A small bit about West African Music Traditional West African music is still used in many regions of West Africa. Instruments used in West African music are crafted out of materials from the local land such as wood, animal skins and horns, moth cocoons, and even Cucurbitaceae plants. The music is closely associated with dances that are used accompanied by the music for occasions. The danced are used to express many different motives and meaning, such as, contacting god for aid in success and to suggest peace where there is conflict as well as to celebrate something or for ceremonial purposes such as death and other phases of life. Dances that accompany West African music are very enthusiastic and extravagant because dancers follow the rhythmic patterns of the drums and interpret them using their body parts. Percussion, Aerophones and Chordophones are all used in West African music and are frequently improvised rather than following a strict system like you may hear in other types of world music such as Indian Classical music or unlike, most commonly, the western music system. Traditionally, West African music is performed in the comfort of tribes and communities in West Africa. It is a very unique musical event in the sense that it brings a whole community together. However, West African music is performed on stages in many parts of the world.
(R1)(Map of West Africa, Google Source)
Instruments Used
The Kora (A chordophone instrument with a sound chamber made of gourd played using percussive characteristics. Traditional Kora players will use small note devisions and complex rhythms, so they play fast and create very busy melodies)
The Djembé (a membranophone with many different spellings, most commonly spelt Djembé, is a percussion instrument which originated in West Africa)
The Dunun drums (A rope tuned, hide skinned membranophone which is played using a stick to hit the skin The Dunun drums come in a family of three starting from biggest to smallest are named Dunun, Sangban and Kenkeni)
The Krin (also knows as the kolokolo, is a solid wood instrument with slit holes that allow two different notes as well as being able to play the whole drum which can apply a range of tembrel variation from one instrument. the Kolokolo is played using two sticks to hit the drum which makes it an Idiophone)
The Balafon (is a xylophone like tuned percussion Idiophone instrument crafted with wood that resonates which has between 16 and 27 keys and has originated from West Africa)
, beads are used inside the drums to make then rattle on playing which can be likened to the similar effect of a western snare. Percussion is the main element of West African music which shows its importance when combined with the traditional dances which can be instruments like Finger Pianos, Bells, Shakers and the use of hand clapping. with the nature of West African instruments and how they're made, unlike factory and absolute craft precision of the west, West African instruments can be somewhat crude and not perfectly pitched. I think this holds a great example for argument against the strictness of western music, you do not need absolute musical "perfection" and precision to create something epic, appreciated and internationally recognised by the world.
Theory of West African Music
As a western musician such as myself, You may listen to traditional West African music and initially think that the structure and form sound very organized, very much like when our teachers got the box of world instruments out in music classes at primary school. However, be under no illusions, It is far more complicated than what it may seem. You can hear the mass of percussion in some of the music which overlap and create poly-rhythmic elements which to a western musician will be recognised as playing different time signatures at once which is exactly what is happening. How this works is, in a drum ensemble, the Master Drummer is the leader and coordinator of the music, in a sense, similar to a conductor of classical music or a lead guitar player in a western pop band. His role is essential in the performance of the music as he plays drums solos and gives orders, musically, to the other drummers in the ensemble to lead then into different sections of the form. Stylistic elements such as call and response can be heard in West African music, especially in the singing sections where a large group of vocalists may chant some lyrics which is then followed by a single vocalist speaking another line on his self in the song. West African music is handed down orally to younger musicians in Africa. It is not scored or written.
(R3)(Youtube Video)
Influences On Western Music
Afrobeat is a genre derived from both western genres and traditional West African music. Afrobeat is a combination between Funk, Jazz and West African music with stylistic elements from all the three genres like chants from West African tradition and call and response from both Jazz and Funk. All of which, including Blues music, was also a very popular derivation of West African music and were brought over to the west in the days of the slave trade and is still massively performed all over the world.
