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I've been thinking about how music notation could develop in an alternate world. I'm really interested in evolving something from Ancient Persia, particularly the Achaemenid Empire.

So, my questions for you are: How would a talented singer/songwriter in an alternate world write their music? Assuming something like an early Dastgah develops in Achaemenid Persia (or our singer invents the system herself) how would that evolve? Could we see merging with the Mesopotamian and Greek musical notations, such as the Pythagorean Interval? Or perhaps influence from the Indian Swaralipi?

Our songwriter is a junior mazdayazni priestess in a surviving Colonial Achaemenid Empire, and her songs are growing... popular. So far she's passing them by mouth. But obviously there''ll be a growing need to write them down. Capture all the melodies, chords and lyrics so they're not changed or forgotten over time.

And for wider thoughts on alternate music notations in general: What kind of symbols may we see for 'notes'? How would sheet music look with quarter-tones as well as semi-tones and tones?

What are you thoughts and ideas on both something evolving from ancient Persia, and alternate music notations as a whole?
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