The Oldest Written Melody in History:1400 BC

Originally posted by Imagewerx
I'm not a big musical expert,but that to me just sounds way too modern,in fact I'm sure I've heard that melody somewhere before?

I would imagine in 3400 years there have been many melodies that sound similar.

There are only seven notes to a scale after all.

Originally posted by ANOK

Originally posted by Imagewerx
I'm not a big musical expert,but that to me just sounds way too modern,in fact I'm sure I've heard that melody somewhere before?

I would imagine in 3400 years there have been many melodies that sound similar.

There are only seven notes to a scale after all.

edit on 3/24/2012 by ANOK because: (no reason given)

Twelve, actually, in the chromatic scale. This distinction is especially important when dealing with modal music. Sure, it may only deal with seven tones at a time, but one of those tones will be chromatic in the tonal system of today.

There are only twelve tones; you must treat them carefully.
Arnold Schoenberg

reply to post by EvolEric


yes because doom metal is beautiful....awesome post seriously.....more bard songs ...more bard songs!!!

Originally posted by godspetrat
Twelve, actually, in the chromatic scale. This distinction is especially important when dealing with modal music. Sure, it may only deal with seven tones at a time, but one of those tones will be chromatic in the tonal system of today.

There are only twelve tones; you must treat them carefully.
Arnold Schoenberg

Well yeah I wasn't thinking of the chromatic scale, but it's still the same seven notes we have now, it just includes all the flats and sharps.

Originally posted by ANOK

Originally posted by godspetrat
Twelve, actually, in the chromatic scale. This distinction is especially important when dealing with modal music. Sure, it may only deal with seven tones at a time, but one of those tones will be chromatic in the tonal system of today.

There are only twelve tones; you must treat them carefully.
Arnold Schoenberg

Well yeah I wasn't thinking of the chromatic scale, but it's still the same seven notes we have now, it just includes all the flats and sharps.

Or of course there can be 24, but I don't like quarter tone music! I don't like atonal either, since I think music should be based on the naturally occurring harmonic series. Root, octave, fifth, fourth, major third, minor third...

I don't think we will really know what 3000 year old music sounded like until someone invents a time machine. It is cool to try to interpret the texts as to how the music was played. Thank goodness for modern notation (500 years old or more) or recording. Vivaldi sounds about the same as it did when he was alive! I do love speculation, don't get me wrong, but it is still speculation. I feel that the 3000 year old music probably used 7 note modal scales, just as we might today, though the scales were probably pentatonic further east in China and such. I just don't presume to know for sure one way or another. This is the knowledge you gain from two music degrees, so beware!

We've come a long way.

with the correct translation of this melody, the perfect instument, and the correct tempo (this guy was a little quick I feel) in which the performer plays these sounds... would make an amazing vibration

Cool OP, thanks for sharing

~ Love is an art

reply to post by silent thunder


Excellent. I enjoy this sort of thing.

Music is the only language that the human race has that can be understood by everyone from every time.

Just goes to show that good art, whether paintings, literature or music is timeless.

I like this tune. The crazy guitar like riff at the end must have drove the fans wild.

It sounds like a tempoless free-form jam of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" to me.

2nd