Ancient Greek and Roman Music - A Beginner's Introduction

[@faryafaraji]

FOLLOW UP VIDEO: How do we know what Ancient Roman music sounded like without any notated scores? kzbin.info/www/bejne/gHK9ioKtZ7uIg80 AUDIO DEMONSTRATIONS OF ALL THE THREE TYPES OF MELODIES ANCIENT GREEK MELODIES (GENERA): kzbin.info/www/bejne/aZa6lJ1ofLCFsNE And here are quality performances of Greco-Roman music: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hZSriKmiZpugpsk kzbin.info/www/bejne/fIjJh5ejhqqCldk kzbin.info/www/bejne/aWa7aZ1tjrB9brM kzbin.info/www/bejne/qKOVmKyurK6mmK8 kzbin.info/www/bejne/iZjTiIt6iLh7e5I kzbin.info/www/bejne/qHfIfquLiLCEfJI I've made a few videos talking about certain aspects of Ancient Greek music theory and how they have come to influence music of later periods, but I figured it would be a worthwhile endeavour to offer a very basic introduction to the general sound of Ancient Greek and Roman music for those who may wonder what it was like. This video is meant to be a beginner's basic overview of the instruments and the general music theory in a very general and simplified scope. In later videos, I will delve into more complex aspects. For those more interested in the subject, here is a wonderful lecture by the great Armand d'Angour, an absolute specialist in the subject: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nn6vm55-ZdKdndE Sources: Ancient Greek Music: A New Technical History, Steven Hagel Ancient Greek Music, Martin L. West

[@Yash-wm1nj]

Please do an epic talking on Indian Music systems

[@greygamertales1293]

When I first heard the sound of Aulos, I feel like texture of the sound is similar to the Medieval Shawm and Renaissance Crumhorn.

[@faryafaraji]

@@greygamertales1293Great comparison, they’re similar reed instruments

[@greygamertales1293]

@@faryafaraji I kinda wish historical musical instruments can atleast come back in the mainstream classical orchestras rather than just staying confined to only traditional early music ensembles.

[@faryafaraji]

@@greygamertales1293Honestly yeah, usually the argument given is that older instruments often can’t match the same acoustic power; music was usually meant for smaller spaces in the Middle-Ages or Baroque, but at this point most performances use some form of microphone or amplification anyway

[@neopoulpa]

The most accurate greek acent I've ever heard from a non Greek guy.

[@foljs5858]

Either he has stayed in Greece for a while, or Iranian has similar phonemes so it's easier for them to get the right sounds for Greek than some other foreigner

[@faryafaraji]

@@foljs5858I was a wedding photographer for 8 years here in Montréal, and if there’s a wedding here, it’s either Lebanese or a Greek one, that’s why haha

[@foljs5858]

@@faryafaraji lol! and you did all the music studying too!!!

[@BBWahoo]

@@faryafaraji Good on Montréal for allowing Lesbian weddings.

[@spardahellkin5814]

@@BBWahoo😂

[@Unknown-bt5rd]

Dude the greek speaking at the intro was so good... you sounded like one of us

[@ivankontra3446]

he evev looks Greek, the only thing giving away a southern lineage is a shorter forehead

[@LetsGoCatchUsSomeFISH]

@@ivankontra3446 He does not look Greek.

[@fuferito]

Farya's finally coming out with the truth about lyres.

[@faryafaraji]

Lyres always gave me trust issues

[@fuferito]

@@faryafaraji, If Alcibiades was a stringed instrument...

[@AnnieRegret]

🤣

[@floridanews8786]

I didn't see anything about creepy Joe Biden in here?

[@HistorywithCy]

Man, I love ancient history but know almost nothing about the history of ancient music. Videos like these are a rare treasure and you make the subject easy to understand and interesting. Thanks for making programs like this!

