music exam 2 (ch 4, 5, 6)

aboriginal Australians

• indigenous ppl from Australia

• nomadic

• believe in dreamtime

dreamtime

aboriginal belief that in the dream state is where humans are most likely to have an awareness of the creative powers of the universe

didjeridu in aboriginal music

from australia: aerophone made of tree branch hollowed out by termites

• often creates a droning sound

• symbolizes the creative powers of the earth in dreamtime

clap sticks in aboriginal music

from australia: 2 pieces of wood hit against e/o

• symbolizes big bang of when earth was created + calling to spirits to see the performance

aboriginal music

history songs that contain social/ moral codes, teaches spiritual beliefs, social relationships, economic subsistence of the indigenous australian culture

• contains didjeridu and clap sticks

wondjina spiritual meaning

aboriginal culture: spirits that created the features of the earth and history songs (why lots of the songs are abt aboriginal history)

carroboree

aboriginal culture: sacred rituals performed at night w/ body painted dancers

susap in papua new guinea

mouth harp; lamellophone (idiophone w/ tongue that vibrates)

•  String attached is pulled to make tongue vibrate

• Mouth is used as resonator to amplify sound/ shape of sound (by how you move your mouth)

• has to pluck frequently to keep sound

susap in culture papua new guinea

• believed to have love-controlling powers

  • if romantically unsuccessful —> blames it on instrument

• used as a way of secret communication so others can’t eavesdrop

kilu in drum dance

from hawaii: higher drum, made from coconut shell and fish skin face, played with braided coconut fibers

pahu in drum dance

from hawaii: lower drum, wooden carved footed drum played with the hand, made with shark skin

• has power to speak to the gods

hula

hawaiian dance that emphasizes the movement of hands, hips, arms

mele in drum dance

from hawaii: poetry chanted to give more power/ efficacy to words, vital for spiritual beliefs

kiribati group song

acapella choir that usually starts with free rhythm and has hand claps to keep the beat

• very suppressed by european colonizers —> restrained + harmony singing instead of powerful + spiritual singing

kiribati group song spiritual meaning

vital link to ancestors and supernatural powers

• would have music/ dance contests with rival clans that included spiritual possessions

hindustani raga

from north india: dreamy aura w/ boing drum noises and buzzing

• oral tradition

• in order to play: student goes under initiation to become raga guru’s disciple

  • Sitar = melody strings

  • Tambura = Buzzing timbre, common in indian music

  • Tabla = boing drum

sitar

• fretted plucked lute

• 3 sets of strings

  • melodic string set

  • chikari = drone string set

  • sympathetic = echo string set

tambura

fretless plucked lute

• makes droning sound

• indicator song is from india

tabla

hand drums

• smaller drum = tabla (tuned to central pitch)

• bigger drum = baya (boing sound)

• audience keeps track of drum cycle (tala) with hand claps/ waves

bols (tabla)

drum stroke verbal syllable

theka (tabla)

complete set of drum words for a cycle of beats

tala (tabla)

particular cycle of beats

raga

atmosphere of performance

• rasa = mood/ emotion of raga

alap

beginning of performance where performer sets the rasa (mood)

• all improvised, free rhythm

• uses upper range strings and drone string on sitar

jor

middle of the alap, has steady pulse

jhala

concludes the alap, very rhythmically dense

• drone strings dominate

gat

the inclusion of the drum in a raga

• more than one basic melody

ragamala

personified storytelling version of a rasa

brahma

the creator in hinduism

vishnu

the preserver in hinduism

shiva

the destroyer in hinduism

carnatic culture

• from south india

• less influenced by outside cultures

• predominantly hindu

carnatic classical song

melismatic singing w/ droning sound and string instrument going w/ singer

• tambura —> is from india

• vocal (melody)

• violin (imitating melody)

• mridangam drum (rhythm)

• sruti box (drone sound)

• kriti (poetic text/ lyrics)

mridangam drum

rhythm of carnatic sound; indicator that song is carnatic/ from south inida

• thud noise, not boing

kriti

poetic form/ music genre/ musical text (lyrics)

sri tyagaraja

• carnatic composer

• Devotee of hindu god Rama --> saint bc prophesized own death

• Aradhana festivals celebrate his works

bhajan devotional songs

devotional hindu songs

• usually in Sai Baba temples

• includes vocals (call/ response), tabla, harmonium, dantal

harmonium

free reed, hand pumped organ like instrument

dantal

steel rod that is struck on a horseshoe shaped beater

Sai Baba

indian mystic; associated w/ miracles and spiritual teachings

• part of south indian culture

qawwali

sufi devotional song; from pakistan

• vocals (background repeats melody, soloist improvizes)

• tabla

• harmonium (more melismatic)

• dholak and tabla (steady beat)

• hand claps

overall more rhythmically dense than bhajan and kriti

sufi

mystical branch of islam , practices not as mainstream

• Objective = attain communion w/ allah (music helps this) --> trance like psychological state (transcends material plane to reach spiritual goal)

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

• Most popular qawwali singer

• Attracted attention of mainstream pop stars