Teaching the Setar

Teaching Methodology

My teaching method is based on twenty years of experience and extensive research, presented in my book Si Pāre. This approach goes beyond simple instruction. Rather than only telling students what to play, I tell them how to play, and focus on helping them develop the skills required for genuine mastery. The curriculum explores the theoretical foundations of Dastgāhi music, the philosophy of Iranian music, advanced playing techniques, and the technical and psychological preparation needed for improvisation.

I believe that distance education can be as effective as in-person instruction when the teacher responds precisely to the student’s needs. At a time when improvisational training in Iranian music has weakened in many places, this program aims to restore depth and expressive freedom to musical practice, ultimately helping each student develop an individual musical voice.

How the Lessons Work

The Session

Each session begins with a careful review of your progress. Based on this review, you will receive around twelve specific instructions that will guide your work until the next lesson. These may include finger position, pressure and angle on the fretboard, listening practice, and techniques for avoiding fatigue.

Feedback & Practice

Between sessions, you may send questions and short recordings for feedback (up to 30 seconds, focused on a single challenge).

Customization

Training plans are adapted to the amount of time you have available for practice, whether it is thirty minutes or several hours a day.

The Goal

Our primary objective is the mastery of the Radif, which prepares the student to move toward improvisation and personal musical expression.

Student Guidelines

To ensure the effectiveness of the training, students are expected to follow these guidelines:

Punctuality

Please be ready five minutes before the session begins.

Pre-Lesson Preparation

Avoid noise and disturbance for about thirty minutes before the lesson. Use this time to rest rather than rushing through practice. A small cup of lavender tea may help with relaxation.

Absences

Absences are permitted, but will be counted as a regular session unless caused by illness.

Communication

Questions and short practice recordings may be sent up to twice a day. Please keep recordings brief and focused on the specific difficulty.

Academic Discipline

Students receive up to twelve instructions each week. These form the basis of the training plan. Careful attention to them is essential for steady progress. If they are repeatedly neglected, continuation in the program may need to be reconsidered.

Duration

Each lesson usually lasts between 30 and 60 minutes, depending on the needs of the session.

Extras

Workshops

Optional online workshops on the philosophy of Iranian music are held periodically.

Field Practice

Students may occasionally participate in trips to mountains, plains, or deserts to practice their instrument in natural settings.

Foundations of Education

The educator is responsible for the progress of the student. Evaluating education therefore requires examining both the teaching method and the student’s development. A teacher must not only transmit knowledge, but also continually examine the effectiveness of the instruction itself.

Today, the teaching of Dastgāhi music often lacks clear organization and methodology. Many teachers devote time, care, and dedication to their students, yet effort alone is not enough. Even sincere commitment may fall short if the teaching method itself has not been carefully examined and tested. Without such reflection, a teacher cannot fully understand their own work, and meaningful education becomes difficult.

In my view, many current approaches fail to produce the desired results despite the effort invested in them. These problems arise less from faulty thinking than from insufficient questioning and observation. If there is no question, how can there be an answer?

The following questions form the basis for reflecting on any educational method:

What inner needs draw a student toward music? Do these needs change when approaching unfamiliar musical traditions? If a teacher has not experienced or understood these needs, can they truly guide the student?

What is Dastgāhi music education? And before that, what is education itself?

How should teaching actually be carried out?

Dastgāhi music training can lead to different musical paths: improvisers, composers, performers of composed works, or ensemble musicians. Should the training for each not be shaped according to its particular requirements?

What are the objective standards of precision, skill, and aesthetic quality in performing Dastgāhi music? In practical terms, what does it mean to possess instrumental technique?

What clear stages allow a student to progress from beginner to mastery?

How do the individual characteristics of each student—their personality and life experience—affect the structure of their education?

If Dastgāhi music is an artistic expression, can it exist without content? And how is that content developed?

Addressing such questions forms the foundation of any teaching method. Different educators may arrive at different answers, but no one should begin teaching without a carefully considered plan. Teaching this art responsibly requires prior awareness and reflection.

For further reflections on personal responsibility and self-discipline, see the chain analysis titled Forty Points About Duty.

Why Here?

Tested Over the Years

This teaching method has been developed and refined over the past twenty years. Through continuous practice, observation, and evaluation, its weaknesses have been identified and gradually reduced.

Daily Support

Students receive daily support. Whenever a difficulty arises, they may send a short recording and receive feedback on the same day. This prevents small problems from becoming lasting obstacles and allows steady progress between sessions.

Instruction or Solution?

In this method, the teacher does not merely point out mistakes or give commands. The aim is to show the student how correct playing becomes possible.

For example, if a student struggles with rhythm, the teacher provides exercises that reveal the inner pulse of the phrase. If a passage is played too quickly, the response is not simply “play slower,” but to learn practical ways of measuring and controlling tempo.

The difference is similar to two doctors treating a patient: one lists forbidden foods; the other teaches how to maintain balance and resist unhealthy habits. This difference in approach lies at the heart of this method.

How Long Does It Take?

Progress depends on practice time and individual ability, but a general path may look like this:

Second month

Basic coordination between the right and left hands begins to form.

Fourth month

Melodic expression becomes more natural.

Sixth month

The first gushehs are learned; the student reaches approximately twelve gushehs.

First year

Completion of the Dastgāh of Shur. The playing becomes clear and perceptible to attentive listeners.

Second year

Completion of two additional Dastgāhs. Playing becomes smoother and more confident.

Fourth year

Completion of the seven Dastgāhs and six Āvāzes. The player becomes agile and fluid, and can begin improvisation, gradually forming a personal musical voice.

The Advantages of Distance Learning

A practical advantage of distance learning is the time saved from commuting. In large cities such as Tehran, this can amount to several hours each week. Travel often brings fatigue and distraction, while distance learning allows the student to practice immediately in a calm environment.

The main limitation is the absence of direct acoustic presence. This can be compensated for by occasional in-person sessions, for example once a month, or by using appropriate technical solutions.

Dastgāh Is Not Sound, It Is Space

Playing the notes of a Dastgāh does not automatically create its atmosphere. Dastgāh is an inner phenomenon. It appears only when sound evokes a particular space or mood.

In this sense, Dastgāh is not merely sound, but a deeper state—a Gahan: a moment, mood, or presence suggested through sound.

The purpose of playing the Setar is therefore to create and deepen this atmosphere. Without it, even technically correct playing may remain empty. Much of what we hear today consists only of sounds that do not embody the spirit of the Dastgāh, and the music loses its vitality.

(1) Gahan: time, moment, mood.