Persian 17-tone system, a more chromatic music
How Many Notes Are Needed to Play Persian Music?
Introduction to Persian Music and the 17-Tone System
- The speaker introduces the challenge of playing Persian music on a piano, noting that some necessary notes are absent from the instrument.
- Farzad Milani explains that the Persian 17-tone system extends the chromatic 12-tone system, which itself builds upon the diatonic 7-tone system.
Color and Musical Notes Analogy
- The speaker references Isaac Newton's analogy between seven musical notes and seven spectral colors, established in the 1660s through his prism experiment.
- Each color corresponds to a note in a diatonic scale: C (violet), D (red), E (orange), F (yellow), G (green), A (blue), B (indigo).
- This analogy illustrates how music composed with seven diatonic notes resembles a painting created with seven colors.
Transition to Chromatic Scale
- The introduction of the chromatic scale adds five more notes, resulting in twelve distinct tones or "colors."
- The speaker assigns additional shades for each note: two shades of red for D-flat and D-natural; two shades of orange for E-flat and E-natural; etc., culminating in a richer palette than before.
Expanding to the Persian 17-Tone System
- Milani transitions to discussing why seventeen tones are essential for studying Persian music, referencing historical theorists like Farabi and contemporary figures such as Hedayat.
- He emphasizes that twelve tones are insufficient for capturing the nuances of Persian music; thus, seventeen different tones/colors are required.
Detailed Breakdown of Tones in the 17-Tone System
- In this new system, specific assignments include three shades of red for D-flat, D-quarter-flat, and D-natural; three shades of orange for E-flat, E-quarter-flat, and E-natural; etc.
- The tritone interval is omitted while six neutral tones are added. This results in an even more colorful musical experience compared to traditional chromatic scales.
Tetrachords in Persian Music
- The presence of seventeen tones allows for eight distinct tetrachord genera within Persian music theory.
- Each tetrachord has its own name: Māhour/Ushāq (major), Rāje'/Busalik (Phrygian), Navā (minor), Shur/Nowruz, Bayāt-e Tork/Rāst, Segāh/Irāq, Bayāt-e Esfahān/Irāq again, Chahārgāh/Hijāz.
Conclusion and Engagement with Audience
- Milani discusses how these tetrachords combine melodically within Persian music through stacking techniques.