(R4)(Youtube Video)
Reference List
All material accessed 24th November 2013
INCOMPLETE
Indian classical music is spread throughout India which consists of two different traditions. Great Tradition (Hindustani) from the north of India and Little Tradition (karnatic) from the south. Great Tradition is spread throughout India which is recognized as the musical language for the Indian people like the western music system to European musicians. Where as Little Tradition is limited to certain regions and considered a folk and religion based traditional music. A lot of the instruments and stylistic elements used on the instruments In Indian classical music are extremely difficult to learn and play such as the Sitar, in some ways similar to the guitar but notoriously takes a great deal of commitment, time and study to master the arts of playing. It is better for Indian Classical musicians to start learning the music from a very young age for this reason. Singers in Indian Classical Music differ to western singers such as pop singer Maria Carey, with the largest vocal range in pop music, because Indian musicians only usually sing on 3 octaves/saptaks, where as with a lot of western musicians, it is not uncommon for them to range between 8 ocvates. Diva Devotee (2013).
Traditionally, the musicians perform in a very relaxed and focused manner. Western audiences compensate and stay quiet whilst absorbing the music, making acts of appreciation in between compositions such as applauding. In western pop music, musicians tend to move around a large stage, making an energetic performance for the crowd where as traditional Indian musicians sit on cushions with legs crossed which makes for a much more relaxed performance. So I guess there's no wonder the crowds not "going wild". The video below is Raga composition (a certain style of Indian Classical music) which shows a good example of how the musicians perform. It also features young female Indian Classical musician Anoushka Shankar, daughter of Ravi Shankar, whom was described by George Harrison, The Beatles Guitarist, by Andy Kershaw (2000, p. 109) to be "The godfather of World Music".
Anoushka Shankar - Concert for George (ganchans, 2006)
Instruments Used
Indian classical music uses a variety of instruments. Some of which may be found in other types of world music such as the violin, also known as the fiddle. The main instruments used in Indian classical music are:
The violin (played in the carnatic style)
The Tabla
The Sitar
The Tambura (The very important Drone instrument which always plays the Tonic note)
The Flute
(Anoushka Shankar Sitar) (Tabla - Indian Classical Music Instrument) Indian Classical Theory
Indian classical music is not written in western music theory form. Very little is written down unlike in western music. Indian Classical musicians traditionally learn to play their instruments orally along with the concepts and elements of Indian classical theory handed down by veteran musicians of their culture which is unlike western theory and western instrument tuition where commonly, you can access endless written tuition and compositional scores from thousands of resources. This does not mean to say that Indian Classical Music is NOT scored, just very little is by tradition. Some Western musicians have taken it upon them to score the music themselves which is not simple when comparing the differences between structural, melodic and harmonic elements of both Western music and Indian classical music.
Indian classical theory has its own scales with their own names and concepts. The scale used has 7 notes which is similar to the major scale using what could be seen as the Indian version of the Doe Rae Me western system that may have been learnt at junior school which goes;
Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni Then back to Sa which would be the next octave in Western music. The full names of the notes are Shadja, Rishabh, Gandhar, Madhyam, Pancham, Dhaivat and Nishad. Each note is called a "Swar" or "Swara".
Indian Classical Music usually uses only 3 octaves which are called Saptaks. They all have names in order of pitch which are Mandra Saptak (lowest pitch), Maddhya Saptak (mid pitch/speaking octave) and Taar Saptak (the highest octave). However, other octaves are used in Indian Classical Music which are indicated with the word Ati before the octave name which indicates "higher than" or "lower than". for example, Ati Mandra Saptak means the octave lower than Mandra Saptak and Ati Taar Saptak means the octave higher than Taar Saptak. The image below shows the Indian System and the equivalent notes in Western music on a keyboard diagram.
(a rajenjani.wordpress.com Image)
When five or more of these "swara/swar"s are put together, they can form a mode called a Raga. Though a Raga is the name for an Indian Classical mode, the word can also be used to address a certain composition, a "Raga". Used in context, it would be, "They are playing a Raga", or "Well shall compose a Raga". As mentioned, a Raga is a certain type of composition just like a pop song is a type of composition in western music. A pop songs usually have a standard AABA or ABAB form structure in western music. To a certain degree, it is possible to use western musical language to analyse and dissect Indian classical music. A Raga (the type composition) follows an AB form. In Indian classical music language, the first section (Section A in Western form) is called the Apal section. This section consists of usually just 2 musicians, one playing the Tambura and one playing the Sitar. The Alap section of a Raga starts with the Tambura player whom is a key part of the ensemble as he/she plays what is known as the "drone note" throughout the whole composition which is the tonic note of the raga mode they are using. Also known as the root note in Western language or the note Sa or the full name Shadja in Indian classical music language. Alap section starts at a very slow tempo. Shortly after the Tambura player begins, the Sitar player begins to improvise a melody using the rage mode. Commonly, the Sitar player will commonly start with just 2 notes of the raga mode and build up to using the whole octave/saptak. Due to the very slow tempo of the Alap/A section and the slow build up determined by the Sitar player, the movement from using 2 notes and the whole octave can take a considerable amount of time unlike the usual 4 or 8 bar A section in pop music, Alap can take much longer.
