Takht (music)

Takht (alternatively spelled Takhat) () is the representative musical ensemble, the orchestra, of Middle Eastern music. In Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, and Jordan, the ensemble consists of the "oud", the "qanun", the "kamanjah" (or now alternatively "violin"), the "ney", the "riq", and the "darabukkah" . The word "takht" means "bed", "seat", or "podium" in Persian.
The melody instruments may play heterophonically in octaves or perform solos. Instrumental forms include "bashraf", "sama'i", "tahmilah", and "dulab". The ensemble may be joined by a male or female vocalist and a group of four to six singers who provide the refrain sections. Vocal genres performed include "dawr", "muwashshah", "layali", "ma'luf", "qasidah", and "mawwal".
While the "takht" typically comprised between two and five musicians, a similar, but larger ensemble (numbering eight or more) is called a "firqa" in Arabic.