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To be clear I can’t actually consciously tell them apart. Takes a lot more musical training and talent to do that. I suspect this is also why most western-attuned ears simply can’t get into raga at all. But notably when I do get in the mood every few years it’s always raga.
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And when a song on American radio catches my ear it is nearly always a slightly “weird” human voice and a song that involves vocal play that borders on just-tempered as in hooks my attention in a slightly “raga” way even if it has no relation/influence at all
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I recall from music theory reading that all music, including western, was just-tempered in antiquity and the scale centers the natural human voice as the standard. Chromatic centers the natural geometry of instruments like the piano, and human voices/ears have to be trained to it
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I suspect most midwit ears can only “deep” listen to one or the other. As in pay direct attention on purpose. You can shallow listen to either in the background of other tasks.
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Interestingly enough I can’t do accents or impressions either, or tell slight differences in accents apart. I guess listening is an actual talent.
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Another data point: I find the harmonium (pumped reed organ) extremely grating. It’s an equal-tempered western instrument sorta hacked into service as an approximately just-tempered accompaniment instrument in semi-classical and pop Indian music.
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Classical purists hate it and will only use a just-tempered instrument like the tanpura for accompaniment (these things are used as scale-setting drones) but I don’t have the refined ear to have such subtle preferences. Yet I dislike the harmonium at a visceral level.
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Hmm. Duffy (begging you for mercy), some Adele, some Maroon 5, Dance Monkey (dance for me) seemed to hook me in a vaguely “raga” way. Oddly enough no conscious fusion attempts like George Harrison’s or John McLaughlin seems to hook me at all. I find that stuff dull.
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Replying to @vgr
are there examples of such songs that come to mind?
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Replying to
And I now think improv vs composed is a relatively surface level aspect of music. I like a lot of semi-classical Indian music genres (ghazal, qawalli, kirtan) which is raga style but composed rather than improv.
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Heh the dominant tempo of raga music is very slow/slow/medium but it’s an acquired taste. Only the last 10-15% of a piece *might* go hard allegro and maybe allow the tabla or mridangam a solo riff.
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i know nothing about the tabala but HOLY this goes hard especially in the last 5 minutes or so music.youtube.com/watch?v=059QnV (thx @vgr)
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Percussion doesn’t even kick in till the second movement usually. As a kid, dragged to performances I’d hate the long first movement (aalap) and fidget till the percussion appeared, and only actually enjoy the end. As an adult my tastes flipped. I enjoy the aalap the most.
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I should make a calendar appointment to listen to music on purpose like once a year at least 🤔. I think it’s been 2-3 years since the last time. Not counting the time my wife dragged me to the symphony a few months ago (pretty good).
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End up going to a live thing (usually symphony) every year or so. Last non-classical thing was Buddy Guy in 2018 I think. Last Indian classical thing was probably 7-8 years ago. Most performers I like are either dead or very rarely tour the US.
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Take my loose terminology as gestures at shit I don’t quite get
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Replying to @vgr
Fixed 'Do' vs. movable 'Do' is probably closer to what you're meaning. Chromatic just means split into semitones. Equal tempered is the compromise from just for pianos, which can't be retuned trivially.
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