Similar to western music beats and bars rhythmic structure formula. Ragas use what are called beat cycles. Beat cycles are counted in quarter notes in cycles from anything small like 8 beats to something very large, over 100 beats, depending on the composition. This just demonstrates the skill through great practice Indian classical musicians achieve in their lives as musicians. Different to Western musicians whom are never usually expected to count beat sections any larger than 16 beats. A 6 to 8 beat percussion rhythmic pattern starts to emerge which is a que for the Jhala section (B section in Western music). This rhythmic pattern is called the Tal or Tala. This starts very lightly towards the end of the Alap/B section and gradually, the dynamics/volume rise until the Tal pattern dominated the improvised melody of the Sitar player. This section is usually introduced by a Tabla player. Tabla players communicate musically, the beginning of the Tal which leads to the Jhala/B section, tells the other musicians in the ensemble to leave the Alap/A section. In the Jhala section, the tempo is raised considerably and the composition becomes lively introducing other musicians and instruments such as a flute player and violinist. The flute player and violinist, like the Sitar player, get there turn to improvise a melody over the drone as section B continues on to the end. A typical ensemble for a Raga in Indian classical music consists of a Tambura, a Sitar, a Percussionist (usually playing the Tabla), a violinist and a flute player. This shows the composition of a typical Raga ensemble and how they all work together in chronological order and how they create and perform a composition together. The beginning of a Raga is based and driven entirely by improvised melody which needs no strict rhythmic pattern or template. The Alap depends entirely on the melodic members of the ensemble to drive the music forward, building tension and musical complexity by adding musical notes/swaras to the melody, In the Jhala section where all the musicians slowly start to work together, the piece needs a rhythmic pattern which the musicians can follow to keep them together which is why the Jhala section introduces the rhythmic Tal.
The origins
The two traditions, Big and Little, represent the origins of Indian Classical music. Little Tradition (Karnatic) came first which is the traditional music of Hindus in India before the 13th century when India was invaded by Muslim conquerors says Andy Kershaw (2000, p. 71). Northern India became predominantly Muslim ruled which had taken it's influences on the society in the region followed by the music which is where Big Tradition comes in. Big Tradition is the widely spread form Indian Classical music heard all over the world and in films which has been forged by both Hindu and Muslim influences where as Karnatic remains unharmed from influences made by other religions and culture. The influences it's made on the west From Indian Classical music, a Highly influenced western genre called Raga Rock sprung from the Indian style of playing music. Raga Rock was recognised as one of the first genres to produce music in the west that was not predominantly influenced by western music. However, Love To You by The Beatles is a great example of this breakthrough genre. \In the 1950's The Beatles began to write songs influenced by India, using stylistic elements that you would find in Indian Classical compositions. The Telegraph (Dean Nelson 2010) Tells of how they met Ravi Shankar in person at an LSD party which both influenced Ravi Shankar and the western artists, The Beatles in musical and cultural ways. Ravi Shankar experiences British hippie cultur,. No doubt sharing musical ideas too which is where the main influences from Indian music had came from in the 50's when Indian Classical music had taken off in the west. The clash between Ravi Shankar and The Beatles is the forefront in the era that brought Indian Classical Musical elements in to the Western form as we hear today. Their guitarist, George Harrison, was so caught up in the magic that Indian Classical music had to offer. He had taken a massive interest in the context and creation of the music that he even played
sitar on one of his songs on the album "Rubber Soul". The song was called "Norwegian Wood". George Harrison learnt to play Sitar by Ravi Shankar. As stated by Michael B. Bakan (2012) George Harrison became a student of Ravi Shankar in an effort to learn the ways of Indian Classical music.
