Verse:Tricin/Musical traditions archaeology

Traditional Æ music is comprised of various styles, but is entirely based on the following nine seven-note modes found in harmonics 8-16 (the complete list of 7-note subsets that are CS and have a 3/2 on the tonic):

1. vọj Bæ̀v: 8:9:10:11:12:13:14:16
2. vọj Hủd: 8:9:10:11:12:13:15:16
3. vọj Rů̃: 8:9:10:11:12:14:15:16
4. vọj Var Njị: 10:11:12:13:15:16:18:20
5. vọj Kyn: 10:11:12:14:15:16:18:20
6. vọj Gjám: 10:11:13:14:15:16:18:20
7. vọj Jav Læ̣q: 12:13:14:16:18:20:22:24
8. vọj Hír Må̉r: 12:13:15:16:18:20:22:24
9. vọj Mèd: 12:14:15:16:18:20:22:24

These were formalized by theorist Rå̃v Ngúm Sæ̊ng in Gregorian year 1657, and the nine modes are referred to as vọj-vọj Rå̃v.

The fundamental pitch, dó, is usually taken to have a value of 2²² (alternatively, 8⁷) vibrations per day in scientific communities, though traditional Æ ensembles traditionally have a movable dó. There is usually only one traditional tonic for each mode:

• for Bæ̀v, Hủd and Rů̃ the tonic is dó and its octaves
• for Var Njị, Kyn and Gjám the tonic is a 5/4 above dó and its octaves
• for Jav Læ̣q, Hír Må̉r and Mèd the tonic is a 3/2 above dó and its octaves

This means that there are only eight pitch classes in traditional Æ music.

All pitches will be taken as intervals over dó.

Instruments

• æ̉m: the vertical flute
  • The lowest pitch of this instrument's traditional size is 8/1 above dó and it is an eight-holed instrument, opne for each of the eight pitches, with the top note of the lowest register being identical to the lowest note in the next highest register.
• vód: the natural horn
  • The fundamental pitch is usually dó itself, though there have been smaller models of horn that are straight and have a fundamental pitch an octave higher.
• bæ̣̊m: the bass drum
  • This bass drum is usually square and single-headed. The skin is not fastened to the body of the bass drum, instead they are usually tied with rope.
• ỏr: the monochord
• This is usually tuned to dó itself, with the two main methods of playing the instrument being plucking while pressing the strings or lightly touching them to produce harmonics.
• slů̀: the fiddle
  • This is usually tuned to 4/1 6/1 over dó. It is played vertically, and it has a small circular body and a long neck.
• hjǿr sã: the crychord
• lum jáq: the guitar
  • This is usually tuned to 2/1 3/1 4/1 6/1 over dó. This is played in the exact same manner as the Chinese ruan but it has a rectangular body.
• væ̃: shruti box
  • This replaced an organ-like instrument, also formerly called the væ̃, which was used to provide drones. It has one reed for each of the eight pitch classes in Æ music.

Styles

The most common classical style is a melody over a drone on 1/1 and 3/2 of the tonic of the mode. It is mostly rhythmic but with complex changing meters.

Notation

The numbers 8 to 15 are used on a line, indicating the harmonic scale 8:9:10:11:12:13:14:15, with superscript numbers to indicate how many octaves above dó the note is played. Here are the 40 traditional notes in the traditional gamut of Æ music.

80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150
81 91 101 111 121 131 141 151
82 92 102 112 122 132 142 152
83 93 103 113 123 133 143 153
84 94 104 114 124 134 144 154