[@faryafaraji]

Coming from you it couldn’t be more of an honour man! Same thing for you; I always listen to your videos on Mesopotamia whenever I’m doing VFX on some of the videos for hours

[@marinalypirou-bali7315]

@@faryafaraji next time please plus the right tuning... 😂😂😂😂😂... It will be very false in our ears

[@faryafaraji]

@@marinalypirou-bali7315 What right tuning you’re talking about? Is it a certain part of the video?

[@marinalypirou-bali7315]

@@faryafaraji i mean. During Baroque era the tunninh waa 432. Today we ve been between 440-442 for A (La).

[@Sk0lzky]

It's largely ignored, not just in regular history or history of art, but even as a part of musical education. Music history curricula at best include some instrumentation, the choirs in theatre and (a few) scales. Then they just sail past a couple thousands of roman world to arrive at pope Gregory and the end of early middle ages lol

[@foodchewer]

Man, I love the editing (or lack thereof) in your videos. The way you actually include pauses and little breaks of silence makes your videos seem so much human, natural, and less jarring. Don't change, brother.

[@cipher1144]

Very informative as always, Syfilis! Send my regards to Charikleia Ghonorreas, I hope everything went well with Dr. Papanikolaus

[@faryafaraji]

Oh I’m sorry to say Ghonorreas died, stabbed by Trichomoniasis of Clan Souvlakis

[@meysamghahremaninejad6809]

😆

[@romanvalkansproductions5376]

@@faryafaraji but what about tzatzikis's grandson, Andreas Papadohatzigiannakopoulidakis ive heard he is a doctor in germany now and only visits his village Kammena Hoirina at summer

[@Uffda.]

😂 omg I was hoping to find someone pointing out the names, but I wasn’t expecting the bit to keep going

[@ScorpioMartianus]

Absolutely fascinating! I knew so little about the other two scales. I hope you'll cover more about this topic, particularly how you perform the scales in your songs.

[@Xel3_Keravnos]

Damn that was some good pronunciation at the beginning Farya ;) Συνέχισε να κάνεις τόσο καλά βίντεο!

[@BlaineNay]

Being a non-musician myself, I thank you for this education.

[@faryafaraji]

I’m honoured Blaine! My goal with these videos is to be accessible and aimed at non-musicians; history and culture buffs in general :)

[@the_byzantine_builder]

As a greek, the intro was hilarious😂

[@dannymarashi]

Bless our boi for dumbing it down for us amateur musical theorists and aspiring historians. Very thoughtfully executed introduction to the topic.

[@anthonygreco5335]

I’m so happy to see that in a previous episode you mentioned Southern Italy possibly having bagpipes and this time you mentioned the zampogna by name!

[@albuso1974]

Speaking of pipes, he did not mentioned launeddas, still played to this day in Sardinia.

[@klembinson9504]

As always nailing that greek accent The intro was golden too XD

[@paulastefania5019]

Thank you once again for a great informative video!! As I was doing some uni research, I came across some information about the Greeks who were performing war dances (Pyrrichios?) on aulos music, and they considered that those who know how to dance, know how to fight (because they know the dance or Ares, as it was written in the Illiad). Later on I found out the Persians, during the Achaemenid Empire, had a similar war dance according to Xenophon`s Anabasis. Later on the Parthians used hollow drums covered in bells on the battlefield to scare their enemies. I think it must have been quite the experience to actually perform a war dance or hear this kind of "war music" (and not only!) back then.

[@makedonas_ellhnas]

Amazing video brother , as a greek it makes me proud when I see foreign people talking about our heritage, and just the amount of detail in the video is amazing, great work

[@Primerato]

Your greek accent is great keep up with the good work

[@weloveTM123]

This made me SO HAPPY! Thank you for existing !!!

[@Cythil]

Yeah, you got me! I was thinking all the time up until the end: "How the Caligula's little boot did he manage to make a KZbin video from the ancient past!". Never crossed my mind that you might have used a green screen. You had me there! Good video by the way.

