Az Nazm ta Maqam (From Nazm to Maqam)

Az Nazm ta Maqam (“From Nazm to Maqam”) by Reza Aliabadi examines and analyses the structure of the tanbur maqams. The author’s aim is to analyse the melodic and rhythmic elements and to study the inner structure of the nazms. Unlike the dastgah repertoire of Persian classical music – which has a clear, codified course that can be drawn as orderly charts, the result of centuries of development resting on Iran’s old music theory – the nazms of tanbur music do not follow a fixed model.

The melodic and rhythmic behaviour of the various nazms is shaped by geographical differences and sometimes by other cultural and performance factors, so no single formula fits them all. Only case-by-case analysis and grouping by content lead to a few general views and explanatory theories.

The book therefore does not limit itself to one particular version or a one-sided view. Taking a broad, analytical approach, it tries – through knowledge of each nazm – to identify and recreate the character (lahn), the plucking (mezrab) patterns, the accents and the ornaments in different versions. The author’s final aim is to help readers understand how each nazm behaves and so reach a more accurate and expressive performance on the tanbur.

The terms used are borrowed from Persian classical music, keeping their meaning as far as possible and changing it slightly in some cases. According to the Rudaki Foundation, Aliabadi had earlier published Maqam-ha-ye Tanbur (“The Tanbur Maqams”), mainly transcriptions of the maqams, and then “Forty Exercises for Tanbur”; work on this book began about six years before it was published.

About the book
• Author: Reza Aliabadi
• Publisher: Rudaki Cultural and Artistic Foundation, Tehran; first printing 1398 SH (November 2019), 1,000 copies
• ISBN: 978-600-92459-6-3
• 68 pages, octavo (roqee); in Persian
• Dedicated by the author to his teacher Seyed Ahmad Hosseini