Chapter 1
1. Describe how music is both like language and food.
Music is similar to language because of its system of communicating with the community
through ones emotions. To understand music you have to understand the meaning behind
the words and their real value. This is similar to language because if you can’t understand
the words then you can’t understand the pain of your community. The only way it is
similar to food is how there is a lot of different types of music and that can be seen with
all the different types of fast food or restaurants.
2. What is the overtone series?
Overtones are the harmonic partials above the fundamental yet overtone series are
fundamental pitches that determine the timbre of the sound. They represent the
frequencies that are present in a single note, including the fundamental.
3. What is some ways music relates to both the social and physical environment in Bosnian
Highlander culture?
4. What role does the horse play in the traditional music of Tuva?
Musicians from Tuvan life say that the rhythm of music is filled with the rhythm of
horses. Their significance is also reflected in other aspects of musical practice.
Traditionally Tuvans and Mongols in general have a history of horse ownership and
culture. You can tell because this is heard in their traditional music in specific rhythms of
horses items are reproduced. Not only that but in other pieces horse sounds are
reproduced and integrated into their music. The igil, a two horse gut, the skin covering
the top of the fiddle is horse skin, the bow is string with horse hair, and a wooden head of
a horse is placed on top of the instrument. Also horse hooves are also used as percussion
instruments. Since they were around horses a lot, they see the animal as an essential piece
when it comes to their music making.
5. Describe the term “syncretism” and give one example of a syncretic musical style.
Syncretism is the blending of pleasant elements from different cultures, constructing in
hybrid forms. Syncretism is usually found in urban areas where different cultures or
backgrounds find themselves working together. An example of that would be in heavily
immigrated areas where they have to unite in order to deal with injustice. They unify each
other and can work together and won’t be bad talked in music that the community makes.
Chapter 2
1. How would you define the field of ethnomusicology?
Ethnomusicology are scholars who study the social and cultural aspects of music and
dance in local and global context. They work together as a culture in order to have a
better understanding of why the community is structured in a way. They study the aspects
that make up the music and to do so would mean to study the people. Because of this they
out themselves in their shoes to see if they can gain more from it.
2. Why is music such an important component of culture?
Music can move people. Music is sound, and specific sounds carry with them specific
significance for their performers and audiences. Local radio is an effective way that
isolated members of a community can remain in contact with their culture. Members of
communities around the world use music to create cultural identity and to erase the
cultural identity of others. Through this they can successfully create unity and dissolve it
the malice that may be affecting their lives. Musical styles are always in flux: they
change through time. One example could be the “Straight out of Compton” movie where
they individuals come a community that have problems and are expressed in their music.
3. Give examples of communities that are formed around music and dance.
Some communities have performers that speak for them. They hold sorrows and sometimes
can be expressed within their music. With this is brings the whole community together
because it can give them some time to dance about or sing together about. The music gives
the community a voice and that can’t be taken away.
4. Describe the roles that music play in religious worship.
Music plays an important role in religious worship. In many different cultures the music
and dancing help support and describe certain ceremonies, gatherings that the church is
trying to express. Music speaks of the history in some areas and allows the people to sing
along with them in the history of their religious faith.
5. What are the conflicts regarding music that have existed within Christian worship
overtime?
Chapter 3
1. What is the difference between functional and affective memory?
2. Describe the difference between music as an object of memory and music as an
instrument of memory.
3. How does the Suya Mouse Ceremony affect both individual and collective memory?
4. What are some of the ways that Irish traditional vocal and instrumental music create and
maintain social identity for the Irish?
5. What are two approaches to authenticity in the performances of early music?
I feel like that there are more than two approaches to achieve authenticity during early
music ranging from self-knowledge too emotional honesty. Many people see authenticity
as a controversial word because it is a very vague word when it comes to music in the
ears of the public. To me authenticity is when the artist created the song and labeled it as
his own since it is his authentic creation. He put his knowledge into it as well as his
personal feelings into it. Yet the authenticity belongs to the public as well since they
know the true author of the music that was created and they can say that it is his own. The
author intention is to provide a piece that express his own emotions and expertise which
should mean that it is his authentic piece.
CHAPTER 4
1. How does informal enculturation differ from formal musical training?
Enculturation differs from formal musical training in many different ways.