[@bogdannarancic5763]

We've been tricked, we've been backstabbed and we've been quite possibly, bamboozled. All jokes aside, great video as usual. Just out of curiosity: ever considered making a video on Mesopotamian music particulièrement?

[@faryafaraji]

Absolutely, I’m thinking of doing one in the same style for what we know of Mesopotamian music!

[@GannicusMisteriosdeHonduras]

@@faryafaraji sumerian music please

[@Rotisiv]

@@GannicusMisteriosdeHonduras Mesopotamian music includes sumerian music lol

[@GannicusMisteriosdeHonduras]

@@Rotisiv I know , it also includes Babylonian, Akkadian, etc but I'm interested in sumerian music

[@SiddharthS96]

This was a very interesting video: I see so many parallels with Indian classical music! Especially about the different types of modes, not always using all seven notes and having melodic complexity over harmonic.

[@laurentsalomonoriginals3438]

So you are another kind of "lyre" ? Thank you so much, for helping us rediscover the richness of the music of antiquity!

[@albertvonhabsburg]

Tzatzikis Protochlamydias 0:04 RIP in Peace 💀

[@Draezon]

Thank you for covering this. I've been writing a fiction piece with influences from the ancient world, and I had trouble describing the Greek-influenced music contained within. This was very informative. I hope to see some of your music on Spotify soon because I just love it. But I understand if you do not publish it there. I've heard of some issues creators have with that platform.

[@faryafaraji]

Thanks alot! As for Spotify I periodically put my most popular tracks there, but putting music up there is very costly price-wise, and as of now, the revenue from Spotify doesn’t match back the cost it takes me to put it there, though that might change later

[@МихаилКолесников-ц9ь]

Farya, you are just an incredible person! Even not knowing English very well, I am very pleased to listen to you. Good luck to you and development of your creativity. ❤

[@JThemelis]

Brother.. the Greek accent is spot on… not even actors/comedians/impressionists who work on their accents get it. Lol ive been mimicking my dad and uncles my entire life… another fantastic and informative video… i know what YT channel ill be binging on my flight to Greece in 2 weeks

[@narrare.di.storia]

Deares Farya, your educational video abou ancient music are really invaluable and to me (historical novel writer) very very precccccious. Thanks also for the source!

[@faryafaraji]

And your continued support is just as invaluable to me Vladimiro, grazie for sticking around so long!

[@orthochristos]

Just finished watching the whole video. Absolutely fascinating. Thanks

[@DemetriosLevi]

The timing on this couldn't have been better...to pass the time waiting for my Saz (or Tambouras) to arrive from Greece I was looking at Luthieros's website and researching the Pandoura and Lyre wondering how it would really sound like. I gotta check out that guy's work! I also love how you added the cicadas chirping in the background, you know that sounds is everywhere! Incredible video as always, aderfe. Can't wait for more

[@faryafaraji]

Thanks alot Demetrios! Where did you buy your tambouras from? I like to keep a list of musical stores that shop outside of Greece :)

[@limfilms1089]

Excellent! I hope you will make a video on ancient Greek and/or Middle East rhythms, many of which survive until today in the Balkans and the elsewhere. Things like 13/8, 11/8, 7/8 etc

[@faryafaraji]

Check out my video on Usul in the Epic Talking playlist, I cover the subject there :)

[@kiko8u]

Most informative video on KZbin about ancient music! Great work!

[@rodolfodeoliveira638]

Who are you? I AM FROM ANCIENT GREECE!

[@dennyregova76]

Would appreciate a part 2 on this…very informative. I’m from the balkans, so instrumentals is the key to my soul.

[@peekodafreeko3949]

this is the first non music video you've made! I really liked it! thank you my man.

[@adamcross60]

Syfilis Spanakopitas and Bilbamesh need to start a band. If nothing else, they should reappear during the intros of relevant videos. And yes, You were right. This entire time I thought you were sitting along the road to Aphrodite's Watch in Kythera during the Peloponnesian War and not a green screen.

[@SheepStrategos]

I haven't laughed so hard in 1 month during the intro.

