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Introduction to the Study of Musical Scales
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Hardcover
First published August 1, 1995
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
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December 4, 2018This is a brilliant book which talks not just about the mathematical but also the spiritual aspects of music. It is, however, extremely dense. It tackles a topic I have never seen tackled anywhere else: the fact that harmony is built into melody and is also an inherent part of Raag grammer.
As a student of Hindustani Shastreey Sangeet, it’ll provide the same explanation of the Shrutis that Vidyadhar Oke’s 22 Shruti does. But while that book is only about the mathematical aspect, this book is also about the origins of Swar itself. However, there are no Raag specific Shruti tables or any such here. This is not the book for that. However, to make any sense out of the book, you’ll also need to understand at least the basics of Western harmony and the circle of fifths.
As a musician brought up on the Western concepts of harmony, be sure to have heard at least some of the major Raags such as Marwa, Shree, Bhairav (three different Komal Rishabh), Bhimpalas, Bageshree (Same scale but different Shruti and intonation), Darbari Kanada, Todi (Different Shruti of Komal Gandhar and Komal Dhaivat), Bihag, Bhoop and Shuddha Kalyan (Different Gandhar, Dhaivat, Nishad). Pick two Raags born from the same scale such as Todi and Multani, Shree and Puriya Dhanashree, Bhoop and Shuddha Kalyan and pay attention to the intonation of the various Swar. Experience what music based on the natural scale sounds like before reading this book. On a purely intellectual basis, this book is a huge shock.
Anyway, take your time with it; maybe even years; and experience what it is talking about before moving forward. Don’t go beyond the first chapter itself, eg., unless you can experience the difference the pentatonic scale (U, M2, M3, P5, M6, O) makes when expressed purely as a scale on any tempered instrument, as Raag Bhoop (Kishori Amonkar) and as Raag Deshkar (Mallikarjun Mansur).
As a student of Hindustani Shastreey Sangeet, it’ll provide the same explanation of the Shrutis that Vidyadhar Oke’s 22 Shruti does. But while that book is only about the mathematical aspect, this book is also about the origins of Swar itself. However, there are no Raag specific Shruti tables or any such here. This is not the book for that. However, to make any sense out of the book, you’ll also need to understand at least the basics of Western harmony and the circle of fifths.
As a musician brought up on the Western concepts of harmony, be sure to have heard at least some of the major Raags such as Marwa, Shree, Bhairav (three different Komal Rishabh), Bhimpalas, Bageshree (Same scale but different Shruti and intonation), Darbari Kanada, Todi (Different Shruti of Komal Gandhar and Komal Dhaivat), Bihag, Bhoop and Shuddha Kalyan (Different Gandhar, Dhaivat, Nishad). Pick two Raags born from the same scale such as Todi and Multani, Shree and Puriya Dhanashree, Bhoop and Shuddha Kalyan and pay attention to the intonation of the various Swar. Experience what music based on the natural scale sounds like before reading this book. On a purely intellectual basis, this book is a huge shock.
Anyway, take your time with it; maybe even years; and experience what it is talking about before moving forward. Don’t go beyond the first chapter itself, eg., unless you can experience the difference the pentatonic scale (U, M2, M3, P5, M6, O) makes when expressed purely as a scale on any tempered instrument, as Raag Bhoop (Kishori Amonkar) and as Raag Deshkar (Mallikarjun Mansur).
May 14, 2019
This book is meant for people who are truly interested about what music really is. For some western people it might appear dramatic. But for someone who is aquatinted with the music of the orient and perhaps India it will make natural sense. It is hard for the Europeans to accept that they are wrong or they did wrong even though many good things came out of that later on. It is a book not only for musicians. The tables and technical descriptions may be skipped and one can absorb only the philosophical and historical part of it.
September 25, 2019
Entirely too deep to go on music without any audio sound to hear the math but great overview of the different scales used over history and why equal temperament is not a great system when it comes to musical enjoyment
November 27, 2018
I like to see this thought-provoking book as a thoroughly well-researched essay that touches on subjects that most curious musicians would have pondered on: origins of music
& the branching of music theory: from India & China, to Greece & beyond; musical systems; melodic vs harmonic music; the repercussions of the Equal Temperament; intervals, scales & modes across cultures; spiral of 5th vs circle of 5th - and the list goes on.
It would have taken any decent musicologist several hundred pages to scratch the surface of this topics, but Daniélou, erudite, musician and historian par excellence, manages to write about these subjects with both ease and authority, quoting resources that span for thousands of years.
Just like Sylvano Bussotti writes in the foreword, I found myself nodding (sometime ecstatically!) as Daniélou answered some of my deepest questions. No wonder he approached the author himself to ask for a reprint! This book is a treasure and we have to thank Sylvano and the Inner Traditions crew for making it happen. An invaluable resource.
& the branching of music theory: from India & China, to Greece & beyond; musical systems; melodic vs harmonic music; the repercussions of the Equal Temperament; intervals, scales & modes across cultures; spiral of 5th vs circle of 5th - and the list goes on.
It would have taken any decent musicologist several hundred pages to scratch the surface of this topics, but Daniélou, erudite, musician and historian par excellence, manages to write about these subjects with both ease and authority, quoting resources that span for thousands of years.
Just like Sylvano Bussotti writes in the foreword, I found myself nodding (sometime ecstatically!) as Daniélou answered some of my deepest questions. No wonder he approached the author himself to ask for a reprint! This book is a treasure and we have to thank Sylvano and the Inner Traditions crew for making it happen. An invaluable resource.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews