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
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