Egyptian Rhythm

The Two Energy Centers

The Baladi (silent majority) of the Egyptian people correlate specific activities to certain days of the week. These activities are concentrated in two focal periods: the Eve of Monday (Sunday night) and the Eve of Friday (Thursday night), with more focus on the Eve of Friday [this has absolutely nothing to do with islam, whatsoever]. Marriage ceremonies are only allowed on these two nights with preference to Friday Eve. Thousands of local shrines (nothing related to islam) are visited on both these eves, with special preference to Friday Eve. People spend the night of Friday Eve at the tombs of their departed relatives [contrary to islam]. Intercourse between married couples is very special on Friday Eve. Courtship activities of all kinds is more prevalent on Friday Eve. Many more similar traditions [cutting hair, butcher work, etc] are adhered to.

Since Ancient Egyptian times, the week started on a high (musical) note, namely Saturday. As such, the layout of the week, with the two active focal eves will look as follows:

The concentrated activities towards both ends of the week (with two centers of activity, one more prominent than the other) follow an elliptical form that conforms to Kepler’s first planetary law.

Johannes Kepler (1571-1630) rediscovered (from Egyptian sources) that the orbit of a planet/comet about its sun is an egg-shaped path (ellipse). Each planetary system is balanced only when the planet’s orbit is an egg-shaped plane that has 2 foci, with its sun’s center of mass at one of its foci. Similarly, the Egyptian traditions follow the same pattern. All aspects of their thinking and society can be reasoned to the egg-shaped characteristics—including music.

The Egyptian Dorian Scale

On a keyboard, the interval between Do (C) and Re (D) that has a black key between them is therefore that of a whole tone, but between Me (E) and Fa (F) and Si (B) and Do (C) where the black key is missing, the interval is only that of a half tone.

The most popular sequence of the diatonic scale throughout the Egyptian history (ancient and present) is the D-scale, which goes:

D—E.F—G—A—B.C—D1
[—denotes full interval, . denotes half interval]

Because of the presence of two half-intervals in the diatonic scale between E & F and B & C, the D-scale is the only symmetrical scale either ascending or descending.

By applying the sequence of the seven natural sounds of the D-scale to the days of the week, we get:

One cannot help notice the symmetry of the weekdays that is also shaped like an ellipse with two focal points Sunday/Monday and Thursday/Friday.

The ascending D-scale is the model for one’s deliberate communications with higher realms. In an ascending D-scale, the first ‘interval’ (semitone) comes between E (Mi) and F (Fa). Not too much energy is required at this juncture, and the octave develops smoothly to B (Si). However, the second semitone between B (Si) and C (Do) needs much stronger energy for its required development than between E (Mi) and F (Fa), because the vibrations of the octave at this point are of a considerably higher pitch. These are the reasons for the light Egyptian activities at Sunday–Monday and the greater activities at Thursday–Friday.

The descending D-scale represents the communications between the higher realms and our earthly realm. Taken in the downward direction, a descending octave develops much more easily than an ascending octave. Supernatural forces require less effort to communicate with us on earth. The first semitone occurs right away, between C (Do) and B (Si). Not much energy is required at this juncture, where the energy needed is often found either in the C (Do) itself or in the lateral vibrations evoked by C (Do). The octave develops smoothly to F (Fa). The second semitone F–E (Fa-Mi) requires a considerably less strong shock than the first.

The most favored scale in Egypt is called Bayati. It is a D-scale and thus provides the perfect harmonious communication between the above and the below—to and from.

The D-scale was known in ancient Greece as the Dorian scale/mode. Dor-ian is an Egyptian term that was and continues to be used in Egypt.

For more information about the fundamentals and practice of music, dance, etc. in Ancient Egypt refer to our book:

Egyptian Rhythm: The Heavenly Melodies by Moustafa Gadalla 240 pages, 5.5" x 8.5" List Price: $14.95 USD (paperback) $ 9.95 USD (eBook)