DOCSLIB.ORG

Styles of Transcription in Ethnomusicology

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Styles of Transcription in Ethnomusicology Durham E-Theses Styles of Transcription in Ethnomusicology Ciantar, Philip How to cite: Ciantar, Philip (1996) Styles of Transcription in Ethnomusicology, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/2024/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk STYLES OF TRANSCRIPTION IN ETHNOMUSICOLOGY by Philip Ciantar Thesis for the degree of MA in Music University of Durham February 1996 The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it should be published without the written consent of the author and information derived from it should beGedged. 0.9 MAY 1997 Abstract Styles of Transcription in Ethnomusicology by Philip Ciantar MAin Music February 1996 Transcription has to do with the writing of musical sou'nds. In the field of ethnomusicology, transcription has long been considered as an important skill which should lead the ethnomusicologist toward the analysis of folk music, non-Western art music and contemporary music in oral tradition. The objectives behind a musical analy­ sis will determine the style of transcription to be applied. The objective of this work is to evaluate what has already been said about the various styles of transcription that have been applied in ethnomusicology. This evalu­ ation takes place within a wider context that may vary from the philosophical, socio­ logical, historical, and technical point of view. Apart from this, the work attempts to provide a practical aspect by applying two styles of transcription to a genre of Maltese folk singing called gliana (pronounced: 'ana'). The first chapter provides a brief historical survey of ethnomusicological tran­ scription spanning from the earliest efforts of European missionaries in Eastern coun­ tries to recent attempts in computerized transcriptions. This chapter also attempts to introduce the reader to a number of terms frequently used in the ethno-transcription debate. The second chapter·focuses on aurally made transcriptions in Western nota­ tion. This chapter examines the advantages and the limitations of both the aural tech- nique and Western notation when applied to Western and non-Western oral musical traditions. The third chapter evaluates the advantages and the disadvantages of three notation systems which have been proposed and used as an alternative to Western staff notation; these are: the cipher notation system (as applied in Javanese gameJan stud- ,.-.- ies); hand and electronic graph notations; together with indigenous notation systems . The fourth chapter attempts to combine, as far as is possible, a transcription with the ethnographic data elicited during the musical performance under investigation. The fifth chapter seeks to examine the limitations and advantages of collaborating in the process of ~ranscription and analysis with a performer unfamiliar with the written as- pect of music and with the academic enquiry in general. To Tania and Claire Contents Preface ......•.............................................................................................•........................•........... vi Chapter 1 The History of Ethnomusicological Transcription : a Short Survey .................................... 1 The Re-Evaluation of Western Musical Concepts and Tools ............................... :.:-..-.:-: .......... 2 The Phonograph ................................................................................................................... 10 Phonetic and Phonemic Transcriptions ................................................................................ 14 Mechanical Devices in Ethnomusicology .................... :: ...................................................... 16 The SEM 1963 Symposium on Transcription ...................................................................... 18 Javanese and African Musical Studies ................................................................................. 20 Chapter 2 Aural Transcription Using Western Staff Notation .............................................................. 24 Aural Transcription in Perspective ....................................................................................... 25 Behind a Transcription in Western-Staff Notation ............................................................... 28 Opinions, Reactions and Counter-Reactions ........................................................................ 31 Establishing and Reaching the Aims ............................................... :.................................... 35 Chapter 3 Alternative Forms of Musical Notations for Transcription ................................................... 52 The Cipher Notation System in Javanese Gamelan Studies ................................................. 53 Graph Transcriptions ............................................................................................................ 67 Indigenous Notation Systems (or the Hipkins Solution) ...................................................... 79 Chapter 4 Transcription and the Ethnography of Musical Performance .............................................. 