Music Lectures PDF

Music of India Lecture Includes music for Popular Dance & Film Religion and Rituals Classical &Traditional 1.) An Aesthetic basis called rasa underlies all Indian art music. 2.) The lead instrument in Hindustani music is a sitar- a plucked instrument with 18-21 strings. 3.) The tabla...

Music of India Lecture Includes music for Popular Dance & Film Religion and Rituals Classical &Traditional 1.) An Aesthetic basis called rasa underlies all Indian art music. 2.) The lead instrument in Hindustani music is a sitar- a plucked instrument with 18-21 strings. 3.) The tabla provides rhythm and energy (percussion) 4.) A drone instrument called the tambura 5.) Music is organized by a melodic pattern called raga and a rhythmic pattern known as tala 6.) Raga could be thought of as a melodic shape rather than an abstract pitch structure Music of Japan Lecture For more than 100 years, Japan has been studying and playing Western music, including symphonies, jazz, rock, blues, bluegrass, and mariachi ensembles. Traditional Japanese Music Entwined with visual and dramatic effects and often productions- includes dance, costumes, colorful staging, poetry, and movements ex) Shen Yun 1.) Value small group performances (1-3 performers) 2.) The idea is to listen to the skill and beauty of traditional materials rather than exploring new ideas (Unlike Western Music) 3.) Gagaku: Ancient court music- Japan’s first instrument genre 4.) Kabuki: represented by music for theater Characteristics Narrow range of dynamics Pentatonic scale with some ornaments Pentatonic scale (5 Note Scale) Nonexistent Harmony Regular rhythm NOT driving more free Delicate nuances Melody and Timbre as main values Little or NO improvisation Instruments of Japan Koto Bamboo Flute Shamisen Taiko Music in Sub-Saharan Africa Nigeria, Ghana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Namibia, South Africa 1.) North Africa is derived primarily from Asian Musical sounds 2.) South of the Sahara (Africa) greatly influenced American Culture Spirituals, Blues, Jazz, Ragtime, Gospel (All have roots in South Africa) 3.) Music may involve props, costumes, dancing, sculpture, crafts and Drama 4.) Music is created for a specific purpose and is rarely performed out of context (Similar to Native American Concept) 5.) Griot were members of a class traveling poets, musicians (This group can be considered one of the roots of Hip Hop) Instruments A wide variety of instruments was used mainly percussion Idiophones- The basic material of construction is the sound-producing agent Rattles, bells (wooden or metal) shells, log drums Membranophones- drums with heads of stretched skins Played with stick, hand, or combinations Techniques involve intricate altercations of fingers, thumbs, and heels. Chordophones- Stringed instruments Consists of numerous variations of lutes, harps, fiddles, zithers. Usually plucked NOT bowed Aerohophones- Wind instruments Natural horns or trumpets made of wood ivory and or animal horn Vertical and horizontal flutes and reed instruments Rhythm The Heart of African Music More integral than harmony or melody Western Rhythm is very simple compared to African Rhythm textures Contains syncopation (up beats) and polyrhythms (two different types of rhythms going against each other) Jewish Music Lecture It includes liturgical music, religion, poems, specular songs, music, for Islamic traditions, and new music from modern Israel. Cultural Context 1.) The nation of Israel was established in 1948. Before that Jewish people did not have a homeland. 2.) Today Jewish people live in more than 100 countries 3.) They kept religion separate retaining traditions and practices 4.) At the same time absorbed much of the cultures of their host countries 5.) Their culture is a balance between Jewish traditions and other cultures. 6.) Jewish American composers Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Aaron Copland, and Leonard Bernstein helped shape American Music. Liturgical Style Music is typically melismatic several notes of the melody corresponded to a single syllable of the text. Fast-moving melody and slow-moving text The songs are known as cantillations and are sung by a cantor Unaccompanied or accompanied by organ or other instruments Klezmer Style 1.) Primarily of Yiddish-speaking Jewish immigrants in the US 2.) Small band or combo plays music raging from sad reflective songs to dance to 3.) Wandered the streets or eastern and central Europe as far back as the 15th century 4.) Played Jewish tunes and yiddish folk songs ofr Jewish and Christian Events. 5.) They had NO employment, property, and were not trained in music but said to be creative, imaginative, have an excellent ear for music and highly developed sense of rhythm Celtic Music Lecture Emcompasses the traditional music on Ireland, Scotland, Whales Brittnay (northeast religion of france) and small reasons of France and Spain. 1.) It runs the gamut of styles from traditional or roots music to new age. (traditional as discussed before as music of the people) 2.) Modern Celtic music was traced back to to a 1993 Volkswagon commercial featuring a popular Irish band called “Clannad” Went top of the World Music Charts. 3.) Record Lables like Narada and Atlanic records came onboard and this new age celtic music became a craze. 4.) However the Irish did not, and do not recognize “Celtic” as a category or genre. Instruments and Artists Guitar or bozouki Bag Pipes Fiddles to hurdy gurdys Welsh and Celtic Harp Fiddle Twin whistle or flute Bodhran Bands Atlan Clannad Solas The Chieftains