Understanding Arabic Music Culture - Essay Example

The culture I choose for this assignment is “Arabic Music Culture.”
The highly expressive music and poetry of this region make the bond of music here even stronger (Alves, 2012, pp.87).

Cultural Identity of following Instrument Categories
1)Aero-phones
Aerophone requires an air column to be played with. It requires the breath of the player to play it efficiently. Mizwid and nay are Arabic instruments that are categorized as aerophones (Arab Music, 2009). Bassam Saba is the master player of nay (Arabic Musical Instruments, 2007).

2) Chordophones
These are used abundantly in Arabic Music in the form of ud, buzuq, qanun, and Rabbah (Arab Music, 2009). Mohammad Abdel Karim from Syria, Matar Muhammad from Lebanon, and Ali Jihad Racy from Lebanon are master players of Buzuq (Arabic Musical Instruments, 2007).

3 )Idiophones
They create the sound of music with the strike, shake or pluck. In Arabic music, seat and mihbaj are used and can be categorized as idiophones (Arab Music, 2009). Zill is an example of an idiophone used by musicians and belly dancers. It is a pair of small metal-made round instruments. It creates a shrill sound with the strike. An example of a plucked Idiophone is Qanun. Master players of qanun are Muhammad El 'Aqqad from Egypt) and Abraham Salman from Iraq (Arabic Musical Instruments, 2007).

4)Membranophones
These are chiefly drums. They use the stretched surfaces to create voice. In Arabic music, the instruments are tabla, darbuka, and riqq (Arab Music, 2009). Master players of riq include Mohamed El 'Arabi, 'Adel Shams Eddine, and Hossam Ramzi from Egypt (Arabic Musical Instruments, 2007).

Maqam sets the stage for Arabic Music which is a mix of melodies and Arab meter (Arab Music, 2009). Amr Diab is the best singer in this context as his voice has the best quality, texture, and Arabic influence which makes one realizes the state of Sufism.