Masel
Oud Junkie
Posts: 367
Registered: 6-18-2006
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nuba analysis
Does anyone know about north african nuba, as used in andalucian music and chaabi? I'd like to learn a bit more, I think analyzing each nuba, even if
at a basic level, as you would a maqam, would be a good tool for all of us.
First of all, this page shows the scale (nagham) of the moroccan nuba: http://www.piyut.org.il/articles/107.html about a third way down. It's in hebrew but it talks more about the structure of the nuba (as in the
form) and not about the melodic development of each nuba ("maqam").
For example - and this is just from my listening, I haven't found any material on this - nuba raml maya uses the scale D E F G A B C D. The melody
usually concentrates on the pitch husseini (la), and the structure of this nuba is quite similar to husseini, except that instead of the note
mi-b-/segah, mi/buselik is used, and instead of si-b-/awj (=evic) si/mahur is used. Also similar to husseini rests can be made on the notes kurdan,
muhayyer, nawa, jaharka and a little rast. Also when descending sometimes mahur is flattened to ajam (SIb).
Nuba maya - from what little I know - is similar in feel to rast, except the scale is C major (nuba in theory does not use microtones, because of the
european influence and the use of many fretted instruments like mandolin, banjo etc. though in practice they may exist). As similar to rast or turkish
sazkar even you make rests on Mi/buselik, and sol/nawa, also when moving up to nawa the note fa#/hijaz is used instead of fa/jaharka. I might be wrong
in comparing to arabic/turkish maqam but I find many similarities, only different intonations.
If anyone can correct or affirm what I've said, and add more information about other nubas, please do it, this discussion could be very interesting!
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Luttgutt
Oud Junkie
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Registered: 1-10-2009
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Hi Masel!
I learned Noba Ramel Maya in Europe, and I find it facenating!
But unfortunatly, I do not understand your terminology and most of the terms you use 
Do you play that style? on oud?
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Masel
Oud Junkie
Posts: 367
Registered: 6-18-2006
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Like I said I don't know too much about this style but I want to learn more. I found a place in tel-aviv where they play chaabi, they have some great
players there and I since I have been going to hear them I got a better understanding of the moroccan and algirien styles, but I still have a long way
to go.
I know more about iraqi and classical arabic styles, and some turkish though I want to find a good turkish makam teacher in israel, if anyone knows
one please tell me!
What do you play? Could you make some clips to demonstrate for us? I tried to use both the arabic and european names for the notes, I don't know any
other terminology that exists to explain what I am saying... How would you describe raml maya then, in your words?
I made a taqsim in raml maya and one in maya, I am not very proud of them the playing is sloppier than how I sound usually but I was hurrying to
upload them just for the demonstration.
Maya http://www.box.net/shared/3yig7zeqqx
Raml maya http://www.box.net/shared/0phubb198m
And here is the great Sami elMaghribi with an orchestra playing a piyut in Raml maya
http://www.piyut.org.il/tools/player.html?quality=good&per=http...
Waiting to hear you!
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Danielo
Oud Junkie
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Hi Masel,
congratulations for your taqseem, I like your style! I guess you play on oud sharqi?
if you understand a little bit french, you should look at Erlanger's book. In volume 5 all the andalucian modes of the tunisian tradition are given,
with a short example for each. In volume 6, a full instrumental suite is given (I don't remember the nuba however).
The tunisian nuba are a little bit different from algerian and maroccoan ones, as the scales include quarter tones. The tunisian ramal maya
is the same as bayati ushayran, including the half-flat iraq and sikah, Erlanger gives a secondary jins which is like rast on C but with half-sharp
F.
I hope it helps!
Maybe you should contact Taoufik Bestandji, a master of Constantine's malouf and very nice person:
http://taoufikmalouf.free.fr/
Dan
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nouphar
Oud Maniac
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| Quote: |
The tunisian nuba are a little bit different from algerian and maroccoan ones, as the scales include quarter tones. |
To my southern spanish ears, moroccan and algerian arab-andalousian music sounds interestingly similar to much of my country's folk music, whereas
tunisian tradition seems to be closer to Levant Music. Just my thoughts, unfortunately I am no expert on this subject.
Regards.
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Luttgutt
Oud Junkie
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Hi again!
I liked the first improvisation. It reflected the right mood (for my ears :-)
Had a problem to catch the mood/feel of the second improvisation!?
And to answer your question, I would have just said: C major, with Bb as variation (instead of B), and with an E in the base. But as I said before, I
am no expert on this feeld :-)
And I should mention that it is the Morrocan Noba I learn. And that was 9 years ago :-)
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tchandler
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a good resource in english is Ruth Davis' book Ma'luf, which includes some nice analysis of tab' isbahan and sika. This site http://yafil.free.fr/partition.htm has lots of sheet music and analysis for Algerian andalusian music, and if you're lucky you can find Habib
Touma's transcription of the first mizam of nuba Maya, moroccan style. Supposedly there is a complete transcription in Western notation of Gharibat
al-Hussein done by Abdelkrim Rais, and also the entire Tunisian maluf was transcribed by the Rashidiyya in the early to mid 20th cent, but I don't
believe you can find that in the west, unless Ruth Davis has it and wants to share.
I've noticed also that the seyir as outlined in D'Erlanger doesn't always seem to match up with what I hear on contemporary recordings by people like
Rais or Metioui. That could be Tunisian vs. Moroccan (certainly!), but also things evolve, and it's worth noting that D'Erlanger got his information
from a single source, whereas much Andalusian music varies regionally. But I wish there were easy access to the seyir of the tubu' as well! (or a good
english book with seyir for Arabic maqamat while we're wishing)
best
tom
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Masel
Oud Junkie
Posts: 367
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Thanks for that link tchandler very interesting, and thanks to all who've participated. I'm sure you have more to add, why not upload taqasim or some
pieces that you play? Tomorrow I am having a lesson with a great man called Amos Ifrach, he knows somethings about the nuba, I will come back here and
tell you guys what I learned.
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