FROM TECHNIQUE TO TRADITION TEACHING THE UZBEK DUTAR IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Abstract

The integration of the Uzbek dutar, a pillar of Central Asian musical heritage, into formal higher education curricula represents a critical site of cultural negotiation. This article examines the pedagogical journey required to move students from the acquisition of instrumental technique to a profound, internalized understanding of the musical tradition it embodies. It argues that a dutar program within a university or conservatory setting must consciously bridge the methodological gap between standardized, technical instruction and the holistic, mentorship-based transmission of the ustoz-shogird model. The analysis identifies a persistent risk: producing technically proficient players who lack the deeper cultural, aesthetic, and improvisational competencies that define authentic artistry within the maqom tradition. To address this, the article proposes a tripartite pedagogical framework. First, it advocates for a technique curriculum derived directly from the demands of the repertoire, ensuring that skills are never abstract. Second, it emphasizes the essential integration of theoretical knowledge - specifically maqomshunoslik and usul - with performance practice from the earliest stages. Finally, and most critically, it explores methods for cultivating traditional artistic decision-making, guiding students from the accurate reproduction of notated music toward the development of their own informed voice within the strict parameters of the tradition. The study concludes that success in higher education hinges on creating a simulated ustoz-shogird ecosystem within the institution, one that values cultural immersion, aural learning, and artistic mentorship alongside formal assessment, thereby ensuring the graduation of true cultural bearers rather than merely skilled instrumentalists.