The Music Theory of Al-Farabi Peggy Caton Unpublished class paper, Comparative Music Theory (missing pp. 14-15) UCLA, Winter 1973 Farabi's concept of music theory, performance, and philosophyPeggy Caton Comparative Music Theory Winter, 1973 ‘The Music Theory of Al-Fara Al-Farabi has based much of his philosophy and theory, including that of music, on Greck philosophers such as Aristotle, Pythagoras, Aristoxenus, and Plato, He is considered, in addition, to have explained what they left unexplained, to have reconciled or to have chosen among their different ideas and to have advanced beyond their contributions. He uses the practiced music of his times in the Arabic Empire as source data for determining what is "natural or not in music. He lived (872-950 A.D.) just after the Golden Age of Islamic civilization, which was the early Abbasid period (750-847 A.D.). He studied in Bagdad at the House of Wisdom (considered to be the first known college) particularly the many works of Greek authors which had been recently translated into Arabic. In music, he pioneered in the mathematical computation of intervale, although his division of the octave and of the 4th into three genres vas based on Greek theory. He knew principles of harmony, but applied then linearly rather than vertically. His work was the basis for writings of all Moslem theorists who followed him. His Kitabu L-Misiqi Al-Kabir is con- sidered the most important treatise on the theory of Oriental music and was the greatest work of music which had been written up to this time (Encyclo- edia of Islam, ii: 54). It is organized into introduction, elements of composition, instruments, and composition and is written as a well-organized and defined theoretical-scientific treatise touching on philosophy and practice of music as well as theory. Relation of Philosophy to Theory and Practice To the Arabs, music was a part of the macrocosmic system. Modes were linked closely to the motion of the universe. The concept of ethical poweris based on the mathematical analogy between ratios of the soul's motion, vibration of strings, and movement of heavenly bodies (Wenne: 262). Pythagoras, earlier, had said that the human soul is in constent motion, which is defined by physical properties which go with harmonic relations of the tones. Certain tunes evoke certain motions of the human soul. However, while Pythagoras believed in the actual harmonic sounding of the spheres, Al-Farabi did not. Contrasting with this theoretical notion of harmony and proportion, the Arabs as a people preferred emotional excitement (WeAne? 280). Arab thinkers, perhaps as @ result, did not mention harmful and unpleasant emotions and Al-Farabi himself stated that expression was important in music. Music was Linked to elements, seasons, planets, and temperment and was considered to have these functions, according to the Arabian Nights: "To some people music is like food, to others like medicine, to others like 2 fan" (Farmer: 433). Arab concept was that music was moral and useful versus aesthetic. In its therapeutic function, the philosophers stressed allopathic treatment based on Pythagorean thought: The use of solemn, soothing melodies in order to bring order to disorganized souls and attune them to the properties of the universe through numerical order. Other Greeks made no comment on the exact nature of the effect of music or stressed the acoustic point of view. Stringed instruments predominate in the Arabic Empire, perhaps due to the strong emphasis on interval determination by string lengths. The ‘ud, the favorite instrument, is said by Al-Farabi to serve as experimental verification of theory (along with other stringed instruments). The practioner's ear is the actual verification and ic co-cuistive in importance with mathematics and physics in the science of music. Each mode, each string of the 'ud, fit into the order of the universe. Because of this so-calledlink with the universe, the ‘ud had 4 sides, 4 parts, and 4 frets and its dimensions were subject to mathenstical formulas. Instruments were indeed given almost human attributes. Each of the 4 strings of the ‘ud were given certain natural properties (Wenne: 276): Stein, Element Humour Qualie Season Zir (treble) Fire Yellow Bile Hot Summer Mathna (2nd) £ Air Blood Humid spring Mathlath (3xd)e Water PhLegm cold Wincer Bem (bass) G Earth Black Bile Dry Autumn When a Sth string was added (ce), this was justified by having it represent the soul. The mixture of these elements represented in the ‘ud were pain- relieving or invigorating in appropriate melodies and at appropriate times of the day. In relation to the ethical properties of music, there is a saying (hadith): "Allah Listens more intently to a man with a beautiful voice reading the Qur'an than does the owner of a singing-girl to her voice." (Farmer: 439). Sufi and earlier beliefs connected music to religion, with music as an aid or approach to religion, stating that this influence is because of its musicel structure (physical) and spiritual structure (simtlarity to the soul). Some have gone so far to say that music is the "eternal will itselé" (Farmer 440-441) and that ultimate truth could be apprehended only through divien eestasy, the most potent means being music. For Al-Earabi, who was a philosopher, "The knowledge of God is the object of philosophy and the duty of man is