Dean Nelson (2010) 'Beatles introduced to Ravi Shankar's music at LSD party, Bryd's singer reveals', The Telegraph UK 19th April Diva Devotee. (2013). Maria Carey -Vocal Profile/Range. Available: http://www.divadevotee.com/2009/03/blog-post.html. Last accessed 19/12/2013.
IavMusic (2008) The beatles - Love You To. Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MF90rX43VpE (Accessed: 11th October 2013). Michael B. Bakan (2012). World Music Traditions and Transformations. 2nd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill. 115.
A small bit about Irish Folk Music
Irish Folk Music, though it is a genuine tradition, it could be considered less professional than other types of Music because of the nature of the way that Irish Folk Music performers perform their music. With an example in the video link below, The performers are not stood on a stage with spotlights, any kind of electrical PA systems or anything you would usually see in a small venue/pub environment performance. Instead, the performers are sat around a pub table just like the the others in the venue, they blend in with the crowd rather than standing out like your typical performers aspire to do. This is a common thing for Irish Folk musicians but this does not mean to say that Irish Folk musicians do not perform on stages using electrical equipment in a spotlight environment. It will all depend on the venue, occasion and the actual consumers of the music at that one time.
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Traditional Irish Folk Music (Shooter McNally, 2010)
Instruments used
Traditional instruments used in Irish Folk Music are the likes of the Fiddle, Tin Whistles, the Harp, the Banjo, the Irish Flute, the Bodhran, Accordian, Irish Bouzouki, the Uilleann Pipe and the Mondolian.
Instruments in detail
The Fiddle is also known as the violin. Which name is used is determined by the way the player holds the Instrument and which style of music the player is performing. It uses a standard Violin/Fiddle tuning and is considered one of the most important instruments in Irish Folk Music.
Welcome to IrishFiddler (2013)
Tin Whistles were cheap to own, commonly the poor musicians of Ireland would be the ones playing the Tin Whistles. They vary in size, from a few inches, to a foot plus, which also make the Tin Whistles vary in pitch with the smallest being the highest pitched and the largest being the lowest pitch. Most Tin Whistes are made in the scale of D major, so if on a piece of music the Tin Whistlist starts first, this will usually be an indication that the piece is written in the key of D.
Introwood (2013)
The Harp, in sizes really small and really large, were played generally by the more rich Irish musicians because the Harp was not and still isn't a cheap instrument to get your hands on as an Irish Folk Musician. It was played in the Kings Courts between the 10th and 12th century which expresses how much of a superb privilege it was to be a harp player in those days. Your average lower class Irish musician whom performs in small local venues with the community would rarely, if ever, get the opportunity to play a Harp. Harps are far more accessible now. However, they are still a superbly crafted instrument and not cheap to purchase but with the nature of the modern markets selling second hand instruments, and independent sellers, it isn't unlikely that someone who has set out to buy a harp could bag a bargain! This is a perk that citizens of Ireland in the 10th - 12th century had never had.
Celtic Harp (2013)
The Bodhran is a percussive instrument which is made of a wooden barrel with a genuine skin and cross bars
at the back of the drum. the cross bars are optional in the crafting of the drum and modern Bodhrans are made with a synthetic skin. The skin of the drum can be played by beating with either a stick or a bone.
World Beat Bohdran (2013)
Uilleann Pipes are a complex form of Bag Pipes capable of playing harmonies with multiple reeds and keys worked by the players forearm with a range of 2 octaves.
Pipes3 (2013)
Irish Music In Culture
Somewhere in your mind, when you hear the words "Irish Music", you can just picture Irish musicians performing with dancers, dancing in local Irish venue drinking Guinness. This just goes to show that music and dance in Irish Folk music are very closely associated. Dances such as Rough Guides (2013) the House Dance, River Dance and Crossroads Dance were once solid partnership to music in Ireland. Due to the nature of the common venue for Irish musicians which is usually a pub if you didn't know. Drinking is definitely involved in the performance and consumption of the music. Guinness is the most popular drink in Irish pubs says Irelands Top Ten Drinks Of Choice (2013) and there are certain myths that Guinness is brewed from the River Liffey.
