Ancient Greek Musical Scales on a Replica Ancient Greek Tortoise Shell Lyre - Video
PUBLISHED:  Oct 16, 2016
DESCRIPTION:
Video demonstrating the fascinating interchangeable relationship between two documented musical scales from ancient Greece; the "Archytas Enharmonic Genus" and the "Olympos Pentatonic Scale" - when performed on a 9-string replica ancient Greek tortoise shell lyre, tuned to the equivalent intervals as the microtonal Archytas Enharmonic Genus:

http://www.ex-tempore.org/ARCHYTAS/ARCHYTAS.html

Regarding the Olympos Pentatonic Scale, this is a minor pentatonic scale, said to have been introduced to Greece sometime in the 7th century BC by the aulos player, Olympos:

"Olympus (or Olympos, Greek: Ὄλυμπος) is the name of two ancient Greek musicians, one mythical who lived before the Trojan war, and one apparently real, who lived in the 7th century BC. Both musicians were connected with the auletic music, which had its origin in Phrygia. It is possible that the elder and mythical Olympus was invented through some mistake respecting the younger and historical Olympus. Instrumental music was apparently introduced into Greece by Olympus" (Wikipedia).

I was inspired to improvise with these scales, after hearing the fascinating study in the Oylmpos Pentatonic by the late microtonal composer, Harry Partch:

https://youtu.be/HSToApF6eN0

Exactly the same minor pentatonic scale was also apparently one of the scales used in ancient Egypt - it's use in ancient Egypt was deciphered by the late professor Hans Hickman, from illustrations of ancient Egyptian chironomy gestures (an ancient form of musical notation, whereby specific hand gestures represented specific changes in musical pitch).

The improvisation hopefully demonstrates how these two distinct ancient musical modes can be almost interchangeable, depending if the bottom string of my lyre or the string a perfect 5th above this is treated as the root of the mode being played...

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