to rise, as far as is humanly possible, up to the likeness of God" (Hammond: 19). Further, in relation to ethics, the end of human actions is happiness and thst which leads toward it is called good and that which leads away from it is called bad. Evil is linked to corruptible things, but is under divine control and connected tothe operation of good (Hammond: 32). Music is part of Al-Farabi's grand philosophical scheme and utilizes methods and concepts that are part of this scheme. For example, the passions are part of the 9 basic substance! and secidents-and include the concuspicle (lust) and irascible (anger) passions. First principles are self-evident, non-demonstrable premises. A1-Farabi believed in and utilized the principle of causality and explains derivations of musical expression of the passions in those terms. God is the prime source, the prime cause and the prime being, who relates to the world through 2 process of emanation through the intellects of the spheres. Six kinds of bodies make up the universe: celestial, rational animal, irrational animal, vegetal, mineral, and 4 elements: air, water, fire, earth (which are then attributed to the ‘ud strings). Man is composed of body and soul, the latter of which hae vegetative, sensitive, and intellectual powers (growth; senses, emotions; perception, will). ALL knowledge comes from and starts with sense experience, which in music is the musician's sense perception, his hearing, which is the correct and ultimate judge of what is right and wrong in music. All beings and entities are a part of God's order, whether it be human being, celestial bodies or acoustics. Such forms as social structure, man's behavior, and music must be modeled after this order. Al-Férabi's Philosophy of Music In pursuing some matter, it is the goal that is important not the natter itself, according to Al-Farabi- Life is a serious affair with leisure being only a rest from work and not a goal in itself, Thus it is in music, which has two kinds of melodies, those for the soul and those for pleasure, useful melodies being the former. These are perfect and poetic words draw the greatest profit from them. These perfect melodies are of forceful, soft,or moderate type and are used to produce certain dispositions, morels, and desired actions and also to acquire spiritual beauties such as wisdom and setence. Concerning the relation of passions to music, Al-Farabi feels that music expresses passions and also indicates the state of soul of the person expressing it. Sounds are the perfection of @ passion. They can also revive or accentuate a passion. Music gives the illusion of a passion. The notes which provoke the passions are of those three types mentioned above. Al-Farabi lists the following passions and the quality of notes they accompany: Names of Qualities of Notes which Passions Provoke the Passions Arabic French English hazan tristesse sadness mubzan, hazani or tahzin or tahzinat dasat affliction distress Yasafi jazd inguietude anxiety jaza ‘tee force power mu‘izz salw consolation solace musli mahabbah affection mubabb bikdah heine hatred bigd rabmah compassion rahmi (and its opposite) hawt crainte fear mubawwaf (end its opposite) (D'Erlanger, II: 93) Natural music is that which produces the effect of pleasure, passion, or imagination. Man's inner instincts cause him to rest after work. The function of music in this respect is to dissipate fatigue by allowing man to forget the passage of time. Music, in Al-Farabi's terms, is considered to be melody, which is notes in a determined order and manner ot associated with phonemes forming words which express a thought. This music is acombination of pure reason, imagination, and the senses and is formed from true {mages in the soul and realized through voice or instrument. There are three musical forms, which are listed in order of lower to higher: 1, thet which provokes agreeable, delicious, restful sensations 2. that which is inspired by passions, state of soul 3. that which in addition excites imagination, suggests ideas. This form emphasizes poetry and oratorical forms, uniting words and music. (D'Erlenger, T: 13-14) Music which has all three qualities is the most perfect and is like 2 poem, but is less perfect. When combined, words and music are both more expressive. Musical instruments sometimes possess certain of these qualities, but voice is superior to them. Voice accompanied by an instrument, has @ richer, more [Frew leu! io high brilliant agseeable sound. The hierarcy Sf msical Hedns of production is as follows: 1. movements of the body which suggest the illusion of sound 2. impact which produces sound but not notes; e.g. drums, clapping 3. note-producing instruments, particularly those imitating voice (rebab, flute) 4. voice--reunites all qualities of sound. Theory and Practice Al-Farabi states that theory and practice complement each other and their combination constitutes the science of music. Theoretical principles permit us to conceive of state and qualities, while practice furnishes us with determining rules of naturalness of sensation, Theory of music has as its principal object the study of that which is for us a natural sensation. According to Al-F4rabi, the determination of what vas natural and consonant is that which always satisfied our ears and those who are qualified to judge this are the inhabitants of the