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
