The art of music. Vol. 01 (of 14) : $b The pre-Classic periods
History
The art of music. Vol. 01 (of 14) : $b The pre-Classic periods
Music -- History and criticism; Musicians
different tones according to the size of the gourd.’ The tone is said
to resemble very much that of our modern piano.
The development of drums, such elementary wind instruments as have been
noted, the xylophone, a suggestion of harmony and the rude idea of a
scale, make up the sum of the musical accomplishment of primitive
man. It is true that the precursor of the stringed instruments is to
be found in the hunting bow, and a few cases are found where this is
used as a sort of one-stringed harp, the string being either struck
with a stick or plucked with the fingers. Mention must also be made of
the African _goura_, a sort of a primitive Æolian harp. It has but one
string, and is similar in shape to the child’s small bow for shooting
arrows. It has a quill affixed to one end in such a way that the string
may be vibrated by blowing through the quill. The fingers are then
lightly touched to the string, and a few faint harmonic-like sounds
are produced. But, generally speaking, the development of stringed
instruments is not to be looked for among savage peoples, it coincides
with the rise of man from barbarism to some degree of civilization.
VI
It is impossible to trace the progress of music in unbroken sequence
from its primitive beginnings to its development as an art by civilized
nations. The record is far too fragmentary. There are too many missing
links, too many isolated and well-nigh inexplicable facts. Thus, among
semi-civilized peoples like the Malays, the Bedouins, and the people of
Africa, we find music of a comparatively high order and sophisticated
nature. It is inconceivable that these people should have developed
this music by their own initiative. The only reasonable explanation is
that it has been acquired to a certain extent from educated travellers
and explorers. In this process it has been unconsciously modified so
that it usually reflects both elements--the barbaric and the civilized.
The following melody, which is a song in use by the 'medicine men’ of
southeastern Africa for the exorcising or expelling of an evil spirit
from a person supposed to be possessed by it, is a case in point:
[Illustration: Music]
While this melody has an undoubted barbaric character as a whole, it
shows traces of civilized influence. It is quite definitely in the key
of G, even though it contains no F-sharp, and the passages for chorus
sound anything but barbaric. From the same district comes the following
war song. While structurally, especially in regard to the use of the
musical intervals, it exhibits considerable musical sophistication, the
general effect is wild and primitive. This war song was in actual use
in 1895.
[Illustration: Music]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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