Saturday, December 8, 2007

7 characteristics of Sub Saharan musics

These are different from the generalizations of African musics found in the textbook. This list is more technical.


1- Complex Textures – buzzing/timbre

2- Repetition and Continuity

- Repetition is considered to strengthen the aesthetic of music, however repetition is used in conjunction with variety

3. Percussive Approach

- percussive effects are used with percussion instruments, in vocal techniques and on non-percussive instruments

4. Polyphonic Techniques

- very common and used not only between voices but also between instruments

5. Antiphony – Call and Response Forms are common

6. Hawkering and Interlocking Parts

- conversation type structure where the melody is handed around between instruments/voices, in other words no one person plays the entire melody.

7. Integration of Music and Society

-music helps articulate philosophical and moral ideas;

it can be a metaphor for the chosen social structure

articulate or represent or comment on political power

help with work

mark major life cycle stages such as birth, marriage, coming of age, death

and other arts are integrated into one event

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