Crossing Borders/Breaking Boundaries IV:
The Impact of Islamic Culture on the Arts of the Renaissance

July 19-26, 2004
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Title: The Classical Guitar: Background, History & Comparisons

Name: Marianne Pastelak, Aderdeen Middle School

Grades: 6-8, Chorus & Music

This lesson is appropriate for students in grades 7-9. Although this need not be a music class, it would be especially applicable to those learning to play the classical guitar.

This lesson is Day 1 of an 8-day music unit. It will take approximately 40-50 minutes (one class period). At the end of the 8-day unit, the students will combine with the foreign language class (Tim McKay’s lesson, "Linguisttic and Cultural Fusion") to share findings on language, music, geography, and culture.

The purpose of this lesson is to show students the evolution of the stringed instruments that preceded the guitar, from the Middle East to Spain. It targets the following National Standards for Music Education:
#6 – Listening to, analyzing and describing music (MD Standards 6a & 6b);
#8 – Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts; and
#9 – Understanding music in relationship to history and culture (MD Standards 9a & 9c).

At the culmination of this lesson, students will be able to:

  • Name different parts of the classical guitar and understand their purpose in its construction.
  • Describe the route that ancient string instruments may have taken in their migration from the Middle East toward Spain.
  • Show the changes that took place in the string instruments which evolved during that migration.
  • Create a model or diagram of an original instrument, based on the historical and cultural facts of the evolution of the guitar.

The teacher will demonstrate the classical guitar, the oud (‘ud), and the lute, through drawings, diagrams, sound recordings, video recordings, and/or live demonstration. This demonstration will lead the students into discussion of how the instruments changed throughout their migration of time and culture. (It is suggested that students have already been introduced to the guitar and have seen the differences and similarities among the classical, plectrum ,and electric guitars.)

Implementing the Lesson

  1. Parts of the Guitar
    • Teacher will refer to the diagram “Parts of the Classical Guitar” [to be included]. Explain the purpose of each part as it is pointed out.
    • Indicate parts on an actual classical guitar and ask students to identify those parts and iterate their purposes.
  2. Evolution
    • Distribution
      • Display a map of ancient trade routes [to be included]. Discuss with the students the trade travel that took place from the Middle East to Europe during the Medieval and Renaissance Eras.
      • Display a map of troubadours in Europe [to be included]. Point out how the roaming musicians of Europe further distributed the products brought in through trade, especially musical instruments, which were used by the musicians.
    • Predecessors: Show each instrument (actual or pictorial) and demonstrate what each sounds like (live demonstration or a sound recording). Have students describe what they see and hear.
      • ‘Ud/Oud – Middle East: comes from the word “al-oud,” (“branch of wood”); 5 courses (pairs of strings), played with a plectrum; 3 sound holes; no frets; half-pear shape. Lute – Italy/Spain: 7 – 9 courses, played with the fingers; one sound hole; frets; half-pear shape.
      • Guitar – Spain: 6 strings, classical played with the fingers, plectrum played with a pick; one sound hole; frets; flat back, indented sides.

Student/Teacher Discussion: Compare and contrast the parts of the oud, lute, and guitar. What changed? What stayed the same? Point out how each instrument was adapted to fit the needs of the people of each culture and their music.

Materials:

  • Diagrams of the guitar, lute, and oud. [to be included] May be shown on a transparency or copied for individual student use.
  • Guitar(s) for demonstration and student use. Oud and lute, if possible, or posters/ photos of each.
    Recordings of classical oud (Persian, Egyptian, etc.), Renaissance lute (Italian, Spanish), and classical guitar (Spanish).
  • Medieval/Renaissance trade routes map and troubadour map. [to be included]

Resources:
www.shira.net – glossary of Arabic music
www.kairarecords.com – oud home page
Travel and Travellers of the Middle Ages, Newton
Learning to Play the Lute, DeGroot
Golden Age of the Moor, Sertima
[more resources to be listed, including suggestions of recordings]

Recordings of Middle Eastern Music:
Nass Marrakech – Sabil ‘a ‘Salaam. Durham, NC: Ahila Records 1021, 2000.
Contemporary Moroccan, vocal and instrumental.

The Sons of Mesopotamia. Dubai: EMI Arabia, 2001
Traditional Iraqi, vocal and instrumental.

Dastar Ensemble with Shahram Nazeri – Through Eternity: Persian devotional music: Homage to Molavi (Rumi). Boulder: Sounds True, 1999.
Traditional Irani.

