Dastgāh

Terminology

The term dastgāh has often been compared to the musical mode in Western musicology, but this is inaccurate. A dastgāh is usually the name of the initial mode of a piece, which the music returns to—and moreover, a dastgāh identifies a group of modes grouped according to tradition. In short, a dastgāh is both the collective title of a grouping of modes and the initial mode of each group.

According to musicians themselves, the etymology of the term dastgāh is associated with "the position (gāh) of the hand (dast) [on the neck of the instrument]". The Persian term dastgah can be translated as "system", and dastgāh is then "first and foremost a collection of discrete and heterogeneous elements organized into a hierarchy that is entirely coherent though nevertheless flexible."

In conventional classifications of Persian music, Abū ʿAṭā, Dashti, Afshāri, and Bayāt-e Tork are considered sub-classes of Šur dastgāh. Likewise, Bayāt-e Esfahān is a sub-class of Homāyun, reducing the number of principal dastgāhs to a total of seven. A sub-class in the conventional system is referred to as āvāz.

Distinguished pitches

A dastgāh is more than a set of notes, and one component of the additional structure making up each dastgāh is which pitches are singled out for various musical functions.

Examples include:

Finalis

It's so named because it usually functions as the goal or destination tone that melodic cadences end on when they have a conclusory feel. This is also sometimes referred to as "tonic" but some authors avoid that usage because "tonic" is associated with Western tonality.

Āghāz ('beginning')

It's the pitch on which an improvisation in a dastgāh usually begins. In some dastgāhs it is different from the finalis while in others it is the same pitch.

Ist ('stop')

It's a pitch other than the finalis which often serves as the ending note for phrases other than final cadences

Shāhed ('witness')

It's a particularly prominent pitch.

Moteghayyer ('changeable')

It's a variable note – one that consistently appears as two distinct pitches, which can be used alternately in different contexts or at the performer's discretion.

The Seven Dastgahs

Most scholars divide the traditional Persian art music to seven dastgāhs. Others divide them into 12 dastgāhs by counting Abu Ata, Dashti, Afshari, Bayat-e Kord and Bayat-e Esfahan as separate dastgāhs rather than subcategories of other dastgāhs.

Those who categorize the traditional Persian art music into seven dastgāhs often also list seven āvāzes (Persian: آواز, which means songs) in conjunction with these dastgāhs.

The following is a list of the seven dastgāhs and seven āvāzes:

Common Dastgah and Avaz

There are listed in order as per the radif (music) of Mirza Abdollah.

Flats are shown with a ׳♭׳. Koron (half flats) are shown with a ׳p׳.

• Shur شور (C^a D^f Ep F G A/Ap^m B♭ C)
  • Bayat-e-tork بیات ترک (C^a,i D Ep F^f,ŝ G A B♭ C)
  • Dashti دشتی (C D^f E♭ F^a G A/Ap^m,ŝ B♭ C)
  • Abu-ata ابوعطا (C D^f Eb^a,i F G^a,ŝ Ap B♭/Bp C)
  • Afshari افشاری (C^f D E♭ⁱ F G^a,ŝ Ap/A^m B♭ C)
• Segah سه‌گاه (C D/Dp Ep^a,f,ŝ F G Ap B♭ C)
• Nava نوا (C D Epⁱ F^a G^f A B♭ C)
• Homayun همایون (C D E♭^a Fⁱ G^f Ap^ŝ B C)
  • Bayat-e-Esfahan (also called simply Esfahan) اصفهان (C D Epⁱ F♯ G^a,f,ŝ A B♭ C)
• Chahargah چهارگاه (C^f Dp E F G Ap^a B C)
• Mahur ماهور (C^a,f D^ŝ E F G A B C)
• Rast-Panjgah راست‌ پنجگاه (C D E F^a,f G A B♭ C)

Less common are:

• Bayat-e-kord (C D E♭ F G Ap B♭ C) (Sometimes included as an Avaz under Shur)
• Shushtar (Sometimes included as an Avaz under Homayun, but usually just as a gushe)

Note that in some cases the sub-classes (āvāzs) are counted as individual dastgāhs, yet this contradicts technicalities in Iranian music.