History
According to the published texts it can be confirmed that string-bowed instrument ensemble (Iranian form) is not so long. From the 60s on using the combination of two or three Kamanches(and probably a Qeychak) has become prevalent. Ardeshir Kamkar is the first composer who has written and performed notable pieces for an ensemble of string and bowed instruments without using plectrum instruments.
What is Iranian Quartet?
Iranian string quartet consists of two Kamanches, a bass Qeychak, and an alto Qeychak. This instrument combination cannot be considered a new combination, since it is similar to its western kind: Two violins, a viola, and a cello which is one of the main combinations in western music in recent 5 centuries. But one could realize some specific features in this Iranian version which are innovative in some respects.
Acoustic and performing characteristics and capacities
It’s probably not possible to reach a consensus, acceptable for all the Iranian music players’ taste as far as we have not reached some clear results in the study of different styles of playing kamanche in Iranian music. It is the same (even more complicated) about qeychak and bass qeychak, since they are both very young instruments (not for having both their own repertoire and also the lack of a union playing style and education) in today’s Iranian music.
It is clear that Iranian string quartet with the same mentioned situation and the lack of pre-gained experiments in composition or performance (because of the new arrangement) follows the same stream.
Therefore presenting any kind of definition, evaluation or classification for the techniques and performance situations of these instruments (either about each single instrument or their combination) which has to be made on clear scientific bases seems very hard at the current situations………………………………………………
Anyways, we consider the obvious characteristics of these instruments briefly:
Tunes
In playing kamanche like some other Iranian instruments some current and certain tunes are used for performance in different modes. In other words according to what is prevalent in playing kamanche in Iranian music, players usually choose the kooks traditionally in proportion to the modals and tunals of the performing track. About qeychak and bass qeychak the same spaces used in kamanche’s tune, (with a little adjustment according to the characteristics of these instruments) is prevalent. The followings tunes are those which are respectively used mostly:
1st tune
Kamanche:
TUNE 1
Qeychak:
TUNE 2
Bass qeychak:
TUNE 3
2ND tune
Kamanche:
TUNE 4
Qeychak:
TUNE 5
Bass qeychak:
TUNE 6
3RD tune
Kamanche:
TUNE 7
Qeychak:
TUNE 8
Bass qeychak:
TUNE 9
Register
According to the above mentioned tunes (in which the bassest achievable notes are clear) the most high-toned notes which are easily achievable are as follow:
(using more high-toned positions are potentially possible in qeychak and kamanche. Therefore according to the special terms of these instruments and their playing style, achieving these notes and even more high-toned notes always depend to some other factors.)
Kamanche
Qeychak
Bass qeychak
Sound quality on different strings
Different sounds on different strings of kamanche, qeychak and bass qeychak have their own positions and characteristics. Here we present briefly the acoustic samples of fingering in the first position of these instruments.
Sounds on kamanche strings on the assumption of basing the most prevalent tune(TUNE 1 in these instruments) are like this:
1st string in 1st position:
Sound 1
2nd string in 1st position:
Sound 2
3rd string in 1st position:
Sound 3
4th string in 1st position:
Sound 4
Sounds in qeychak are like this:
1st string in 1st position:
Sound 5
2nd string in 1st position:
Sound 6
3rd string in 1st position:
Sound 7
4th string in 1st position:
Sound 8
Sounds in bass qeychak are like this:
1st string in 1st position:
Sound 9
2nd string in 1st position:
Sound 10
3rd string in 1st position:
Sound 11
4th string in 1st position:
Sound 12
Performance techniques:
All the usual performance techniques in Iranian music such as right-hand techniques and left-hand techniques which are applicable in qeychak and kamanche are naturally achievable in different combinations for quartet with different qualities. Although the sound and its quality of “Iranian string quartet” differs from the western kind and has its own characteristics, many of acoustic characteristics and capacities and performance techniques of western quartet can be used for “Iranian string quartet”.
