.

It should be mentioned that the idea that “the behavior of Iranian music “gooshe” is completely different from Western music and Iranian music should take inspiration from Eastern music, which is its sibling, not Western music” has been subject to serious criticism for years. Moreover, the similarities between “gooshe” (especially polyphonic “gooshe”) in Western music (church “gooshe”) and “gooshe” of regions under the influence of Aryan tribes are much greater than those of Eastern regions (such as China, Japan, etc.). Therefore, categorizing Iranian music in the Eastern music group is not a defendable idea. Additionally, the use of polyphony in Western music on some Iranian “gooshe” has been experimented for years and has found supporters among Iranian musicians. Hence, this group of supporters cannot be ignored.

Post a Comment

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

Transition to Enlightenment: Six Lectures on Mozart’s String Quartets (2)

The Enlightenment era championed innovation, creativity, and the relentless pursuit of knowledge, values that resonate prominently in Mozart’s string quartets. Mozart, a luminary of the Enlightenment, used the quartet form as a playground for his inventive spirit, pushing the boundaries of traditional structures and harmonic progressions.

From Tradition to Trend: The Evolution of Decorative Arts in Iranian Dafs

The daf is one of the percussion instruments related to the Kurdistan region of Iran, holding a special place in Iranian music. In the past, animal skins were used for the drumhead, but now most of the dafs available in the market are made with synthetic skins, which are designed with various decorations.

From Past Days…

Polyphony in Iranian Music (II)

With regard to each polyphonic form, only one specific and distinguished example is analyzed. These polyphonic forms are as follows:

Harmony in the Iranian Music (II)

One of his works was the translation of Harmony, which was carried out with the help of Mozayyan al-Dowleh, and included a pamphlet based on which he used to teach the subject to the students of the school of music; the pamphlet was never published. It was, in fact, a kind of simple harmony for the piano with no quadriads, it rather featured the engagement of both the right hand and the left hand which was being taught at the music school for the first time. Salar-Mo’azez also composed military marches and hymns for schools, which he harmonized to be performed and piano. Likewise, he used to compose for military orchestras.

Musical Sense or Technique?

One of the most popular terms used by Iranian instrumentalists is the existence or a lack of musical “sense”. Both musicians and fans of music consider having “sense” while playing music as an important principle to the extent that they use it vis-a-vis having technique.

Violin’s inner mold, an essential factor in developing the idea of violin

A part of the secrets of the masterpieces from the golden era lies in the special design of the instruments, as a result of a profound insight to and awareness of the significance of the precise calculation of the various components of the object of arts being created, such as making a violin or a bow.

Parviz Meshkatian’s Heart Beat for People (I)

Amidst the popularity of traditionalism in the Iranian music, Parviz Meshkatian (1955- 2009) moved from Neyshabur to Tehran. He learnt to play Santour and became educated in the Radif of Iranian music at the Centre for Preservation and Promotion of Music which was at the forefront of promoting the return to musical traditions. Despite his studies at a centre which promoted the use of the phrase “traditional music” in Iran, Parviz Meshkatian emerged as a creative artist whose innovative and unique ideas attracted the admiration of Iranian artists and people from different walks of life. This article studies the reason behind Meshkatian’s deviation from the wrong approach of traditionalism strongly promoted by the Centre and argues that apart from the issue of theory of Iranian music, he can be considered as Ali Naqi Vaziri’s successor.

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.

Principles of Violin Playing (II)

Since for playing violin, it’s necessary that the player’s palms and fingers be inclined toward the fingerboard, therefore, the player, while bringing up his hand, should turn it toward the fingerboard.

A Note on the Occasion of Houshang Zarif’s Demise

No introduction is needed when talking about the position of the late Houshang Zarif (1938-2020) in the Iranian music. His character and personality are so well-known among musicians that his name per se is a symbol and role model for the Iranian youth. “Becoming Houshang Zarif” is the dream of many young people who enter the world of music in Iran and many of whom retire regretting the realisation of this dream.

Gholam Reza Khan Minbashian: a pioneer in Iranian music (II)

Gholamreza Khan Minbashian taught courses such as organology, orchestration of military music and harmony based on the books which were translated from French into Persian with the help of Aliakbar Mozayyan-o-Dolleh (1846-1932).

New Technique for Playing Classical Guitar (I)

Joint application of the two techniques of “Lip” and “Nose” could be effectively applied for hearing and playing far-away intervals, by the Classical Guitar. Before this, a Classical Guitar player had to waive playing intervals not possible with the left hand, and had to replace or eliminate some notes, making it possible to play such intervals; specifically the capability of the left hand of the musician, was also a factor in such a selection. These methods are hereby illustrated by photographs and a video-file, in order to provide optimum comprehension of applying these methods, invented by the author; specifically the “Lip” technique, which is considered to be a more significant technique, emphasized by the author.