Editing Arab tone system

{{Short description|Musical tuning system of 24 tones per octave}}
The modern '''Arab tone system''', or system of [[musical tuning]], is based upon the theoretical division of the [[octave]] into twenty-four equal divisions or [[quarter tone|24-tone equal temperament]], the distance between each successive [[note (music)|note]] being a [[quarter tone]] (50 [[cent (music)|cents]]). Each [[note (music)|tone]] has its own name not repeated in different octaves, unlike systems featuring [[octave equivalency]]. The lowest tone is named ''yakah'' and is determined by the lowest [[pitch (music)|pitch]] in the [[vocal range|range]] of the singer. The next higher octave is ''nawa'' and the second ''tuti''.<ref>[[Habib Hassan Touma|Touma, Habib Hassan]] (1996). ''The Music of the Arabs'', p.17-18, trans. Laurie Schwartz. Portland, Oregon: Amadeus Press. {{ISBN|0-931340-88-8}}.</ref> However, from these twenty-four tones, seven are selected to produce a [[scale (music)|scale]] and thus the interval of a quarter tone is never used and the three-quarter tone or [[neutral second]] should be considered the characteristic interval.<ref>Touma (1996), p.23.</ref>

[[File:Quarter tone scale on C.png|thumb|400px|Quarter tone scale on C ascending and descending. {{audio|Quarter tone scale on C.mid|Play}}]]
By contrast, in the European [[equal temperament|equally tempered scale]] the octave is divided into twelve equal divisions, or exactly half as many as the Arab system. Thus, when Arabic music is written in European [[musical notation]], a slashed or reversed flat sign is used to indicate a quarter-tone flat, a standard flat symbol for a half-tone [[flat (music)|flat]], and a flat sign combined with a slashed or reversed flat sign for a three-quarter-tone flat, sharp with one vertical line for quarter sharps, standard sharp symbol (♯) for a half-step [[Sharp (music)|sharp]], and a sharp with three vertical lines for a three-quarter-tone sharp. A two octave range starting with ''yakah'' arbitrarily on the G below middle C is used.<ref>Touma (1996), p.24.</ref>

In practice much fewer than twenty-four tones are used in a single performance. All twenty-four tones are individual pitches differentiated into a [[hierarchy]] of important pitches—pillars—which occur more frequently in the [[tone row]]s of traditional music and most often begin tone rows, and scattered less important or seldom occurring pitches (see [[tonality]]).<ref>Touma (1996), p.24-25</ref>

The specific notes used in a piece will be part of one of more than seventy [[Musical mode|mode]]s or [[Arabic maqam|maqam]] rows named after characteristic tones that are rarely the first tone (unlike in European-influenced music theory where the [[Tonic (music)|tonic]] is listed first). The rows are [[heptatonic]] and constructed from [[augmented second|augmented]], [[major second|major]], [[neutral second|neutral]], and [[minor second]]s. Many different but similar ratios are proposed for the frequency ratios of the tones of each row and performance practice, as of 1996, has not been investigated using electronic measurements.<ref>Touma (1996), p.18.</ref>

The current tone system is derived from the work of [[Farabi]] (d. 950 CE) (heptatonic scales constructed from seconds), who used a 25-tone unequal scale (see [[tetrachord]]), and [[Mikha'il Mishaqah]] (1800–1888) who first presented the 24-tone equal-tempered division.<ref>Touma (1996), p.19.</ref> Some strict traditionalists and musicians also use a [[17 equal temperament|17-tone set]], rejecting the 24-tone division as commercial.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Mathematical Theory of Tone Systems|first=Jan|last=Haluska|page=102|year=2003|publisher=CRC PRess}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Jins]]
*[[Arabic maqam]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Arabic music|T]]
[[Category:Equal temperaments]]
[[Category:Microtonality]]