90 Malta: an Island in the Mediterranean .................................................................................. 94 The Spirtu Pront: Style and Performance Practice ............................................................... 97 An Ethnographic Account of Two Musical Events ............................................................ 102 Ethnographically Designed Transcriptions ........................................................................ 108 Chapter 5 The Involvement of the Performer in Transcription and Analysis ..................................... 120 The Performer's Profile ...................................................................................................... 122 The gliana tal-fatt .. ............................................................................................................. 123 The Method Adopted .......................................................................................................... 129 The Elicited Transcriptional and Analytical Information ................................................... 132 What did He Learn from this Experience? ......................................................................... 157 Appendix .................................................................................................................................. 160 References ................................................................................................................................ 161 Preface Ethnomusicology is the branch of musicology in which special emphasis is given to the study of music in its cultural context - the anthropology of mu~i~<::·. For the ethnomusicologist, the analysis of a musical sound should take place within the di­ mension of cultural complexity. To arrive at an empirical study of music in its cultural context the ethnomusicologisthas access to the world's music. The ethnomusicologist's ) .. sources may vary considerably: from written to oral music; from Western music to non-Western musical traditions and from art to folk music. Ethnomusicology is a broad discipline which incorporates a whole variety of academic musical interests. This wide range of interests brought a considerable innovation in ethnomusicological analytical methods. An important stage in musical analysis, as applied in ethnomusicology, is transcription - the subject of our concern. The term transcription, as used in this work, only refers to the ethnomusicologist's task to reduce sound from recordings to visual form. This work excludes transnotation which refers to the process by which music in one system of notation is translated into another system. In ethnomusicology the term transcription is sometimes used for transnotation. The word style, used in the title, leaves space for the distinction be- tween: the technique of transcription and the system of notation. For example, one can do a transcription aurally using different systems of notation. Throughout this work I paid attention to make as clear as possible this distinction. This work consists of five chapters. The first chapter seeks to present a short survey of the role of transcription in the history of ethnomusicology. This first chapter also attempts to define a couple of terms commonly used in the ethno-transcription .. debate. The second chaptePconcentrates on ethnomusicological transcription made aurally in Western staff notation. This chapter does not treat the subject merely on a Vl technical basis but it attempts to evaluate cultural and/or sociological implications be­ hind a transcription made aurally in Western notation. The third chapter focuses on alternative systems of notation for Western notation which have been, and are still, used
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Musical Genres - Styles and Eras
    Musical Genres - Styles and Eras. Classifying music into various genres does not have a right or wrong system. There are many genres & subgenres, and different ways of classifying music. At the broadest level, we can talk about music as being part of the Classical, Folk, Jazz, or World Music traditions. This resource touches [very briefly] on the Classical Music tradition. Typically when people talk about “classical music” they are referring to music written in the European tradition, though of course, this music could now be written anywhere in the world. Classical music can be written in a number of different styles, and the date when it was written can give a strong hint about which style it is in. In broad terms the Medieval era runs up until 1400BC, the Renaissance from 1400-1600, the Baroque era from 1600-1750, the Classical from 1750-1820 (ish), and the Romantic era from 1810-1910. The current Modern classical period run from around the start of the twentieth century and is further complicated by being subcategorized into a shed-load of different styles. Sorry. Does it matter? Yes! (and No). The thing is, some folk (ok, Teachers [and examiners!]) can get very sniffy if music from one period is played in the wrong manner. Think of an opera singer trying to do rap music. IT JUST DOESN’T SOUND RIGHT. It’s not Authentic. The reason why the answer might be “No”, is that music is about having fun, and being playful & creative, and sometimes it just works even when it shouldn’t.
