© 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Part VII Nonwestern Music

An Appreciation © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Nonwestern Music Reflects/expresses world’s diversity Each culture has its music practice –Some have all three—folk, pop, & classical These musics influence western music –Especially true in the 20th Century -French composer Claude Debussy -British rocker George Harrison -Jazz artist John Coltrane

An Appreciation © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Chapter 1: Music in Nonwestern Cultures Characteristics of Nonwestern Music It reflects its supporting culture –Frequently linked with religion, dance and drama –Often used to communicate messages and relate traditions

An Appreciation © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Oral Tradition –Music notation far less important than in western culture Frequently transmitted by oral tradition -Many cultures do not have a music notation -When they do, it serves as a record, not for teaching or performance

An Appreciation © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Improvisation Improvisation is frequently basic to the music –Improvisation usually based on traditional melodic phrases and rhythmic patterns

An Appreciation © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Voices Singing usually main way of making music Vocal approach, timbre, and techniques vary throughout the world –Nasal sound –Strained tone –Throat singing –Many others

An Appreciation © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Instruments Four types based upon sound production: –Chordophones—stretched string -Harp-type –Aerophones—performer’s breath -Flutes, trumpets, etc. –Idiophones—instrument’s body is sound generator -Bells, gongs, scrapers, rattles, etc. –Membranophones—stretched skin -Primarily drums

An Appreciation © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Style and application within culture causes particular types of instruments to dominate –Idiophones/membranophones: rhythmic emphasis –Aerophones aid in outdoor performance Geography and materials availability influences –Strings allow great flexibility of pitch Religion also influences instrumentation

An Appreciation © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Melody, Rhythm, and Texture Most nonwestern musics are monophonic –Some cultures use heterophony –Sometimes accompanied by a drone -All perform same melody with different ornamentation

An Appreciation © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill –Intervals between tones can be larger or smaller Much nonwestern music has very complex rhythms Scales in nonwestern music are frequently quite different than western musical scales

An Appreciation © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Interaction between Nonwestern and Western Music Nonwestern music has been greatly impacted by western influences due to: –Spread of technology –Increased urbanization Some governments subsidize traditional music to preserve cultural heritage –Almost worldwide access to recorded music

An Appreciation © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Chapter 2: Music in Sub-Saharan Africa Africa is divided into two parts: above and below the Sahara desert –Above: Moslem, Arabic-speaking, music closely related to that of the Middle East –Below: Extremely diverse, many religions, cultures, and languages (over 700)

An Appreciation © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Though Sub-Saharan music is diverse, there are some similarities: –Complex rhythms and polyrhythms –Percussive sounds –Wide variety of instrumental ensembles –Vocal music often a soloist and responding chorus

An Appreciation © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Music in Society Music permeates African life from religion, entertainment, and magic to rites of passage It is so interwoven into life that the abstract word “music” is not used by many peoples

An Appreciation © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Closely associated with dancing in ceremonies, rituals, and celebrations –Dancers frequently play and sing while dancing Music is a social activity—everyone joins in No musical notation—passed by oral tradition

An Appreciation © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Elements of African Music Rhythm and Percussion The body used as an instrument Complex rhythms and polyrhythms predominate Dancers choose to follow any of the various rhythms –Clapping, stamping, slapping thigh/chest

An Appreciation © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Vocal Music Wide variety of sounds, even within a single piece Percussion ostinato frequently accompanies singers –Call and response extremely common Short musical phrases repeated to different words

An Appreciation © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Texture Often homophonic or polyphonic Same melody often sung at many pitch levels –This is unlike most nonwestern musics

An Appreciation © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill African Instruments Idiophones Xylophones, a favorite, come in many sizes Most common African instrument Most are of indefinite pitch “Talking drum” with slit in side can produce 2-4 tones

An Appreciation © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Membranophones Used in many ceremonial and work-pace applications Drums usually played in groups—multiple players –Drum manufacture often accompanied by special rites Variety of shapes, sizes, and forms

An Appreciation © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Aerophones and Chordophones Flutes and trumpets (of wood and horn) most common Chordophones plucked or struck, gourd resonators –Reed instruments less widespread

An Appreciation © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Listening Ompeh Song from central Ghana Claude Debussy Listening Outline: p. 405 Brief Set, CD 4:66 Music of the Akan-speaking peoples in Ghana. Listen for:Call and response Solo vocalist and chorus Percussion ensemble

An Appreciation © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Chapter 3: Classical Music of India Musical traditions date back over 3,000 years –Hindustani: secular, court music from Northern India (including now-Pakistan) –Karnatak: temple music from South India -Absorbed many Persian elements due to Muslim Persian rulers Two main types of classical music -Developed along its own lines

An Appreciation © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Performers Music viewed as a spiritual discipline Oral tradition—study by apprenticeship

An Appreciation © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Improvisation Very important, sophisticated, and developed Guided by melodic and rhythmic formula Must study for years before allowed improvise

An Appreciation © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Elements of Indian Classical Music Music is based upon the human voice Melodies almost always accompanied by a drone instrument –Pitch range limited to about four octaves Highly embellished melody, both vocal and instrumental, is characteristic

An Appreciation © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Melodic Structure: Raga Melody exists within a framework called a raga— a defined pattern of notes –Each raga has an ascending and descending form –The melody “colors the mind” Raga means “color” or “atmosphere” Each raga associated with a particular mood –Also linked with gods, seasons, festivals, and times of day

An Appreciation © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Rhythmic Structure: Tala Rhythm is organized into blocks or cycles, each called a tala –Tala range from beats in length is most common –10-beat tala jhaptal divided 2—3—2—3 |1 2 |3 4 5 |6 7 |8 9 10| –10-beat tala shultal divided 4—2—4 | |5 6 | |

An Appreciation © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Instruments Vocal music most important in India Many types of instruments –Many instruments associated with specific gods Sitar most popular chordophone Drums of many sizes –Long necked, lute (guitar) like instrument –7 plucked strings, 9-13 sympathetically vibrating –Tabla and mridangam drums most common

An Appreciation © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Tabla Tambura Ravi Shankar—sitar Getty Images

An Appreciation © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Listening Maru-Bihag Ravi Shankar Listening Guide: p. 411 Brief Set, CD 3:69 Listen for:Raga and tala organization Heavy reliance on stringed instruments Extensive improvisation Nonwestern musical form Performance Profile: Ravi Shankar, sitarist Listen for performer’s interpretation as he attempts “to take the audience along with me deep inside, as in meditation, to feel the sweet pain of trying to reach out for the supreme, to bring tears to the eyes, and to feel totally peaceful and cleansed.”