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Personal Performances|Microtones in Arabic Music Episode
This is a lecture/demo on microtones.I demonstrate the wide variety of microtones in use in Arabic music (by my count, at least 12 within a half step);I explain:1. the problems with describing the microtones used in arabic maqams as "quarter-tones"--since they are not exactly a quarter of anything.2. the problems with the Comma system (the system of 54 divisions of the octave)3. the problem with seeking too systematic an explanation of the microtones.And I offer a different approach to understanding and learning intonation in arabic music: through relationships with other notes, and in particular through melodies and melodic phrases.For those of you interested in a more thorough, academic treatment of the subject, I am working on a paper to flesh out some of the details, which I will link to this page. This podcast is intended for a general audience.At the end, Johnny Farraj, of maqamworld fame, joins me for a few pieces.
[ Fri, 2 Feb 2007 20:38:00 GMT ]
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