Re: Arabic 24tet

I do believe (and think) that Egyptians make use of 24ET. Their string
instrument - the qanun - can modulate along the lines David Beardsley is
suggesting.

A number of years ago I had the opportunity to play Oum Kalsoum "fakebooks"
(not much different than the jazz chart collections) in a Lebanese restaurant
in the Arab area of Brooklyn, on Atlantic Avenue. There were no patrons,
until much later.

The book had 2 accidentals: one for quarter sharp and one for quarter flat.
They had key signatures. Since I could sight read in straight 24ET
quartertones, I just read through them. Several were familiar. Oum Kalsoum
was the greatest musical artist that Egypt has produced by popular and
critical acclaim. I listen to her music every so often for sheer enjoyment.

There was a woman named Abdel Haq that made a microtonal piano for the Arabic
world. There was an expose on her instrument in an Irish Magazine which I
have. Dr. Haq lived in NYC for a year and explained her theory to me.

The piano - which never took off financially...Saudi Arabi didn't come
through, could change to accommadate subtle pitch differences. Iraq was the
extreme with Syria somewhere between Iraq and Egypt (which she felt was equal
spaced quartertones).

Egypt has historically been credited by the Greeks for having originated
modulation.

Johnny Reinhard
American Festival of Microtonal Music
afmmjr@aol.com