ahmed_eissa
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The Qaflah
In my quest to read everything I can about Arabic music theory and taqsim/modulation, I came across "The Qaflah"from Brian Prunka's website.
http://www.brianprunka.com/oud/maqam2.htm
He defines it as "standard cadential formulae used to resolve to the tonic of a particular maqam (or a jins within the maqam). Most of the time, this
involves ascending to some note, then rapidly descending down to the tonic. A melodic cadence is called a qaflah (pl. qaflat)."
And then provides a few examples, such as:
"Bayati family: usually 4-1
Kurd family: usually 4-1. In the key of C (Hijaz Kar Kurd), the
7th below tonic commonly precedes 4 (Bb - F - C).
Nahawand family: extremely variable; I've heard a lot of different qaflat used, including: 5-1, 4-1, 3-1."
The Michigan Arab Orchestra's definition
qaflah: a cadential pattern ending a musical phrase and usually followed by a pause.
I am still a bit confused on this technique, and how to execute it. Could anyone perhaps explain it in a little more detail, and/or provide an actual
example (youtube or audio file is fine)?
Thanks in advance for any help.
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Masel
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i disagree with that, it doesn't fit what i know about qaflah. qaflah literaly means "to lock" in arabic and there is not one type, it is simply a way
of "closing" a phrase in a tasteful way. it can be done many ways but normally a qaflah as i know it is usually "falling" rapidly from a note down to
the tonic/temporary tonic. it ends the phrase in a way that leaves tension and leaves you waiting for more, which makes the music more compelling. for
example in this farid taqsim you can hear it at:
0:13
0:31
0:56
1:37
and so on...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHVNj05SoH0
if you cannot find it on your own you should pay attention to where the musical phrases end (followed by a silence). although it can be found in the
middle of phrases too.
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Brian Prunka
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Those pages were written a long time ago, I've left them up because a lot of people have told me they found them useful but there is a lot of
incomplete information.
While there isn't just one qaflah for a maqam, there are usually only a few standard underlying structures that are expressed in slightly different
ways. These are usually a phrase emphasizing the dominant followed by the tonic, or the octave followed by the tonic (or temporary ones, as in a
modulation).
Just to be clear, it's not just those notes! It might be the whole scale, it might be a descending sequence or other melodic pattern.
What is consistent is that a higher note is emphasized followed by a lower one.
You just have to check out songs and taqasim to learn examples; it's not something that you can learn in a purely theoretical way.
maybe people can post some youtube clips and point out the examples like Masel did. I'll try to find some and point some out.
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Masel
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yes i know what you mean like in the same taqasim i posted listen at 1:00 and at 1:20 in both of these he starts with a high g bayat and finishes on
the low G (tuned very low).
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ahmed_eissa
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Thanks for the help. I'm gaining a better understanding now with these examples. And I agree Brian, I think if some members could post a few more
examples like the ones we have above, that would be great. 
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ameer
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Here is a youtube link for Riyad El Sunbati's famous taqsim from the song Ashwaq.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kjFR321XyQ
Pay attention at: 1:06, 3:56, 4:57, 5:45, 6:47, 8:52 and 9:55.
My uncle once described a well executed qafla like a well executed break on a car: it smoothly brings the passenger from whatever speed back to 0
without jolting them by being too sudden or letting them get too used to an intermediate speed.
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