Armenian Folk Songs and Dances in the Fresno and Los Angeles Areas Author(s): Donn Bor Cherdt Source: Western Folklore, Vol. 18, No. 1 (Jan., 1959), pp. 1-12 Published by: Western States Folklore Society Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1496887 . Accessed: 10/09/2013 15:53

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This content downloaded from 155.33.16.124 on Tue, 10 Sep 2013 15:53:12 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions ArmenianFolk Songs and Dancesin theFresno and Los AngelesAreas* DONN BORCHERDT

OF SEVERAL HUNDRED THOUSAND in America, about one thirdmake theirhome in California. The main concentrationsare in Fresno, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.1 The distribution of the people varies in each of these cities: Fresno, the center of one of the largest agricultural regions in Cali- fornia, is the most tightlyknit of the three, first,because it has the greatest concentration of Armenians, and second, because the people live closer to each other. While Los Angeles boasts a greater Armenian population, close examination shows a far greater acculturation to western customs and habits. This is logical, since families are more scattered than in Fresno, and inter- action with other Armenians is impaired. The economy of the Fresno Armenian is largely agricultural; a great num- ber of the people own small farms or vineyards that they work themselves. Others find employment in the handling, packing, and shipping of the prod- uce. A significantnumber own large businesses and farms. Los Angeles Armenians, on the other hand, find employment in the large industries and small retail businesses. Many commute several miles to their places of employment. In Los Angeles, as in Fresno, a significantnumber are ranking members of their community. The Armenian Apostolic Church has long been a strongunifying factor in . It is no less so forArmenians in the United States. Both Los Angeles and Fresno have large churches. Fresno's churches are quite strong, with large and vital congregations.Those in Los Angeles,though well attended, sufferfrom the scattering of the people mentioned above. The Los Angeles churches,however, are significantbecause theyrepresent a focalpoint of inte- grationwhere few others exist. Vital to the studyof any folkloreis a knowledgeof its background.Arme- * Paper delivered at the sixth annual meeting of the California Folklore Society,Stanford Uni- versity, April 12, 1957- 1An estimate by Armenian social workersplaces the Armenian population of the cities of Los Angeles and Fresno at about 65,000. [I]

This content downloaded from 155.33.16.124 on Tue, 10 Sep 2013 15:53:12 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 2 WESTE RN FOLKLORE nian written historydates from approximately 1200 B.C., though its legend- ary historygoes back several thousand years earlier. It is thought that a band of Phrygians or Cimmerians migrated east and settled in the countryaround Mount Ararat.2 Their leader was named Armen, thus the name "Armenian," or son of Armen. This people eventually mixed with the Chaldeans and Hittites, whom they found in the area, to form three archtypes: The Armens, who descend from the original band of Phrygians; a second type that is an intermixtureof Ar- mens with other tribes; and the Kurds who supposedly descend directlyfrom Chaldean and Hittite stocks. During the reign of Tigranes the Great, about 95-55 B.c., Armenian cul- ture reached a height not attained since. Tigranes gathered musicians and artistsat his court at Ashtishat, and according to Moses of Khorene, a fifth- century historian, minstrels composed and performed a great deal of music, and were allowed access everywhere. Huge pagan festivalswere celebrated, and it was during this period that the Armenian theater evolved. The period between 1oo B.c. and 200 A.D. saw the succession of several puppet rulers appointed by the King of Persia. In the second century A.D. Gregory the Illuminator converted Tiridates, and established Christianityin Armenia. Pagan music, customs, and holidays, were adapted for use in the infant church, which was destined to be the sole unifyingforce in Armenia. The fifthcentury saw the invention of the Arme- nian alphabet, the development of musical notation, the translation of the Bible into Armenian, and the appearance of the firstArmenian historians. The seventh century saw the beginning of the spread of Islam. From this time the history of Armenia is one of conquest and depredation. Moham- medans and Arabs invaded the country during the seventh century. They were followed by the Seljuk Turks, the Mongols, the hordes of Tamerlane, and the Ottoman Turks. Each subsequent invasion left tracesof its particular culture. With the rise of the Ottoman empire to power, (ca. 1 100 A.D.) came the era of the Crusades. The West found the Armenians an important ally in a vast sea of Islam. By the eighteenthcentury the Armenian church notation had lost its mean- ing, and the music of the church had become fashionable at the courts of the Turkish nobles. We are told that the chant was often freelyimprovised much in the manner of the Turkish Sharkie, a type of love song. Subsequent to this period of virtuoso music came the invention of a new styleof notation which resulted in a purge and standardization of the church music by Catholicos Gevorg IV. In the latter part of the eighteenth century Meka Yekmalian, a graduate of the St. Petersburg conservatory,worked out a harmonization of 2 A. Safrastian,"Armenia," Encyclopedia Brittanica,1955-

