music as world phenomenon unit 1

music

individual cognitive perception of organized sound and silence

• perceived differently due to individuals’ cultural background

Ethnocentrism

• the unconscious assumption that one’s own cultural background is “normal”, while others’ is “strange/ exotic”

folk music

• learned through INformal means

• common folk

• heavily explored cultural roots; from romantic period

classical music

• learned through intense FORMAL training

• “highest form” of music (racially biased)

popular music

• appeals to broad spectrum of people to achieve financial success

• spread through various media/ cultures

• often reflects current events/ feelings

ethnomusicology

study of world/ ethnic music within modern (truth/ facts) cultural context

4 step process for music research (ehtnomusicology)

1. fieldwork

2. analysis

3. dissemination

4. representation

folklore

the study of orally transmitted folk knowledge/ culture

semiotics

study of SIGNS and SYSTEMS

• believes the musical “sound” as a neutral symbol and has no inherent meaning

poietic

music creator puts meanings/ emotions into “neutral”

esthetic

when a “neutral” feeling is interpreted by the audience

Timbre

the unique color/ sound that helps differentiate instruments

Aural color

emotions/ moods that describe a sound

organology

study of musical instruments; classifies instruments based on material

Sachs-Hornbostel System

what part of the instrument vibrates to produce sound waves

• used by ethnomusicologists

aerophone

instruments that require columns of air to produce sound

1. flutes

2. reeds

3. trumpets

how aerophones produce sound

1. flutes: splits column of air on an edge

2. reeds: uses bamboo/ palm leaves/ plastic that vibrates

3. trumpets: lips buzz/ vibrate

chordophone

instruments that make sound by vibrating strings

1. Lutes

2. Zithers

Lutes (C)

• body AND neck

• plucked or used with a bow

• less sound resonance

• with fret AND fretless

  • fret: precise pitch played; likely to be plucked (ex: guitar)

  • fretless: finger slides on string to get pitches; more likely to be bowed (ex: violin)

Zither (C)

• big body NO NECK

• striked or plucked

• more resonance bc big body

• fret AND fretless

  • with fret example: concert zither

  • w/o fret example: piano

idiophone

instrument that vibrates with itself to create soundwaves

• Melodic: singable, often plays melody (ex: xylophone)

• Rhythmic: indefinite pitch/ rattle sound (ex: cymbals)

• Can be Plucked, Struck, Shaken

examples of idiophone

• Plucked ex: Mbida (melodic)

• Struck ex: Akadinda (melodic)

• Shaken ex: Hosho (rhythmic)

membranophone

drums, struck by hand or stick

• can be played by hand, mallet, rubbed

• singing membranophone (kazoo)

example of membranophone

• By hand: tabla

• By mallet: atumpan

• Rubbed drum: quika

pitch

• definite (can be sung to produce a melody) or indefinite (cannot be sung, more imitated sound)

• scale, melody, microtones

• microtones: notes between tones that are not typically part of tuning system —> disonance

4 properties of sound

1. timbre

2. pitch

3. dynamics

4. duration

melodic contour

the shape of the melody represented graphically

syllabic text setting

• one pitch per syllable; speech like

  • Ex: la la la

melismatic text setting

more than one pitch produced per syllable

• ex: laaaa (multiple note changes in one sound)

rhythmic density

how busy a song is

• High activity = more dense

• Low activity = less dense

duple meter

pulses grouped in 2 beats or four beats (ex: most music)

triple meter

pulses grouped in 3 beats (ex: waltz)

free rhythm

music with no regular pulse pattern (ex: the lined hymn from the USA)

phonic structure

blending pitches together

monophonic

single melodic line with no simultaneous variations (main melody)

polyphonic

multiple melodic lines simultaneously

1. homophony

2. independent polyphony

3. heterophony

homophony

multiple lines of music that are DEPENDANT of each other (harmonies)

independent polyphony

multiple lines of music that can function as a melody on their own (different melodies playing over another; singing in a round)

heterophony

multiple variations of just one line of music, played simultaneously

form

: "blueprint" of song/ the ROADMAP of song

insider/ outsider perspectives on music

music meanings that are different for an insider of culture/ tradition compared to outsider

how different musical perspectives can help broaden understanding on music

outsider’s detachment of culture can help insider identify aspects of culture the insider takes for granted

use of music

role of music in a DESCRIPTIVE manner; objective analysis

• ex: Pomp and Circumstance is played for grad ceremony

function of music

PURPOSE of song in an INTERPRETIVE manner; interpretive analysis

• ex: Pomp and Circumstance --> formal atmosphere, highlights important student achievements

modernist view of music

views music factually/ with truth; highly descriptive

postmodernist view of music

deals with interpretation/ meaning of music

pedagogy

study of ways cultural music is taught and spread around the world

notation

when scripts are used to represent sounds

• western musicians: exact representation of musical sound

• other traditions: a point of departure; reminder of the main musical elements (like how jazz musicians improvise based off sheet music)