CONNECTING RHYTHMS TEACHING UZBEK USUL THROUGH DUTAR PERFORMANCE

Abstract

This article examines the pedagogical processes through which the complex rhythmic cycles of Uzbek music, known as usul, are transmitted via the study and performance of the dutar. It argues that usul is taught not as an abstract theoretical concept but as an embodied, physical knowledge, deeply connecting cognitive understanding to kinesthetic experience. The analysis traces the instructional journey from initial vocalization and clapping of rhythmic patterns (bol) to the mastery of instrumental ostinati (naqsh), which provide the foundational grooves for folk and classical repertoire. It further explores the advanced integration of these cycles within the melodic improvisation and architecture of the Shashmaqom, where usul functions as a dynamic partner in the musical narrative rather than a mere metric backdrop. The article highlights how dutar technique - encompassing strumming, damping, and polyphonic playing - is inherently designed to articulate the hierarchical and cyclical nature of usul. Finally, it considers the culmination of this pedagogy in ensemble practice, where the internalized cycle becomes a tool for interactive, communal musicianship. This holistic approach ensures that rhythm is felt as a living force, cultivating performers for whom usul is an intuitive framework governing expression, structure, and spiritual resonance in Uzbek traditional music.