The first step in westernizing an Iranian tasnif consists in notating the piece and having it played by an orchestra of predominantly Western instruments. In these tasnif-ha, the orchestra doubles the singer in unison and in octaves and adds short ritornelli between sections of the song. A further modification is harmonization of the melody. For many years Vaziri, Khaleqi, and others have investigated the possibilities of harmonizing the Persian scales in such a way that their basic character would be preserved. Such harmonization presents several difficulties given the special peculiarities of Persian music—for example, the use of microtones, the frequent absence of a clear tonic and dominant, and the distinctly modal character of many melodies. The solutions reached by these Persian composers are still hotly debated in musicological circles, although, in practice, they are widely used. The tasnif-ha now played on radio and on television have rudimentary four-part harmony and simple counterpoint (Source: Classic Persian Music).
Westernization of Persian Music: Pahlavi's Cultural Policy