Arabic Empire. Natural notes, then, arethose which are in current favor amongst these people. When a questions comes up concerning a difference between theory and practice regarding consonance, Al-Farabi refers to the practioner's “unerring" sense. what is natural in music is too obscure or too fleeting to capture, however. So, beyond practice there is a need to c eate an artifial harmonic so that the means of examining and acquiring the experience of music is available. A theoretician doesn't need to be a practioner, as he can refer to the practioner's car. Natural or perfect music is that by which one can attain the three forms of music. There are 10 "perfections" (parts) to this music: 1. all that can be joined onto a composition and which can adorn or harm it 2. rhythm 3. genres 4. mode, scales 5. mode, evolution 6. consonance 7. evolution 8. intervals separating degrees of mode in order of their scale degree 9. transposition (same genre, different tonality) 10. high or lowness( puts) (D'Erlanger, I: 67) Al-Farabi takes up the matter of consonances first. He compares perfect consonance to essential food. Sharp, deafening sounds are not natural as are not the instruments that produce them and their effects are comparable to remedies or poison. Al-Farabi classes consonance into great octave and double octave, medium--Sth, 4th, octave and Sth, octave and 4th, and small-- tone and other intervals smaller than the 4th. In order of appearance, the octave is the most perfect consonance. The Sth is next, with the addition of the 4th completing the octave. Subtracting the 4th from the 5th obtains the tone. Within the genre, which is the 4th divided into three parts, are found to be two tones with an amount left over, which is called the lima, c. 90 cents.In practice, this becomes a } step and in practice, interval quantitice ans do not use the are not exact. Also, Al-Ferabi states that mus octave and 4th but do use the limma as @ consonant interval. The 'ud is the primary instrument of working out of intervallic relations. Tt was considered to be the instrument’ upon’ which the most perfect melodies could be played. Figure 1 refers to the S-string ‘ud, tuned to At the time of Al-Farabi, the Pythagorian system of limma and comma had been the basis for fretting instruments. Thies fretting was @ tetrachord which was subdivided on the basis of open position and four finger: Motlaq Zaed Sabbabe Vogta = Benger = -Xansar 1 L 2 open (index) c a e £ Vosta and zaed are movable, while the other positions are fixed. Zaed replaces sabbabe when used, while vosta replaces bansar. A nunber of vosta had been in usé up to Al-Farabi's time and ranged fron HM go eb . Figure 1, which is a diagram of the ‘ud fretting, represents three types "voisine" du medius, medius des persans, and medius 2uleul (D'Erlanger, 1:46). i employs the following intervals for zaed and vosta (from motlaq) (Parhat: 18): zaed: 90, 98, 145, 168 cents vosta: 294, 303, 354 (zulzul) cents Farhat states that exactness of scale was impossible to achieve on instruments with movable frets and especially voice or instruments with no frets.— IS “voisine‘de la touche supplémeniaire | Touche suppleimentarre | “vaisine"deliadex } Index “vorsine"du meédius

| 1 soly deka Mediane Grave Mesos AN Gontey 5 aS uniw Aline aes lev tes Al Aloyenne des Nigatds13 function as phonemes do in words, with their number and order being determined by convention, however. Within @ mode, position of notes is "natural". For the ancient Greeks, the term consonant applied to melodic progression. Intervals were analyzed in terms of the stretched string. Al-Firabi refers to the 'ud or a stretched string for illustration of his hormonic principles. As mentioned earlier, there are three types of consonant intervals; the great consonant intervals, the octave; the medium consonant intervals, the 5th and 4th; and the small consonant intervals, which are smaller than a 4th. In order to illustrate what these many small consonant intervals are, the 4th is divided into 3 parts in various ways, with the resulting division different species of various genre. The following tables (Figures 39 and 40, D'Erlanger, I: 113-114) illustrate the various types of genre. Extracting the fractional intervals and arranging then in a progressive order following the harmonic series, one obtains the following series of intervals recognized as consonant in appropriate species of genre: 2. octave 21/20 3/2 sth 22/21 4/3 4th 24/23 256/243=diatonic seni-tone 5/4 25/24 (Pythagorean) 6/5 28/27 7/6 31/30 8/7 32/31 9/8 whole tone (Pythagorean) 36/35 10/9 46/45 11/10 49/48 W/L 13/12 14/13 15/14 16/15 semi-tone 81/75 19/18 20/19 These intervals constitute 29 consonant intervals, not including intervals larger than the octave.16 References Al-Farabi, Grand Traite de 1a Musique or Kitabu L-Misiqi Al-Kabir. trans. Baron Rodolphe D'Erlanger- Paris, 1930. V. I and Il. Farhat, Hormoz, Dastgah Concept in Persion Music. Ph. D. Dissertation. University of Celifornia, Los Angeles, 1965. Farmer, Henry George, "The Music of Islam," New Oxford History of Music, XE: 421-503. Hammond, Robert, The Philosophy of Alfarabi and Its Influence on Medieval Thought. Hobson Book Press, New York, 1947. Werner, Eric and Isaiah Sonne, "The Philosophy and Theory of Music in Judeo-Arabic Literature", Hebrew Union College Annual, v. 16. Cincinatti, 1941.