Nonwestern Music

Nonwestern music is most often transmitted

orally from parent to child or teacher to student

The most important way of making music is most nonwestern cultures is by

singing

Musical instruments whose sound generator is stretched skin or other membrane or classified as

membranophones

Chordophones are instruments whose sound generator is a

stretched string

Musical instruments whose sound generator is a column of air are classified as

aerophones

Musical instruments whose own material is the sound generator are classified as

idiophones

The choice of musical instruments in nonwestern cultures frequently depends on

the musical style of a culture, the culture’s geography, religion

Music that has a texture in which all parts perform the same basic melody, but in versions that differ in ornamentation or rhythm, is called

heterophonic

Most of the music of sub-Saharan Africa features

a wide variety of instrumental ensembles, complex rhythms and polyrhythms, percussive sounds

A performance style in which the phrases of a soloist are repeatedly answered by those of a chorus is known as

call and response

Drums in sub-Saharan Africa

come in a wide variety of sizes, shapes, and forms, are essential to many religious and political ceremonies, are usually played in groups of two to four

Drums in sub-Saharan Africa are often considered

symbolical of power and royalty, sacred or magical and the property of the group, rather than of an individual.

A pattern of notes used in Indian music to create melody is called

raga

a long-necked lute with movable frets, seven strings, and nine to thirteen sympathetic strings, popular in north India

sitar

a pair of single-headed drums played by one performer, popular in north India

tabla