For uses of Takht in contexts other than music, see Takht

Takht

Takht may refer in English to:* Takht , the temporal seat of power or throne of authority in Sikhism....

.

Takht (alternatively spelled Takhat) is the representative musical ensemble

Musical ensemble

A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...

, the orchestra

Orchestra

An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...

, of Middle Eastern music

Middle Eastern music

The music of Western Asia and North Africa spans across a vast region, from Morocco to Afghanistan, and its influences can be felt even further afield. Middle Eastern music influenced the music of India, as well as Central Asia, Spain, Southern Italy, the Caucasus and the Balkans, as in chalga...

. In Egypt

Egypt

Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...

, Syria

Syria

Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....

, Lebanon

Lebanon

Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...

, Palestine

Palestine

Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....

, and Jordan

Jordan

Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...

, the ensemble consists of the oud

Oud

The oud is a pear-shaped stringed instrument commonly used in North African and Middle Eastern music. The modern oud and the European lute both descend from a common ancestor via diverging paths...

, the qanun

Kanun (Instrument)

The Qanun is a string instrument found in the 10th century in Farab in Turkestan...

, the kamanjah (or now alternatively violin

Violin

The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....

), the ney

Ney

The ney is an end-blown flute that figures prominently in Middle Eastern music. In some of these musical traditions, it is the only wind instrument used. It is a very ancient instrument, with depictions of ney players appearing in wall paintings in the Egyptian pyramids and actual neys being found...

, the riq

Riq

The riq is a type of tambourine used as a traditional instrument in Arabic music. It is an important instrument in both folk and classical music throughout the Arabic-speaking world...

, and the darabukkah . The word takht means "bed", "seat", or "podium" in Arabic.

The melody instruments may play heterophonically in octave

Octave

In music, an octave is the interval between one musical pitch and another with half or double its frequency. The octave relationship is a natural phenomenon that has been referred to as the "basic miracle of music", the use of which is "common in most musical systems"...

s or perform solo

Solo (music)

In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...

s. Instrumental forms include bashraf, sama'i

Sama'i

A vocal piece of Ottoman Turkish music composed in 6/8 meter, or usul semai, or yürük semai. This form and meter is often confused with the completely different Saz Semaisi, an instrumental form consisting of three to four sections, in 10/8 meter, or usul aksak semai...

, tahmilah

Tahmilah

A taḥmīlah is a type of instrumental piece in Arabic music. Often played by a takht ensemble, the tahmilah features the alternation between solo instruments and the full ensemble....

, and dulab

Dulab

A dūlāb is a short instrumental composition used as an introduction in Arabic music, which serves to introduce the maqam. It is generally performed in unison by a full ensemble....

. The ensemble may be joined by a male or female vocalist and a group of four to six singers who provide the refrain

Refrain

A refrain is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the "chorus" of a song...

 sections. Vocal genres performed include dawr

Dawr

A dawr is a genre of Arabic vocal music sung in regional or colloquial Arabic...

, muwashshah

Muwashshah

Muwashshah or muwaššaḥ can mean:...

, layali

Layali

Layālī is a style of unmetered modal improvisation, based on a maqam, performed by a singing voice in Arabic music. It is similar to the taqsim, which is performed by a solo instrument....

, ma'luf

Ma'luf

Ma'lūf is a genre of art music in the Andalusian classical music tradition of Algeria, Libya and Tunisia. It was revived in the 1920s by the French musicologist Baron Rodolphe d'Erlanger.-References:...

, qasidah, and mawwal

Mawwal

In Arabic music, the mawwāl is a traditional genre of vocal music that is usually presented before the actual song begins. It is characterized by spelling vowel syllables longer than usual...

.

While the takht typically comprised between two and five musicians, a similar, but larger ensemble (numbering eight or more) is called a firqa

Firqa

Firqa is a musical ensemble or orchestra in Middle Eastern music. While a similar ensemble called takht typically comprised between two and five musicians, the firqa generally numbers eight or more....

in Arabic.