Enculturation is the informal acquisition of music knowledge. Enculturation is all
about the journey for the quest of knowledge. It deals with the environment and the
surroundings in order to find the knowledge one is searching for. Informal learning
is all about the musical transmission. Formal instruction is present but not limited.
Enculturation is the foundation where the training structure was built. The result of
this is a learning environment that provides opportunity and a fun environment.
2. What are the main features of the guru-sisya parampara?
The guru-sisya parampara tradition or lineage denotes a succession of teachers and
disciplines. Typically these traditions are carried on in Buddhism and Hinduism. The
guru-sisya parampara is the teacher discipline lineage. This is a civilization that
respects experiential knowledge. The followers of this culture hold a high respect
for teachers. Some of the features that they live by is respect, commitment, devotion
and obedience. The student is under supervision of the guru until they master the
skill they are taught to accomplish. It is similar to a mentor program.
3. Compare the training of a Western classical pianist with that of an Indian sarod
player?
Modern Western classical pianists undergo a kind of training, which in some ways
parallels the master-disciple tradition of classical Indian music. The pianist like
many artists undergoes many years of private instruction. They first learn how to
read notes. Then they move to practicing technical techniques and exercises. This
training for Western pianist begins when they are very young. In India a guru
teaches classical music. The guru teaches fixed portions of a repertory note. The
Modern Western teachers provide the repertory notes along with learning
interpretation.
4. How is learning jazz like learning a language?
One of the misconceptions of learning about classic music is that because there are
no notes written down, there is somehow less freedom. Jazz is an art form where
musicians have the freedom to improvise. That is how jazz is like a language. Within
a language someone can interpret words completely different then someone else.
There is a freedom in language to give meaning to words that are being said.
Everyone interprets it differently. Music is the same way. Musicians can manipulate
music into different art forms, making it their own.
5. What is the role of the media landscape in the training of rock and roll musicians?
Unlike jazz, rock was born and brought up. Students who wish to play rock often
take lessons with experienced music teachers. These teachers however do not do
most of the learning. The learning is done in other contexts. No rock musician is said
to be the exclusive product of one single teacher. The media landscape is much
different in India. The oral tradition specifically comes from one teacher. Modern
America culture is much mire eclectic. The student has a wider knowledge because
they have many different teachers.
CHAPTER 5
1. What is the relationship between pulse and meter?
The relationship between pulse and meter can be define by first evaluating the
definitions individually. First lets start with defining pulse. Pulse in music consists of
a repetition of beats. A series of short duration points are know as pulses. A meter
on the other hand is notated at the beginning of a composition with a time signature.
Time signatures are notated with two numbers, one on tope of the other. A meter is
a recurring pattern of stresses or accents that provide the pulse or the beat of music.
Know how are they similar? Well a meter is the result of the periodic effect of a
pulse/beat of music.
2. What is a duple meter? What is a triple meter?
The terms duple and triple refer to the number of beats in a measure. The term
simple means that each beat can be broken into two notes. A duple meter is a
musical meter characterized by primary divisions of two beats to the bar. Usually
indicated by 2 and multiples in the upper figure of the time signature. Another name
for a duple meter is duple time. A triple meter is also a musical meter by a primary
division of 3 beats to the bar. Usually indicated by three or nine in the upper figure
of the time signature. Another name for a triple meter can also be known as triple
time.
3. Define swing and syncopation.
Swing and syncopation are defined as two different terms yet both are found in jazz.
First lets begin defining swing in jazz. Swing is an important component of jazz and
makes up a big part of it. Swing is a type of jazz music that does not have a hard
beat. Syncopation however relates to the passage of music, the rhythm. It involves a
variety of rhythms, which are in some way unexpected. They all play a role in
making the tune or piece of music off beat. More simply syncopation is a disturbance
or interruption of the regular flow of music.
4. What general rhythmic term applies each of the genres; alap, march, rumba,
samba, gat, and jig?
Alap, March, Rumba, Samba, Gat and Jig are all different types of music. However
each one of these terms have a different rhythmic meaning to them. For example Jig
is in music for three-four time for dancing. Gat is a metric/rhythmic foundation that
has a Tala twist to it. Samba is a 16-pulse asymmetric rhythm. March however is a
2/4 time tempo of an actual march. Lastly, alap is performed in a free rhythm. All of
these terms define different types of music.
