In the name of God of love and beauties


Some words to our sympathetic and honorable friends who adore love and beauty and the art of music. By assistance of the Almighty God, after the issue of the two manual books “The method of playing oud” and also “42 pieces for oud”, after 17 years of the first publish, and 45 years of teaching oud in different Iranian academic centers, I have decided to publish the book of “Radif of Iranian Music” which is the bed-rock of our music culture in my own specific style and form by the name “Radif Dastgahi Oud” and present it to the players and art community. I hope this will be welcome by the authorities. It is suffice to say by some considerations of Radif of several great masters, “the Radif” which had compiled under the supervision of Mr. Musa Ma’rufi, is considered as a qualified and superb work for oud. Method of playing oud, I fascinated of that book and expunged some verses like “Qesme digar, No’e digar” and bound a book for Iranian Radif Music for Oud. Hereby, I would like to appreciate the assistance of my dear and honorable students who help me from the very beginning by their knowledge and their abilities and hope they can publish the works that make our rich musical culture a wealthy endowment that will be accessible for oud players.


I am deeply indebted to esteemed students whose assistance made this publication possible:
1. Mr. Ali Pajooheshgar
2. Ms. Negar Bouban
3. Ms. Shayandokht Abedinimanesh

4. Mr. Ya’ghoub Norouzi

It is necessary to mention that the Iranian Radif Music was transmitted into a student by method of tutor teaching. But now the script of Iranian Radif Music for oud is ready for the students practicing oud and it is mandatory for an Iranian Musician to learn and memorize the 7 Dastgah and 5 Avaz in a thorough modality. Obviously it helps them to reach a better result in their performance and composing their works. Clearly it is better to follow the special performing style of each instrument by considering the range of the sounds of that instrument and also the ability and skills of the performer.

Finally, my heartfelt thanks go to Mr. Pezhman Bolourchi for recording in studio of Nahaleh Roudaki and also the last but not least Mr. Reza Mahdavi of Soureh-Mehr publishing institute for this work.

Eskandar Ebrahimi Zanjani (Mansour Nariman) - Tehran, spring 1387/2008

Father of Iran’s Oud

Bakhshi-ha are a group of artists from Khorasan that people believe God bestowed them art and it is flown in their entity more than anyone else. These artists are poets, singers, narrators of some stories, performers of the roles in the stories, instrument makers and then play their self-made instrument. Bakhshi is the person whom God has familiarized his soul with the art and bestowed a bit of His accomplishments to him. One of the last Bakhshis of Iran is the Father of Iran’s Oud, Maestro Mansour Nariman that whom God has had great blessings upon, to flow art in the soul of this maestro of morality. The artistic qualities that God bestowed Mansour Nariman as a Virtuoso of Oud playing are composing, instrument making, poetry, painting, calligraphy,and photography. Moreover, the people who know maestro Nariman in person believe that courtesy is one of the most obvious characteristics of Maestro Nariman. Maestro Mansour Nariman as the distinguished virtuous of oud has many solo oud performances in audio form. Besides he has a brilliant academic precedence in teaching oud for over 50 years in Iranian conservatories and universities of music. He has represented two books for barbat students which are used in these academic centers¹. “ shiveh-ye Barbatnavazi”² which is compiled for the preliminary preparation of barbat students and following this book the book “ 42 pieces for barbat”³ included which includes overures, Chaharmezrab, Reng: light rhythmics and rhythmical pieces which try to introduce Iranian Dastgahi Music to students. The represented book, by narration of Maestro Mansour Nariman from National Iranian Music, considers particularly the specialty of oud playing to represent a better harmonic ambience and better and easier performance. We evidence in Connoisseur Mansour Nariman’s narration the presentation of Iranian Radif Music in style of playing oud and some parts are added like overtures, Chaharmezarab and Forud. Selecting the special plucked style of oud playing by Maestro Mansour Nariman are particular and ways of performance of melodies like Tekiyeh, thrills and also applying the sound of Vakhaan make a particular intonation in this narration and all these points are followed by painstaking attention in its notation in this book for oud playing. Obedience of these points brings our performance closer to its essential form of each presented Gushe. Maestro Nariman through his great attendance to Iran’s art community has got a glorious favor to Iranian music, specially oud and oud playing which introduce Iranian Music to music art world -Since oud is one of the international instruments, by offering this book to Iran’s music community. Iranian Music of Radif have been registered in UNESCO as a world heritage, certainly, this book persuade more people who are interested in learning and recognition of this music art collection in order to pave the way of learning of Iranian Radif Music. Undoubtedly, it is a very good way of people familiarity to familiarize people with Iranian Music in the world.

Ali Pajooheshgar 10th March 2010