This content downloaded from 155.33.16.124 on Tue, 10 Sep 2013 15:53:12 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions ARMENIAN SONGS AND DANCES 3 the traditional mass and hymns. This Yekmalian mass is one of the earliest examples of Western influence on Armenian music, and is standard in the Apostolic churches of today." The latest chapter in the history of Armenia began in the twenty-year period between 1896 and 1916, the dates of the Sassoonian Revolutions. These revolutions were an efforton the part of the Armenians to bring their plight under the Turkish yoke to the attention of the West. They were only moder- ately successful,partly because of World War I. It was during the twenty-year period between 1896 and 1916 thatso many of the bloody massacres occurred. Seldom do I finda communicant whose friendsor relatives were not victimsof the Turks. Stories of the atrocities committed are incredible. The inevitable result, of course, was the emigration in which huge numbers of refugees fled from the homeland to France, Italy, Africa and the United States. Armenian activities in the United States at present include two political factions of the Apostolic church, an Armenian welfare organization, several large publishing houses, and numerous social activities. The representationsin the followingpages are based entirelyupon material collected in the Los Angeles and Fresno areas. The collection numbers some fiftysongs, not including variants, and a similar number of dances. In order to present the folk songs more clearly, I have grouped them under five headings for the broad purposes of this paper. The groupings are these: "Lyrical Songs," "Dance Songs," "Wedding Songs," "Humorous and Satirical Songs," and finally,"Songs of the Revolutions." The songs of the firstgroup, the lyrical songs, are subtler and more expres- sive in content than the other songs. The longing for a loved one, the distant sound of a shepherd's ,or the plight of a partridge who has lost its chicks are examples of subject material in this grouping. The texts themselves are highly allegorical, a characteristicof much Near-Eastern poetry. In addition there is a tastefuluse of "word painting." The following song is an excellent example of this technique. The translation is word for word, but the reitera- tion of the final word leaves the rhymescheme intact: The morningbells pealed sweetly; The dawn opened upon our world,shining sweetly; Bridesand maidenswent up themountain swaying sweetly; The intoxicatingfragrance of flowersspreads sweetly.

The melodies of this group are lyrical,sustained and most have slow tempi. In general the melodic phrases are long with many subtle formsof embellish- ment. There is considerable use of grace notes, trills, and intervals smaller than the Western ear generallyhears. In spite of thisrather sophisticated orna- 3Rouben Grigorian, "Armenian Music-Past and Present," Armenian Review, V (June 1952), 59ff.

This content downloaded from 155.33.16.124 on Tue, 10 Sep 2013 15:53:12 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 4 WESTERN FOLKLORE mentation, there are few passages where more than one tone occurs for each syllable. GoUJN ARA (THE WATER JUG)'

ccj> rcc ye-... -',- sc---e C/e6 Aca'c Ji----a v; y C ," OFv-i -- " 0 v- - S 1 .. ,). ,. v--t7,

II Ir Il II-1 ] 0 0rI I 0l I I 1,

; iA % re. jP- I rer - w* -- - ksi 0 MI al i -"MV P I ---as 1 a- fc AVa -s~em za'-..... z'z- ---e...-..&', ' --e a4,k, a 1 O

L-- ao K I WYI ---dan o-~

1 I IZ o oo . , a --4- 'no Z,7r - no 7,17, :",- . .... #C., (-4 (-.)

Bi i - NWn-- 13izor t,, d e-"moyle ,h .5,zr . o ~:P I .- , .

Goujn ara yela sare I took the waterjug and went up the Cheh kuhda fidanyare mountain. I couldn't find my sweet- Fidan yaresintz dveck heart.Give me mydarling sweetheart Cheh kashem ah oo zare so I don't pine or sorrow.

kna kna hedityem ha, ha, Go, go, whereveryou go I'll be with ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, you. My darling, my dearest, my Sarino yarjan yarino yarjan sweetheart. Garmizkhentzor kodit em ha Sarino yarjan yarino yarjan.

Ooghighyote dari a ha, ha, I am a beautiful red apple in your ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, sash. My darling, my dearest, my Sarino yarjan yarino yarjan sweetheart. Kernakhporegarada ha, Sarino yarjan yarino yarjan.

