Middle Eastern Rhythms

Igha' (Theory of Old Rhythms)

The Middle Eastern Rhythms of the Past

An Article by Peyman Nasehpour

Introduction

In this article, I will offer the Middle Eastern rhythms of the past according to a very nice book on theoretical Persian music, written by Mohammad Banai. I believe that all these rhythms can be applied by all musicians of the world for all genres of the world music, not just for Middle Eastern music.

For symbolization of the old rhythm cycles, I use the following modern notation:

X (accented beat)

x (normal or non-accented beat)

o (silence)

For symbolization, Iranians use their own method with Persian alphabet, but this doesnt work for most of the people of the Earth, since they do not know Persian alphabet.

Now it depends on the artists how to interpret the beats (bass and treble strokes, accented and normal beats) and silences.

Seghal: The family of 2 beats rhythm cycles (4, 8, 16 and so on)

Khafif-e-saghil (4 beats, division: 2+2)

X o X x

Another version (16 beats, division: 2+4+4+4+2)

X o X x x o X x x o X x x o X x

Saghil-e-Sani (8 beats, division: 3+3+2)

X x o X x o X o

Ghuriyaneh (8 beats, division: 2+4+2)

X o X x x o X o

Mokhammas-e-Osat (16 beats, division: 3+3+2+2+4+2)

X x o X x o X o X o X x x o X o

Varashan or Saghil-e-Avval (16 beats, division: 3+3+4+2+4)

X x o X x o X x x o X o X x x o

Ramal: The family of 3 beats rhythm cycles (6, 12, 24 and so on)

Torki-ye-Zarb-e-Far: (6 beats, division: 3+3)

X x o X x o

Khafif-e-Ramal (6 beats, division: 2+4)

X o X x x o

Hazaj-e-Saghir (6 beats, division: 4+2)

X x x o X o

Hajaz-e-Kabir (12 beats, division: 4+3+3+2)

X x x o X x o X x o X o

Another version (12 beats, division: 2+4+3+3)

X x X x x o X x o X x o

Ramal (12 beats, division: 2+2+2+2+4)

X o X o X o X o X x x o

Doyek (12 beats, division: 2+2+4+4)

X o X o X x x o X x x o

Shadiyaneh or Saghil-e-Ramal (24 beats, division: 4+4+2+2+2+2+2+2+4)

X x x o X x x o X o X o X o X o X o X o X x x o

Chahar-Zarb-e-Saghir (24 beats, division: 4+2+6+2+2+2+2+4)

X x x o X o X x x x x o X o X o X o X o X x x o

Osat-o-Nim-Saghil (24 beats, division: 4+4+2+6+8)

X x x o X x x o X o X x x x x o X x x x x x x o

Favakht: The family of 5 beats rhythm cycles (5, 10, 20 and so on)

Fakhti-ye-Saghir (5 beats, division: 3+2)

X x o X o

Fakhti-ye-Osat (10 beats, division: 2+4+4)

X o X x x o X x x o

Torki-ye-Sari (10 beats, division: 2+3+2+3)

X o X x o X o X x o

Torki-ye-Zarb-e-Asl (20 beats, division: 5+2+3+10)

X x x x o X o X x o X x x x x x x x x o

Another version (20 beats, division: 5+5+10)

X x x x o X x x x o X x x x x x x x x o

Fakhti-ye-Kabir (20 beats, division: 2+8+10)

X o X x x x x x x o X x x x x x x x x o

Igha' at drumdojo

Date of publication: 17/May/2003