5. What musical characteristics do rumba, samba, funk, and rap have in common?
Rumba, samba, funk, and rap are all different but they are similar in some way. They
have different by the kinds of dialects in them. They are all from an area that is very
secluded from each other. They attempt to engage their audience and encourage
them. They are a form of music that allows the audience to try and have a voice.
Throughout each of these genres emotions are put in place to try and describe the
emotions that they are dealing with. Each one of these genres tries to uplift and
motivate their listeners. Each one of these genres has a very distinct and strong
rhythm to them.
CHAPTER 6
1. What is a melody?
A melody is a tune, voice, or line that a listener perceives as a single entity. Melodies
are like stories, but they don’t always tell stories. Part of the appeal of music is its
ability to move us in ways that nothing else can. The plot of a melody does not need
to describe anything out of itself. It’s meaning is defined in the beauty of its
construction. Like speeches melodies raise and fall like a speaking voice. Speech is
a given meaning given by words, rhythm, and a changing pitch. This is the same for
melodies.
2. What are motifs and phrases?
A motif is a short melodic or rhythmic fragment, which repeats with variation. It is
also know as a motive. A motif normally consists of fragments or a succession of
notes. A motif is the smallest structural unit possessing thematic identity. A phrase
however is a concept or practice related to melodic notes. A phrase is mostly used in
the composition and performance. A musical work is normally composed of both
terms. Typically a melody consists of consecutive phrases.
3. What is maqam?
Maqam is typically found in Arabic music. It is a set of notes with traditions that
define relationships between them. Maqam are best defined and understood in
context of the rich Arabic culture. A maqam is the modal melodic system of Arabic
and Turkish classical music. The Arabic maqam is a melody type. The word maqam
means in Arabic place or loacation. We can recognize maqam as a place of music.
Typically practiced in Turkey where it is spelled makam. In maqam one of the
modes in Arabic or Turkish is classical music.
4. What is raga?
Raga is one of the melodic modes used in traditional South Asian music genres. Two
examples of this are Indian classical and qawwali. Raga is one of the modes used to
generate melodies in Indian classical music. Each raga is not limited to being
characterized as a set of pitches. It can also be characterized as a pitch hierarchy and
particular melodic motifs and paths as well as extra musical characteristics. This is a
concept of melodic modes in Indian classical music. Raga is a tradition that can also
be improvised in a performance. There are two main western modes associated
with raga.
5. Describe the difference between scales, maqamat, and ragas.
A scale is any set of musical notes ordered by fundamental frequency or pitch. A
scale ordered by increasing pitch is ascending scale. A scale ordered by a decreasing
pitch is a descending scale. Some scales contain different pitches when ascending
than when descending. A scale provides material for par or all of the musical work.
Ragas often employ smaller intervals than semitone. Maqamat typically uses quarter
not intervals. In both ragas and maqamat, the distance between the note and an
inflection can be less than a semitone.
Andres Dongo
Music 10
Chapter 7- 9
Chapter 7
1. what gives each sound its own distinctive timbre?
In simple terms, timbre is what makes a particular musical sound different from another,
even when they have the same pitch and loudness. For instance, it is the difference
between a guitar and a piano playing the same note at the same loudness. Experienced
musicians are able to distinguish between different instruments of the same type based
on their varied timbres, even if those instruments are playing notes at the same pitch
and loudness.Sound coming from musical instruments is very complex and can be
thought of as an infinite sum of sine waves of different frequencies. The pitch that you
hear and identify is called the fundamental frequency. However, the tone, or sound
quality, of an instrument is characterized by the harmonic frequencies it emits which are
integer multiples of the fundamental frequency. The fundamental frequency is much
louder than the harmonics which is why you hear it as a single pitch. Different
instruments emit different levels of harmonic frequencies when sounding and thus
produce different tones. For example, brass instruments tend to produce odd-integer
harmonics while woodwind instruments tend to produce even integer harmonics. Also
some characteristics like the dying volume and frequency in a guitar distinguishes it
from that of a any other instrument.
2. what three things are necessary to produce a sound?
In simple terms, sound is vibration. The complex internal structure of our ears can
respond to the waves produced by vibration, whether in the form of bass drum or an
acoustic guitar.