SFor explanation of this and subsequent transcriptions,see "Notes on the Transcriptions" at the end of the article (p. 12).

This content downloaded from 155.33.16.124 on Tue, 10 Sep 2013 15:53:12 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions ARMENIAN SONGS AND DANCES 5 In contrastto the lyricalsongs, the dance songsdiffer in severaldistinct ways.The textslimit themselves to one or twoshort phrases per strophewith a stringof nonsensesyllables interspersed. The subject materialusually de- scribesand praisesa beautifulgirl. Phraseslike, "My love is a red apple," and "breastslike to shamam""are commonin thesesongs. Melodically these songsare verymelismatic, that is theyhave manynotes to one syllable,with shortaccented rhythmic patterns. Most of the songsof thisgroup are limited to a scale of no morethan five basic tones,but melodicinterest is achievedby profusemicrotonal ornamentation, and complexrhythms. The thirdgroup, the weddingsongs, serves a distinctfunction in the mar- riage preparations.Customarily, the bridegroomis dressedin the wedding costumeby severalof his friends.As each piece of clothingis profferedand put on theleader will chant,"Mer Takvoriminch bidi?"-"What do we need forour bridegroom?"The restof thegroup, responds with, "We need a vest,a coat,etc." A second typeof song in this group introduceseach importantwedding guestwith an allegoricalcompliment. Formal structureis similarto thevest- mentsong mentioned in the precedingparagraph. The musicaltreatment of the text is syllabic,and the verseis in couplets; further,there is no use of nonsensesyllables in thisgroup. The melodicstructure is simpleand repeti- tive,and the songsare chantedrather than sung. The humorousand satiricalsongs differ markedly from the relativelyse- rious styleof the firsttwo groupings,and are easilydistinguishable by their straight-forwardstyle. The praiseof drunkenness,an angryhusband berating a negligentwife, subtle fun-makingdirected at the government-anyof the above are characteristicof topicstreated in thesesongs. Melodic elementsare well developedbut relativelyunembellished. There are fewmicrotonal ele- ments,and a singletone is used foreach syllable.The tempiare moderately quick, and therhythmic techniques are not unusual froma westerner'spoint of view. Here is an excellentexample of thisgroup: 5 Shamam is a small flesh-coloredmelon commonly compared to a woman's breasts because of its size and color.

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KINOVIYERKE (THE DRUNKARD'SSONG)

04 -e p* - -- ta'-i - - "-Q"14inc a~i c13 acr n z - .ar , , ot7?--- ,,- ;_O _-

- - 047 -1'zeL LCv K/- --n- 7/Z nI. f/cZ ' --fn -,,/7-- r' '

La m 6. z'acm64r/G4nc~ /0o9md~r~ #l, $a/ jar/b-. 1urn64ie~mr/a, lelZ~'I Aa. ,,,lorrf- ,; ,,,, ,m- , t

er/ ler A",f ; ia, It"m , ,"'r fI,'-. ,',"'T ,A,,; 7T 'T " " "' h.l,0-.," -"77 -

Voh inchkaghtzez pan, How sweetit is to be a drunkard.Oh, Uhlal gontzapan, how sweet it is to be a drunkard,to Gontzellav kini, drink good wine and be a loafer. Taparil mishtanpan. Larit tumberla lem la ha, ha, ha, Larit tumberla lem la ha, ha, ha, (4) Larit tumberla lem la ha, ha, ha, Larit tumberla lem la ha, ha, ha, Larit tumberla lem la ha, ha, ha, Voh inch daren pan, How bitterit is to be a gambler,to lose Uhllal tughtapan all your money and cover your head Darvil shad poghe with black ashes. Kulkhin dal sev hoghe. (repeat chorus) (repeat chorus)

Musically similar to the humorous-satiricalsongs are the children's songs. They differonly in textual content. In this grouping are two smaller group- ings: play or game songs, and fables. The game songs are used as accompani- ment to games which have their Western counterparts: "Blind Man's Buff," "Ring Around the Rosie," etc. (It should be stressedthat while there are simi- lar actions in the Western and Armenian games, they are not entirely ana- logous.) The fables follow the Aesopic pattern,and are sung to simple melodies. To date only two such examples have been uncovered. The song given in the example moralizes on the fate of a chick that fails to heed its mother's advice:

This content downloaded from 155.33.16.124 on Tue, 10 Sep 2013 15:53:12 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions ARMENIAN SONGS AND DANCES 7

GAR oo00CHIGAR (CHICK AND EAGLE)

Ol4r ti-ItA ,A A AM I . /EIf I" ;ApI GCar0 CUczr a T hazme yar 7r~Xker-oV A1rman57oo

1 I ' " Wi i Wrh1 " Si' i r. Ir I .. -7 v /iov-- lessn/ zardvl -3.Yc/'er3 ,sar okri -

Ccir eooe Vortzezi Vt'G7,seA.

