Save
Busy. Please wait.
Log in with Clever
or
show password
Forgot Password?
Don't have an account?  Sign up 
Sign up using Clever
or
Username is available taken
show password


Make sure to remember your password. If you forget it there is no way for StudyStack to send you a reset link. You would need to create a new account. Your email address is only used to allow you to reset your password. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.

Already a StudyStack user? Log In

Reset Password
Enter the associated with your account, and we'll email you a link to reset your password.
focusNode
Didn't know it?
click below
 
Knew it?
click below
Don't Know
Remaining cards (0)
Know
0:00
edit
Embed Code - If you would like this activity on your web page, copy the script below and paste it into your web page.

  Normal Size     Small Size show me how

Sub-Sarah Africa(MH)

QuestionAnswer
Because the northern part of Africa was heavily influenced by Arab culture its music shares more in common with the music of the Middle East than it does with Sub-Saharan Africa.
In Africa, music and dance are inextricably linked. They are so closely related that in some languages the words for "music" and "dance" are the same!
Some Sub-Saharan African cultures take offense if the listener does not visibly react to the music
Sub-Saharan Africans consider the lack of engagement to their music as a sign that the music was not powerful or pleasing enough to inspire a reaction.
Drums were created for sacred and sometimes private ritual, as a means of deception during warfare, and for far reaching and culturally codified communication.
Donno (Talking drum) a drum that can make almost clear definite pitches.
A hallmark of Sub-Saharan African musical traditions is the use of a technique called ostinato.
Ostinato a short, repeated musical pattern.
rhythmic ostinato performed using instruments of indefinite pitch, such as membranophones and some idiophones.
Interlocking is a technique that combines two ostinatos of the same length into one "rhythmic stream."
Layering is a technique that combines a longer (less predictable) ostinato, with a shorter ostinato (3 or 4 beats) used as an accompaniment.
Rhythmic and melodic ostinatos found in traditional Sub-Saharan music can be found (and heard) in a very similar way in music throughout the western hemisphere, including popular music.
Just as "polyphony" indicates more than one independent melody at once "polyrhythm" indicates more than one independent rhythmic pattern at once.
A melodic ostinato a rhythmic ostinato that also uses definite pitches to create melody, and is performed using instruments of definite pitch, such as chordophones, aerophones, and some idiophones.
Most Sub-Saharan African music is multi-layered, with independent musical lines
Some Sub-Saharan African music is truly polyphonic with multiple overlapping melodies.
The Baka are recognized for their highly skilled polyphonic singing and creative use of vocables.
Vocables are sounds made by the human voice not associated with any known language(can be sounds of "indefinite" pitch (creating rhythm only) and "definite" pitch (creating melody))
Another common formal technique in African traditional music is the use of call and response.
While singing call and response a lead singer calls out a musical phrase and is echoed by another singer or a chorus who sings back a response.
Sometimes the "call" and the "response" are the same Other times the "call" changes but the "response" always remains the same.
The call and response technique can also be used with instruments, with one lead instrument playing a rhythmic or melodic idea, and another instrument or group of instruments responding.
In West Africa, musical expression takes the form of many dance dramas that utilize specific instruments, rhythms, songs, and movement to create a unified whole.
Traditionally, a West African dance and drum ensemble performs as a way of marking an important event in the life of a community member.
The master drummer usually the leader of the drum ensemble and is a very respected member of the society.(also acts as the keeper of the people’s history, genealogy, and religious beliefs)
Among the Ewe people of Ghana, an important type of music is known as Gahu
Gahu can be literally translated as “Money Drum,” and is an important social dance in Ewe culture.
Cahu-The Gahu-Gahu Type of music played-The drum ensemble playing the Gahu music-Literally means Money Drum
The specific drums of The Gahu include Kaganu/Kidi/Sogo/Atsimevu
Kaganu drum High pitched/ represents the voice of a child
Kidi drum medium pitched/ represents the voice of an older brother/sister
Sogo drum lower pitched/ represents a mother's voice
Atsimevu drum Large and lower pitched/ represents the voice of the father.
Gankogui Iron double bell played in Gahu(important ostinato holding the drums together)
Axatse Gourd rattle plays supporting rhythm/adds to the timbrel density of the music.
Both the Sogo and the Atsimuvu drums improvise on traditional themes and its players strive to be creative, working as a liaison between the drum ensemble, vocalists, and dancers.
The mbira is an idiophone that is also known as a "thumb piano."
has 22-28 metal keys that are attached to a wooden soundboard. A typical mbira
To increase the dynamic level, the mbira is typically wedged into a large, hollowed-out gourd resonator that amplifies the sound.
The mbira itself is a revered instrument that can be seen as a symbolic representation of the cultural values of the Shona way of life.
Mbira music is a series of ostinato patterns in a polyrhythmic and polyphonic texture.
Bira ceremonies are used to contact tribal guardians and deceased family members.
The "mbira masters" dedicate their lives to the mbira as professional musicians and as the caretakers of Shona spiritual culture.
Griot is a term that refers to professional musicians from the Malian empire, which is found in the northern part of West Africa.
In addition to being musicians, griots were the memory-keepers of a community who used music as a tool to recite and transmit their cultural history.
Jali Griots who were praised singers/sung laudatory hymns in honor of important people in Mande communities.
The music-making tradition of the griots was a hereditary profession, passed down from father to son.
Women could also be griots, although they were usually Jali only and did not play instruments.
The most well-known west African instrument commonly played by the griots is called the kora
Kora is a 21-stringed lute-harp (chordophone) which is held upright in front of the musician and plucked with the thumbs and forefingers.
The kora is constructed out of a hollowed-out gourd attached to a wooden neck with additional pieces of wood attached to the top of the gourd so the musician can hold the instrument upright.
Like the singing of the Baka, the music of the kora is polyphonic, with several independent and interlocking melodic ostinatos happening at the same time.
Created by: MathMatt
Popular Music sets

 

 



Voices

Use these flashcards to help memorize information. Look at the large card and try to recall what is on the other side. Then click the card to flip it. If you knew the answer, click the green Know box. Otherwise, click the red Don't know box.

When you've placed seven or more cards in the Don't know box, click "retry" to try those cards again.

If you've accidentally put the card in the wrong box, just click on the card to take it out of the box.

You can also use your keyboard to move the cards as follows:

If you are logged in to your account, this website will remember which cards you know and don't know so that they are in the same box the next time you log in.

When you need a break, try one of the other activities listed below the flashcards like Matching, Snowman, or Hungry Bug. Although it may feel like you're playing a game, your brain is still making more connections with the information to help you out.

To see how well you know the information, try the Quiz or Test activity.

Pass complete!
"Know" box contains:
Time elapsed:
Retries:
restart all cards