Chapter 3: Music as culture: Music Culture and Instrumental Timbers – Culture foundations of Music In Mesopotamia archeologist have uncovered rattles, flutes, and harp- like instruments dating to almost 2000 b.c. Considered the arts an important in their lives – Exploring Music and Culture: There are many cultures throughout the world with unwritten Musical traditions we know what the music sounds like due to two types of scholars: – Anthropologist: Scholars who study the physical and cultural characteristics and social customs of a group of people – Ethnomusicologist: Scholars who study the music of different cultural groups. » They study both unwritten and written music traditions and are interested in how music and culture influence one another – Toward a Definition of Culture: Culture is a word with multiple meanings – Culture is the customs, beliefs, language, arts, and institutions of a group of people that are learned and transmitted within the group Music culture: is the performance practices, means, traditions, used and beliefs about music of a group of people, either from a specific time or place. Elements of Music: – Regardless of its culture origin, almost all music shares several common elements these include: Melody: a logical succession of musical tones Rhythm: The way the beats or pulses are organized and subdivided Timber: The distinct tone quality of an instrument or voice, which is clearly identifiable by the ear. Some people refer to timber as “Tone Color” Pitch: the highness or lowness of sound determined by its frequency of vibration – Identifying Instrumental Timbers: People’s perception is sharpened when an individual can identify the differences among the sounds we hear.

Each culture fashions its instruments using the natural materials of the region – Such resources include: fiber, metal, reed, wood, gut, animal skin, and even stone. Instruments are isolated five fundamental categories, based on how the sound is produced: – Aerophones: instruments that produce sound by a vibrating column of air. – Membranphones: Instruments that produce sound by striking or rubbing a skin or membrane stretched across a resonating air chamber. – Chordophones: are instruments that produce sound by striking or rubbing a skin membrane plucking a taut string. – Electrophone: instruments that generate sound from electricity – Idiopones: simple solid instruments that produce sound by being struck, scraped, or shaken Musical Catagories – Music can be categorized in several ways: Genre : is a particular type of music with a distinctive form or sound Musical style: A form of expression within a musical genre – One of the most common ways to classify music is to use three broad categories: Traditional Popular Classical Traditional Music, Popular music, and Classical Music – Traditional Music: Sometimes referred to as Folk Music is informal music that develops within and is strongly associated with a cultural group or region Is categorized by its natural quality Almost all countries and societies have developed traditional music – Popular Music: Is music intended for a wide audience, often featuring prominent melodies Popular music genres and styles often have roots in traditional and even classical music Popular music is your music – Classical Music: it is a style of “art” music that stands apart form traditional and Popular Classical musicians have formal training; performances tend to be more refined and less spontaneous. Classical music traditions were originally associated with the more educated members of society

Traditional Music Cultures: – Traditional musical styles and genres are often associated with specific cultures or geographic areas. Examples of traditional music cultures in America are: blues and Jazz Blues: is a genre of African American music that often expresses frustration, sadness or longing – The vocal quality is most often straight forward, folk like singing that dips and slides. – The texts and style of the blues originated in spirituals and work songs of enslaved African Americans. Jazz is a musical form distinguished by its reliance on improvisation and its rhythmic urgency. – Originated in New Orleans – Characteristics: polyrhythmic, juxtaposing two or more different rhythms Popular Musical cultures: – Not only is one’s culture reflected in the popular music, but often popular music can be so unique that it creates its own culture. Motown: is a nickname for Detroit Michigan. Short for motor city Motown was established by Berry Gordy Jr. in 1960 Motown of the 1960’s established a “sound” and style of dress and Performance that remains easily identifiable. Also propel African American artist into the popular music mainstream. – Cover refers to one musician’s playing or recording of a song made famous by another artist. Classical Music Cultures: – Adjectives that describe Classical music: Formal, complex, and sophisticated – Classical music is commonly associated with a specific time, known as the Classical period, composers such as Franz Joseph Haydn and Wolfgang Mozart wrote some of their greatest works. – The Classical Period: Composers depended upon a system of patronage for their livelihood. – Often kings, members of nobility, wealth church leaders. – Worked as contract workers – The Emerging Middle Class: With the middle class making more money they wanted what the elite had. – These encompassed: music, theatre, and literature. – Wrote music for armature musicians – Used familiar folk and popular tunes as themes for their classical symphonies – Two important musicians from the classical period are: Mozart and Haydn Chamber music: is music written during the classical period for small ensembles – Music played in small rooms; many concerts took place in private homes for social gatherings and at parties