Melody type
Encyclopedia
In ethnomusicology
and musicology
, a melody type is a set of melodic
formulas, figures
, and patterns which are used in the composition
of an enormous variety of music
, especially non-Western and early Western music
. Such music is generally composed by a process of centonization
, either freely (i.e. improvised) or in a fixed pattern.
Most cultures which compose music in this way organize the patterns into distinct melody types. These are often compared to modern Western scale
s, but they in fact represent much more information than a sequence of permissible pitches
, since they include how those pitches should function in the music, and indicate basic formulas which serve as a basis for improvisation
. In non-improvised music, such as codified liturgical music, it is still usually clear how the melody developed from set patterns.
Melody types are considered the precursors to modes
and, later, scales. These later developments place less emphasis on the stock of melodic figures, and allow more free composition.
s (see Indian rasa, for instance). They are also often associated with certain times. For example, most raga
s are associated with a certain time of day, or a wayang
performance in Java implies a certain succession of pathet
s.
Many of these traditions have a corresponding rhythmic framework. These include:
Ethnomusicology
Ethnomusicology is defined as "the study of social and cultural aspects of music and dance in local and global contexts."Coined by the musician Jaap Kunst from the Greek words ἔθνος ethnos and μουσική mousike , it is often considered the anthropology or ethnography of music...
and musicology
Musicology
Musicology is the scholarly study of music. The word is used in narrow, broad and intermediate senses. In the narrow sense, musicology is confined to the music history of Western culture...
, a melody type is a set of melodic
Melody
A melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...
formulas, figures
Figure (music)
A musical figure is the shortest idea in music, a short succession of notes, often recurring. It may have melodic pitch, harmonic progression and rhythmic . The 1964 Grove's Dictionary defines the figure as "the exact counterpart of the German 'motiv' and the French 'motif'": it produces a "single...
, and patterns which are used in the composition
Musical composition
Musical composition can refer to an original piece of music, the structure of a musical piece, or the process of creating a new piece of music. People who practice composition are called composers.- Musical compositions :...
of an enormous variety of music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
, especially non-Western and early Western music
Early music
Early music is generally understood as comprising all music from the earliest times up to the Renaissance. However, today this term has come to include "any music for which a historically appropriate style of performance must be reconstructed on the basis of surviving scores, treatises,...
. Such music is generally composed by a process of centonization
Centonization
In music centonization is a theory about the composition of a melody, melodies, or piece based on pre-existing melodic figures and formulas...
, either freely (i.e. improvised) or in a fixed pattern.
Most cultures which compose music in this way organize the patterns into distinct melody types. These are often compared to modern Western scale
Musical scale
In music, a scale is a sequence of musical notes in ascending and descending order. Most commonly, especially in the context of the common practice period, the notes of a scale will belong to a single key, thus providing material for or being used to conveniently represent part or all of a musical...
s, but they in fact represent much more information than a sequence of permissible pitches
Pitch (music)
Pitch is an auditory perceptual property that allows the ordering of sounds on a frequency-related scale.Pitches are compared as "higher" and "lower" in the sense associated with musical melodies,...
, since they include how those pitches should function in the music, and indicate basic formulas which serve as a basis for improvisation
Improvisation
Improvisation is the practice of acting, singing, talking and reacting, of making and creating, in the moment and in response to the stimulus of one's immediate environment and inner feelings. This can result in the invention of new thought patterns, new practices, new structures or symbols, and/or...
. In non-improvised music, such as codified liturgical music, it is still usually clear how the melody developed from set patterns.
Melody types are considered the precursors to modes
Musical mode
In the theory of Western music since the ninth century, mode generally refers to a type of scale. This usage, still the most common in recent years, reflects a tradition dating to the middle ages, itself inspired by the theory of ancient Greek music.The word encompasses several additional...
and, later, scales. These later developments place less emphasis on the stock of melodic figures, and allow more free composition.