Gar oo chigarhav me gar, Once upon a time therewas a mother Tzakerovman gookar. hen minding her brood. "My little Tzavaknerisgeser pokrig, children,"she said, "don't go farfrom Kovigessmi zadvik. me, harm is waitingnot veryfar from Charenheroon gespaseh you in orderto hurtyou." Vor tzezivenasseh.

Tzakme kichmeheratzav, A chick went a little fartherfrom its Kheghchtzagook inch medz tzav mother.Ah, poor little chick; what a Ardzivm'aha yegavveran terriblething. An eagle swooped down Yev antzootzzine jiran; upon it and took it in its claws. Myerhima gehishem "Mother, I remembernow, but it's Inch okood shad oosh eh. too late."

Dghrak tzakeorinag Childrenthe chick is an example,don't Ovor medikcheneh medzin forget this lesson. Whoever doesn't Badijze uhradzin mind his elderswill inevitablybe pun- Ge kdne anbadjar ished forhis misdeeds.He'll findpun- Paitz verchechega jar. ishmentwhen it's too late.

The songs of the Sassoonian Revolution are particularly interesting,first, because they can be dated exactly, and secondly, because there is already an element of Western influence in them. Verses in these songs are patriotic, and the poetry does not always show the finesse of some of the older lyrical songs. Rhythmically they are martial in feeling,though the occurrence of metric changes makes them somewhat diffi- cult to march to, at least by our standards. Particularly notable are the wide ranges, at least an octave, and the use of recognizable modes. In these songs, more than in any of the others,one sees implied harmonic progressions.

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VERKEROV LI (FULL OF WOUNDS)

- /-o 7 ered--I1 T -c(- - ?,fier k I $..R i n I a s r VIeTrerv " Ferone te i l'e wounded, d c - anhI o zetz%'5 I-a . i. ,oo-- CoO1/'c-ioo--AQ,4 ,, cz----"ris --,i. e,42? -jir. ',

r - - o 1 i265.i ICL-it, ,

00 -tS 'r/ e1 sooft !

6(07 . --jtm 'aot - -/ris- --0-0-- zs ,z--be/e7 -

Verkerovii jan Fedayem I am a dedicatedsoldier sore wounded, Taparagan doon choonim.(2) roaming and homeless.Instead of my sweetheart,I embrace my rifle.I have no peaceful restanywhere. Yaris pokhan zenkesyem kergil My oppressedcountry called me from Mi degh hankistkoon choonim.(2) my secluded life, and the love of my fatherlandgives me courage and faith in the face of danger. Aryhootyergir sook 00ooshivan They called me jan Fedayi, I became Ints toorsganchets pag gyankits.(2) the defenderof an ideal. Let myblood be an example to Armenian soldiers. Danchvatshairenikis sere My Macedonian brotherwas crowned Chi vaghetsootsints vedankits. (2) withmy cross, and withfraternal weap- ons we destroyedthe cruel mob. Phrase groupings in Armenian songs show basic patterns. Most important is a progressivetype, where each phrase is a new musical idea: AA BBC BBC DDE. Usually a song of this type uses no more than four distinct phrases. A second type uses longer phrases made up of short melodic fragments.Such a phrase is then repeated again and again to differentwords: ABbb' ABbb', etc. A third typemay show two or three clear melodic ideas which are then paired: AA AA BB AA. In all of these examples, the italicized portion of the musi-

This content downloaded from 155.33.16.124 on Tue, 10 Sep 2013 15:53:12 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions ARMENIAN SONGS AND DANCES 9 cal phraseis usuallyconfined to a singlephrase in thetext: each of thephrases givenabove would comprisean entireverse, and be repeatedfor subsequent verses.It mustbe born in mind thatmany variations of the above stylesexist, and thatthese patterns have been derivedfrom a largenumber of songs." The scalesof thesesongs are difficultto identify,especially since the ranges of mostsongs are not wide enoughfor accurate judgment. Poladian suggests several of the Greek modes, and cites Arabian and Persian scales for comparison.' Prefatoryto anydiscussion of Near Easterninstrumental music must be an examinationof theinstruments. Instruments in an Armeniandance ensemble serveeither a rhythmicor melodicpurpose. The rhythminstruments are Dumballeg,a smallvase-shaped drum played withthe hands and fingers;Davool, a large double-headed,two-toned drum playedwith a wooden beaterand a willowwand; and finally,Tanbur, a tam- bourine.The name Tanbur usuallyimplies a formof lute ratherthan a tam- bourine;this is perhapsa corruptionof the English word rather than an Arme- nian term. Melodic instrumentsinclude severalvarieties of the plucked lute such as ', , or Saz. The formeris tunedin the lowerregister, while the latter twofall into theupper register;the guitar and banjo have similarranges. A secondtype of stringed instrument, a bowed lute, is theKemanchah. This is playedin an uprightposition like a cello,and was verypopular among trav- eling minstrelsboth for solo improvisation,and foraccompanying singing. The woodwindsalso fall into the categoryof melodic instruments.Exam- ples of the followinghave been foundin Los Angelesand Fresno: Tutag, a typeof recorderplayed by musicians coming from that part of Armenianear- estthe Caucasus; Zoorna,a simplebagpipe with the players' cheeks and throat formingthe "bag" or air reservoir(common throughout the Near East, the Zoorna is usuallyplayed in conjunctionwith the Davool mentionedabove); Sring,an end-blownflute used by the shepherdsto controltheir flocks and to whileaway the lonely hours on theupland meadows. In additionto the above, thereis a zithercalled Kanoon; the clarinetand violinhave been adapted to thedance style,and are verypopular. The leader of the dance ensembleis alwaysthe playerof the instrument carryingthe melody.He playsa shortprelude whichoutlines the mode and identifiesthe piece. In manyinstances he may play a "tag" or shortmelodic phrasewhich remains unchanged for every piece, and whichidentifies him as theperformer. This shortintroduction leads directlyto theopening phrase of 6 Similar groupings are cited in Sirvart Poladian, Armenian Folksongs (Berkeley and Los An- geles: Universityof California Press, 1942), P 73, table 9. 7 op. cit.,p. 72.

This content downloaded from 155.33.16.124 on Tue, 10 Sep 2013 15:53:12 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 10 WESTE RN FOLKLORE the dance, at which point the drummer and other instrumentsfall into phase with him. (See Galus i Brungh, mm. 1-3, below.) As might be expected, various parts of Armenia have differentstyles of dancing, consequently musical stylesalso differ.In the part of Armenia north- east of Ararat and nearest the Caucasus the music is characterized by narrow melodic ranges and much ornamentation such as trills and grace notes. (See Galus i Brungh, mm. 3-end, below.) In central Armenia, a mountainous area, the music is that of the Davool and Zoorna. Melodic ranges are limited here also and ornamentation is similar.

GALUS I BRUNGH

Inwestern Armenia, now a part of Turkey, there has been noticeable Per- ern Armenian tradition may use as many as four or five. In the latter area

~ ~ I Ir1% L n n o - - -

,probablydue to the capabilities of the instrumentsused; and, finally,the short

In western Armenia, now a part of Turkey, there has been noticeable Per- sian and Turkish influence; whereas in the previously mentioned areas the dance groups are limited to one or two instruments,the ensemble of the west- ern Armenian tradition may use as many as four or five. In the latter area there may be two principal melodic instrumentswhich alternate much in the manner of our jazz tradition, each taking a "chorus." The melodies are more sinuous and very florid. The melodic ranges are often considerably wider, probably due to the capabilities of the instrumentsused; and, finally,the short prelude played by the melodic instrumentis longer and more complex. Un- doubtedly this lengthening of the introductorymaterial derives from Taksim, which is a similar, integral, part of Turkish art music.