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Rapture: An essential selection from the genius of Qawwali. Music Collection International, 1997.
Sufi mystic – vocal.

Munu Bashu & Omar Bashu: Duo de ‘ud (‘Ud Duet). Budapest: SAGA, 1998.
Iraqi, ‘uds.

Hossein Omoumi – Persian Classical Music. Charlottesville, VA: Nimbus, 1993.
Ney and tombak (instrumental).

The Story of Arabic Song. Los Angeles: EMI Arabia, 2000.

Master Shahidi – Oud Solo. Canoga Park CA: Caltex 2072, 1991.
Shahidi. Canoga Park CA: Caltex 2245, 1996.
Oud.

Hamza-el-din – Escalay (The Water Wheel), oud music from Nubia. New York: Nonesuch, 1971 & 1998.

Nawal al Zoghbi – Ellimane Toh. Cairo: Digital Press, 2002.
Vocal (female) pop music.

Iran: Persian Classical Music. New York: Nonesuch, 1974 & 1991.

The Music of Islam. Tucson: Celestial Harmonies, 1997.
(Purchased at the National Art Gallery)

Sunshine Arabia 2003 – 15 Hip Hot Hits. Compilation: EMI Music Arabia, 2003.
Arabic pop – various male & female vocalists, some instrumental.

Najwa Karam – Saharni. Cairo: EMI Music Arabia, 2003.
Female vocal pop.

A Tribute to Om Kalsoum. Glendale, CA: Hollywood Music Center, 2001
Traditional Persian.

Amr Diab – Aktar Wahed. Cairo: Alam El Phan, 2001.
Amr Diab – Allem Alby. Cairo: Alam El Phan, 2003.
Male pop vocal.

Other stuff for you:

World Tales, collected by Idries Shah (Sufi)
ISBN 0-86304-036-5
ISHK Books – www.ishkbooks.com
(They also have several books listed on Sufi studies.)

Folkwear Patterns
www.folkwear.com
Patterns for authentic costumes from Turkey, Afghanistan, Gaza, Egypt, Syria, Morocco, plus a Flamenco dress pattern.

Istanbul Bazaar
Tyson’s Corner Mall (1), McLean, VA, lower level by Hecht’s
theistanbulbazaar.com
Turkish textile and ceramic goods, including pillow covers, table runners, shawls, wall hangings and tapestries, plates and bowls, painted in traditional style, some with Arabic script. (The website does not currently offer the plates and bowls.)

Incomplete Unit Lessons

Days 2-4: Student Project
Materials: Notes from previous discussions, classical guitar diagram, art materials.
(Review Day 1 discussion and demonstration.)
Create a drawing or 3D model of an acoustic string instrument you have developed, based on what you know about the guitar, lute, and oud. Write a description of your instrument, name it, and point out any special features you have invented or added.

{While students work, play various (classical) recordings of oud, lute, and guitar. As students complete their projects, they may go back to individual guitar practice, or other assignments.}

Day 5: Student Presentations
[Rubrik to be added.]

Day 6: Oud – Lute – Guitar: Did it survive?

(20-30 minutes)
Students will be divided into small discussion groups to answer the following questions.

Each of the cultures we discussed developed a string instrument that met the needs of its people.
a.Do you think it is still used in today’s popular music of that country?
b.Why or why not?

Oud
(Egypt)
a
b
Lute
(Italy)
a
b

Guitar
(Spain)

a
b

(15-20 minutes)
Share your group’s opinions with the class. Did all groups come up with the same conclusions? (Teacher collects papers for reference use at next lesson.)


Day 7: Find Out the Truth.

Review Day 6’s predictions and discussion.
Play examples of current pop music from Spain, Italy and Egypt, listening for guitar, lute, and oud. Have class discuss their findings.

Day 8: Groupwork.

1.In groups of 4-5 student each, prepare a brief (10-15 minute) presentation on “The Classical Guitar: Background, History, & Comparisons.” Include important information as well as facts that you found interesting.

2.Presentations: Rate each group on their presentation to the class. Try to listen with “new ears” – as though you are not familiar with the information that was presented.


_____ Content – Did the presenters include the most important information?

_____ Presentation – Did the presentation hold your interest?

_____ Creativity – Was it presented in an original manner?

_____ Professionalism – Did the presenters/performers “respect” their audience (i.e. no silliness, colloquialisms, or stage fright)?

TOTAL: ______


3.The group with the highest score will present at the integrated activities with the foreign language class.

Sponsored by
the Center for Renaissance & Baroque Studies
and the Maryland State Department of Education