Arabic "augmeted second"

Does anyone have a cite for the alledged use of "augmented second" to
mean 250 cents in Arabic music theory?

--- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, "Gene Ward Smith" <genewardsmith@...>
wrote:
>
> Does anyone have a cite for the alledged use of "augmented second"
to
> mean 250 cents in Arabic music theory?
>

I had no idea that your inquiry about Safi Al-Din's
Mode 3 had anything to do with an article for
Wikipedia. All my experiences with that outfit have
been highly charged with irrational negativism.

Anyway, to my knowledge, the first occurrence of
the "augmented second" in Arabian music theory is
in Al-Farabi's _Kitab al-musiqi al-kabir_, D'Erlanger
Vol. I. Al-Farabi describes it in the context of eight
"ajnas," plural of "jins." The first interval ratio of
Jins 3 is 81/70 = 252.7 cents. Since you are only
interested in "quotable" material, I won't bother you
with the details, which took months to translate and
compute. All of Al-Farabi's eight ajnas are based
on Aristoxenus' tetrachord theory; however, with
unique and profound implications for subsequent
developments in Arabian music. Nothing academic
or boring here…

Cris Forster, Music Director
www.chrysalis-foundation.org

--- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, "Cris Forster" <cris.forster@...> wrote:

> I had no idea that your inquiry about Safi Al-Din's
> Mode 3 had anything to do with an article for
> Wikipedia. All my experiences with that outfit have
> been highly charged with irrational negativism.

Sorry. :( The article exists but does not mention you, if that helps any:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_locrian_scale

> Anyway, to my knowledge, the first occurrence of
> the "augmented second" in Arabian music theory is
> in Al-Farabi's _Kitab al-musiqi al-kabir_, D'Erlanger
> Vol. I. Al-Farabi describes it in the context of eight
> "ajnas," plural of "jins."

Yes, but surely they didn't call it that?

Check out Habib Hassan Touma's work. On page 37, he notates `augmented
seconds` as 300 cents, and what he calls `medium seconds` as 250 cents:

Touma, H. H. 1934. The Music of the Arabs. Trans. and ed. Schwarts, L.
Reprint. Portland, Amadeus Press, 1999, p. 37

There are 8 maqams named for the final review on this page which are,

1. Rast (2 instances of medium)
2. Bayati (4 instances of medium)
3. Sikah (2 instances of medium)
4. Nahawand
5. Hijaz (2 instances of augmented)
6. Nakriz
7. Ajam (1 instance of augmented)
8. Kurd

Hope this helps.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Gene Ward Smith" <genewardsmith@coolgoose.com>
To: <tuning@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: 12 Haziran 2006 Pazartesi 1:10
Subject: [tuning] Arabic "augmeted second"

> Does anyone have a cite for the alledged use of "augmented second" to
> mean 250 cents in Arabic music theory?
>
>

--- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, "Ozan Yarman" <ozanyarman@...> wrote:
>
> Check out Habib Hassan Touma's work. On page 37, he notates `augmented
> seconds` as 300 cents, and what he calls `medium seconds` as 250 cents:

Thanks; that does help.