FAR EAST ASIAN MUSIC-MUS 111

Aesthetic Analysis of Tar Music Pieces

Tar is a tall stringed instrument with a Deep and pear-shaped body that serves as a sounding box in most cases mulberry wood. It is literally a “string” and with a skin that is stretched on one side resembling a drum. Its skinny, unfretted neck is equipped with three double steel strings which are typically strummed using a hard-shell plectrum, which are often made of animal horns (“Craftsmanship and Performance Art of the Tar, a Long-necked String Musical Instrument”). Tar creates an opaque and melancholic atmosphere, though it is also eerily beautiful. There are many variations of it, for example it can be played by plucking the strings very quickly and in a rhythmic pattern for energetic folk music. It can also be played with brass plectrum (mezrad) held in heavy wax (Week 4 Class slides).  The instrument can be used solo or in combination with other instruments in a variety of classical music genres. Therefore, the uniqueness in tone, double bowl shape and playing technique sets Tar to become one of the distinctive oriental musical devices. The performance and craftsmanship of the tar, along with the abilities associated with this custom, are crucial in forming the cultural identities of people. Some of popular Tar players we learned in class include Mirza abdollah, Ali-Akbar Shahnazi, Ali-Akbar Shahnazi, Dariush Talai, Mohammad Reza Lotfi and Hossein Alizadeh (Week 4 Class slides).  

Musical Analysis:

Darvish Khan, Homayun

This piece of music encompasses a clear, full, and melodious sound, enhancing the overall aesthetics of the song. The sound has a warm resonant depicting the plucks of a Tar instrument. The sound is also rhythmic in pattern and only involves one instrument being used. The speed of this song is moderate and meditative, while most of the others are faster and more energetic. This piece portrays a faster rhythmic composition and intricate rhythmic patterns that challenge the player’s technical skill and offer an exciting listening experience to the audience. We get to experience a song rich in a repetitive pattern towards the end. The music also seems to take into consideration high technical skills of playing the Tar instrument used in the song. It also doesn’t sound to have included many ornamentations within the music but only the Tar instrument.

Lotfollah Majd, Homayun

This music starts with a loud sound of the tar instrument plucking at different intervals in a repetitive pattern. Its melodies are more chromatic, incorporating a higher number of microtonal intervals. It also depicts a bright mellow sound which makes the listener enjoy the sounds at the given slow interval rates of ups and lows. Moreover, the music features complex rhythms, with regular accents and a greater emphasis on improvisation and rhythmic freedom. It also seems to place a greater emphasis on cyclical forms, with repeating patterns or cycles of beats and accents as one listens to the song. The player showcases high technique levels in playing the instrument influencing the music’s tonal qualities and gives the music its tonal nature which one might enjoy with the rhythmic high and low patterns. The music also tends to be more modal in nature, with a focus on melodic improvisation and ornamentation rather than chord progressions.

Ata Jangouk, Bayat Tork

This music is a low tempo music with slow improvisations of a warm and resonant tone. It produces a clear melodious sound which is generally measured and deliberate, allowing for intricate melodic and rhythmic ornamentation. The technique in this tar style seems to be highly refined and demands great virtuosity. The artist used various picking techniques and ornaments such as tremolo, slides, and trills to express the nuances of the melody. This music is a bit warm and peaceful compared to the other two such that it does not incorporate high speeds and the instrument is skillfully played to showcase the artist’s style in the art. It does not have low and high interval patterns like the second one. It only has a continuous pattern which does not stop till the end of the music. The listener is able to listen to the music continuously towards the end with a high tempo as it approaches the end.

Works Cited

Ata Jangouk, Bayat Tork A Century of Tar Music

Darvish Khan, Homayun A Century of Tar Music

Lotfollah Majd, Homayun A Century of Tar Music

“Craftsmanship and Performance Art of the Tar, a Long-necked String Musical Instrument.” Intangible Heritage Intangible Heritage – Culture Sector – UNESCO, ich.unesco.org/en/RL/craftsmanship-and-performance-art-of-the-tar-a-long-necked-string-musical-instrument-00671.

Week 4 Class slides