The Babylonian Musical Notation and the Hurrian Melodic Texts

West, M. L.

doi:10.1093/ml/75.2.161

Cited by 25 publications

(23 citation statements)

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“…Instead, it sounds uncannily familiar, with its simple frequency ratios between component tones. Furthermore, the accompanying lyre, whose strings are thought to have been tuned to simple frequency ratios (West, 1994), produces simultaneous tones (between voice and lyre) that are also related by simple frequency ratios (Kilmer et al, 1976).…”

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confidence: 99%

Natural Musical Intervals: Evidence From Infant Listeners

1996

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Aticietit ntid tiiedieval scholars cotisidered toties related by sittiple (stiiall-iriteger) ratios to he tintiirally pleasitig, biit cotitetiiporaty scholars nttribiite the special perceptiinl statiis of siicli soiitids to exposirre. We itiwstigated the possibility of processitig predispositiotis for sotiie torie cotiihitintiotis by cr.nliiatirig itgatits' ability to detect siihtle ciiatiges to pattenis of sirtiiiltarieoiis atid seqiietitinl toiles. It gatits detected siicli chariges to pairs of piire toties (intervals) orily dieti the toties were related by simple freqireticy ratios. This was the CNSC for 9-ntotith-old it garits tested with harrnotiic (sittiiiltririeoiis) ititervals arid for 6-ttiotitli-old ittfnrits tested with ttielodic (seqiietitial) iritervals. These resirlts ore coilsisterit witli II biologicnl basis for the prevaletice of particirlar ititends historiccilly arid cross-ciiltiirally .The origin of the idea that consonant, or pleasant-sounding, combinations of musical tones have special numerical properties is generally attributed to Pythagoras (ca. 600 BC) (see Plomp & Levelt, 1965, for a review of historical accounts of consonance and dissonance). When Pythagoras partitioned a vibrating string into two sections whose lengths were related by simple (i.e., small-integer) ratios, such as 2:1, 3:2, and 4:3. he observed that the resulting combinations of tones sounded more consonant than did combinations for lengths related by more complex ratios. In the Middle Ages, beauty in general was considered to depend on numerical properties, music in particular being "number made audible" (Seay, 1975, p. 19). Indeed, the medieval philosopher Boethius considered music, arithmetic, geometry, and astronomy to be equal parts of the Quadrivium, the four essential disciplines of mathematics. The degree of beauty was believed to reflect the relative simplicity of the underlying numerical relations. In fact, musical intervals (combinations of two tones) with simple ratios were thought to mirror the beauty of God, the complex-ratio (45:32) interval known as the tritatie being the "devil in music" (Seay, 1975, p. 83).Renaissance scholars' discovery of the association between the pitch of a tone and its frequency of vibration (hertz, or cycles per second) provided a psychophysical rationale for Pythagorean ideas of consonance-subdividing a string into simple ratios based on length results in simple ratios based on frequency (see Hall, 1980, p. 442). According to Galileo (17th century) as well as some contemporary theorists (Bernstein, 1976; Boomsliter & Creel, 1961), tones related by simple frequency ratios are preferred because their vibrations generate more regular or pleasing neural patterns, a claim as yet uncor-

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confidence: 99%

Natural Musical Intervals: Evidence From Infant Listeners

1996

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“…By contrast speech, which communicates facts and ideas, is mainly processed in the left hemisphere. West (1994) proposed an interpretation of Babylonian musical notation for lyre or harp, dating from 1250-1200 bc, and makes mention of the Sumarian King Shulgi (twenty-second century bc) who claimed to have established the theory of music and instrumentation. Gregory and Varney (1996) commented that there is no general agreement on whether relationships between musical forms and emotional feelings are due to inherent qualities of the music, or to learning and associations.…”

Section: Hymnsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of hymns in religious healing services

Lowis

2015

Journal of Applied Arts &Amp; Health

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This study was part of a longer-term project under the general heading of ‘Hymns for healing’. It comprised a survey among church leaders on the role of hymns in healing services, and was a follow-up to an earlier investigation, carried out with members of congregations, on the hymns that can help overcome feelings of being down and depressed. A sample of ordained ministers and other leaders of church services was asked to nominate which hymns they would select for a healing service, and give the reasons why. A high score was obtained for the importance of the role played by hymns. The results of the two studies were compared, and some interesting differences between the hymn choices of the two groups were revealed. The findings will be useful to all who plan and facilitate healing services.

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“…Supporting evidence for this includes Palaeolithic-era cave paintings depicting dancing, and bone flutes dating back 27,000 years, or even earlier, to pre-Homo sapiens times. West (1994) proposed an interpretation of Babylonian musical notation for lyre or harp, dating from 1250 to 1200 BC, and makes mention of the Sumarian king Shulgi (22nd century BC) who claimed to have established the theory of music and instrumentation. From its association in earliest times, firstly with nature and later with religious practices (Smeijsters, 1995), it is not surprising that music became associated with the supernatural.…”

Section: Definition and Origins Of Musicmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Novel Methodology to Study the Propensity to Appreciate Music

Lowis¹

2004

Creativity Research Journal

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The Babylonian Musical Notation and the Hurrian Melodic Texts

Cited by 25 publications

References 0 publications

Natural Musical Intervals: Evidence From Infant Listeners

Natural Musical Intervals: Evidence From Infant Listeners

The role of hymns in religious healing services

A Novel Methodology to Study the Propensity to Appreciate Music

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