Chords for The Difference Between Quartertones in Persian, Arabic, and Turkish Music

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_ [C] _ _ _ [A] Hey, this [F] is Naveed from Udfur Guitars.
Today [Abm] you're going to learn the [F] difference between Persian, Arabic and Turkish quarter tones.
Now I didn't start listening to Arabic and Turkish music until about eight or nine years ago.
Up until that point
I was always listening to Persian traditional music.
But when I did start listening, I noticed [E] that the quarter tones [G] between
Arabic and Turkish and Persian music were a little bit different.
[D] Now
I've got a simple rule [Bb] for you to follow so that you can help [G] differentiate and remember the difference between
Persian, Arabic and Turkish quarter tones.
Persian quarter tones tend to be flatter than both Arabic and Turkish quarter tones.
Turkish quarter tones tend to be sharper than both Arabic and Persian quarter tones and [F] Arabic tonality is somewhere in between.
This is not a perfect rule, but I think it's generally true.
Let [G] me give you a little demonstration.
It's going to be really [N] hard to tell the difference but bear with me here.
In Persian music, we have a scale called abu'ata.
Its equivalent in Arabic and [G] Turkish music is maqam bayati and maqam oshak.
The scale goes [D] D,
[Eb] E quarter flat, _ [F] F,
[G] G, [A] A, _
[Bb] B flat, _ [Cm] C.
_ [Gm] _ _
_ [Dm] _ _ [D] _ [Eb] The quarter tone is the second [G] note in the scale, E quarter flat.
_ This is what it sounds like in Persian music.
_ [Eb] _ _ _ This is [G] what it would sound like in Arabic.
_ _ _ This is what it sounds like in Turkish.
_ _ _ Each one is a little bit sharper.
Now depending on [N] who plays this, it will sound different in varying degrees.
But a general rule is that the Persian quarter tones are a little bit flatter than Arabic and Turkish and Turkish ones tend to be
the sharpest.
Now let's listen to the scale.
Here's abu'ata.
[D] _ _ _
_ [G] _ _ _ [Bb] _ _ [D] _ _
[Dm] _ _ _ [Eb] _ _ [D] _ _ [G] _
maqam bayati
_ [F] _ _ _ _
_ [Cm] _ _ [D] _ _ [G] _ _ _
_ _ _ [D] _ _ _ [G] Turkish maqam bayati, maqam oshak.
_ [F] _ _ _ _
_ _ [G] _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [B] _ _ [D] _ _ _ _ _
[Cm] abu'ata
[D] _ _ _ _ _
[F] _ _ _ [Eb] _ [G] _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ [D] _ _ [G] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ [Eb] _ _
_ _ [D] _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ maqam bayati
[C] _ _ _
_ _ _ [D] _ _ _ _ _
[G] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ [D] _ _ [N] _
Turkish maqam bayati
_ _ [G] _ _ [B] _
_ [G] _ _ _ [D] _ _ _ _
[G] _ _ _ [Dm] _ [A] _ _ [E] _ _
_ _ _ [D] _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [G] The difference is really subtle, but it is [Eb] there.
And this is really important for oud players because [G] we have all the flexibility in the world to [Eb] play our quarter tones flatter or sharper.
[Ab] And depending on the genre of music you're playing, this would be important to remember.
I want [N] you to listen to two different songs.
One is played by an Arabic ensemble and one is played by a Turkish Armenian ensemble.
It's both the same song they're playing but with slightly different quarter tones.
Now just for fun,
here's my challenge to you.
In the comments below,
tell me which one is using flatter quarter [E] tones and which one is using sharper quarter tones.
_ _ [D] _ _ [A] _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ [Em] _
_ [Dm] _ _ [A] _ _ [E] _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ [D] _ [Dbm] _ _ [Gb] _ _
_ _ _ _ [G] _ _ _ _
_ [Gb] _ _ [Bm] _ _ [Ab] _ _ _
[E] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ [Gb] _ _
_ _ _ _ [F] _ Thanks for watching.
If you want to get the answer to this [Ab] question, just go to oudforguitars [F].com
slash quarter tones.
And while you're at oudforguitars.com, don't forget to check out our other premium
good learning materials like the foundation program and [G] the maqam master program.
Thanks and see you next time. _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ [N] _