The Great Book of Music

Arabic music combines these two elements referring to the numerical and verbal proportions mentioned on the previous page in a harmonious way. It adopts the element of proportional composition proportional composition: "al-ta'lif al-nisbi," the arrangement of musical notes based on their mathematical relationships. among the numbers of tones, which allows it to achieve natural melodies that are pleasing to the senses in their sequences and combinations. Simultaneously, it adopts the second element, which facilitates the arrangement of the melody, the segmentation of speech, the beauty of rhythm, and the excellence of the craft.

Since the foundations of knowledge and science in music are derived from the natural reality found in perfect human melodies perfect human melodies: "al-alhan al-insaniyya al-kamila," the idealized vocal performance that serves as the benchmark for all musical theory. and what pertains to them, it is self-evident that the transitions and arrangements of notes in any other manner cannot be considered "natural" in any sense. These other forms are merely varieties of the tonal craft tonal craft: "al-sina'ah al-naghmiyya," refers to purely instrumental music or technical exercises. heard from instruments in general. These are figurative compositions intended to approach the quality of perfect melodies but falling short, or intended to represent real things through sonic images but similarly falling short. For the most part, none of these relate to specific principles, except where they might occasionally happen upon something natural.

Therefore, the science of this craft is divided into two parts:

The first part: "Principles" principles: "usul," the foundational or root principles upon which a science is built., which are the arts of melodic craft.

These include a collection of factual sciences regarding melodies. They examine sounds, natural notes, the proportions of composition, harmonies, the genres of rhythm, the beauties of melodies, and whatever follows or is required by them. These consist mostly of five sciences that may appear distinct in their subject matter, yet are necessarily connected within human melodies, where each complements the other. They are:

١ — Science of Sonic Proportions:

Its subject is the notes and the vibrations of their strings, the sonic intervals sonic intervals: "al-ab'ad al-sawtiyya," the distance in pitch between two notes. and their ratios, and the genres of their composition.