Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c11.s1.t3.26

v2.c11.s1.t3.26

The Indian classical music has unique and integrated theoretical system. Bharata’s *Natya-sastra* has subdivided an octave into 22 *Shruti*. Indians believe Shruti is the least interval unit distinguished by human hearing. In all nationalities worldwide, there are a variety of tone systems. Currently, 12 tone equal temperament is mostly used that is divided an octave into 12 equal semitones, two semitones are equal to one whole tone. The size of interval in the Indian music is based on the numbers of Shruti, for example, a big interval consists of four pieces of Shruti, a small interval consists of three pieces of Shruti, and a semitone consists of 2 pieces of Shruti. These three kinds of intervals are totally different from the semitone in Western music in which two semitones are equal to one whole tone.