Monday, February 11, 2013



A revolutionary transformation 

 in the music grammar is in the offing


A revolutionary transformation in the music grammar all over the world is due now with the developments in MIT (Music Information Technology).

All music grammar (Western Music Scales, Indian Ragas, etc) are based on the middle octave, extrapolating the intervals of the tuning system to the higher and lower octave regions.

The tuning frequency range of the middle octave will be around 260 Hz to 520 Hz, depending on the pitch standard and the tuning system.

But music appreciation depends on the functioning of the human ear. The most sensitive frequency range for the human ear will obviously help greater music appreciation. 

The sensitivity of the ear is based on the sensation experienced by the ear.  The sensitivity of frequency discrimination   and the sensitivity of loudness discrimination play significant role in appreciating the finer aspects of music. 

Interestingly the most sensitive frequency range for the human ear , as revealed in ISO 226, is around 500 Hz to 4000 Hz. Within that range the most sensitive range is from 2700 Hz to 3200 Hz. The present 12 intervals of the middle octave and the derived music scales may undergo revision, based on the consonant and dissonant behavior of the human ear in its most sensitive region. 

The above result shows that we need to review the music grammar in favor of the most sensitive region of the human ear. Probably music instruments like piano and violin may play more significant role due to their range extending to the high frequency region.


Prior to MIT, music grammar all over the world was developed on the basis of vocal music while instrumental music was developed mainly as the accompaniment. Instrumental music as solo instead of accompaniment seems to be later development.

For all human beings, the vocal range viable for sensitive acoustic variations is the middle octave and hence all music grammar ( with a maximum of 12 intervals for tuning and deriving scales ) was developed with middle octave as the basis.

With MIT, any recorded music ( acoustic or synthetic or both) can be subjected to any kind of changes in the intervals, tuning system, pitch standard, etc ( limited by one’s skill and creativity) .

Unfortunately the above options could not be fully exploited till the music grammar is revised to suit the most sensitive frequency range for the human ear.

Unlike elders, the present day music lovers among the youth are free from mental conditioning and hence the constraint of the emotional attachment to the present music grammar is weak in their mind.

Also the music notes in the most popular music enjoyed by the youth is relatively more in the higher octave region compared to the music enjoyed by the previous generation of youth.

This may point to the emerging trend in favour of the revolutionary transformation in the music grammar in the offing.

All open minded experts in music need to be free from the constraint of the mental conditioning and shall contribute to revise the music grammar to suit the most sensitive frequency range for the human ear.

Probably that may herald the New Classical Music; the world seems to be waiting for.

Note: Valuable Feed back from reputed experts helped to refine the above
           with thanks.

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