DaveH
Oud Junkie
Posts: 526
Registered: 12-23-2005
Location: Birmingham, UK
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
Nizar Rohana podcast - taqasim and rhythm
Hello All
I'm posting a fascinating podcast of Nizar's, with his permission. It's based on his PhD research and explores the place of rhythm in taqasim. It's
part of a really nice series of accessible presentations on academic musical research, and I find this one particularly fascinating. As a newcomer to
the taqsim form, you're always told a lot about how it works melodically and how it's (generally) free rhythm, but it's always struck me that you
can't make any melodic sense of a taqsim without some sense of rhythmic and phrased structure, and this aspect has often bewildered me. (Spoiler:
there's actually no such thing as a free rhythm!) This really helped deepen my understanding.
https://soundcloud.com/user-641373079/taqsim-journey-appreciating-te...
|
|
|
Brian Prunka
Oud Junkie
Posts: 2939
Registered: 1-30-2004
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Member Is Offline
Mood: Stringish
|
|
Interesting, I look forward to listening. From my transcriptions I've observed that traditional Arabic taqasim are actually essentially creating
clear metric structures most of the time, and have been developing approaches with students to deepen their rhythmic conception and understanding of
rhythmic phrasing. There are relationships also with the concept of poetic meter and the rhythmic structures of poetry in the way that taqasim
approach rhythmic phrasing.
As you note, it's very difficult to integrate melodic material without a rhythmic component. Prior to my intensive study of recorded taqasim and
deep dive into transcription, I had the same experience of bewilderment in translating the concepts into practice; the recognition of the rhythmic
material was one of the things that really helped it click for me.
I'm curious to hear Nizar's observations, I admire his playing.
|
|
|
DaveH
Oud Junkie
Posts: 526
Registered: 12-23-2005
Location: Birmingham, UK
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
I'd be interested to read your thoughts, Brian - this area has been key for me too, though I'm still on the vertically downwards section of the deep
dive.
|
|
|
![[*]](images/xmbprobrown/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
