The Arabic Maqam on Double Bass

Abstract

After participating in a project, Remy awakened his interest in Arabic traditional music. Being trained as a jazz, pop and classical bassist, he found that this music left him clueless, but mesmerized. That was when he decided to learn more about this musical genre, and dedicated his Master’s degree to the subject. In his research, Remy aimed to find ways to incorporate elements from traditional Arabic music into his own musical practice as a Jazz double bass player. To reach this goal, Remy researched both rhythmic and melodic aspects of the Arabic music tradition. The first step was to understand the theory and the melodic and rhythmic information involved, encountering challenging topics like quartertones and complex rhythms and song structures. Secondly he searched to find ways to translate the melodic and rhythmic elements on to the double bass, creating several exercises to gain familiarity with the material. The third step of the research was about applying his findings into his artistic practice. By composing new tunes and arranging existing songs, both from the traditional Arabic world as from the jazz genre, Remy aimed to let the discoveries of his research sink in in his musical creativity. Remy’s presentation will take you through his journey discovering this music. He will guide you through the three steps of his discoveries, looking at the melodic elements of the Arabic musical tradition, and how he implemented these into his own musical practice. Master Research exposition by Remy Dielemans Jazz Double Bass, Royal Conservatoire the Hague Supervised by: Loes Rusch Master Circle Leader: Wim Vos