Note worthy

Like in every culture, Arabic musical instruments also tell a story of tradition

Music is part of virtually every culture and each style of music reflects the traditions of the land. Arabic music is no exception. The UAE is one of the many Arab countries that has kept its musical tradition alive despite transformation to modernity.

Traditional music in the UAE comprises a rhythmic beat, accompanied by a combination of sounds from one of the three types of instruments – string, percussion and wind instruments. String instruments include Oud, Rebaba, Kanoun and Saz.

The production of these musical instruments has been restricted to a few families for generations. Hailing from Kuwait and now the proud owner of an impressive musical instrument shop in Abu Dhabi, Abdul Fattah Al Hasan belongs to one such family.

He encourages the love for Arabic musical instruments among his students, many of whom have performed on television. Abdul Fattah studied the Oud in Kuwait and Egypt.

Hand made

During his eight years in Abu Dhabi, besides teaching Oud, he began a workshop where most of the these instruments are made by hand. In addition to the instruments made in house, he buys instruments such as Oud, Rebaba, Def, Taar, Tabla, Simsimia, Dingra, Ney, Kasar and other string, wind and percussion instruments from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Kuwait, Iraq and many other Arab countries.

The Oud (pronounced "ood") is the Middle Eastern lute from which all European lutes evolved. It has nine or 10 strings, although professional artists may use 11 or 12 strings, plucking them to produce a melody.

The word "Oud" means "wood". The instrument is made by gluing thin tapered strips of rose wood, coconut wood, mahogany and other types of woods edge to edge.

The glue line is usually not more than a thousandth of an inch wide. The strings are made of nylon and silver-wrapped silk. From Morocco to Istanbul, the oud continues to be the instrument of choice.

The Rebaba (pronounced as "ruh bah buh") has up to three strings and is played with a bow. The Egyptian Rebaba, or Arab fiddle, is the earliest known bowed instrument and the medieval European rebec is believed to have been derived from it.

The existence of Rebaba was first documented in the 10th century. It gained prominence in medieval and later in Arab art music.

Different shapes

The instrument has a membrane belly made of goat or wolf skin with strings made from horsetail hair. It comes in shapes such as a rectangle, pear or boat.

Arabic percussion instruments include Tubool, Def, Taar, Tabla, Dingra, Kasar, Ranna, Dumbec and the Rahmani drum.

The Def, a Middle Eastern frame drum, resembles a large tambourine. Made from two pieces of animal skin fitted across a circular wooden frame, it is decorated with small circular brass metals on the sides, which make a jingling sound.

In a band large enough to have more than one percussionist, a musician might play the primary rhythm on the Dumbek while another could provide background rhythm (called ayyub) on the Def.

The Taar, also a drum, is best-suited for ritual music and dancing, and it adds a powerful rhythm. Sad-toned wind instruments include the soft sounding Arabian flute, the Ney. A very difficult instrument to master, the Ney (or Nay) is used in Turkish and Arabic folk music that resembles a flute both in appearance and sound.

Whereas the Mizmar (pronounced "mizz mar") is a long, open-ended instrument that produces a loud, nasal sound. A pair of brass cymbals, Tuwaisat, is used to add high-pitched ring to the background of the music.

Most of the stringed and percussion instruments are played on all occasions, celebrations, traditional dances, stage performances and in bands. Some of the instruments such as the Kasar and Ranna are played by women.