The Descending Pattern Technique is something you will definitely hear when you listen to Middle Eastern music. You’ll hear it in short phrases and in longer phrases. It’s used during taqsim and in compositions.
In essence, it is simply a musical phrase that gets repeated on different notes descending the maqam or scale.
It’s like creating little musical theme and then copying it on different notes making a longer musical phrase.
Check out the video below to learn how to do it!
The Descending Pattern Technique for Taqsim
Difficulty: moderate
What?
I already defined it above, but here is a short musical excerpt from a famous Samai by Tatyos Effendi
Why?
Music is often about creating expectation in your audience and then sometimes surprising them with something they didn’t expect.
This technique creates a simple theme that your audience can follow, and when they hear it repeated they know what to expect. When your audience can anticipate what will be heard during a taqsim or composition, a synchronicity is created between the listener and the musician when that theme is played. This is what makes music catchy. That’s what makes the chorus of all the pop songs on the radio get stuck in your head.
How?
1. Create a short musical phrase in any maqam you want. It can be as simple or as complicated as you want. Play it on a note, it can be any note.
2. Replicate this phrase on the next note below the one you started on.
3. Replicate it in this descending manner as far down the maqam as you want.
4. The tricky part is ending the phrase. You need to stop somewhere. It’s easiest to stop on the root or tonic of the maqam. But you can end the phrase anywhere in theory.
Tips for Success:
In order to really learn how to do this, you’ll have to listen for these descending phrases in the music you listen to and see how other artists put these together. Just listen and let the melodies settle in your heart. Hum along with the tune as you hear it because, if you can sing it, you can play it!
Next week you’ll learn another technique similar to this which you can use during taqsim. Be the first to see it by subscribing below. And if you liked this article and want to learn more about taqsim and maqamat check out the Maqam Mastery Program.
Great post and video Navid! I’ve been enjoying them all, and this is a really nice and very useful addition. 🙂