Music of The Middle East
See also: Persian traditional music, Arabic music, and Arab tone systemWhile the use of quarter tones in modern Western music is a more recent and experimental phenomenon, these and other microtonal intervals have been an important part of the music of Iran (Persia), the Arab world, Armenia, Turkey, Assyria, Kurdistan, and neighboring lands and areas for many centuries.
Many Arabic maqamat contain intervals of three-quarter tone size; a short list of these follows.
- Shoor (Bayati) play
- شور (بیاتی)
- D E F G A B♭ C D
- شور (بیاتی)
- Hussayni
- Siga play
- سيكاه
- E F G A B C D E
- سيكاه
- Rast play
- راست
- C D E F G A B C
- with a B♭ replacing the B in the descending scale
- C D E F G A B C
- راست
- ‘Ajam
- Sabba play
- صبا
- D E F G♭ A B♭ C D
- صبا
The persian philosopher and scientist Al-Farabi described a number of intervals in his work in music, including a number of quarter tones.
Assyrian/Syriac Church Music Scale:
- 1 - Qadmoyo (Bayati)
- 2 - Trayono (Hussayni)
- 3 - Tlithoyo (Segah)
- 4 - Rbi‘oyo (Rast)
- 5 - Hmishoyo
- 6 - Shtithoyo (‘Ajam)
- 7 - Shbi‘oyo
- 8 - Tminoyo
Read more about this topic: Quarter Tone
Famous quotes containing the words music, middle and/or east:
“If music be the food of love, play on,
Give me excess of it that, surfeiting,
The appetite may sicken and so die.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
“The contented and economically comfortable have a very discriminating view of government. Nobody is ever indignant about bailing out failed banks and failed savings and loans associations.... But when taxes must be paid for the lower middle class and poor, the government assumes an aspect of wickedness.”
—John Kenneth Galbraith (b. 1908)
“Richard. Give me a calendar.
Who saw the sun today?
Ratcliffe. Not I, my lord.
Richard. Then he disdains to shine, for by the book
He should have braved the east an hour ago.
A black day will it be to somebody.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)