Re: [tuning] Sumerian 12EDO [kithara]

In a message dated 10/28/02 1:44:05 AM Central Standard Time,
mark.gould@argonet.co.uk writes:

> Of course, the vast majority of ancient string instruments as recorded in
> painting/pottery, tomb artefacts, etc, show instruments with far fewer than
> 12 strings. In order to discover the 'anomaly' you'd need a number of
> instruments.
>
The book of Revelation in the Bible mentions the Greek kithara, mistranslated
harp. The kithara was a lyre-type instrument, and was considered the best
Greek instrument. It used a wood finger to tune the strings above their
pretuned values. Thus one could play with microtonal pitches. And thus, at
least theoretically, in just intonation. So the above book used the kithara
as the symbol of angelic, heavenly musical instruments!

Pauline