[HANASHIR:5254] Re: hallelu - Alla hoo - minor/major?

[Daniel A. Singer <dasinger...>]

Has anyone investigated tuning systems and their relationship to modes?
I'm sure they didn't use the same tuning system, and I'd be interested to
find out exactly how the intervals might have sounded.  Did they use
Pythagorean, mean-tone, or what?  It would sound pretty different without
an even tempered scale!  It must have been before equal temperament, seeing
as how Bach found it to be a novelty.

Also, has anyone ever heard of Gymel?  Apparently it was used in England's
liturgical music (likely not Jewish) during the medieval period.  I
couldn't help but think of the Hebrew letter when I read about it.
Especially since Gymel is a form of two part harmonization in intervalls of
a third and Gymel is also the number three.  Perhaps someone has studied
the significance of this parallel?  I think the word meant "twin voices" to
the author, but I couldn't help but notice the symbolic importance of the
number three in the form.  Did they borrow the term from us?

Dan



At 12:10 PM 2/15/00 -0500, you wrote:
>Rabbi Klein adn all who are interested,
>       Minor modes have been used in Jewish music since the 
>very beginning. You hit the nail right on the head 
>Rabbi! The use of minor intervals and scales used to be 
>the epitome of religious music. ALthouhg in teh Nacient 
>Near East the term "minor" wasn't used, the intervals 
>they used (some known as embubu interval or kablite 
>interval) were almost all part of a minor mode as we 
>know it today. There are some very interesting paralells 
>to Sufi music and rhythms in teh Music of the Jewish 
>people in the ancient near east. So, basically, yes 
>Rabbi, the use of a minor mode (how many songs do we 
>know that are based arouns A minor? ;-) ) creates what 
>has been considered, a "Jewish feel." so to say. Anyway, 
>if anyone wants to speak further about this, it's part 
>of my senior thesis this year, so I'm really excited 
>about it! Please email me at JBROOKEW (at) AOL(dot)COM
>Thanks!
>yours in song,
>Jaimee
>
>P.S. How do I change my email address on this list?
>
>


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Daniel A. Singer        H: (734) 397-1950  W: (810) 238-1350 ext. 4253
1713 Glenshire Dr.      Flint Institute of Music, Temple Beth El
Canton, MI 48188        Bass Voice, Guitar
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"If I am not for myself, who will be for me?
         If I am for myself alone, who am I?
                           If not now, when?"
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