Citations/Author's Note

[1]   Kamien, Roger. "7.2 Music in Sub-Saharan Africa." Music: An Appreciation. 7th ed. N.p.: McGraw Hill, n.d. N. pag. Print.

[2]   Username, Iloveilana. "Quizlet." World Musics Test 1 (Sub-Saharan Africa) Flashcards. Quizlet, n.d. Web. 25 Mar. 2014. <http://quizlet.com/1851675/world-musics-test-1-sub-saharan-africa-flash-cards/>.

[3]   Turino, Thomas. "The Music of Sub-Saharan Africa." Music of Sub Saharan Africa. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Mar. 2014. <http://www.gerryhemingway.com/pdfs/African%20Text%20for%20WMH.pdf>.

[4]   Username, Webmaster. "Music of Sub-Saharan Africa." Teach African Music. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Mar. 2014. <http://www.teach-african-music.com/notes/2012/11/18/music-of-sub-saharan-africa/>.

[5]   "African Music." The Columbia Encyclopedia. The Columbia University Press, n.d. Web. 25 Mar. 2014. <http://www.questia.com/library/music-and-performing-arts/music/music-of-specific-countries-and-groups/african-music>

[6]    Gillespie, Dizzy. "Bebop." Just Jazz Real Book. Van Nuys, CA: Alfred, n.d. 40-41. Print.

[7]   Tall, Johannes. "Jazz: Bebop." Introduction to Music Theory. Dayton, OH: Heritage Music, 1983. N. pag. Print.

Please read this entire blog in the classic style, starting from the least recent post at the bottom, and then working your way up.

Rhythmic Style of Bebop

          There were a few key patterns that carried over from mainstream jazz into Bebop, as well as some new ones. The goal of Bebop to be distinguished from dance created an interesting change in basic rhythm[6]. This meant tempos that were usually off the charts. There was also a change in the use of the drum as a rhythmic instrument. The drum was used in a more explosive style, and did not necessarily have to use the classic bass/snare drum way of keeping rhythm. The ride cymbal became a more used instrument, because of the flare it had for this type of music. Overall, the complexity of the rhythm increased.[7]

          In "Bebop" by Gillespie, it demonstrates a dynamic tempo from the start, as it was pushing roughly 160. The speed of solos doesn't change, and the musicians still are able to pump out high quality solos (not that that's shocking for a musician like Gillespie). Then as the solos continue through, you can here the emphasis being put on the cymbal in the rhythm section. That is because the cymbal became the more popular way of keeping the beat, as it added a new, bright style to the Bebop era.

Patterns and Rhythm found in Sub-Saharan Folk

           In Sub-Saharan Folk music, there is a lot of focus put onto the rhythm of the piece. It differs from Bebop, in the sense that the tempo of the pieces are not usually quite as high. That's because this style of music could often be associated with total performance, which for them, included dance. They also had a strong presence of a call and response musical system. However, what they hold in common is the importance of the percussion section. Instead of symbols, toned or not toned drums would be use to provide a steady beat for the piece. [2]Rhythmic counterpoint and polyrhythm were both common, which is unique for non-Western countries. Ostinatos (repetition of a phrase or rhythm) were common in both the solo and choral parts of the pieces, and hemiolas occurred and showed a rhythmic change in a piece. [2]

Audio/Video for Ompeh

          Ompeh is a fantastic representation of the call and response system set up in most of the music of the genre. Then the rhythmic can be distinctly heard, and sets the mood for the piece before the first soloist comes in. Different percussion instruments layer their sound to create a constantly moving rhythmic section, which really acts as the driving force in the whole piece.

Example of a Toned African Drum

Harmony in Sub Saharan Folk

The harmonic style of Sub-Saharan Folk music has a large range of variation. The scale styles used in this kind of music could be typically composed of diatonic or pentatonic scales, but that was not always the case. It was not too uncommon to use different styles of scales throughout the music.

          Polyphony was also very common, and this occurred usually in the chorus, after the first verse had been sung by a male soloist.[5] It was common to use parallel intervals within this polyphony, to shape the story the song creates. The parallel intervals that were used the most were III, IV, and V. Counter melodies would sometimes occur in these pieces, at the same type of parallel interval.

          Another interesting part of this type of Folk music was the influence language had on the tonal quality and tone colors found in of the music. They considered these two to be closely intertwined, which is why most folk music you find from this era has many voice parts. The tone colors changed severely when colonization began, because of the new instruments brought in. [5] Because of this cultural change, you can find many pieces with new types of tone colors, heavily influenced by Western sound.

Audio/Video for Ompeh

          In "Ompeh", these harmonic qualities are demonstrated. When the first vocalist comes in at 0:25, he begins with a diatonic scale, and the piece doesn't deter from this style for the duration of the song. A small call and response system begins, and when the chorus fully comes in at 0:46, you can hear the polyphony within the choir. Then generally throughout the piece, you can hear the influence of their language on the piece. Based on how they enunciate their words, or what influence they choose to put on each syllable, It changes the tonal color of the entire piece.

