Byzantine and Islamic Music

Byzantine Music

For this project I decided to compare Byzantine and Islamic music, I felt like this could be somewhat of a challenge. For the Islamic culture does not allow some types of instruments and types of music. I found that the Byzantine cultures toward music are very similar.

For they both played the same type of music and had similar instruments that were used.

As Gregorios Stathis says in his report on Byzantine and Islamic music, the pandouras is known of in many ancient references. The pandoras is a stringed instrument which is played by strumming or plucking the strings. But there are many more instruments found in the Byzantine cultures. The eight string bouzouki was created by the addition of two extra strings to the earlier six-string pandouras. The modern eight string bouzouki is usually tuned as C F A D; this change of the tuning has given the bouzouki greater musical capability, allowing the musician to play cords the same way of a guitar. This is the most commonly used version in Byzantine music today. The bouzouki, which is a stringed instrument which consists of a box with a round back, with a neck, fixed frets and three to four sets of double strings. The bouzoukiis played by plucking or strumming the strings with a fingers or a pick.

As Gregoris Stathis talks about Islamic in his report he says similar things about the Byzantine instrument, the Islamic only used the eight string bouzouki was created by the addition of two extra strings to the earlier six-string pandouras. The bouzouki greater musical capability, allowing the musician to play cords the same way of a guitar. The Islamic culture never played with the pandoras, for them like the way the bouzouki resonates much like an acoustic guitar today. The instrument was even played the same way since there were different ways and styles of playing. The Islamic culture played more classical music in their culture and there types of music revolved around there own religion.

                                                              

                                  

 "Byzantine Music." Byzantine Music. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Dec. 2013.

"Music in the World of Islam: Handasah Al Sawt." Music in the World of Islam: Handasah Al Sawt. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Dec. 2013.

"Music[s] in Muslim Lands." Music[s] in Muslim Lands. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Dec. 2013.

"OnIslam.net." Singing and Music: Islamic View. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Dec. 2013.

"Table of Contents." CLIO History Journal. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Dec. 2013.