RAV Pan F Romanian Hijaz

This RAV pan is a brother of our D Hijaz scale. Equally inspired by the music of middle eastern maqams, F Romanian Hijaz follows Egypt, Lebanon and Turkey folk music tradition. Some authors call Arabian music “whisper of the ages” or “painter’s work set off with gold”. Sounds beautiful, doesn’t it? However, It is a more easy-going, quick and energetic pan. Unlike a traditional maqam that doesn’t include a rhythmic component, this scale has a rich variety of rhythmic combinations. It is due to the fact that a Romanian minor scale has been added to the Hijaz one.

Romanian Minor, or Ukrainian Dorian, or Gypsy Style, is a popular scale in eastern Europe, especially in Jewish synagogues. It was widely used by famous composers like Julian Cochran, George Gershin and Moshe Beregovski. The instrument is a combination of two cultures and styles – mesmerizing middle-eastern scale and frisky sonorous Romanian one. This gives F Romanian Hijaz pan such an exotic, unique and uplifting sound.

The atmosphere created by F Romanian Hijaz reminds you of an evening spent in an Arabic town, at a local belly dance show. The jiggling beads and crystals on the raqs sharqi dancer’s dress, rhythmic yet graceful moves and shakes of the dancer’s torso and hips, squeaking from the wind lanterns and clapping to the bit public – that is the picture that your mind visualizes when you hear F Romanian Hijaz play. The sound makes you feel alive and realize how wonderful life is.

This RAV Pan has a configuration of the 4th degree of a harmonic minor scale, which is sometimes named a Dorian 4# mode. The Ding is in F#3. The range of notes is from 3rd to 5th octave. There are seven full tones and six half tones in the note layout which gives a vast variety for their combinations. The membranes are small and the sustain is shorter than in other Arabian hand drums, so the pan produces short linked tones that don’t overflow one into another. Thus, you will instinctively play fast and briskly.

For whom this pan will work

The pan has a complex note placement and has a bigger number of them than any instrument we’ve had, so you’d better have an experience with tongue drums or hand pans to play it. 

The scale is perfect for the musicians who are fans of percussion and fast play and want to create a festive and joyful mood. Whether it is a big ceremonial occasion like wedding and birthday or just a home session, this RAV Vast pan won’t disappoint and carry you away with its energetic and vibrant rhythms.

The F Romanian Hijaz is perfect for creation of Arabian motives, so it goes nicely with middle-eastern folk instruments like a ney and mizmar (types of flute) or a rubab (a string instrument). It may be challenging but possible to pair it with steel drums and pans that have the same cultural origin – B Onoleo, G Humayun or Arabian nights. However, the instrument usually doesn’t need any musical support and performs great in solo.