The Music of Hindostan c9.s1.73

c9.s1.73

It may be noticed that since the *Ma-grāma* (4 3 2 4 3 4 2), which is identical with our major scale, can be treated in the same way, it would have been open to Europeans to divide the octave similarly into twenty parts. Having a different object in view we have preferred to do two things. First, we have ‘merged’ nearly identical intervals; that is, we have made one note do duty for two. Thus, E♭ is 204 + 112 = 316, and D♯ is 386 − 112 = 274; and we have made 316 do duty for both notes. And secondly, since we wished to have all the relations of the successive notes of the key the same, on whatever note the key began, we have ‘tempered’; that is, we have made the major Tone, minor Tone, and Semitone expressible in terms of each other by adopting a compromise. Thus 204, 182, and 112 have been altered to 200, 200, and 100. With these particular intervals the falsity of intonation does not seriously matter; but since it involves reducing the Fifth, 702, to 700, and increasing the major Third,¹ 386, to 400, the falsity on some instruments and in certain connexions is very apparent. There are purists who regret this, and others who do not appreciate the reason for it—that we have an ample compensation in Harmony, which it alone makes possible. If India were ever to adopt Harmony it would be driven eventually to the same or a similar device; there is not, permanently, any half-way house.²