Daf and Taraneh

The Daf, and other skin-frame drums are believed to be some of the oldest percussion instruments

in the world. Because of its wide geographic origins and diverse socio-cultural context, there are

multiple variations of how the drum is used.

Over the past decade, Persian classical musicians have become interested in the mystical and folk

genres of Iranian music, combining those traditions with classical Iranian music. The Daf has

served to bring these distinct forms of music together. As such, the spiritual, cultural and ethnic

qualities found in those non-classical traditions became authentically integrated into classical styles

of performance. This development also explains the Daf's more recent popularity among classical

Iranian musicians. Additionally, we know from photographs taken throughout the Qajar Dynasty

that techniques and use during that time period also reflect different musical contexts, such as for

entertainment purposes in the royal courts.

Unfortunately, even though the Daf has become very popular, there is a lack of solid resources and

materials for students to learn to play it properly. Hence, my goal and motivation in producing

these lessons has been to introduce methods that combine my 34 years of experience. The following

lessons are a compilation of all the notations I have written for my students over the past decades.

It is not uncommon to pass along Daf instruction either through oral tradition from the heart, or by

charting out lessons in Western notation. My personal experience has proven that both approaches

bring a more comprehensive and holistic way to learning this instrument.

During my years of teaching, I have often deliberated about how to transmit the passion and

musicality of the Daf while teaching rhythms to students. Clearly, in the early stages of learning

this instrument students will be more focused on securing the rhythms without having a deeper

sense of the music. But over time, they will intuitively start to develop that musical understanding.

In order to bridge that learning curve, in the early lessons I teach how to chant and play rhythm at

the same time. Furthermore, I teach how to apply the integration of these melodies and rhythmic

patterns to different songs.

Essentially, teaching traditional ballads along