|
Research->Genre Study->Ethnic Music-
>African
Music
|
|
|
What is ethnic music? What element distinguishes an
ethnic music style from other ethnic music styles? For example, what
is the difference between Okinawa music and Scotland music? I think
elements of music are (1) melody (scale), (2 ) chord, (3) rhythm,
and (4) instruments.
First, let's think about melody. Rock and Blues are easy examples,
even though they are not ethnic music. Rock uses normal music scale
while Blues includes blue-notes in its music scale. Next, think
about chords. Rock uses simple chords (triad) while Jazz includes
7th in its chords. Chord progression of Jazz is more complicated
than that of Rock as well. For rhythm, Rock uses 8 beat, Fusion uses
16 beat, Jazz uses 4 beat. Finally, think about musical instruments.
It is easy to see differences between Classical music and Rock
music. Especially, musical instruments are important elements of
ethnic music, since each country has different music instruments.
I am trying to capture features of each ethnic music style based on
this idea, and to reproduce them with automated composing system.
This page includes considerations that I faced when I embedded
functions of ethnic music composition.
|
|
|
|
|
About African Music
|
There are a lot of types of music in Africa. However, there is a common feature of African music, they have strong rhythms.
Especially, they play different rhythms at the same time and one rhythm pattern is made. It is called poly-rhythm. Automated Composing System uses 2 rhythm tracks to emulate this poly-rhythm. A typical African rhythm repeats 3 triplets 4 times as a pattern. This pattern may become basic Jazz or Blues rhythm pattern later. Music scale is penta-tonic and "C", "D", "E", "G", "A" are used. If these notes are played by Kalimba (M'bira), it already sounds like African music. Automated Composing System uses Marimba, instead of Kalimba. A Kalimba is made up of a number of metal bars held in position by a bar attached to a wooden board. It is called a "thumb piano" also, and it is the origin of the music box. The human voice is often used as another musical instrument.
|
| Sample by Automated Composing System
|
|
|
|
|
|
Scale
|
| Penta-tonic without half pitches "C", "D", "E", "G", "A"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Links to related topics
|
| AfroPoly
generates African Poly-rhythms with ShockWave.
Texts are in Japanese, but just click a song
title with number, you will listen to great
African rhythms.
|
|
|
| |
