Again I find myself looking into the idea of the structural arcs of taqasim (improvisation in the Arab musical traditions). Despite the idea of improvisation being that of complete freedom in expressing sound or music (assuming that the two are different), there generally seems to be an agreement of there being what is generally ‘acceptable’ as a successful attempt at improvising within classical Arab musical traditions.

I must also point out that I have recently been experimenting with the impact of intonation within the framework of improvising in the taqasim approach. Intonation, I find, certainly adds an important depth to a musical work that is prepared in the taqasim improvisational style. One must remember that although there needs to be a strong understanding of maqam (mode) and iqa’a (rhythm), intonation – perhaps as Harry Partch argued is the very foundation of the origin of music in its most corporeal form – must never be overlooked.

In this following piece, I attempt to deconstruct elements of this improvisational arc as played on an electric oud running through Ableton Live and Max4Live. Please refer to my art music manifesto for more background.

ALMOST BEAUTIFUL: