Verse:Hmøøh/Suwáábyíq/Music

(Created by User:IlL)

Traditional Sjowaázh music is monophonic. Like in many spheres of Sjowaázh life, there is a division between elite and folk music. The styles differ not only in the language used (elite music uses High Sjowaázh whereas folk music uses one of the vernacular Sjowaázh varieties), but also in instruments, scales and form.

Elite music

Instruments

Some instruments used in elite Sjowaázh music are the lute (ya'óog), various spike fiddles such as the erhu (shjhedgaáñd), the lyre (biliiwíd), various end-blown flutes (joweét'), a reed instrument ('awaloós), a large drum (khoól) and the woodblock (ghonyéeñ). String instruments usually are unfretted but marked at perfect fourths.

Social context

In traditional Sjowaázh elite society, one was expected to able to play music and improvise. Courts would periodically hold improvisation competitions.

Tuning

The Sjowaázh tradition takes a purely melodic, rather than harmonic, approach to tuning, unlike the Talman and Bjeheondian traditions. Traditionally, the building blocks of Sjowaázh scales are tetrachords or pentachords, i.e. divisions of the perfect fourth into three or four intervals. Innovations over the years have led to finer divisions or "n-chords" of the perfect fourth being used in more "sophisticated" music. Nevertheless, steps in any n-chord are no smaller than about 50 cents.

The general term for a division of the fourth in Sjowaázh is hañbaáj (pl. hañbaajín).

The octave may be divided into two perfect fourths plus one whole tone, to form a scale type known as 'áañjh. However, in monophonic music, the perfect fourths divided into hañbaajín may even be stacked on top of each other indefinitely, without regard to octave equivalence, a practice called shiilyohóokh. The same hañbaáj or melody may be imitated a fourth above or below in this case. Or, the melody may be voiced in parallel fourths in an organum-like fashion (the only example of harmony in Sjowaázh music).

Etsoj Jopah analyzed hañbaajín in terms of rational divisions of string lengths. More recently, the theorist Woñjéyi proposed representing the Sjowaázh musical system by dividing the octave into 58 equal parts. One of his rationales was that the perfect fourth in 58edo is 24 steps, a highly composite number.

Some hañbaajín

There are some hundreds of hañbaajín.

The numbers shown are approximate 58 equal temperament equivalents of step sizes.

Tetrachords

Sjowaázh tetrachords prefer to keep very large steps in the middle.

• beeky'ógh 'áad: 11 10 3
• beeky'ógh jyek: 10 11 3
• esyóoñ: 10 10 4
• cyáañ: 9 8 7 (approximately 9:10:11:12)
• naajyetóh: 8 8 8 (similar to the equable diatonic genus)
• seecyáañ: 7 8 9
• bajíñd: 7 7 10
• slót'an: 6 6 12
• ookásdiñ: 3 19 2
• moc'aásh: 2 11 11

Pentachords

• jook'etóh: 6 6 6 6
• yiilyí: 7 6 6 5 (approximately 12:13:14:15:16)
• seeyiilyí: 5 6 6 7
• jhatóñsheh: 3 9 7 3

Rhythm

Sjowaázh music is typically unmetered. There is a smallest note length, and there may be small basic rhythmic figures in the melody, but the rhythms are not organized into measures. When percussion accompaniment is used, "small" percussion such as woodblocks may sound on each "beat" in the music. The drum marks the beginning and end of sections.

Very solemn ceremonial and military music uses duple meters such as 2/4 or 4/4.

Notation

Much of Sjowaázh music was traditionally improvised. Sjowaázh notation works a little like unheightened neumes: it marks rhythm and rough melodic contours. The hañbaáj to be used is also indicated. Much is left to the discretion of the performer, however.

In modern times, modern Talman staff notation (assuming a 58edo or 87edo framework) may be used, although this is often deemed less than satisfactory for Sjowaázh music.

Famous musicians and composers

• Gyaácl'osh: court composer, erhu player
• Woñjéyi: theorist and composer
• Bishooladéeñd: musician
• 'Iñclaáñ: modern artist