Type of seminar: Open – Instrument centered
Participant level: The seminar is tailored for students beginning the apprenticeship of the rubab and Afghan music, but they should come with at least basic playing aptitudes, to benefit from the classes. Rubab players who wish to work on their technique, refresh and deepen their theoretical knowledge as well as expand their repertoire are also most welcome.
Sight Reading: Scores will not be used. We will instead use the saregam notation system of the Afghan-Hindustani music.
This seminar is dedicated to the transmission of the art of playing the rubab, the emblematic lute of Afghanistan known as the “lion of instruments”, and its wonderful music. Following the teachings of Ustad Daud Khan Sadozai, this introductory workshop will prepare students to attend his masterclass in the summer.
While exploring repertoire following the traditional way, by ear and repetition till melodies are memorized, we will cover important aspects of learning and playing the rubab, so that students may gain both solid practical and theoretical knowledge of Afghan music by the end.
With particular attention to technique, we will develop and improve our playing skills to produce a rich and beautiful sound, with emphasis on proper right-hand technique, too often ignored. It is essential as well for the strongly rhythmic, almost percussive character of the rubab. We will also look at ornamentation and, last but not least, we will work on avoiding physical tension while playing.
On a theoretical side, we will learn about the language of Hindustani music: saregam (Hindustani “solfege”), raga (melodic modes) and tala (rhythmic cycles), which are also the fundamentals of Afghan music. This will allow us to build a solid understanding of the various composition forms, from folk songs to classical instrumental pieces, as well as to approach improvisation, an important part of this music.
As Afghan master Ustad Hashem Chishti famously said, we need one life to learn, one life to play, but first and foremost one life to listen to music. To familiarize ourselves with the different touch of rubab masters and the various regional styles from Afghanistan and beyond, we will also listen to recordings throughout the classes, which will be shared after the seminar.
Timetables:
Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | |
Evening | 15:00-17:30 &18:30-21:00 |
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Event Date | 03-04-2025 3:00 pm |
Event End Date | 08-04-2025 9:00 pm |
Individual Price | 248€ |
Location | Houdetsi |