Klarinet Archive - Posting 000403.txt from 2000/04

From: HarperJimmyD@-----.edu
Subj: RE: [kl] The Jewish scale vs. several Arabic Scales
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2000 10:34:23 -0400

Follow this link for an article on modes used in klezmer:
http://www.klezmershack.com/articles/horowitz/horowitz.klezmodes.html

-Jim Harper
Little Rock, AR

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Topper [SMTP:leo_g@-----.com]
> Sent: Friday, April 07, 2000 5:53 PM
> To: klarinet@-----.org
> Subject: Re: [kl] The Jewish scale vs. several Arabic Scales
>
> 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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