![]() ![]() The evolution of guitar was not unidirectional there were multiple courses due to the active sea trade routes and the cosmopolitan nature of the Mediterranean. Every time I listen to the song “Zyryab,” I imagine the maestro’s journey from Mesopotamia to Spain, and then, with the jazz chords built into the composition, I think of his legacy crossing the Atlantic. Along with Chick Corea on piano, this album is a fascinating mix of Andalusian music traditions with modern jazz, which truly lives up to the legacy of Zyryab himself. In fact, one of my favorite albums (and compositions) is named after Zyryab, by the legendary flamenco guitarist and composer Paco de Lucía. It is possible to say that Zyryab is one of the most important figures responsible for the formation of many Andalusian music traditions, which has led to the creation of guitar, to the foundations of Spanish classical music, and even the music of Flamenco. For this reason, it was not difficult to adapt oud into the local musical culture and by the eleventh century, not only had Zyryab’s teachings become the norm in Iberia, but they had already spread to Europe. ![]() The teachings of Zyryab and the oud were not a complete shock to the people in Spain, because they were already familiar with the stringed instrument of pandura that Romans had brought a few centuries earlier. Moreover, he added a fifth pair of strings to the instrument. ![]() Zyryab traveled to Spain with his oud and he opened a music school in Córdoba, where he trained many students in the Mesopotamian music traditions. With the Islamic conquest of Spain in the eighth century AD, many scientists, mathematicians, lawyers, philosophers, astronomers, and musicians from Mesopotamia moved to Spain, which also meant that the oud headed there as well.Īmong the intellectuals who moved to Spain was a polymath from Baghdad with the name of Zyryab (or sometimes stylized as Ziryab). However, this did not mean the oud was going to stay as a regional instrument, and a crucial event in the eighth century started the oud’s journey to the west. Rooted in Mesopotamia, the oud was a pivotal instrument that helped preserve centuries worth of music knowledge from Ancient Greece to Mesopotamian civilizations. It used sophisticated microtonal melody and tetrachord harmonic systems. Let’s talk about the oud a little more: The oud has flourished into a more significant instrument than the others in this paragraph. It was adapted to other cultures in the region and within a few centuries, the lute evolved into new stringed instruments such as the pandura, tanbur, barbat, and the oud, which we’ve already mentioned. Within the dynamic exchange environment of this region, the lute traveled from Mesopotamia to other parts of the Mediterranean basin. Throughout history, Mediterranean civilizations have always been connected to one another through strong trade, migration, and cultural roots. A Hittite stone carving depicting someone playing what looks like a lute. Drumbrill, the first lute appears in archeological findings around 3300-3100 BCE on a cylinder seal figure in Mesopotamia and later in a Hittite stone carving in Anatolia. According to a book by musicologist Richard J. In fact, the earliest ancestor of the modern classical guitar is thought to be the ancient lute from Mesopotamia. It is not clear how the name kithara evolved into guitar when there are closer ancestors of the guitar such as the lute or oud, but I would guess that it might have to do with the archetypal presence of kithara as the stringed instrument of the god of music, Apollo. ![]() Nevertheless, this instrument has no direct relation to the modern classical guitar, except the name. Kithara is thought to have a Pre-Greek origin and it is believed to have been created and played by Apollo, the God of Music. The word “guitar” originates from kithara, a seven-string lyre with roots in Anatolia. Take the Fundamentals of Classical Guitar course from Berklee Online. In this article, I’ll share with you the fascinating journey of this instrument and its evolution across multiple continents, seas, and centuries. As a composer and a guitar player, I am frequently reminded of the profound history and mysterious journey of classical guitar. Through its journey, the sounds and harmonies of the guitar have inspired many cultures and societies in different corners around the world. Just like the waves of human migration across history, the classical guitar has also traveled and evolved from Mesopotamia to Spain, and then to the Americas. The history of the classical guitar is paved with the major milestones of the history of humanity. ![]()
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