[@haroldchase4120]

Sent this over to some friends . Hope it makes it into their music

[@Briselance]

"Tzatzikis Protochlamydias" 😆😆😆 I wasn't ready.

[@marcodatreviso9619]

Very informative video, interesting to see the interaction with neighbouring civilisation's music! In sardinian traditional music there's an instrument I think is directly derived (or maybe it developed around the same time) from the aulos/tibia, which are the "Launeddas" that have a very similar sound and are still played today in folk music. There's a couple of videos on KZbin if anyone wants to check it out.

[@celtofcanaanesurix2245]

it's interesting that you think native american when you think pan pipes because I think greek, I didn't even know native american's had pan pipes

[@fuferito]

_El Condor Pasa_

[@celtofcanaanesurix2245]

@@fuferito you know what, now that I hear it, it does sound very Aztec or Inca to me

[@brendancleary9490]

@@celtofcanaanesurix2245 they're big in peruvian music still to this day. There was even a South Park episode about Peruvian pan flute bands

[@nick_laurant]

Amazing Video! I find myself always coming back to your Greek/Roman ambient music videos (it's how I found you) and I love learning some of the context behind those melodies. Thanks so much!

[@faryafaraji]

Thanks alot Nick!

[@antoniosnibouzinos6739]

It’s a pleasure to meet you Mr Spinachpie, I am Mrs gyro

[@DieLuftwaffel]

Great video! If there's an even more in depth explanation of this video with longer musical examples I'd be interested! Also maybe some of the archaeological evidence that even informs us of how the ancients played their music would be cool!

[@NomeDeArte]

Super useful, thank you! Best wishes from Argentina!

[@StergiosMekras]

Snickered at the intro, fascinated by the rest of the video.

[@LinaLina-s4d]

We are grateful for the knowledge you provide. I wiil try to share some extra informations. In Byzantine music we have 72 moria . Ιn diatonic we have intervals of 12,10,8 moria. In chromatic we have intervals of 4,6,8,12, 14,20 moria. In enharmonic we have intervals 6,12 moria. 72:6 = 12 the enharmonic is the one that west music uses.

[@SoulOfTheDesert]

Another cultural version of Farya to add to the collection. By the way interesting video

[@al_Hasaan]

Absolutely impressive. Was blown away by your depth of knowledge!

[@ShahanshahShahin]

I've been waiting for this video since a long time ☺️ now it's finally here and btw Farya you look like a deserted Persian immortal in Corinth. 😂

[@whothefluff]

Looks like AC Odyssey LOL Can't wait for the next videos on this, it was very informative

[@claudioquadros-menestrel3513]

Bravo. This is the type of video ancient music needs in order to gain a bit more fame and popularity, which it highly deserves :)

[@soniah4821]

Farya, your explanations are so articulate and thorough, you should give a TED Talk.

[@JeremyBaconThe1st]

He just gave it didn't you see the video

[@rtam7097]

In India also during Gupta era( as u can see in the coins,artifacts) harp was used. It would be interesting to have a music on Gupta era music.

[@AlexandrosT1]

What about the similarities and differences of Byzantine music with Ancient Greek and ancient Roman music? Ps. Great video, keep them going!

[@faryafaraji]

Great idea!

[@greygamertales1293]

Byzantine music today still carries some of the traditions from ancient Greek and Roman music mixed in with other foreign influences throughout their history.

[@fun-with-purpose1436]

I love your channel and all this information to learn. I study Ancient Greek, but I don’t play music but I appreciate the ancient sounds. The music reflects the language, Ancient Greek is a rich complex language just like the notes and music.

[@isimerias]

Gonna consider the extra long intro a simply thinly veiled excuse to extend the length of the Galani Galaziani snippet!

