Babylonian Tonal System
Basic tetrachords
[edit | edit source]The Babylonian Tonal System is based on tetrachords.
1½1, ½11, 11½
and the tritone
111
Two consecutive tetrachords build a heptachord.
Heptachord linear
[edit | edit source]1½11½1
Heptachord circle
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7 heptachord modes
[edit | edit source]The 7 modal patterns for the Babylonian heptachords are:
| Mode | Pattern | Center note | Semitones | Tritones |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| kitmum | 1½11½1 | D | 10 | 0 |
| pītum | ½11½11 | E | 10 | 0 |
| qablītum | 11½11½ | C | 10 | 0 |
| išartum | 1½111½ | G | 10 | 1 |
| embūbum | ½111½1 | A | 10 | 1 |
| nīd qablim | 111½11 | B | 11 | 2 |
| nīš tuḫrim | 11½111 | F | 11 | 2 |
2 consecutive heptachords
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Flatward shift for higher notes.
7 consecutive heptachords
[edit | edit source]7 consecutive heptachords build the 7 Babylonian modes:
6 cyclic consecutive heptachords
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Tuning
[edit | edit source]A tuning procedure ‘loosening’ (TU.LU) in Music of Mesopotamia for a 7-stringed instrument based on a transposition to D/D♭:
‘tightening’ (GÍD.I)
kitmum chords
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Further reading
[edit | edit source]- Crickmore, Leon (2008). A New Light on the Babylonian Tonal System (PDF). Proceedings of the International Conference of Near Eastern Archaeomusicology (ICONEA 2008), The British Museum, London, December 4–6, 2008, editors: Richard Dumbrill and Irving Finkel. London: Iconea Publications. pp. 11–22.
- "Babylonian Tonal System". Allan Pettersson Fanpage. Retrieved 19 January 2026.