                                                                                                                                    Signing Off,

Brianna Jones

Bebop Harmony

          The Harmonic style of Jazz changed drastically with the arrival of Bebop. This is where the true introduction if the blues scale really became prominent. When adding a flatted fifth (known as the dissonant tritone) to the major scale, it allowed for a level of dissonance that was new to the ear.[7] It was regarded as the "most important interval" to come out of Bebop. 

          One thing that did stay the same was the chord progressions, to an extent. Composers would take the chord progression from popular songs at the time, and put new, intriguing melodies over the top of them. This wasn't an unfamiliar practice, but was something that was improved upon throughout the Bebop age. Bebop was known for the use of the I-VI-II-I and I-IV-V progressions, a style that was also already popular[7]. Another style that became more present in Bebop was the length of the chord structures. As the length of the progression lengthened, it allowed for more variation within the melodic line.

           As a popular musician of the Bebop era, Charlie Parker mentions the influence of African music on the Bebop movement. He was affected by the legacy of African influence in his life, and he based his improvisations off of that. Both types of music had the potential to strongly oppose the Western diatonic chord structure. Bebop artists removed most of the Western chord style from their music, while retaining the heritage of the African matrices [7]. They both also shared the use of polyphony, and took advantage of parallel intervals. The most important thing they shared was their use of tone color based on instrumentation, whether it be saxophone or mbira.


                                                                                                                           Signing Off,

Brianna Jones

Purpose of Bebop Jazz

On a contrasting note, American bebop rarely (if ever) served any religious purpose, though it could be argued that the improvisation solos told a story with their emotion. It came in a time of constant change in the jazz world, and this effected what both the musicians and the listeners want to hear. [7] Bebop acted as a chance for the standard jazz composer/performer to grab the reigns of their technical ability, and to create/perform at their highest skill level. In the 1920's and 30's, American jazz was for the pleasure of the listener. Whether it was enjoyed by the ear, or used for dance, composers were at the mercy of popular tunes. This change in the beginning of the 1940's allowed for the true expression of the jazz musician, which is why Bebop is known for it's showmanship of talent. 

Earl Hines

Jazz artist like Earl Hines, and others mentioned before, were now able to tweak the music to their desires. This resulted in fast and complex rhythms, and amazing solos.[7] The musicians were challenged by the solos that they could create, and that created a level of competition that brought the bebop technique to a new level. The most difficult part was the disconnect it had from 30's jazz, and because of this bebop lost an incredible amount of popularity within the jazz culture[7]. Despite this set back, the music of this era was for the performers, and was used for their expressive ability and creative freedom.

The creative freedom found in Bebop is clearly shown in "Bebop" by Gillespie. Though the piece lacks words, it certainly makes up for it in its innovative style. At a tempo of roughly 160, and a enough accidentals throughout the piece to keep you on your toes, the piece shows a style never seen in the previous decades.


                                                                                                            Signing Off,

Brianna Jones

The Purpose Behind African Folk

When discussing these two genres, it’s important to note both their similarities and differences when it comes to the intent or purpose of the music. In Sub-Saharan African Folk, one potential purpose was religious influence. Most music was performed during religious celebrations, and was often a way of communicating with their ancestors. In Zimbabwe specifically, gatherings called bira were held to interact with a family’s ancestral line, and music creates an important part of this. Hosho and Mbira players are specially hired to play during these gatherings, but then as their performance progresses, the family join in with their own rhythms. All of this combined energy is used to help summon the ancestor and the feel of the music increases or decreases in energy based on the musical performance that occurs. [3]

More common than any other purpose, Sub-Saharan music was to tell a story, whether that be one of sadness or joy. Since most of these songs are often performed as a group, the story telling becomes more expressive through the continuous exchange of emotion found in the voice. In the piece Ompeh [1], it is telling a story of this communion, which is seen in the first verse:

Soloist 

A woyaa woyaa                                                We go, we go,

E wo asi wo agwa e                                          They’ve set the chairs,

Asaase e                                                                 Earth,

Eba anadwo kakra                                            When night falls,

Wo asi wo agwa e                                             They’ve set the chairs,

Mere wuo o                                                           I’m dying.

The interesting thing in these lyrics is that the phrase at the end, “Mere wuo o”, or I’m dying, is not as morbid as it sounds. This refers to Akan poetry, which uses the expression as I’m dying of laughter.[1] After this the chorus repeats this phrase, and then follows it with an interesting continuation of the story.

Chorus (cont.)

A woyaa woyaa                                                 We go, we go,

Krohinko sane e                                                  We swing back and forth,

Kowa e                                                                    Kowa e (a name)

Owuo e, sane e, Kowa e                                  Death, problem, Kowa e,

A woyaa Tokoraba wose wo ba                 We are going, Tokoraba people say they are here,

Saman wa                                                              The land of the dead is far.

This shows the arrival of the Tokoraba people, who say they will be taken to the land of the dead. The most important thing it shows, however, is the ability of storytelling that was prominent in the folk music of the Sub-Saharan area of Africa. [1]

                                            Audio/Video of Ompeh

                                                                                                            Signing Off,

Brianna Jones