When an instrument produces vibrations, it creates oscillating sound waves. Some of
these waves are audible to humans, while others are very deep or high-pitched, and fall
outside the human range of hearing.
3. what are the five categories of instruments in the Sachs-Hornbostel system?
idiophones, membranophones, chordophones, aerophones, electrophones
4. what are the major sections in the contemporary symphony orchestra?
Woodwinds, Brass, Percussion, KEyboards, Strings, Others (electric guitar, synths, etc)
5. what factors affect the production of vocal timbre?
Describing the tonal quality of the voice sound by ear, musicians are not rare to give it a
definition of visual, spatial, tactile character etc., for example, a pouring voice or a
straight as a stick one. The sound of voices can be: round or flat, soft or hard, sharp,
bitter or dull, matte, metallic or cotton, disintegrated or collected, chesty or heady,
supported or with no support, weedy, active or sluggish, lowered in position or just low,
white, open, or dark, covered, tremulous, nasal, pipe-like, velvety, hoarse, shrill,
strangled, throaty, uterine, etc.
The variety of the singing voice sounding is the result of different combinations and
changes in time of only three sound parameters: the vibration frequency of the sound
source, the oscillation amplitude and overtone sound of the very singing voice.
These three characteristics our ear perceives as height, strength, and tone of voice.
Chapter 8
1. how do you define the role of texture in music?
Inmusic,texture is how the melodic, rhythmic, and harmonic materials are
combined in a composition, thus determining the overall quality of the sound in a
piece. Texture is often described in regard to the density, or thickness, and
range, or width, between lowest and highest pitches, in relative terms as well as
more specifically distinguished according to the number of voices, or parts, and
the relationship between these voices. For example, a thick texture contains
many 'layers' of instruments.
2. define the four main categories of musical texture
Monophonic .- Monophonic texture includes a single melodic line with no
accompaniment
Biphonic .- Two distinct lines, the lower sustaining a drone (constant pitch) while the
other line creates a more elaborate melody above it.
Polyphonic .- Multiple melodic voices which are to a considerable extent independent
from or in imitation with one another.
Homophonic .- Multiple voices of which one, the melody, stands out prominently and the
others form a background of harmonic accompaniment.
3. what is the prevailing texture in the steel band?
Homophonic
4. What is the history of Salsa? what are the instruments of a typical salsa band?
Salsa emerged from New York City in the mid-1970s, then spread throughout Latin
America and the Western Hemisphere. However, the music had already been going
strong in the city for several decades prior to the use of the label salsa. New York had
been a center of Cuban-style dance music since the 1940s, when landmark innovations
by Machito's Afro-Cubans helped usher in the mambo era. Tito Puente worked for a
time in the Afro-Cubans before starting up his own successful band.
Typical salsa band instruments: Piano, bongos, congas, timbales, horns, bass
5. What kinds of instruments are found in Central Javanese gamelan?
Metallophones, Bonang, Gender, Gong, Kendang, Kenong, peking, Saron, Sienthem.
Chapter 9
1. What intervals sound consonant to most people?
The perfect fifth and an octave, in some cases major third and major sixth
2. What is organum? how did it develop?
Organum is a plainchant melody with at least one added voice to enhance the harmony,
developed in the middle ages. Depending on the mode and form of the chant, a
supporting bass line may be sung on the same text, the melody may be followed in
parallel motion, or a combination of both of thse techniques may be employed.
3. How did western harmonic practices develop in the Renaissance and Baroque
eras?
Baroque violin, and baroque guitar. Baroque music shares with Renaissance music a
heavy use of polyphony and counterpoint. However, its use of these techniques differs
from Renaissance music. In the Renaissance, harmony is more the result of
consonances incidental to the smooth flow of polyphony, while in the early Baroque era
the order of these consonances becomes important, for they begin to be felt as chords
in a hierarchical, functional tonal scheme.
4. How has western harmony influenced other traditions?
Triads generally prevail in group arrangements and the dominant-tonic relationship can
be heard almost everywhere. The emergence of new musical forms that share a
harmonic basis is a unifying factor. Whether the collective genre is known as “zouk”,
“afropop” or “world beat”, the harmonic sound is familiar to the ears of all listeners.