Origins
The Harp has always been an Important part of Irish culture and civilization Alison Vardy (2013) Kings hired Harpists' to play in the court in the 10th - 12th century. The traditions of Harps in Ireland have been lost and recreated to a certain degree due to the fact that the music is handed down orally which unfortunately, for the Irish Folks, was a massive
short coming as in the late 17th century Stephen A. Brighton (2013) The English banned the Harp. This had lead to a near stop in the consumption and tuition of music in Ireland in the traditional oral fashion. This lead to some aspects of the traditions and style of Harp playing in Ireland to be lost which must mean that other foreign and more modern styles have taken its place in Ireland and lent a hand in crafting the traditions we see today like in the Reel style of Irish Folk music. None of the 4 traditional styles of Irish Folk Music actually originated in Ireland. Instead they were migrated from neighbouring countries in the United Kingdom and possibly from France or Italy Andrew Potterton (2013). However, Rough Guides (2009, p. 231) states that Irish music can be traced back to medieval culture but the traditional Irish Folk music we hear today was composed in the last three hundred years which are in the styles of Reel and Slip Jig for example.
The main 4 styles of Irish Folk Music that are performed in Ireland now are as named, The Jig, Reel, The Slip Jig and Hornpipe. Each of which Andrew Potterton (2013) originated from parts of Europe as well as the United Kingdom. The word "Jig" may have came from the French word, "Giguer", which translates to Jigging or the Italian word "Giga" which translates to Jig according to (Google Translate, 2013). The Slip Jig migrated from England and derived from Englands version of the dance. Slip Jig is type of Jig where the dancers dance in a "Slipping" motion in which the dancers feet glide across the floor. The Reel migrated from Scotland in the 1750s shortly after Hornpipe which migrated in the 17th century from England's sailors abd stage actors which became ever more popular in the 18th century as the tradition had begun to spread. The Contextual Influences That Shaped Modern Irish Folk music
Irish Folk music first gained its existence through ceremonial dances performed in communities of Irish culture. Instrumental music was used to accompany these ceremonial dances in synchronisation which may occur at weddings, Saint days or similar causes for celebration. Over time, the Lower class community musicians started to play music on single instruments, playing compositions that consisted only of melodic elements. Musicians started by playing the traditional dance music without a dance performance. This is where Irish music and dance begin to emerge into two and are distinguished from each other as Irish folk music grows its own body and develops into what it is today. Now days, it is not uncommon for Irish music to be composed in ensembles unlike some of the first melodic compositions. Using all three elements (Melodic, Harmonic and Rhythmic) came about through the emergence of modern western music which uses all there three elements. Irish musicians began to form ensembles and introduced these other elements which moved Irish folk music into a different ere as the demands for music had changed, listeners in western Europe, the UK and also a growing number in Ireland at the time, wanted to hear music with a range of musical ingredients such as rhythm and harmony/chord sections. Irish musicians had introduced these changes as an act of survival for Irish folk music, keeping the genre at pace with the changes in time to suit modern western continental musical culture in an effort to keep the Irish folk traditions thriving. Evidently, these changes have had a substantial and efficient effect as Irish folk music has influenced music around the world and is at the same time very famous and well known. The composition of these typical ensembles were well in swing by the 1920s says Rough Guides (2009, p.236). However, it is a fact that Irish folk traditional music was not as well preserved as original composers and traditional musicians had hoped. Michael.B.Baker (2012, p.158) says the decline in Irish traditional music had took a complete dive in the 1930s despite he efforts that had been made to preserve the original traditions of Irish music. This had lead to musical events such as those on the Eurovision 1981, where Bill Whelan and Donal Lunny had composed the "river dance" to perform to the world. This is a good example of Irish music trying to keep with the times and demands of modern music consumption as the river dance is a descendant of a traditional Irish music called time dance. The difference is that in river dance, there are added musical sections such as rhythm guitar and bass sections with a pop timbre and a full drum kit. Neither of all are used in original Irish folk music which shows a good example of how Irish music had changed to suit what listeners had grown to want in these more modern times.
