DEVELOPING TONAL NUANCE AND ORNAMENTATION IN ACADEMIC GIJJAK PERFORMANCE TRAINING

Abstract

The gijjak, a traditional Uzbek spike fiddle, occupies a central role in maqom performance, yet its integration into university music education has created a pedagogical tension between oral transmission and notation-based instruction. This study investigates methods for developing tonal nuance and ornamentation - specifically the taflis, qashirish, and tebranma - within academic gijjak training. Using a mixed-methods design, data were collected from six master instructors and twelve undergraduate performance majors across three Uzbek higher education institutions through interviews, video-recorded lessons, comparative listening exercises, and analysis of method books. Results revealed that students relying solely on notated scores produced ornamentation with low accuracy (mean score 2.4 out of 5), characterized by mechanical execution and misapplication of vibrato types. A one-week aural immersion intervention using archival recordings of master performers significantly improved ornament execution scores to 4.1 out of 5, with the largest gains observed among students lacking prior listening exposure. Observational data identified critical physical misalignments, including excessive bow-hand tension and incorrect left-hand rolling motion for tebranma, which were addressed effectively through non-verbal kinesthetic correction rather than verbal explanation. The study concludes that academic gijjak pedagogy requires a fundamental rebalancing of notation and aurality, advocating for notation-delayed instruction, structured ear-training modules, and anatomy-informed technical exercises. These findings have implications for the preservation of embodied knowledge within institutionalized traditional music education across Central Asia.