Music History Sem. 2 Exam 1

ethnomusicology

the scholarly study of any music within its contemporary cultural context.

world music/problematic labels

“catch-all” term for non-western music, often oral tradition, implies/enforces notion that all other music is “exotic”, lumps all non-western music together

Fieldwork/Field methods

first-hand study of music in its original context

Hornbostel-Sachs system

Instrument classification system that classifies instruments based on how their sound is produced, predominant system used to classify/describe indigenous instruments in ethnomusicology

Ethnocentrism

the assumption that one’s own cultural patterns and understandings are ‘NORMAL’ and that those that are different are “strange”, “exotic” and “abnormal”

Cultural conditioning

listeners from one culture may perceive something as music whereas listeners from another culture do not, each culture is correct and perspective is based on cultural conditioning

Organology

The study of musical instruments

polyrhythm

2 or more different rhythms blending together simultaneously, used in mbuti pygmy song

hocket

interlocking melody, alteration of pitches with one voice playing at a time to create a full melody, used in sikuri ensemble and mbuti pygmy song

homophony

one main melody and harmony/accompaniment

heterophony

simultaneous performances of melodic variants of the same tune

independent polyphony

everyone doing different patterns at the same time, not necessarily aiming for anything specific, used in mbuti pygmy song

matatu

busses used for transportation in Kenya, contributed heavily to the spread of rap

sheng

“street Swahili” a dialect based on Swahili and English, used in Kenyan rap

Zulu migrancy

Movement of Black South Africans from rural regions to urban areas for work: working in the diamond and gold mines of Johannesburg and Kimberleigh

Isicathamiya

Zulu male acapella music, tied up with migrant labor system, hostel dwellers would arrange all-night competitions on weekends at hostels and location halls

mbombing

hallmark of style was high pitched yells, reminiscent of explosive bombs in WWII, idea was to shout down others

mbube

first recorded song in 1939 called Mbube (lion) by Solomon Linda and His Evening Birds about the skill of a young herd boy in killing a lion cub. South Africa’s first “hit” song, uniform dress on stage, standard 4 bar harmonic structure, call and response format

freedom/struggle song

dominant musical medium of popular political expression in the struggle for racial equality before and during apartheid, expressed political critique and was a way to get around heavy censorship

ubuntu

“I am because we are”, belief in South African music

sikuri panpipe ensemble

“carousel” sound, interlocking melody, uses hocket and parallel polyphony, sounds airy and dry, music is community based which is represented by the interlocking melodies, found at festivals and holidays, tradition in Peru from Inca empire

parallel polyphony

2 melodic lines follow the same melodic contours but start on different pitches

shamanism

associated with indigenous and tribal communities, belief that there are shamans that can go to the other world, heal the sick, guide dead people to afterlife, practiced by many Mongolians

Urtyn Duu and overtone (throat) singing

Urtyn Duu means long song, contains overtone singing (khoomei) and bowed lute called a horse head fiddle, or Morin Khuur, today it is heard at many events like weddings and more, contains lyrics that describe the history and terrain of Mongolia, originally had goal of recreating/mimicking nature sounds to be more spiritually connected to the world

Mbuti Pygmy song

from democratic republic of Congo, emphasis on vocal polyrhythms and interlocking melodic motifs, minimal percussion because instruments are hard to carry, they just use things like clapsticks, interweaving hoots and hollers, call and response, independent polyphony, music is very important for community, all members participate

Native American flute traditions

end-blown wooden flute, “distant” timbre that imitates the sound of the wind, no clear meter/meter changes throughout performance, clear melodic phrases, originated as a way to express love for a woman and also used for storytelling, flutes associated with animism beliefs and spiritual connection

powwow

celebration of Native American song/identity through performance, large gathering with lots of different tribes

flute circle

a group of flute players that gather to play flute together

Bagpipes

scottish and Irish both have bagpipes, Scottish are blown into, Irish (uilleann) are not blown into in the same way, these traditions are not notated, sets them apart from other European music, strident melodic line and drone

chanter

part of the bagpipes that plays the melody

pibroch

musical form found within Scottish pipe music, theme and variations