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There are two examples of Iranian classical music above and below.  Notice in the bottom video that, once the vocalist begins singing, the music becomes secondary while in the beginning the music was the primary focus.

In conclusion, we hope you have enjoyed the journey through Central and Western Asia as much as we did!

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‫سرو خرامان از گروه مهربانو فقط حال کنید‬ Traditional Persian Folk Music Iran -

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Amazing Persian Music by a group of female musicians :) Enjoy omid moin googoosh گوگوش reza sadeghi Faramarz Asef kamar barik رضا صادقی Leila Forouhar andy اندی امید next persian star Afghan Classic Songs 2014 Afghan High Definition Songs Afghan Hits Songs 2014 Afghan New Videos 2014 Afghan Pop Songs

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Iranian classical music is popular throughout the region.  The music relies on improvisation and composition and is based on a series of modal scales and tunes which the performer must memorize. Iranian classical music is vocal based which means that the vocalist plays a crucial role in the mood expressed through the music.  In some cases, the vocalist also chooses the poem to be sung.  To accompany the singer, there is usually at least one wind or string instrument and at least one type of percussion instrument.  There may also be an ensemble of instruments while still maintaining the primary role of the vocalist.

Traditionally, this music is performed while seated on finely decorated cushions and rugs and sometimes candles are lit.

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Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

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In this video example of classical Turkish music, notice the use of macam as well as improvisation to create a unique musical piece:

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Turkish Music - Türkçe Müzik - Türk Sanat müziği - Ağır Semai in Makam Hüseynî - Zaharia

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Mozart in Turkey : A late Encounter (Western and Ottoman Turkish vocal music) kemençe Taksîmi - Klasik kemençe, - Turkish Music Artist & Singer - Claudia Nurit Henig A rare repertory of Ottoman art songs alongside works by post - classical western composers lie at the heart of the performance by soprano Claudia Nurit Henig, trained in the world of arias and lieder ,and Prof .Walter Zev Feldman, who specializes in Ottoman Turkish music.

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Folk music is one of the most popular music genres in Turkey.  Its traditional form is used in daily life.  Turkish folk music is dominated by the saz (pictured below), a long-necked lute which comes in various sizes with a varying number of strings.

Large saz ensembles dominate Turkish radio and television stations. The zuma and davul (the shawm and drum duo) are used create the rural Turkish ceremonial music. Outside large cities, these instruments can be heard an almost any celebration.

The best known Turkish regional music is associated with aşık.  Aşık sing songs of mystical quest interspersed with invocations to the Alevi sings and to Mohammed’s brother-in-law, Ali.  Urban Turkish music is dived into three genres:  religious, art music, and nightclub.  These styles have an overlap of instruments and repertoires and share the musical system based on makam. The makam are musical modes or scales in which the musicians compose their songs and instrumental pieces. More importantly, they weave their improvisations which are essential to the classical music performance.

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The music of Kazakhstan is focused around the dombra (pictured below), which is its national instrument.

The dombra (pictured below) is a long-necked lute-type instrument with two strings and seven to nine frets.  It is tear-shaped and is played with one, two or five fingers.  While the dombra has crossed over into other genres of music, it is still the focal instrument of Kazakhstan folk music.

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Uzbekistan has developed a broad diversity of folk song genres including work songs, wedding songs, love songs, lullabies, children’s songs, historical narratives and epic songs.  In addition to folk songs, raqsdance tunes played on the sunray which are accompanied by hand clapping or drum beats create the instrumental folk music that is traditional in this region.

Uzbek classical “art music” is derived from the maqam and shashmaquam.  The maqam is a set of pitches, melodic elements, and traditional patterns of these used to form a system for the tonal and melodic construction of performances.  Shashmaqam is a suite of six maqamat.  While maqam originated in Islamic music, shashmaqam is a part of Central Asian music.

The rich variety of Uzbek instruments reflect the diversity of musical styles performed on them.  Small ensembles of mixed instruments are at the heart of the classical maqam tradition. Instruments include long-necked fretted lutes, spike fiddle, side-blown flute, struck zither, frame drum, and a small clarinet-like instrument made from reed.

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This video shows traditional Mongolian music being performed using the Morin Khuur.

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Mongolian music includes many different forms of song. Some of these are the long song, short song, and the ode. The Long Song is the oldest form of melody and is loved by Mongolians.  The singer must vocalize as long as possible while modulating the vowels. The short song tends to be more lively and quick and includes themes of love, the home country, horses and women.  The ode is a form of poetic praise. Traditional Mongolian instruments include string and wind instruments, drums and gongs which may be made of metal, stone, bamboo, leather or wood.  The Morin Khuur is the most popular instrument of the region.

More commonly known as the “Horse Head Fiddle”, it is a square fiddle with a long, straight handle that is curved at the tip and topped with a carving of a horse’s head. The twelve-year cycle of the lunar calendar is represented by twelve animals carved on the neck. The fiddle has two strings and a bow made from the hair of a horse’s tail. The camel, cow, sheep, and goat - which represent wealth and plenty - are also found at the top of the neck.

Below: Morin Khuur or "Horse Head Fiddle"

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Tuva is situated at the southern edge of Siberia with Mongolia to its south. It has been a part of both Chinese and Mongolian empires and shares many cultural ties with Mongolia. Tuva is known from its Tuvan throat singing.  This is a technique in which the performer produces multiple pitches at the same time. It has been said that the sounds produced are reminiscent of the bagpipe.  One person is able to produce a sustained low note while simultaneously producing a high, whistle-like melody and a thrumming rhythm as well.

Well known masters of Tuvan throat singing and traditional Tuvan instruments, Alash, believe that traditional music must constantly evolve.  They subtly infuse  songs with western elements creating a new style while staying true to their heritage.

Here is an example of Alash and their Tuvan throat singing.  Note how the singer in the center is able to produce multiple sounds at the same time.  Can you hear the low, vibrating tones?  How about the wavering whistle?

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The Alash Ensemble - Tuvan throat singing - Алаш

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The masters of throat singing at SUNY Oneonta.

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Top: Svirel – Flute-like reed wind instrument with no mouthpiece and 6-10 holes.  The performer must strike his/her breathe against the tube wall to create a tone similar to the tone of the flute.

Bottom: Kugikly – Panpipes that have 1-8 pipes most often played by groups of women.

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Note in this example the unique wavering tone of the initial singer’s voice. These songs are often about communicating with ancestors
or elements of nature:

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Altai Kai. Komyzim. Traditional Siberian music.

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Altai Kai. Komyzim. Traditional Siberian music.

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Traditional music in the Siberian area is diverse due to the different origins of the settlers.  Due to this a variety of different dialects and forms of music have been mixed and developed.  Traditional Russian music is mostly heterophonic, meaning the same melody is distributed among different vocal parts which includes one leading voice usually in a middle register.  This allows the main voice room for improvisation, variation, and embellishment within the piece of music.  Heterophony also has an effect on the lyrics in that single words or phrases are lengthened and enlarged with additional syllables.

Two instruments present in many Siberian songs are the Svirel and Kugikly which are pictured below.