5. How do these non-western harmonic practices compare to the western system?
bosnian ganga
Ganga is a dissonant form of singing, using two clashing notes to project sound
over long distances. For example, if one person is singing a "C" note, a second
person sings either a half-step above or below ("B" or "C#"). Ganga is
traditionally sung by sheepherders across stretches of valleys, for long-distance
communication with each other.
zimbabwean mbira
Mbira music, like much of the sub-Saharan African music traditions is based on
cross-rhythm. Usually playing a composite melody like a 3:2 cross-rhythm
(hemiola)
Andres Dongo
Music 10
Chapter 10 - 12
Chapter 10
1. How is form in music different from form in the visual arts?
The term musical form (or musical architecture) refers to the overall structure or plan of
a piece of music, and it describes the layout of a composition as divided into sections.
In Visual arts A form is an artist's way of using elements of art, principles of design, and
media. Element of art that is three-dimensional and encloses space. Like a shape, a
form has length and width, but it also has depth. Forms are either geometric or freeform
2. on how many levels can you describe a composition’s form?
The founding level of musical form can be divided into two parts: The arrangement of
the pulse into unaccented and accented. The further organization of such a measure, by
repetition and variation, into a true musical phrase having a definite rhythm and duration
that may be implied in melody and harmony, defined, for example, by a long final note
and a breathing space. This "phrase" may be regarded as the fundamental unit of
musical form: it may be broken down into measures of two or three beats, but its
distinctive nature will then be lost. Even at this level, the importance of the principles of
repetition and contrast, weak and strong, climax and repose, can be seen. Thus, form
may be understood on three levels of organization. For the purpose of this exposition,
these levels can be roughly designated as passage, piece, and cycle.
3. what is binary form? List three genres that are structured in binary form
Binary form is a musical form in two related sections, both of which are usually
repeated. Binary is also a structure used to choreograph dance. In music this is usually
performed as A-A-B-B
Binary form was popular during the Baroque period, often used to structure movements
of keyboard sonatas. It was also used for short, one-movement works. Around the
middle of the 18th century, the form largely fell from use as the principal design of entire
movements as sonata form and organic development gained prominence. When it is
found in later works, it usually takes the form of the theme in a set of variations, or the
Minuet, Scherzo, or Trio sections of a Minuet and Trio or Scherzo and Trio movement in
a sonata, symphony, etc
4. Describe some of the contexts where call and response is used.
In music, a call and response is a succession of two distinct phrases usually played by
different musicians, where the second phrase is heard as a direct commentary on or
response to the first. It corresponds to the call-and-response pattern in human
communication and is found as a basic element of musical form, such as verse-chorus
form, in many traditions. Is a form of communication, like the use of ganga singers in
Bosnia that use the call and response.
A distinct section in North Indian classical music is known as sawaal-javaab (questionanswer). Primarily an instrumental technique, the sawaal-javaab occurs between two
artists. One artist will present a melodically and rhythmically challenging riff which will
be either replicated or improved upon by the other artist.
5. What is the basic blues form?
The blues form is a cyclic musical form in which a repeating progression of chords
mirrors the call and response scheme commonly found in African and African-American
music. During the first decades of the 20th century blues music was not clearly defined
in terms of a particular chord progression. With the popularity of early performers, such
as Bessie Smith, use of the twelve-bar blues spread across the music industry during
the 1920s and 30s. Consists of 12 bars that have a form of AAB.
Chapter 11
1. What is the difference between composition and improvisation?
A piece of music exists in the form of a composition in musical notation or as a single
acoustic event (a live performance or recorded track). If composed before being
performed, music can be performed from memory, through written musical notation, or
through a combination of both. Compositions comprise musical elements, which vary
widely from person to person and between cultures. Improvisation is the act of
composing musical elements spontaneously during the performance.
2. What are some of the improvised elements in the performance of a composition
that is completely notated?
In discussing the structure of a musical work, the composition of that work is generally
called its musical form. These techniques draw a parallel to art's formal elements.
Sometimes, the entire form of a piece is through-composed, meaning that each part is
different, with no repetition of sections; other forms include strophic, rondo, versechorus, or other parts. Some pieces are composed around a set scale, where the
compositional technique might be considered the usage of a particular scale. Others are
composed during performance (improvisation), where a variety of techniques are also
sometimes used. Some are used from particular songs which are familiar.