Melody types around the world
- Modes in Gregorian chantGregorian chantGregorian chant is the central tradition of Western plainchant, a form of monophonic liturgical music within Western Christianity that accompanied the celebration of Mass and other ritual services...
as used in certain genres such as the TractTract (liturgy)The tract is part of the proper of the liturgical celebration of the Eucharist for many Christian denominations, which is used instead of the Alleluia during Lenten or pre-Lenten seasons, in a Requiem Mass, and on a few other penitential occasions, when the joyousness of an Alleluia is deemed... - EchosEchosEchos is the name in Byzantine music theory for a mode within the eight mode system , each of them ruling several melody types, and it is used in the melodic and rhythmic composition of Byzantine chant , differentiated according to the chant genre and according to the performance style...
in Byzantine, ArmenianArmenian chantArmenian chant is the melismatic monophonic chant used in the liturgy of the Armenian Apostolic Church.Armenian chant, like Byzantine chant, consists mainly of hymns. The chants are grouped in an oktoechos. The oldest hymns were in prose, but later versified hymns, such as those by Nerses...
, and Russian chantZnamennoe singingZnamenny Chant is a singing tradition used in the Russian Orthodox Church. Znamenny Chant is unison, melismatic liturgical singing that has its own specific notation, called the stolp notation... - Nomos in Ancient Greek musicMusic of Ancient GreeceThe music of ancient Greece was almost universally present in society, from marriages and funerals to religious ceremonies, theatre, folk music and the ballad-like reciting of epic poetry. It thus played an integral role in the lives of ancient Greeks...
- the system of Jewish cantillationCantillationCantillation is the ritual chanting of readings from the Hebrew Bible in synagogue services. The chants are written and notated in accordance with the special signs or marks printed in the Masoretic text of the Hebrew Bible to complement the letters and vowel points...
- MaqamArabic maqamArabic maqām is the system of melodic modes used in traditional Arabic music, which is mainly melodic. The word maqam in Arabic means place, location or rank. The Arabic maqam is a melody type...
in Arabic music - MakamMakamMakam In Turkish classical music, a system of melody types called makam provides a complex set of rules for composing and performance...
in Turkish music - Risqolo in Syrian music
- Meqam in Kurdish musicKurdish musicKurdish music refers to music performed in Kurdish language.Traditionally, there are three types of Kurdish Classical performers - storytellers , minstrels and bards . There was no specific music related to the Kurdish princely courts, and instead, music performed in night gatherings is...
- MuqamMuqamA muqam is the melody type used in Uyghur music, that is, a musical mode and set of melodic formulas used to guide improvisation and composition....
in Uyghur music - Mugam in Azeri music
- Shashmakom in Uzbek music
- DastgahDastgahDastgāh is a musical modal system in traditional Persian art music. Persian art music consists of twelve principal musical modal systems or dastgāhs; in spite of 50 or more extant dastgāhs, theorists generally refer to a set of twelve principal ones...
in Persian music - RagaRagaA raga is one of the melodic modes used in Indian classical music.It is a series of five or more musical notes upon which a melody is made...
in Indian musicMusic of IndiaThe music of India includes multiple varieties of folk, popular, pop, classical music and R&B. India's classical music tradition, including Carnatic and Hindustani music, has a history spanning millennia and developed over several eras. It remains fundamental to the lives of Indians today as... - PathetPathetThe pathet is an organizing concept in gamelan music. It is difficult to explain, but is similar to the melody types, that is, for example, modes, ragas, or maqamat, of other musics....
in Indonesian music
Extra-melodic implications
In most cases, these melody types are associated with extra-musical implications, particularly emotionEmotion
Emotion is a complex psychophysiological experience of an individual's state of mind as interacting with biochemical and environmental influences. In humans, emotion fundamentally involves "physiological arousal, expressive behaviors, and conscious experience." Emotion is associated with mood,...
s (see Indian rasa, for instance). They are also often associated with certain times. For example, most raga
Raga
A raga is one of the melodic modes used in Indian classical music.It is a series of five or more musical notes upon which a melody is made...
s are associated with a certain time of day, or a wayang
Wayang
Wayang is a Javanese word for theatre . When the term is used to refer to kinds of puppet theatre, sometimes the puppet itself is referred to as wayang...
performance in Java implies a certain succession of pathet
Pathet
The pathet is an organizing concept in gamelan music. It is difficult to explain, but is similar to the melody types, that is, for example, modes, ragas, or maqamat, of other musics....
s.
Many of these traditions have a corresponding rhythmic framework. These include:
- Usul in Arabian and Turkish music
- TalaTala (music)Tāla, Taal or Tal is the term used in Indian classical music for the rhythmic pattern of any composition and for the entire subject of rhythm, roughly corresponding to metre in Western music, though closer conceptual equivalents are to be found in other Asian classical systems such as the notion...
in Indian music - Bentuk in Javanese music