This content downloaded from 155.33.16.124 on Tue, 10 Sep 2013 15:53:12 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions ARMENIAN SONGS AND DANCES 11 The dance formsfall into threecategories: group or circledances, paired dances (oftendone solo as well), and women'ssolo dances. The formertwo formsare by farthe most popular; thelatter is Armenianby adaptationonly. Round or groupdances are mostcommon. They are danced in a circle,and have a leader,usually a man. This leader is easilydistinguishable because of thehandkerchief carried in hisright hand. The groupingalong theline is boy, girl,boy, girl; theyjoin hands to completethe circle.The stepsthemselves are few,and repeatedagain and again: The dancersmove forward,back, to theside and hop, landingon both feet.This coincideswith the heavy beat on thedrum. The entirecircle moves one or twosteps to theright and repeatsthe pattern.When thisis done at greatspeed, and skillfully,it is thrillingto watch. Paired dancesare also popular; one is fortwo men, the other for a man and girl. In the former,the dance partnersstand side by side, arms linked or aroundeach other'sshoulder, and makeshort shuffling steps. In thelatter the partnersface each otherwith theirarms extended,but not touching.The woman'sdance is slow,and characterizedby verygraceful arm and hand ges- tures.The man's dance is veryfast, with vigorous body movements,and diffi- cult squattingand kickingmovements reminiscent of Cossackdancing. These dances,as mentionedbefore, are oftendone solo if a partneris lacking. Solo dances forwomen are slow and containmany suggestive movements. AlthoughI have seen thisparticular type of dance done in Fresno,I have been assuredthat it is not nativeto Armenia,that it is Turkishor Syrian,and that trueArmenian dances are not erotic. The instrumentalmelodies are comparablein structureto those of the dance songs.The phrasesare usuallylong and made up of smallermelodic patterns.Such phrasesare thenrepeated over and over.Occasionally a second phrase will be added for contrast,but this addition seems to be arbitrary ratherthan consistent. Further, these phrases seem to be onlya basic outline of what actuallytakes place, for theyare skillfullyornamented with trills, gracenotes, and, on thelutes, various plucking techniques. A performernever playsone of thesemelodies exactly the same waytwice. The tune is repeated untilthe dancers tire. The melodic elementsof thesedances are inseparablybound up with the rhythm.Henry George Farmer, the well-known scholar of Arabic music made a statementto the effectthat Arabic music receives its impetus fromits rhythms,just as Westernmusic receives forward motion from its harmonies. In fact,this statement seems to apply verywell to mostEastern musics. The rhythmitself is feltin patternsor groupspunctuated by a singlestrong beat on the center of the Dumballeg called Tumrn.Tumrn is the firstbeat as the drum entersafter the Taksim, or short prelude. The interveningbeats, called Tuk, and played on the edge of the drum, fillout the pattern peculiar to the

This content downloaded from 155.33.16.124 on Tue, 10 Sep 2013 15:53:12 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 12 WESTERN FOLKLORE dance or song being executed.The mannerof fillingin theseintervals be- tweenthe heavy beats is also indicativeof thestyle of theparticular musician performing. Metricallythese rhythms fall into duple, quadruple,triple, and assymetric groupings.Of thesefour the assymetrictypes seem to be predominant.They are particularlynoticeable in thepaired and solo dances. In Fresnoand Los Angelesthe Armenian folk music is givenvoice at dances, weddings,picnics, and duringthe celebration of churchholidays. Because of urban living,it is thedances which have thebest chance of survival, while the folksongs, though still remembered by the old people,are fastdying out. Also, thecongregation of people frommany different parts of Armeniahas caused a blendingof traditionsto the extentthat often the Armeniansthemselves aren't sure of the originof certaintunes and dances. This blendingfactor, coupled withthe encroachmentof Westernmusical ideas, is graduallyform- ing a traditionapart fromthat of nativeArmenia, an American-Armenian traditionif you will, whichif it continuesto growand develop,promises to becomea richarea of Americanfolklore.

NOTES ON THE TRANSCRIPTIONS 1. Althoughan exact representationof intervallicrelationships is not in- tended here, to approximatethe actual sound the followingsymbols have been used to denote pitchinflection: (a) (+) approximatelya quarter tone higher. (b) (-) approximatelya quartertone lower. 2. A slidefrom one toneto anotheris indicatedby the following device: a" 3. In all instanceswhere no timesignature is indicated,the following points shouldbe observedas a basis forinterpretation: (a) The eighthnote is thebasic rhythmic unit. (b) Bar lines indicatea melodicphrase, with the basic accentfalling di- rectlyafter the bar line. (c) Subsidiaryaccents are inferredby note groupingsof two or three: or J=or theirequivalents: 77orY77'. (d) Because all "Armenian"drums give two basic tones,the lower tone is indicatedby a downwardstem, and thehigher tone by an upward stem. 4. In "Kinovi Yerke," mm. 1, 3, and 5, I have noted a 4/4 bar; however, on thetape theyare sungas follows: Verse 1: m. 1,4/4; m. 3, 4/4; m. 5, 7/8. Verse2: m. 1,4/4; m. 3, 7/8;m. 5, 7/8 Verse3: m. 1,7/8; m. 3, 7/8; m. 5, 7/8 Universityof California, Los A ngeles

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