What is the history of the Augmented Second in World Music

Question

In his book Gypsy Music, Bálint Sárosi states that the Augmented Second --- as found between the second and third, third and fourth, sixth and seventh in a lot of Gypsy as well as Indian and Middle Eastern music --- came into the music of Eastern Europe (specifically Hungary) through the influence of the Ottoman Empire (who I also understand created cymbals and brass instruments.)

I also find the augmented second in Indian, as well as Middle Eastern music and am hoping someone can shed some light on where it might have come to Turkey from and potentially its earliest examples in folk music.

Answer 1

I briefly studied Gypsy history, and there is one theory that the Gypsies originated in India and migrated north into Eastern Europe and Hungary, passing through Turkey.

One of the musical forms they would have brought with them is the Indian Raga. In the Carnatic Raga there is a scale form that includes a raised second note, playing up what we would call and Augmented second.

There are other migrations north from India as well, predating the Ottoman Empire, so it is likely that musics in the region using the form with the raised 2nd degree were influenced from the Indian music.

The music is an aural tradition so early transcriptions are difficult to find. There was an interest in Gypsy history in the 1800's in England, but much of the information collected is suspect, as the Gypsies were known to be reluctant to share their actual traditions with outsiders.