Final performance (dissertation) to obtain a master's degree
Department of world music performance
July 2013
Abstract
In recent years, many efforts have been made in the field of comparing two instruments, violin and violin. However, no serious work has been done in the field of comparative analysis of the performance techniques and expressive possibilities of the gachak instrument and the alto violin.
The method of doing this thesis is comparative and the analysis of performance capabilities, the results of this thesis prove that despite the apparent difference between the two instruments, the alto violin and the gachak instrument, many similarities can be found in terms of right and left hand playing techniques in these two instruments.
Words Key: viola, bow techniques, fingering, qichak, performance technique, fiddles
Introduction
In this thesis, I try to address the similarities and differences of two musical instruments that have not been compared so far, an instrument with an eastern background (qichak) and another completely western from the violin family (viola). He felt the beauty of this instrument in the real sense. Therefore, on this side, I have tried to take a step, however short, in the direction of realizing the fundamental and original values ??of Eastern music, and to show the values ??of one of the oldest Iranian instruments, taking into account its unique performance capabilities, which in my opinion is comparable to one of the instruments of the same family as the violin.
Thus, I have taken a short and brief look at the history and appearance structure of each of the two instruments separately, as well as examining and adapting the performance characteristics in terms of playing techniques. I have discussed the right and left hand.
Achieving significant results, including the similarities between these two instruments, can encourage others to do a more comparative study of these two instruments.
Chapter One
A look at the history of each instrument (viola qichak)
Viola
Viola is part of the string family that was made in the early 16th century in northern Italy. Andrea Amati[1], and Gasparo Dassallo[2], were the first ones who put a lot of effort into making this instrument. This instrument is made exactly like a violin, but it is bigger than it. It was in the shadow of the violin for a long time until it finally showed its wide technical possibilities. From the end of the 18th century, composers paid attention to the color, soft and special tone of this instrument and finally realized its true importance.
Qichak
This instrument is one of the oldest musical instruments of the Iranian plateau and a part of the Indian subcontinent, which has a significant historical background among the eastern and southeastern lands of Iran (Sistan and Baluchistan). It can be understood to what extent Qichak has been important in the musical repertoire of the western lands of the Indian subcontinent, Pakistan, southern Afghanistan, and eastern Iran. The clay pottery found in Shahr Sokhte shows men and women playing the instrument by hand, the modern father of this instrument was also mentioned in some historical documents. Khord.
Special attention to customs has been and is one of the cultural and social characteristics of the people of Sistan and Baluchistan, and this has made the role of instruments and music, especially Qichak, tangible in the daily life of the people. Sistan and Baluchistan qichak is structurally very similar to the urban qichak that is used in Iranian music today. with the difference that they are different from each other in the execution method and techniques. The size of the handle, the way of fingering, and the range of sounds are among the differences between the Sistan and Baluchistan qichak and its namesake city.
Today's urban qichak was made and produced using the techniques of western instruments in two types, soprano and alto, the main reason for which was to fill the shortcomings of stringed instruments in the repertoire of traditional Iranian music. This instrument was used in most of the Iranian traditional music orchestras since the beginning of the 1950s, which continues to this day.
Chapter 2
Getting to know the mechanism and appearance of each instrument
Viola
This instrument consists of two main parts, the body and the handle.
Chapter Two
Getting to know the mechanism and appearance of each instrument
Viola
This instrument consists of two main parts, the body and the handle, and usually both parts are made of wood. The upper part of the body is called the abdomen [3] and the lower part of the body is called the back [4]. They have a smooth bend in two parts (body and handle). The back and surface of this instrument and the walls on both sides form a hollow box that acts as a resonator and increases the resonance of stringed instruments.
There is a wooden piece called sound post inside the body, which transmits sound. The handle of the instrument is called the fingerboard.
In the upper part of this instrument is the phone box, which is the place to store the Kook phones. The strings are each wrapped around one of the tuning forks and after passing through the fret and the bow, they are connected to the end of the instrument, which is called the string holder.
The bow on the string is usually between the empty space of the handle and the bow.
The viola bow is heavier and thicker than the violin bow.
The viola bow holds the strings and transmits vibrations to the body. There are two grooves on the body, which are called F grooves (because they are similar to the letter F). These grooves make the body of the instrument vibrate easily and at the same time transmit the sound from the body of the instrument. The stretching of the left hand is more especially in high positions. This instrument exists in different sizes, and nowadays viola players choose their instruments according to the size of their left hand.
Its sound is lower than the violin and lower than the cello, and it has a sad and sad sound. Its sound in the orchestra is in harmony with instruments such as clarinet[5] and bassoon[6]. Viol-like tunings are tuned just lower than the fifth interval. This instrument consists of twelve positions. The lower part is smaller and in the shape of a hemisphere, which is stretched on the front cross-section of the skin and is located on the skin. The upper part is larger, which is placed on the lower part, and both parts are connected by a curved surface from the back, and as a result, two hollow parts are formed in the lower front. The front surface of the upper part, except in the middle area, which is placed under the neck, and the other half is connected to the phone box at the top. The head consists of a small box (the location of four earphones, both earphones on one side of it) and a curved appendage for hanging the instrument, which is slightly turned back and has a horizontal direction.
The length of each of the soprano and alto strings is 56.5 cm and 63 cm, respectively, the length of the vibrating wire in the soprano string is 33.5 cm and in the alto string, 37.5 cm. be The width of each one is about three octaves. After the standardization of the instrument, the Qichak bow is exactly the same as the violin bow, but its local type is similar to the fiddle bow. This instrument has 6 positions.
Abstract
During the last few years, lots of effort was made to compare the violin and kamancheh, however, there are not many attempts to compare the techniques and features between Gheychak and viola.
The methods of this thesis are based on comparative and functionality analysis. This thesis will prove the fact that despite the appearance distinction between these two instruments, there are lots of similarities in techniques of using the left and right hands to play these instruments.
Key terms:
Viola, bow techniques, fingering, Gheychak, performance technique, fiddle.