[@joshuaperkins9916]

Excellent video, love the discussion and agree about lyres. There has been ceramic pottery found from the Tumulus Celtic culture from the iron and Bronze Age of Europe depicting pretty colorful examples of lyres and proto zithers. Including possibly a double corse 10 string example. There is also the couple of bridges found in Scotland from the Iron Age, one being flat, possibly for bowing? It’s speculated that the Welsh crwth as early as around 600 AD may of been bowed, as well as the closely related Greek and European chrotta being bowed earlier on. I agree, it seems to be of Steppe origin, in what intervals did it travel and arrive by exchange and migration and how early? Thanks for the video:)

[@theomatthaios]

We need more of this type of content. Breath of fresh air in this era of 2 min 2 chord pop songs.

[@CaptainHarlock-kv4zt]

Είσαι απίστευτα ταλαντούχος ρε Farya! Ειλικρινά!

[@celseac8107]

Such an informative video! Thank you for putting it out! It would be very interesting if you made a video covering some aspects of Greek music evolution! Because as you demonstrated, this type of music still exists in traditional Greek music. For example the sounds of the bouzouki, the kanonaki, the santouri, and the ways they're played still hold technique from the past. It would be nice to see how things changed in folk music within Greece.

[@no-secret-chart]

I happened on your channel because I love ancient history. I also love music, but know nothing about the theory, history, or composition of music. I wanted to thank you for teaching me so much already. Plus you are funny. Thanks!

[@faryafaraji]

Thanks alot :)

[@arno-luyendijk4798]

That was a very clear and sophisticated explanation of what is in fact the main source of both European and Middle Eastern music. I will try to use in the research of our living history group,,accidentally we are beginning to give music a more prominent place in our historical events and your information will help us bigtime.

[@aviktopchyan6465]

Keep on educating the rest of us. Mpravo! :-)

[@lorenzogiampaoli2156]

Very informative and well explained. Thank you Farya.

[@Rotisiv]

This is absolutely amazing! I’ve enjoyed every second of this video! ❤❤

[@mavromavro4892]

Example of melody kzbin.info/www/bejne/aom9eqiEqKx8oZI Main Melody from 0:00 - 0:12 kzbin.info/www/bejne/e5vZe4qwo7ybp8U Accompanying Melody 1:19 - 1:31

[@lyvras]

Dude, that drip is awsome.

[@CONSTANTINEXI63]

Looking pretty fancy there, mate

[@BorninPurple]

But Farya, how did you go back to Ancient Greece? I'm stunned, all I can see is a place that is 100% real and is almost 3000 years old. Indeed, there's nothing to indicate that the background is in anyway artifical at all or is superimposed. Tell me magical Persian man, tell me!

[@faryafaraji]

The secret to time travel is turning the gyros backwards, it reverse the flow of time

[@kaistinakemperdahl9667]

I'm so glad I came across your channel. My nerdy little heart loves learning new things and gaining new insights here.

[@DasVadderr]

Dorian, lydian, mixo-lydian and a few others are still in use today at least sometimes in middle europe. When you study roman-catholic church music, not the typical songs but stuff like the exultet (the long prologue of the Easter Vigil, usually sung by the priest), you´ll stumble across these nowadays so-called "church-modes". It´s increasingly rare but as I was told by a few priests I know very well, they went through the theory of it at the beginning of their education. In Germany it takes 6 to 8 years (depending on region) to become a priest and music is an important part of that education.

[@Sira628]

You explained me what i realised many years ago only by reading and listening i havent study music or learned any instrument ! Thank you!

[@iberius9937]

EXCELLENT introduction, excellent topic. 😄👌🎶

[@faryafaraji]

Thanks alot!

[@ceohadenough894]

You have such a great pronunciation, if I didn't know you were Iranian I would think that you are a Cretan.

[@Gredoxx]

Honestly your work is quite outstanding

[@faryafaraji]

Thanks alot Apostolis

[@Gredoxx]

@@faryafaraji Thank you kindly for educating people my brother!

[@ysgramornorris2452]

Well Pan flutes are literally named after the greek god Pan, aren't they?

