excerpt from 4th hane Nihavend saz semai

Another one of my favorite pieces, originally written by famous Turkish composer Mesut Cemil Bey. Sometimes (Arabic speakers especially) will call it Nahawand Samai and spell his name Massoud Jamil Bey or other variations. This piece does employ some of the microtonal parts of the makam, which makes it a really fun challenge. I don't do it justice, but I really enjoy playing it nonetheless!

Saz Semai is a form in middle eastern music, kind of like a sonata in Western music. They are almost always in 10/4 or 10/8 depending how it's written, with emphasis on beats 1,6, and 7. Saz Semais consist of several "Hanes" (khana in arabic) and a Teslim, which is like a refrain/chorus that's repeated after each Hane. The first Hane introduces the makam in its basic form, and subsequent Hanes usually explore different modulations. The final hane is almost always in a different time signature (often 6/8 or 7/8)-- in this piece, the 4th Hane in 7/8 is definitely my favorite part!

i think i can play this better and do a better job recording it, but i couldn't resist attempting it as soon as i learned the role thing.