Klarinet Archive - Posting 000288.txt from 2000/04
From: Topper <leo_g@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] The Jewish scale vs. several Arabic Scales
Date: Fri, 7 Apr 2000 20:37:33 -0400
Audrey,
Thanks for your help. This came up because of an unusual system and size
clarinet I had the opportunity to play last weekend which was modified (or
built) to play out of western intervallic pitch and sounds very Eastern. It
plays unusual sounding scales. But where is it from? The question.
Well here in USA there are so many many books on scales and I recall that a
few I have seen have what the authors proport to be: Jewish Scale (I saw at
least in two texts); Arabic Scale; or "Arabian" scales, Hindu Scale; etc,
etc, and I recall one book which had a "Jewish Scale" and two "Arabic
Scales" which were essentially a "mode" (if you will) of the other. But I
recall that one of the Arabic scales and the "Jewish Scale" were identical
and I wondered if the difference the author meant was an incomplete
notation that one oe more intervals may have been more sharp or flat in the
"Jewish Scale" than "Arabic Scale" which were notated the same or if there
was a slide into pitch whch made one differ from another. It was not an
enthomusicology text unfortunately, so it did not have what the writer
really had in mind, just one of those so-called "Complete book of scales".
Yes your comment helped and thank you very much.
Kindly
Leo
At 01:29 PM -0700 4/7/00, Audrey Travis wrote:
>Leo
>Being Jewish, and having lived in Israel for 10 years, I'm not at all sure
>what you even mean by a "Jewish scale". As far as I know (which may not be
>much), there is no such thing. But if you mean Jewish music influenced or
>played-sung by Jews who are from Arabic countries, then they'd be using Arabic
>scales. There was, indeed, lots of Israeli pop music that was performed by
>Sephardic Jews (Jews whose ancestors lived in Arabic countries or Spain) and
>their music used a combo of Western and Arabic scales.My understanding and
>memory of Arabic music is that the scale is in quarter tones. I must confess
>that while in Israel, I didn't hang out with Arabic musicians and don't even
>know how their music is notated. I can't comment at all on connections to
>Indian ragas but will note that in and around India there is a great deal of
>Moslem influence and many prayers or the calling of the faithful to worship is
>sung using Arabic scales.
>
>By the way, your first sentence was unclear to me - not really sure what
>you're asking. Does any of this help?
>
>Best wishes,
>
>Audrey
>
>Topper wrote:
>
>> Please no jokes on the title.. :-)
>>
>> But seriously,
>>
>> Is there a noteable difference between what Western music writes as a
>> Jewish Scale as opposed to the Arabic scale which is played the same way in
>> Western notation? I have noticed that there are different variations and
>> tunings that at least to my ear and without naming the scales use
>> pitchbends and fractional intervals to make them sound what seems to feel
>> authentic. Not Klesmer but old corridor marketplace from an old
>> "on-location" movie soundtrack.
>>
>> Also I notice a gradual similarity from the Arabic scales to some of the
>> more developed Ragas of Hindu and as you travel further East it like a
>> continual intervallic tuning adjustment that gradually flows.
>>
>> Cheers, Leo
>> Autions' Underway: http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/leo_g@-----.com/
>> "You Take The High Notes" http://helius.carroll.com/p/leo_g/ Our musical
>> instruments, parts, tools, classical LP, 1800's and 1900's piano music and
>> with violin editions. A family collection for sale and auction. Items for
>> sale date from before 1813 to 1987. Please bookmark or link page as new
>> items are catalogued weekly. Links will be exchanged upon request. I am
>> especially interested in Musical Instrument History and technical data.
>> Please email me with interesting links. Thank you:-) Leo
>>
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>
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Cheers, Leo
Autions' Underway: http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/leo_g@-----.com/
"You Take The High Notes" http://helius.carroll.com/p/leo_g/ Our musical
instruments, parts, tools, classical LP, 1800's and 1900's piano music and
with violin editions. A family collection for sale and auction. Items for
sale date from before 1813 to 1987. Please bookmark or link page as new
items are catalogued weekly. Links will be exchanged upon request. I am
especially interested in Musical Instrument History and technical data.
Please email me with interesting links. Thank you:-) Leo
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