World Music and Music Culture Flashcards
Australian Aboriginal musical instruments
didgeridoo, bull-roarer, and the gum leaf
didgeridoo
most well known Australian Aboriginal instrument, consists of a simple wooden tube that is slightly flared at the end. Players buzz their lips similarly to a trumpet but without a mouthpiece. Produces a low-pitched drone
bull-roarer
Australian Aboriginal instrument, simple wooden slat connected to the end of a length of chord. Sound is produced when the cord is wound and the bull-roarer is whirled in a circular motion. Creates a pulsating, low-pitched roar
gum leaf
a primitive Australian Aboriginal instrument, musicians use the leaf of the Eucalyptus tree, held taut against the lip, as a simple wind valve for the mouth. Skilled players can easily play tunes using the same technique as in whistling
maqam system
the system of melodic modes used in traditional Arabic music, which is mainly melodic, similar to the Western scale except it is confined to the lower tetrachord. Scalar intervals may include quartertones, semitones, and even microtones
characteristics of African music
call and response form, use of polyrhythms, syncopation, and off beat phrasing, a cyclic form that can be continued as long as performers want, and instruments that jingle/buzz/rattle
Chinese musical instruments
pipa (lute with four strings), erhu (lute with two strings and a bow that sits between the strings), yangqin (trapezoidal, hammered dulcimer), dizi (transverse flute)
kabuki
Japanese theater form stemming from the Edo period of the 1600s. Originally performed by females, who use dramatically colored masks. A kabuki play has four parts: 1) deja (introduces mood and characters) 2) chuha (build the plot) 3) odoriji (dance component) and 4) iriha (musical finale and end of plot)
dialogue in African music
also known as call and response
significance of music in West Africa
used in birth, adulthood initiations, marriages, and death with singing, drumming and dancing. During ceremonies, professional musicians perform special music to induce trance, possession, or direct communication with spirits
influence of Arab culture on North African music
Quranic chant, poetry/harp/lute playing, and instruments such as the timbre, drums, and metal castanets
influencers of early jazz music
music of black and creole musicians, black church (improvisation, storytelling, call and response, vocal inflections, blues progression), American marching band music and ragtime (strong stride rhythms and multi-thematic material), pianistic harmonies of composers such as Debussy and Ravel, claves/syncopations of Latin music
compare and contrast the waltz and the mazurka
both European dances of the Romantic era. Waltz is from Southern Germany and Austria, mazurka is from the province of Mazovia in Poland. The waltz places emphasis on the downbeat while the mazurka places emphasis on either the second or third beats. Both consisted of two or four repeated eight measure sections, but the waltz evolved to become longer and more complex. Waltz had a faster tempo with an elegant style. Many stylistic variations of the mazurka, but the conventional mazurka had an intense, militant aesthetic
Appalachian music
folk traditions of the Eastern US, specifically the Appalachian mountain range. Influenced heavily by Irish, Scottish and English emigrants as well as African-American musical traditions from the slaves at the time
mambo
song and dance genre that stems from the Afro-Cuban movement of the 1940s. Rhythms are moderate to fast, features distinctive riffs for the rhythm section and brass instruments. Cowbells play a strong, syncopated ostinato. The ensemble is made up of double bass, bongo, tumbadora, trumpets, guitar, and voices
Pre-Colombian indigenous musical culture
the Incas of Peru and the Aztecs of Mexico had musician specific educational institutions. Rulers employed musicians responsible for new compositions and performances - a mistake in ceremonial performance/dance could mean death
calypso music
developed in Trinidad, typically played with steel drum band; witty, lovely, and humorous
rumba
African song and dance form now popular in Cuba that uses conga drums and sticks. Has a three-part form with fast polyrhythms, includes improvised verses and repetitive call and response sections
merengue
prominent in both the Dominican Republic and Haiti, popular song and dance style in a swift duple meter
bossa nova
originated in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in the late 1950s and combined elements of the popular Brazilian samba with elements of American jazz. Characterized by its laid-back singing style, complex harmonies, and the bossa nova clave rhythm. Acoustic guitar is a principal instrument. Rhythm is syncopated, giving a swaying feeling rather than a strong, measured pulse.
Latin jazz
originated in the late 1940s, merged the rhythms and instruments of Afro-Latin music with American jazz music. Had two sub-genres: Afro-Cuban jazz, which incorporated Cuban rhythms like the mambo and habanera with elements of bebop (also featured a 2-3 or 3-2 clave) and Afro-Brazilian jazz, which incorporated samba rhythms with music of Europe and America
reggae
a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the 1960s, it’s recognizable from the counterpoint between the bass and drum downbeat and the offbeat rhythm section
raga
a melodic framework for improvisation akin to a melodic mode in Indian classical music.
mariachi
a genre of Mexican music that dates back to at least the 18th century. The usual group today consists of as many as eight violins, two trumpets and at least one guitar, including a high-pitched vihuela and an acoustic bass guitar called a guitarrón, and all players taking turns singing lead and doing backup vocals.
gagaku
the oldest form of Japanese classical music, has been performed at the Imperial Court in Kyoto since the 7th century
djembe
rope-tuned skin-covered goblet drum played with bare hands, originally from West Africa, lead djembe usually accentuates dancers’ movements and improvises over the rest of the drumming ensemble
sitar
stringed instrument of the lute family that is popular in northern India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, has a deep pear-shaped gourd body; a long, wide, hollow wooden neck; both front and side tuning pegs; and 20 arched movable frets
pan pipes
folk instrument consisting of multiple pipes of gradually increasing length, named after Pan, the Greek god of nature and shepherds often depicted with such an instrument
alphorn
most famous Swiss aerophone
yodeling
a form of singing or calling marked by rapid alternation between the normal voice and falsetto, present in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland
honor beats
accented drum beats in Native American music
nose flute
important wind instrument throughout the Pacific (except for Australia and New Zealand), often made out of bamboo, it is played through a single nostril while the other mother is held shut. Produces a soft and gentle sound. It was used during courtship and lovemaking, as a respectful way to gently awaken the chief of a tribe, or to evoke magical and spiritual qualities
Bunraku
Japanese puppet theater, music uses the shamisen instrument (3 stringed plucked instrument without frets)
corrido
Mexican popular music genre that was a narrative ballad preserving oral history, set to a waltz or polka rhythm
norteña
genre of Regional Mexican music from Northern Mexico. The music is most often based on a polka or waltz tempo and its lyrics often deal with socially relevant topics. The accordion and the bajo sexto are the genre’s most characteristic instruments. Developed as a mixture between German folk music and Northern Mexican music
cumbia
a broad genre of popular music that originated among Afro-Colombian populations in the Caribbean of Colombia, and developed into a range of different styles in the 1960s and later, particularly in Mexico, the Andean region and Argentina