    [Show full text]
  • Dynamic Generation of Musical Notation from Musicxml Input on an Android Tablet
    Dynamic Generation of Musical Notation from MusicXML Input on an Android Tablet THESIS Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Science in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Laura Lynn Housley Graduate Program in Computer Science and Engineering The Ohio State University 2012 Master's Examination Committee: Rajiv Ramnath, Advisor Jayashree Ramanathan Copyright by Laura Lynn Housley 2012 Abstract For the purpose of increasing accessibility and customizability of sheet music, an application on an Android tablet was designed that generates and displays sheet music from a MusicXML input file. Generating sheet music on a tablet device from a MusicXML file poses many interesting challenges. When a user is allowed to set the size and colors of an image, the image must be redrawn with every change. Instead of zooming in and out on an already existing image, the positions of the various musical symbols must be recalculated to fit the new dimensions. These changes must preserve the relationships between the various musical symbols. Other topics include the laying out and measuring of notes, accidentals, beams, slurs, and staffs. In addition to drawing a large bitmap, an application that effectively presents sheet music must provide a way to scroll this music across a small tablet screen at a specified tempo. A method for using animation on Android is discussed that accomplishes this scrolling requirement. Also a generalized method for writing text-based documents to describe notations similar to musical notation is discussed. This method is based off of the knowledge gained from using MusicXML.
    [Show full text]
  • Introduction to Music Theory
    Introduction to Music Theory This pdf is a good starting point for those who are unfamiliar with some of the key ​ concepts of music theory. Reading musical notation Musical notation (also called a score) is a visual representation of the pitched notes ​ ​ heard in a piece of music represented by dots over a set of horizontal staves. In the top ​ ​ example the symbol to the left of the notes is called a treble clef and in the bottom ​ ​ example is called a bass clef. ​ ​ People often like to use a mnemonic to help remember the order of notes on each clef, ​ ​ here is an example. ​ Intervals An interval is the difference in pitch between two notes as defined by the distance ​ ​ ​ between the two notes. The easiest way to visualise this distance is by thinking of the notes on a piano keyboard. For example, on a C major scale, the interval from C to E is ​ ​ a 3rd and the interval from C to G is a 5th. Click here for some more interval examples. ​ ​ It is also common for an increase by one interval to be called a half­step, or ​ ​ ​ ​ semi­tone, and an increase by two intervals to be called a whole step, or tone. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Joe Rees­Jones, University of York, Department of Electronics 19/08/2016 Major and minor scales A scale is a set of notes from which melodies and harmonies are constructed. There are two main subgroups of scales: Major and minor. The type of scale is dependant on the ​ ​ ​ ​ intervals between the notes: Major scale ­ Tone, Tone, Semi­tone, Tone, Tone, Tone, Semi­tone ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Minor scale ­ Tone, Semi­tone, Tone, Tone, Semi­tone, Tone, Tone ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ For example (by visualising a keyboard) the notes in C Major are: CDEFGAB, and C Minor are: CDE♭FGA♭B♭.
    [Show full text]
  • The Development of Musical Notation Carolyn S
    Cedarville University DigitalCommons@Cedarville The Research and Scholarship Symposium The 2015 yS mposium Apr 1st, 2:20 PM - 2:40 PM Slashes, Dashes, Points, and Squares: The Development of Musical Notation Carolyn S. Gorog Cedarville University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/ research_scholarship_symposium Part of the Composition Commons, and the Music Theory Commons Gorog, Carolyn S., "Slashes, Dashes, Points, and Squares: The eD velopment of Musical Notation" (2015). The Research and Scholarship Symposium. 5. http://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/research_scholarship_symposium/2015/podium_presentations/5 This Podium Presentation is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@Cedarville, a service of the Centennial Library. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Research and Scholarship Symposium by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@Cedarville. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Slashes, Dashes, Points, and Squares: The development of Musical Notation Slashes, Dashes, Points, and Squares: The Development of Musical Notation Music has been around for a long time; in almost every culture around the world we find evidence of music. Music throughout history started as mostly vocal music, it was transmitted orally with no written notation. During the early ninth and tenth century the written tradition started to be seen and developed. This marked the beginnings of music notation. Music notation has gone through many stages of development from neumes, square notes, and four-line staff, to modern notation. Although modern notation works very well, it is not necessarily superior to methods used in the Renaissance and Medieval periods. In Western music neumes are the name given to the first type of notation used.
