Compositional techniques in African Music Course Description The course deals with the Compositional Conventions evident in traditional African vocal and instrumental music and the different ways in which they are applied in the creative practice of traditional and contemporary musicians. Its objective is

Course objective to promote understanding and appreciation of African music through knowledge and enhanced awareness of the compositional forms and techniques that are applied, and to provide aspiring or practicing composers an introduction to the basic processes and procedures of composition in the African idiom.

Listening material All students are expected to listen at their leisure to the composite cassette tapes of excerpts from recordings of the Sounds of African Music in the Audio ‑ Visual Archive and to note down their impressions of how the materials of each instrumental type are put together so that they can contribute to the class discussion of selected examples.

Exercises and / or essay topics A few exercises and / or essay topics will be given to enable the Instructor to check on the comprehension of the materials.

Detailed Syllabus part one traditional techniques and usages

1. BASIC CONCEPTS AND ORIENTATIONS The concept of "composition" in African oral cultures - What traditional musicians say about the compositional process The factors that give rise to or stimulate the creative process The musician as spokesman. Levels of Communication in African music Contextual considerations that influence the design of music as play, or music as an integral part of ceremonial and ritual events, etc

2. THE SOUND CULTURES & SOUND SOURCES Concept of the musical sound Variety of sound sources and their musical roles, Aesthetic and social functions.

3. COMPOSITIONAL STRUCTURES Musical statements as units of structure or perceptual units (phrases, sections and motifs) Combining or juxtaposing "statements" within a defined framework marked by periodic closures, Use of expressive or syntactic devices such as prolongations, interpolations, extensions Relationship between compositional forms and performance procedures

4. GENERATIVE PROCESSES a. The tonal framework: Choice of scales or pitch sets, configurations of tones, melodic movement and tonal progression, interchangeable tones modality

GENERATIVE PROCESSES continued b. The Rhythmic framework Order and succession of basic durational units in linear structures Characterisation of the piece through use of recurrent patterns and their permutations. The construction of melorhythms for tuned percussion and instruments with limited compass

GENERATIVE PROCESSES continued c. Text ‑ tune relationships techniques of text construction Relationship between musical and verbal units of structure Use of fill ups and prolongations, etc Coordination of speech tones and melody

5. MULTIPART ORGANIZATION Principles of voice separation Polyrhythmic organization and procedures The hocket technique Textural considerations

6 THE ROLE OF PERFORMANCE AND PERFORMANCE MODELS IN THE COMPOSITIONAL PROCESS Making provision for Performance Factors such as Spontaneous improvisation, Substitutions (textual etc) Repetition and variation Alternation of spoken and sung forms Use of Speech Surrogates Integration of music and movement

7 FORMS OF ACCOMPANIMENT with particular reference to the use of Techniques of derivation ostinato interpolations and other devices, Alternations of sections of song and instrumental form

Reference Materials for Part One EUBA, Akin: Dudun Music of the Yoruba BERLINER, Paul: The Soul of Mbira NKETIA, J. H. Kwabena (1) The Music of Africa; (2) Generative Processes in Seperewa Music; (3) The Play Concept in African Music (4) The Intensity Factor in African Music NZEWI, Meki: Musical Practice and Creativity.