The concept of melodic progression (Seyir) in Persian classical music

Abstract

Melodic progression is one of the most essential elements of the “Mode” definition in Iranian and Arabic-Turkish music. There is a distinctive manifestation of this concept in Persian classical music due to the distinctive features of Dastgāh. This article aims to trace some continuities in the concept of melodic progression, reaching from the earliest medieval treatises, through the Safavid period, and into the modern era, when the Dastgāh became dominant. In this musical system the concept of melodic progression has recently been termed Seyir-e Naghmegi, where Seyir is used as an acronym for that concept. The purpose of this study is to explore the role and position of Seyir within the Dastgāhi system. So this study’s problems are: Due to the multi-layered structure of the Dastgāh, how many levels is the concept of Seyir defined? How are the different levels of the Seyir concept related to each other? The recent reports on Seyir in the literature on the subject, from the micro to macro levels, have been discussed separately. Thus, the purpose of the study was to come to a conclusion by describing different repertoire narrations and deductive reasoning in order to draw a conclusion. Using a descriptive-analytic approach, the article collected written information as library studies and discussed it. Manuscripts and treatises are also studied using the historical method. According to this study, the Seyir concept appears at three levels, each of which is independent, coherent, and contiguous. According to the article, the following three levels have been identified: Micro level: Gūsheh, Middle level: Āvāz, Macro level: Dastgāh. This study demonstrates that Seyir, as an abstract concept in a modal structure, does not define “melody” in any exact sense, thus forcing the melody to conform to the exact expression of the mode. The concept of Seyir in a Dastgāhi system, as a framework that is closed in the dimensions of seven Dastgāh-hā and five or with a grace of six Āvāz-hā, offers the possibility of endogenizing new modes on previously used platforms within the system. While the use of different permutations of the tetrachords and pentachords gives “98 Circles” the concept of Seyir can create infinite modes. In short, the Seyir in its general and common sense in the Iranian and Arabic-Turkish field refers to a set of modal aesthetic criteria that provides the basis for transforming mode into a definite and tangible form. As Seyir progresses from abstraction (sound scale) to determination (melody), it incorporates concepts such as melodic figures. In this regard, Seyir’s ability to organize new modes on a mutual scale with existing modes is expanded.