3. what are some of the composed elements of jazz performance?
Jazz is characterized by an emphasis on improvisation. This means that much of what a
jazz musician plays is not precisely notated or specified as part of the composition. But
although there are freely improvised performances in which there is no composition at
all to guide the performance, most jazz performances are based on compose material to
some extent.
4. what is the “folk process”
the folk process is the way folk material, especially stories, music, and other art, is
transformed and re-adapted in the process of its transmission from person to person
and from generation to generation. The folk process defines a community—the "folk
community"—in and through which folklore is transmitted. While there is a place for
professional and trained performers in a folk community, it is the act of refinement and
creative change by community members within the folk tradition that defines the folk
process.
5. Describe an arabic “taqasim”
Taqasim is a melodic musical improvisation that usually precedes the performance of a
traditional Arabic, Greek, Middle Eastern, or Turkish musical composition.
Taqsim traditionally follows a certain melodic progression. Starting from the tonic of a
particular Arabic maqam, the first few measures of the improvisation remain in the lower
ajnas of the maqam, thereby introducing the maqam to the listener. After this
introduction, the performer is free to move anywhere in the maqam, and even to
modulate to other maqams, as long as he returns to the original one.
Taqsim is either a solo instrument performance, or one that is backed by a percussionist
or other instrumentalist playing a drone on the tonic of the maqam.
Chapter 12
1. What are examples of musical technologies?
Music sequencer software, such as Pro Tools, Logic Audio and many others, are
perhaps the most widely used form of contemporary music technology. Such
programs allow the user to record acoustic sounds or MIDI musical sequences,
which may then be organized along a timeline. Musical segments can be copied
and duplicated ad infinitum, as well as edited and processed using a multitude of
audio effects. Contemporary classical music sometimes uses computergenerated sounds, either pre-recorded or generated/manipulated live, in
conjunction or juxtaposition with classical acoustic instruments like the cello or
violin. Classical and other notated types of music are frequently written on
scorewriter software.
2. What are examples of technologically simple instruments? What are some more
complex ones?
Improvements in molding and casting during the 19th Century allowed for technological
advancement to pianos. While originally constructed with wooden frames, limiting the
amount of sound that could be produced, pianos began to be constructed of one-piece
iron frames. This provided a more amplified volume from the instrument and allowed
musicians to use less force when playing the instrument. Improvements in drum tuning
were also established at this time.
In the more complex the Theremin, the Electronde, Ondes Martenot as the early
complex ones. But these days we can find even more complicated ones, bringing the
tone wheel system into emulation, for being placed in smaller spaces and with more
options to store or reproduce sounds.
3. what is the cultural significance of amplification in popular music?
So there’s a big divide between amplified music and non-amplified music and the two
cultures. I think what the future must bring is things which are considered blasphemous
like amplifying classical music in an atmosphere where people can come and go, where
they can even talk, perhaps, and it wouldn’t be sacrilege and they can certainly leave in
the middle of a movement if they feel like it. These are the sort of situations where
young people’s music takes place
4. what is a soundscape? how does the idea relate to the concept of ramé in Java?
A soundscape is a sound or combination of sounds that forms or arises from an
immersive environment. The study of soundscape is the subject of acoustic ecology.
The idea of soundscape refers to both the natural acoustic environment,consisting of
natural sounds, including animal vocalizations and, for instance, the sounds of weather
and other natural elements; and environmental sounds created by humans, through
musical composition,sound design, and other ordinary human activities including
conversation, work, and sounds of mechanical origin resulting from use of industrial
technology. Rame’ translates as busy, noisy,congested, tangled but in a positive sense.
This concept is considered appropriate for a festive atmosphere
5. what is the meaning of democratization of music?
The start of the democratization of the music industry began initially in the60s.Firstly,
the change of the American listeners taste in music expanded from the folksinger, doowop, and saxophone sounds of the 1950s, to the Motown sound,folk rock and the
British Invasion. The rise of sub-cultures, particularly among the youth, created a market
for rock, soul, pop, reggae and blues music. From a classical point of view, the 60s
were also an important era as they saw the development of the experimental, jazz and
contemporary classical music, notably minimalism and free improvisation, which was
unheard of beforehand. One reason that the sound of the 60s changed would have
been heavily influenced by synthesizers.
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