Irish people are well known for travelling. The official name for these groups of travelling Irish emigrants are Irish Diasporas whom had traveled all over the world, especially in areas such as he US and the United Kingdom. These Irish diaspora communities have allowed the traditions of Irish music to thrive among them within the communities. Because of travelling Irish communities mixing with other cultures and communities all over the world, this made way for the traditions of Irish music to also be influenced by contextual factors like cultural collaboration which expanded the audience of traditional Irish folk music as well as allowing Irish folk music to be influenced by other parts of the world. This especially happened in America. In recent times, this cultural clash has lead to the birth of musicians such as the Irish-American Fiddle player Eileen Ivers. She is a fiddle player whom plays both traditional Irish music as well as performing and composing with musicians of other cultures and influences such as the Mick Mololey and The Green Fields Of America. The Theory of It
Irish Folk Music uses a range of modes to compose their music instead of classical major and minor scale forms. The modes they use in composition are Aeolian, Mixolydian, Ionian and Dorian. they use a veriety of time signatures in the different types of traditions as Listed below:
The Jig is written in 12/8 time which is simple to dance to
Traditional Irish Jig Medley (SonOfLabrodor, 2010)
The Jig usually has 2 sections that repeat, both lasting 8 bars. It follows an AABB form, also known as binary form (AB). The Jig has a fast tempo and the melody which can be played by the flute player uses regular 4 bar phrases and repeats its self.
The Reel is written in 4/4 time which is simple to dance to. Though in some cases the musicians may create more complex rhythms in 4/4 time signature. In the video below, the Tin Whistle player is using a complicated rhythm in the 4/4 time signature.
IRISH DANCING REEL MUSIC (Holly Wilson, 2010)
though Reel music follows binary form (AB) the melodies are complex using note values in a veriety of quavers, crotchets and triplets. The form is actually AABB as both sections repeat themselves. Irish Reel consists mainly of a solo melody performed by a uilleann pipe player whom often uses a musical element and technuque called "regulater chords" to compliment the timbre of the uilleann pipes in a turn around section.
Hornpipe is written in 4/4 with a swung rhythmic pattern, which is simple to dance to
Hornpipe Irish Dancing Music (Adrea Faherty, 2012)
The Slip Jig is written in 9/8 time which is more musically involved and requires a good rhythem to dance to
Irish Dancing Music- Spil Jig (Emma R, 2013)
a lot Irish folk musical elements derived from Celtic influence such as the use of douple and quadrouple meter and the use of modes such as Mixolydian and Dorian which are largely used in both original traditional Irish music and more modern shaped Irish music traditions. The use of dance accompanied by music is also a Celtic trait says Michael B. Bakan (2012, p.169)
References Alison Vardy. (2013). Harp History. Available: http://www.alisonvardy.com/harp-info/celtic-harp-history.htm. Last accessed 18/12/2013. Andrea Faherty. (2012) Hornpipe Irish Dancing Music. Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1__WO1oFdE (Accesed: 19th December 2013) Andrew Potterton. (2013). Irish Folk Music. Available: http://tinyurl.com/o4gak28. Last accessed 18/12/2013.
Michael B. Bakan (2012). World Music Traditions And Transformations. 2nd ed. Avenue of the Americas, New York: McGraw-Hill. 169.
Rough Guides. (2009) The Rough Guide To World Music. 3rd edn. London: Rough Guides Ltd.
Shooter McNally. (July 9th 2010) Traditional Irish Music - Brogan's bar Ennis, Ireland. Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Z_TheGgFWI (Accessed: 28th September 2013).
SonOfLabroror (2010) Traditional Irish Jig Medley: Greese In The Bog/ The Wind That Shakes The Barley. Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VL2XC-RyL7Y (Accessed: 19th December 2013)
Stephen A. Brighton (2013) Historical Archaeology of the Irish Diaspora: A Transnational Approach Publisher: Unknown
Unknown Photographer. (2013). World Beat Bodhran. Available: http://artdrum.com/BODHRAN_WORLD_BEAT.htm. Last accessed 19/12/2013. Unknown Photographer. (2013). Pipes3. Available: http://www.dupg.net/?page_id=27. Last accessed 19/12/2013.
Unknown Photographer. (2013). Introwood. Available: http://www.hobgoblin.com/local/sgroup/3/Whistles/. Last accessed 2013.
Unknown Photographer. (2013). Welcome To IrishFiddler. Available: http://irishfiddler.us/IF_home.html. Last accessed 19/12/2013.