[@faryafaraji]

Yeah haha I had somehow never made the connection my entire life

[@ivanstrydom8417]

Superb video sir. I adore the cultures, histories and music of the Medieval + Ancient Mediterranean / Near east.

[@byzansimp]

This was such an informative video! Thank you! Can't wait for your vid on the disappearance of microtonality, because I'm still a bit confused as to the difference between the enharmonic and chromatic modes :(

[@SS-qo3nt]

the 2 names at the beginning tipped me off 😆love from a daughter of anceint Kampos, peleponessos.

[@shaheer_ghazi]

Dam bruh, you lied to us. I thought you were an ancient Greek. Silliness aside, Maa Shaa Allah it was so extremely well done and well made. Thank you so much! I had a blast watching it Allahu Akbar!!!!

[@erictrombini8519]

Man this is great. I've been wanting to get a lyre in order to compose music to latin poems and this video is actually extremely helpful. Keep it up friend, hope to see more! Di tibi faveant!

[@CptSquirrel]

Great sense of humor as always Farya. Thanks for the lecture!

[@yoogehn]

This channel is heaven and you are great god. İn one word musicgasm🌎

[@greatsarmatae]

Highly valuable and educational video, thank you, keep up!

[@Karditsa1]

Jia, I am impressed by your knowledge of music, εύγε σου

[@cpfiffner]

Very enjoyable and informative, thanks. Have you heard any of Peter Pringle’s interpretations of ancient music, specifically the one on the kithara, and, if so, what do you think?

[@faryafaraji]

He's a very talented musician and also not one who strives for any form of historicity whatsoever. His own descriptions make that clear, he uses modern 200 year old instruments alongside ancient reconstructed ones, etc. Peter Pringle is an artist who makes historically inspired music, not a a music reconstructionist

[@cpfiffner]

@@faryafaraji Thanks for getting back to me. I enjoy listening to him. The thing I found interesting about his explanation of the Kithara was the “whammy bar” interpretation of its construction, which, in the instrument he was playing, worked wonderfully. BTW, I laid this video on my friend who is a great piano player(and is Greek) and he really dug it. Looking forward to viewing and hearing more of your work.

[@sethfrisbie3957]

When I read The Twelve Caesars by Suetonius I heard that Nero played a lyre. That conforms that lyres are not just a Greek thing.

[@italimarco]

I admire so much your knowledge. I'm not a musician, but I can understand what you say. Congratulations for your explanations!

[@ninadiamant8937]

I really appreciate the work you put into all your videos. Thank you so much. ❤

[@konst80hum]

Love the dedication to the subject matter!

[@atmospheros9249]

Thank you for an excellent video professor. Love this stuff!

[@rikbardyn5914]

Thank you for your very inspiring videos ! Really very very interesting food for thoughts !❤🎉

[@cmcapps1963]

"The most interesting thing about lyres"...is you never get the same story twice!

[@mantis2048]

Love your work, keep it up!

[@vangeliskalimantzalis-lian8175]

In creta we use an instrument which called lauto. The word is phonetiacally is close to the word lavt but also has the word laouto includes the word ud in it.

[@johnlisgaris3649]

Great video and great channel! You might want to look up Nikos Xanthoulis and his analysis and playing of the 7 string lyre. Very informative concerning the possibilities of the lyres, particularly with harmonics.

[@MegaMayday16]

The lyre is popular in port said. Egypt. The instrument is called simsimiyya. There is a lyre connection from the horn of Africa Ethiopia Egyptian Asia minor till Europa

[@faryafaraji]

Very interesting observation! Indeed, this region of North Africa has kept alive the lyre tradition since that time

[@ydkaachillesa9353]

Great. Props for providing sources.

[@C_Poumpouris]

Your Greek pronunciations are spot on

[@masterdon3821]

This hymnic style is between happiness and sadness. Today european music is too happy, while midlde eastern is too sad. Such middle ground feeling you can find at the edges of the map, papua ,sahel, in some parts of south east asia,maybe ireland