native american

Monophonic

A texture in music that has a single melodic line without harmony.

Vocals

The primary focus of Native American music, often with text or vocables (non-translatable syllables).

Common instruments in Native American music

Drums, rattles, and occasionally flutes or ankle bells.

Repetition

A common feature in Native American music, characterized by short phrases with lots of repetition.

Vocal falsetto

A singing technique that uses a high-pitched vocal register.

Oral tradition

The method through which Native American music is passed down through generations.

Yeibichai songs

Songs that invoke ancestral gods for healing and are used in the Nightway Ceremony.

Meaning of Yeibichai

"Yeibichai" means "gods-their-grandfathers" and refers to the ancestral spirits invoked in the songs.

Ndáá songs

Simpler songs that were popular among the Navajo before the 1940s, often including vocables or text.

Sacred chants

"Holy" chants used during serious rituals in the "Way" ceremonies, typically simple and monophonic.

Peyote songs

Monophonic songs used in the Native American Church's religious ceremonies, featuring simple rhythm and melody.

Influences on Navajo music

Country/Western music and Gospel music have influenced Navajo culture, especially since the 1940s.

Contemporary Navajo composers

Composers who create new songs in the traditional style of Ndáá songs or blend traditional with non-Native musical characteristics.

Native American Flute Revival

A movement to revive the Native American flute tradition, popularized by artists like R. Carlos Nakai.

Falsetto

A technique used to sing in higher pitches, often beyond the normal voice range.

Vocables

Non-translatable syllables or sounds used in Native American singing.

Hozoo (hozóó)

A concept meaning 'harmony with nature' or balance; can be disrupted by illness or misfortune.

Hoghan (hogan)

The traditional round structure or dwelling of the Navajo people.

Diné

The term that refers to the Navajo people, meaning 'human beings.'