Xaetjeon

Naquian music

Tuning

Naquian music uses 7-tone scales rich in neutral thirds. Scales are abstractly viewed as subsets of a scale with 27 roughly equal steps per octave. The 3L 4s MOS scale (5 3 3 5 3 5 3) may be used, but they use other, non-MOS 7-note scales as well. The quasi-equal 6L 1s MOS scale (4 4 4 4 4 4 3) in 27edo is mainly used as a reference point rather than as an actual musical scale, in that notation is based on the 6L 1s scale in the same way that Western notation is based on the diatonic scale.

Movement by one step of 27edo is usually avoided, since it is considered difficult to sing.

Historically other micro-divisions have been used or proposed - especially 27-well temperaments, 17-well temperaments or 17-equal.

Sjowaazhéñ music

(Created by User:IlL)

Sjowaazhéñ music is either monophonic or homophonic. Accompaniment, if present at all, is sparse and consists of only one voice (in addition to percussion).

Instruments

Some Sjowaazhéñ instruments are the lute (ya'óok), various spike fiddles such as the erhu (shjhedgaáñt), the lyre (biliiwíd), various end-blown flutes (joweét'), a large drum (khoól) and the woodblock (ghonyéeñ). String instruments usually are unfretted but marked at perfect fourths.

Social context

In traditional Sjowaazhéñ elite society, one was expected to able to play music and improvise. For example, courts would periodically have improvisation competitions.

Tuning

The Sjowaazhéñ tradition takes a purely melodic, rather than harmonic, approach to tuning, unlike the Talman and Bjeheondian traditions. Traditionally, the building blocks of Sjowaazhéñ 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 an n-chord in Sjowaazhéñ is hañbaác (pl. hañbaacín).

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 hañbaacín may even be stacked on top of each other indefinitely, without regard to octave equivalence, a practice called shiilyohóokh. The same hañbaác 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 Sjowaazhéñ music).

Etsoj Jopah analyzed hañbaacín in terms of rational divisions of string lengths. More recently, the theorist Woñjéyi proposed representing the Sjowaazhéñ 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 hañbaacín

There are some hundreds of hañbaacín.

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

Tetrachords

Sjowaazhéñ 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
• cláañ: 9 8 7 (approximately 9:10:11:12)
• naajyetóh: 8 8 8 (similar to the equable diatonic genus)
• seecláañ: 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
• yiislí: 7 6 6 5 (approximately 12:13:14:15:16)
• seeyiislí: 5 6 6 7
• jlatóñsheh: 3 9 7 3

Rhythm

Sjowaazhéñ 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.

Ceremonial and military music use duple meters such as 2/4 or 4/4.

Notation

Much of Sjowaazhéñ music was traditionally improvised. Sjowaazhéñ notation works a little like unheightened neumes: it marks rhythm and rough melodic contours. The hañbaác 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 Sjowaazhéñ music.

Famous musicians and composers

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

Hetomosphere music

Hetomic and Pelhyys music belong to the same Hetomosphere tradition. They use the meantone diatonic scale, but use modal instead of tonal harmony.

Trây music

Trây music uses inharmonic quasi-equal tunings of e.g. 5, 7, 9, 13, 14 notes per octave. As such, inharmonic instruments like marimbas and metallophones predominate.

Derkha music

!Zoom music

Instruments: Drums, metallophones, lithophones, voice

Tuning: 10-tone equal temperament, they usually use tonal harmony based on the 3L 4s MOS scale (2 1 1 2 1 2 1).