Sounds of the Past: Identifying Instruments in Modern Egyptian Music
Sounds of the Past:
Identifying Instruments in Modern Egyptian Music
Assignments to hand in: Matching Audio Tracks to Instrument Cards & Comprehension Questions
Introduction: Look at the following pictures: Tomb Painting of Egyptian Musicians Modern Egyptian Musicians
Much of what we know about ancient Egyptian music comes from paintings created in temples, monuments, and tombs. By studying the instruments and the hand gestures of the musicians and the chironomist (director) in these paintings, scholars have gained a great deal of information about ancient Egyptian music and the purposes for which it was played. Moreover, archeologists have uncovered pieces of ancient instruments that have allowed them to speculate (guess) about the instruments' size and shape, as well as the sounds they produced. They believe that the core instruments of ancient Egyptian musical ensembles probably included the harp (both arched and angular), the flute, the lute, the lyre, the tambourine, the drum, finger cymbals, and instruments similar to the modern clarinet and oboe. Still, the lack of written resources and a system of notation make it virtually impossible for us to know exactly what these instruments sounded like or how they were used in compositions.
Many instruments used in modern Egyptian folk music are similar to their ancient counterparts in shape, size and the materials used to construct them. While modern Egyptian instruments are made differently from the ancient ones because music has become standardized and is played by larger orchestras, the techniques used to play the instruments have not changed. Moreover, the use of music to celebrate traditional occasions, such as weddings, is remarkable similar to that in scenes from ancient tomb paintings depicting musicians at public festivals. The role of music in modern Egyptian society, however, has changed greatly from ancient times. Modern Egyptian musicians perform their music for the general public, rather than being employed by the royal (pharaoh's) court. Whereas, in ancient times, Egyptians were only able to hear their favorite songs at public festivals. In addition, Egyptian music has been influenced by Arabic music, imported with the Arab conquest of Egypt around the eighth century C.E., and, more recently, music from the West.
Step 1: Download and print the Egyptian Instrument Cards. Read over each one carefully.
Step 2: Listen to the following audio tracks of Egyptian instruments and match each of them to the corresponding Instrument Card. Record your answers on a separate piece of paper.
Track 1 Track 2 Track 3 Track 4 Track 5 Track 6
Step 3: Now, listen to the following three audio tracks and decide which types of instruments are being played in these ensembles. Record your answers on the piece of paper.
Step 4: Answer the following comprehension questions on the piece of paper:
1. What was challenging about identifying musical instruments?
2. Are modern Egyptian instruments similar to other instruments you have seen or played? Explain.
3. What did you learn about the relationship between ancient Egyptian instruments and their modern counterparts? How are they similar? How are they different?
