Towards a Global Music Theory: Practical Concepts and Methods for the Analysis of Music Across Human Cultures

243 Pages·2012·2.1 MB·English

by  Mark Hijleh

Towards a Global Music Theory
Practical Concepts and Methods for the Analysis
of Music Across Human Cultures
Mark Hijleh
Towards a Global Music Theory
To Kelley, Hannah and Noah
S.D.G.
Towards a Global Music Theory
Practical concepts and Methods for the analysis of
Music across human cultures
Mark hijleh
Houghton College, New York, USA
© Mark hijleh 2012
all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the publisher.
Mark hijleh has asserted his right under the copyright, designs and Patents act, 1988, to
be identified as the author of this work.
Published by
ashgate Publishing limited ashgate Publishing company
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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
hijleh, Mark.
Towards a global music theory : practical concepts and
methods for the analysis of music across human cultures.
1. world music – analysis, appreciation. 2. Music theory –
history – 20th century. 3. Music theory – history – 21st
century. 4. Music and globalization.
i. Title
781’.0905-dc23
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
hijleh, Mark.
Towards a global music theory : practical concepts and methods for the
analysis of music across human cultures / Mark hijleh.
p. cm.
includes bibliographical references and index.
isbN 978-1-4094-2336-2 (hardcover)—isbN 978-1-4094-2337-9 (ebook)
1. Musical analysis. 2. world music—analysis, appreciation. 3.
Music—cross-cultural studies. 4. Music theory. i. Title.
MT90.h55 2012
781—dc23
2012001260
isbN 9781409423362 (hbk)
isbN 9781409423379 (ebk)
V
Printed and bound in Great britain by the
MPG books Group, uk.
bach musicological font developed by © yo Tomita.
Contents
List of Figures vii
List of Music Examples ix
Acknowledgements xiii
1 Global Music Theory: Issues, Possibilities, and Fundamental Concepts 1
2 Global Rhythm 17
3 Global Melody 59
4 Global Harmony 109
5 Global Synergy in Musical Processes and Products 133
6 Global Analytical Examples: Comparisons and Connections Across
Musical Cultures 155
7 Further Implications and Conclusion 205
Bibliography 213
Index 223
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List of Figures
1.1 A dynamic model of musical process 15
2.1 Pythagorean Tetractys 19
3.1 Table of 53-EDO values 64–5
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List of Music Examples
2.1 Ambiguous periodicity 31
2.2 Latin American sesquiáltera 31
2.3 Arabic Wazn Yamānī 32
2.4 Ewe “timeline” 33
2.5 Henry Purcell (1659–1695), Rondeau from Abdelazar, bars 1–8 34
2.6 Scott Joplin (1867–1917), Pine Apple Rag, bars 5–12 37
2.7 Excerpt from the mkhūlfī section of an Arabic funūn al-baḥr song 39
2.8 Excerpt from an Inuit solo song 40
2.9a Palestinian Muʻannā, opening excerpt 43
2.9b Palestinian Muʻannā, excerpts from first verse and Refrain 44
2.10a Vidulaku Mrokkeda, bars 1–6 45
2.10b Vidulaku, bars 10–12 and 16–18 45
2.10c Vidulaku, bars 31–6 46
2.11a Gankogui pattern, two perspectives on beginning and ending points 48
2.11b Gankogui analysis 48
2.11c Gankogui and axatse relationship, with kaganu 49
2.11d Analysis of axatse variation one 49
2.11e Analysis of axatse variation two 49
2.11f Kidi analysis 50
2.11g Kidi and gankogui relationship, first analysis (based on Locke
1998:47) 51
2.11h Kidi and gankogui relationship, second analysis 51
2.11i Basic Gahu lead, Phrase One 52
2.11j Basic Gahu lead, Phrase Five 52
2.11k Analysis of boba phrase variants 53
2.12 Koku reibo, opening 56
3.1 “Diatonic” pitch collection, “major scale” configuration 67
3.2 World pentatonic, mode one 70
3.3 World pentatonic, modes and tendencies 70
3.4 Amazing Grace (world pentatonic mode one) 71
3.5 Bolivian traditional Llamerada tune, main phrase (world pentatonic
mode two) 72
3.6 Etenraku (basic melodic outline; world pentatonic mode three) 72
3.7 Thai collection—world pentatonic? 73
3.8 Inflected miyako-bushi collection, with tendencies 74
3.9 Sakura (repeated motives and phrases removed) 75
3.10 Lydian mode of the diatonic collection 75