This is the Instruments menu, listing the instruments you can play:

Every instrument you select will open up and allow you to play it, virtually of course, by using your computer keyboard.


For example, here is the ud's playing surface:

Try to "pluck" the computer keyboard and you will be able to hear the sounds of your virtual ud. Browse right and left, and notice that the maqam changes (Nahawand, Hijaz, Saba, for example, are names of the different maqamat). The browsing order among maqamat is from the saddest one to the happiest one. Pressing the bicycle icon will replace a maqam to the nearest one to which players in the East switch while improvising.

The three icons above open several hidden components:
The maqam songs - pressing this button will offer songs written in the maqam in which you are to be played.
The Mosaicons section - pressing this button will upload the Mosaicons and allow you to plan your taqsim.
The notepad - pressing this button will open a kind of simple word processor for writing notes, impressions, things you have learnt or that you may want to remember, etc.


This is the rhythm menu:

Here you can choose rhythms to accompany your improvisation and playing.



This is a menu that includes atmosphere sounds, to accompany your improvisation and to give it a unique charm:

Every atmosphere you select will give the music you make a unique charm, and allow you to improvise or perform an existing song, using it as background. The music you can make here will knock down walls of hatred and connect us humans to one another; all human beings, regardless of religion, nationality, race or gender - we are all human and there are no differences among us.

Rhythms and atmosphere sounds in the background also have shortcut keys; press here to learn about them.



This is the Mosaicons section. Mosaicons are graphic units that allow the planning of an oriental improvisation - the taqsim:

By dragging the Mosaicon, you can "build" yourselves your own improvisation game plan, and later, perform it. Pay attention to the fact that every Mosaicon has a different graphic meaning, describing what should be played musically.
The upper left Mosaicon, for example, describes... that's right! A descending line of notes.
Pay attention: Mosaicons are not notes, and therefore do not represent defined sounds. Their importance is in describing sounds' general direction. Hence, the improvisation game plan can be open enough to let you improvisation renew itself all the time; thus, no performance will be the same as its predecessor.

A detailed explanation about Mosaicons




This is the Songbook:

Notice the song presented in the book, written in the simple sound-language we developed for your convenience

In the playing Songbook, you can find songs in every maqam you want. What is a maqam? Well, the simplest way to describe it would be "the Oriental scale" of notes. Although the maqam, in the culture of the Middle East, is more than a collection of notes to be played, but for this purpose, this definition will do (for the moment). When browsing the different maqamat (plural of "maqam"), on the musical instrument of your selection, you can choose songs from the playing book, written in that particular maqam. If you perform a song according to the written key numbers (just press the corresponding keys on your computer keyboard), you will find that you are playing the requested song.


What are the signs for performing songs?

Numbers 1-9 and the symbol ~ tell you to play the upper line of keys, from "~" to "9".

The symbol "=" stands for holding the note one more beat.

The symbol "." after the number stands for holding the note half beat more.

Numbers within brackets stands for short notes (2 notes on each beat).

The symbol ":||" tells you to repeat the section, beginning at the symbol "||:". If you can't find such a sign, go back to the beginning of the song.

The symbol "_" represents a one beat rest.



There is one more component that is only on the online version of our Taqasim. That is the Virtual Diwan. The Virtual Diwan is a songbook to which everyone, from all over the world, can add tunes written in our simple language, and thus everybody can enjoy these tunes. You can add tunes of songs you know, you can write new ones and publish them here to the entire community, and in the future you will even be able to record tunes and improvisations of your own creation.

Press this icon to open the virtual Diwan

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Help for shortcut keys

Detailed explanation about the Mosaicons

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