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


Warning: Undefined variable $user_ID in C:\host-websites\harmonytalk.com\domains\en.harmonytalk.com\www\wp-content\themes\harmonytalk\comments.php on line 93
Required fields are marked *
*
*
Your email is never shared.

Parva, Iranian Singer, Passes Away!

Parva, a singer of Iranian music, has passed away after a period of illness. In recent years, she had been residing in both Iran and Austria.

Iraj Passes Away!

Iraj (Hossein Khajeh-Amiri), born on January 1, 1933, in Natanz, and one of the most renowned figures in Iranian vocal music, passed away at the age of 94 after several months of illness. He was born into an artistic and cultivated family; his ancestor was a celebrated singer during the era of Nasser al-Din Shah Qajar, and his father, who himself possessed a fine voice and was well-versed in the radifs (modal systems) of Persian music, devoted years to training his son’s voice. In his early youth, Iraj also participated in Ta’ziyeh (religious passion plays) and learned the subtleties of vocal performance step by step from Ta’ziyeh performers who had mastered the radifs and modes.

From Past Days…

Principles of Playing Violin (VI)

B. applying force: the force needed for putting finger on finger board is applied through finger tips and using the rest of hand set especially wrist is not allowed. To practice this, it is possible to hold violin without the bow and throw the fingers on the finger board from 1-2cm distance; apply force only through finger tips.

Homayoun Rahimian & Iran’s National Orchestra

The Roudaki Foundation presented the permanent conductor of the National Orchestra (Orchestr Melli), Homayoun Rahimian, in a ceremony, and finally, after four years, the national orchestra found a permanent conductor. Homayoun Rahimian is the fourth permanent conductor of this orchestra after Farhad Fakhreddini, Bardia Kiaras, and Fereidoun Shahbaziyan. He, who has previously had experience of conducting concerts besides being Meister’s concert of this orchestra, performed the concert “Autumns” on the 20th of Tir, performing works by Rouhollah Khaleqi, Javad Ma’roufi, and Hossein Dehlavi.

The Structure of Kurdistan Daf (II)

With its simple physical structure and captivating sound, the Daf never belonged to a particular culture or location, and every nation had different usages for this instrument considering their dominant customs and traditions.

Iranian Fallacies – Global Performance

One of the most important criteria for measuring the quality of a piece of classical music is number of times the piece has been performance by different ensembles and orchestras in different eras. This belief has become so pervasive in some societies, such as Iranian society, that it is considered the only criterion for measuring the quality of a piece of classical music.

Polyphony in Iranian Music (III)

In heterophonic variant, two performers perform a single melody simultaneously and change it. Performing and changing a single melody simultaneously by two performers leads to the coincidence of different voices.

Transition to Enlightenment: Six Lectures on Mozart’s String Quartets (4)

The collaboration between Mozart and Haydn blossomed during the late 18th century in Vienna, a city that served as the epicenter of musical innovation. Amidst this vibrant cultural milieu, the two composers developed a profound friendship that extended beyond mere professional admiration. This connection is reflected in the six string quartets dedicated by Mozart to Haydn, aptly known as the “Haydn Quartets.”

Music education in third-world countries

Music education in third-world countries is facing many problems that limit access to it and it’s full of challenges. These rising and falling obstacles are made of the socioeconomic, cultural educational systems, etc.

Parva, Iranian Singer, Passes Away!

Parva, a singer of Iranian music, has passed away after a period of illness. In recent years, she had been residing in both Iran and Austria.

“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.

Is the Iranian National Anthem a Copy? (II)

In response, it should be said that it is better for the national anthem of a country to use the musical material exclusive to that country; however, some problems might come up in doing so the most important of which include: lack of familiarity of other countries’ music performer with the concerned country’s specific music intervals and special musical technique; and secondly, the strangeness of that music to the foreign listener.