New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-08-13

This system, to put about all that Is compre-
hensible to the Occidental mind in it in simph :
phrase comprehends three octaves Each octave
contains the same tones as the European dia-
tonic scale; but each whole tone is divided into
four parts called "srootj'O if large three partz
IL small while the two semi tones, which fan
as with US between the third and fourth and
seventh and eighth intervals, are composed Of
two srooti each. There are therefore twenty-five
of the smallest intervals in an octave a cir
oumstance which at the outset is embarrassing
to the Occidental mathematician, who is not
well able to conceive plan for handling quarter
and third tones in such a promiscuous fashion
The fundamental Hindoo scale is generally sup
posed to agree with the European diatonic scale
OF major. and taking this a standard the
fractional tones fall in the following order:
A to B. four srooti: b to C-sharp three srooti:
C-sharp to ID. a semi-tone. two sroou d to f..
four srooti; 70 F-sharp. four srooti; F-sharp
to G-sharp, three srooti; G-sharp to A, semi
tone, two srooti Whether these small fractions
of tones which are wholly impossible, Of course.
upon the keyed instruments OF the Occdent,
and possible only to the human voice and finger
board instruments without frets, like the violin
and old fashioned banjo, have practical applica-
ton in the popular music in India today IL
would be rash TO say. There is general agree
ment among travellers that the tunes which
they have heard could be written down in the
notation Of modern Europe with the exception
OF certain refnements OF ornamentaton native
to all Oriental performers. In the old theo-
rctcal system, however they play an important
role, for il is by means Of them and by the
omission OF tones that the vast number of q
scales is produced. Here one Of the points OF
agreement between the Oriental and the ancient
/ Greek art s TO be found the simplest illustra-
ton Of which is to be seen In the medieval
church modes. by conceiving the datOnic scale
as two scales Of four tones each 0etrachoris)
the middle tone common TO both. II was
possible, by beginning at different intervals
10 construct a number Of intervalc systems
each differing from the others by reason Of the
different position of the semi-tones. Carry out
this plan with the twenty-five sroou OF the
Hindoo scale using emitting them there are
also fye-tOne scales and sx-tone scales accord
Ing to circumstances and it Is plain that an
enormous variety of scales may result Some
thing OF the kind may have been done In an
cient times something of the kind may be done
to-day but II 80, the art does not belong to the
common people. All the tunes that have been
written down are frankly diatonic major w
minor the preponderance OF tunes in Hindos-
tan Turkey and Persia being major
Yet II IS not well to be dogmatic on such
point. for stories are common Of European must
clans writing down Oriental pieces. then play
ing them for the natives and having them re-
ceived either without 4 sign OF recognition or
amused laughter at the failure. The Arabic
theory holds the octave TO be constituted OF
seventeen intervals each one-third as large as
our tone Here is Mr.. Engels effort 20 give
expression TO the Arabic scale in our terms ana
symbols
In rendering this scale In our notation shali
employ signs similar TO those previously adopted
in the examples with quarter tones: Thus one
third sharp before n note raises IT n one-tnird
tone and two thirds sharp two one-third tones.
one-third natural before b indicates that the In
terva is a one-third tone higher than Il fiat. and
two-thirds natural that II is two one-third tones
higher than u fiat. The minims Indicate the
diatonic intervals, which. Il will be seen, differ
from ours in far as the seventh Is minor ana
the two steps from the third TO the fourth, e-f
and from the sixth to the minor seventh. a-b
flat which in our notation would be seml-tones
are in the Arabic scale only or e-third tones. In"
intervals written crotchets denote the inter
mediate one-third tones between the respective
diatonic inter ais
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