@menu
* Arabic music notation overview::
-* Note names ::
+* Arabic note names ::
+* Arabic key signatures::
* References for Arabic music::
@end menu
@cindex maqam
@cindex maqams
-Arabic music so far has been mainly an oral tradition. When music
-is transcribed, it is usually in a sketch format, on which
-performers are expected to improvise significantly. Increasingly,
-Western notation, with a few variations, is adopted in order to
-communicate and preserve Arabic music.
-
-Some elements of Western musical notation such as the
-transcription of chords or independent parts, are not required to
-typeset the more traditional Arabic pieces. There are however
-some different issues, such as the need to indicate medium
-intervals that are somewhere between a semi-tone and a tone, in
-addition to the minor and major intervals that are used in Western
-music. There is also the need to indicate different maqams which
-are more similar to the ancient modes, than modern musical scales,
-in the sense that certain flows, intervals, quality of intervals,
-musical patterns and finalis are part of the maqam, and may
-distinguish two maqams that have the same scale intervals.
-
+Arabic music so far has been mainly an oral tradition. When music is
+transcribed, it is usually in a sketch format, on which performers are
+expected to improvise significantly. Increasingly, Western notation,
+with a few variations, is adopted in order to communicate and
+preserve Arabic music.
+
+Some elements of Western musical notation such as the transcription
+of chords or independent parts, are not required to typeset the more
+traditional Arabic pieces. There are however some different issues,
+such as the need to indicate medium intervals that are somewhere
+between a semi-tone and a tone, in addition to the minor and major
+intervals that are used in Western music. There is also the need to
+group and indicate a large number of different maqams (modes) that
+are part of Arabic music.
+
In general, Arabic music notation does not attempt to precisely
indicate microtonal elements that are present in musical practice.
-The mode, if present, may indicate the quality of intervals,
-including medium intervals.
-
-@node Note names
-@unnumberedsubsubsec Note names
+
+@node Arabic note names
+@unnumberedsubsubsec Arabic note names
@cindex Arabic note names
-The more traditional Arabic music note names indicate an absolute
-position on an instrument, for example the note name of kardan
-refers to the pitch produced when the first (and highest in pitch)
-open string on a traditional oud is plucked. This is notated as
-@code{do''}, ie a C note that fits in the treble clef, but the
-actual pitch produced on the oud is equivalent to the middle C on
-a piano if Western tuning is used (since the oud sounds an octave
-lower than notated). Many of the more familiar Arabic note names
-are associated with maqams for which they serve as the finalis.
-
-@multitable {Arabic Note Name} {symbol}
-
-@headitem Arabic Note
- @tab symbol
-
-@item yakah
- @tab sol
-
-@item ushairan
- @tab la
+The more traditional Arabic note names can be quite long and are
+not suitable for the purpose of music writing, so they are not
+defined by the inclusion of "arabic.ly". English note names
+@code{a, b, c, d, e, f, g} are not very familiar in Arabic music
+education. Italian or Solfege note names @code{do, re, mi, fa,
+sol, la, si} are more familiar, and are used when
+@code{"arabic.ly"} is included. Modifiers can also be used, as
+discussed in @ref{Note names in other languages}.
-@item ajam ushairan
- @tab sib
+For example, this is how the Arabic @notation{rast} scale can be
+notated:
-@item iraq
- @tab sisb
-
-@item rast
- @tab do'
-
-@item dukah
- @tab re'
-
-@item kurd
- @tab mib'
+@lilypond[quote,verbatim]
+% TODO: commented out until arabic is included
+%\include "arabic.ly"
+%\relative do' {
+% do re misb fa sol la sisb do sisb la sol fa misb re do
+%}
+\relative c' {
+ c
+}
+@end lilypond
-@item sikah
- @tab misb'
-@item jaharkah
- @tab fa'
+@seealso
-@item hijaz-saba
- @tab solb'
+Notation Reference:
+@ref{Note names in other languages}.
-@item nawa
- @tab sol'
-@item husseini
- @tab la'
+@node Arabic key signatures
+@unnumberedsubsubsec Arabic key signatures
-@item kardan
- @tab do''
+@cindex Arabic key signatures
-@item muhayer
- @tab re''
+In addition to the minor and major key signatures, the following
+key signatures are defined in @code{"arabic.ly"}: bayati, rast,
+sikah, iraq, and kurd. These key signatures define a small number
+of maqam groups rather than the large number of maqams that are in
+common use.
-@item mahouran
- @tab fa''
+In general, a maqam uses the key signature of its base maqam in the
+same group, or a neighbouring group, and varying accidentals are
+marked throughout the music.
-@item jawab nawa
- @tab sol''
+For example to indicate the key signature of a maqam muhayer piece:
-@item jawab kardan
- @tab do'''
+ \key re \bayati
-@end multitable
+Here re is the default pitch of the muhayer maqam, and bayati is the
+name of the base maqam in the group.
+While the key signature indicates the maqam base or group, it is
+common for the title to indicate the more specific maqam, so in this
+example, the name of maqam muhayer should appear in the title.
-The Arabic note names can be quite long and are not suitable for
-the purpose of music writing, so they are not defined by the
-inclusion of "arabic.ly". English note names @code{a, b, c, d, e,
-f, g} are not very familiar in Arabic music education. Italian or
-Solfege note names @code{do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, si} are more
-familiar, and can be used when @code{"arabic.ly"} is included.
-Modifiers may be used, as discussed in
-@ref{Note names in other languages}.
+You can also set the key signature using Staff.keySignature as discussed
+in @ref{Key signature}. This offers more flexibility if you don't wish
+to be limited to the key signatures that are defined in "arabic.ly", or if
+you don't wish to use the above method of determining a key signature based
+on the maqam group.
-For example, this is how the Arabic rast scale can be notated:
+For example, you can set the key signature to do sharp, mi semi-flat, and
+sol flat as follows :
@lilypond[quote,verbatim]
-%\include "arabic.ly"
-%\relative do' {
-% do re misb fa sol la sisb do sisb la sol fa misb re do
-\relative c' {
- c4
+% TODO: uncomment when arabic is added.
+%\include "arabic.ly"
+%{
+% \set Staff.keySignature = #`( (0 . ,SHARP) (2 . ,SEMI-FLAT) (4 . ,FLAT) )
+% \relative re'
+% {
+% re misb fa solb la si dod re sisb la solb fa misb re
+% }
+%}
+\relative c'{
+ c
}
@end lilypond
+@seealso
-@seealso
-
-Notation Reference:
-@ref{Note names in other languages}.
+Notation Reference:
+@ref{Key signature}.
+
+Learning Manual:
+@rlearning{Accidentals and key signatures}.
+Internals Reference:
+@rinternals{KeySignature}.
@node References for Arabic music
-@subsubsection References for arabic music
-
-
-
+@unnumberedsubsubsec References for arabic music
+
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