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Microtonal Violin Pedagogy: Mastering the Neutral Second through Persian Dastgāhhā

abstract: Most violinists of the Western classical tradition are untrained in the aural skills and left-hand techniques of microtonal intervals. This document surveys the nature of the problem and presents a manual for self-teaching the three-quarter tone step—the equal tempered ‘neutral second’ (N2) a quarter tone between the major and minor second intervals—through the melodic syntax of specific Persian classical music (PCM) modes. While the paper does not teach PCM performance, it does offer a method of melodic functional hearing through a new solmization system designed specifically for PCM. Additionally, the paper guides readers through the PCM repertoire by grouping modes with a shared functional usage of the N2. Combined with the pedagogical research of learning modalities and Edwin Gordon’s Music Learning Theory, these tools provide violinists with a method for achieving the aural accessibility and performance mastery of the N2. This process serves as a future model for learning unfamiliar intervals both within and without the Western classical tradition. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Music 2020

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:asu.edu/item:57297
Date January 2020
ContributorsDiBarry, Michael (Author), McLin, Katherine (Advisor), Buck, Nancy (Committee member), Knowles, Kristina (Committee member), Arizona State University (Publisher)
Source SetsArizona State University
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeDoctoral Dissertation
Format132 pages
Rightshttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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