    [Show full text]
  • 7'Tie;T;E ~;&H ~ T,#T1tmftllsieotog
    7'tie;T;e ~;&H ~ t,#t1tMftllSieotOg, UCLA VOLUME 3 1986 EDITORIAL BOARD Mark E. Forry Anne Rasmussen Daniel Atesh Sonneborn Jane Sugarman Elizabeth Tolbert The Pacific Review of Ethnomusicology is an annual publication of the UCLA Ethnomusicology Students Association and is funded in part by the UCLA Graduate Student Association. Single issues are available for $6.00 (individuals) or $8.00 (institutions). Please address correspondence to: Pacific Review of Ethnomusicology Department of Music Schoenberg Hall University of California Los Angeles, CA 90024 USA Standing orders and agencies receive a 20% discount. Subscribers residing outside the U.S.A., Canada, and Mexico, please add $2.00 per order. Orders are payable in US dollars. Copyright © 1986 by the Regents of the University of California VOLUME 3 1986 CONTENTS Articles Ethnomusicologists Vis-a-Vis the Fallacies of Contemporary Musical Life ........................................ Stephen Blum 1 Responses to Blum................. ....................................... 20 The Construction, Technique, and Image of the Central Javanese Rebab in Relation to its Role in the Gamelan ... ................... Colin Quigley 42 Research Models in Ethnomusicology Applied to the RadifPhenomenon in Iranian Classical Music........................ Hafez Modir 63 New Theory for Traditional Music in Banyumas, West Central Java ......... R. Anderson Sutton 79 An Ethnomusicological Index to The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, Part Two ............ Kenneth Culley 102 Review Irene V. Jackson. More Than Drumming: Essays on African and Afro-Latin American Music and Musicians ....................... Norman Weinstein 126 Briefly Noted Echology ..................................................................... 129 Contributors to this Issue From the Editors The third issue of the Pacific Review of Ethnomusicology continues the tradition of representing the diversity inherent in our field.
    [Show full text]
  • Ethnomusicology a Very Short Introduction
    ETHNOMUSICOLOGY A VERY SHORT INTRODUCTION Thimoty Rice Sumário Chapter 1 – Defining ethnomusicology...........................................................................................4 Ethnos..........................................................................................................................................5 Mousikē.......................................................................................................................................5 Logos...........................................................................................................................................7 Chapter 2 A bit of history.................................................................................................................9 Ancient and medieval precursors................................................................................................9 Exploration and enlightenment.................................................................................................10 Nationalism, musical folklore, and ethnology..........................................................................10 Early ethnomusicology.............................................................................................................13 “Mature” ethnomusicology.......................................................................................................15 Chapter 3........................................................................................................................................17 Conducting
    [Show full text]
  • Music History Lecture Notes Antiquity & Mythology 18,000 BC – 146 BC
    Music History Lecture Notes Antiquity & Mythology 18,000 BC – 146 BC This presentation is intended for the use of current students in Mr. Duckworth’s Music History course as a study aid. Any other use is strictly forbidden. Copyright, Ryan Duckworth 2010 Images used for educational purposes under the TEACH Act (Technology, Education and Copyright Harmonization Act of 2002). All copyrights belong to their respective copyright holders, The Earliest Music The Prehistory of Music • Considered to be a part of humanity • We don’t know when structured music began – but we have evidence that it existed 1000s of years ago • Most early cultures referred to music in their earliest writings The Prehistory of Music Note Taking Tips! You don’t have to write every single word. Use abbreviations for commonly used words • Considered to be a part of humanity • We don’t know when structured music began – but we have evidence that it existed 1000s of years ago • Most early cultures refer red to music in their earliest writings Origins of Music in Antiquity • by accident or divinely inspired • pan-cultural (across many cultures) • associated with supernatural, religion, medicine, fertility • Possibly as early as 18,000 BC • 3000 BC music notation in Hebrew scrolls • Understandable notation from Hurians in 1400 BC Ancient Egyptian Music • Proof of music during the Pharonic periods – Probably was around much earlier • Professional Musicians held many posts – Temple, palace, battlefield gods of music designate importance – Associated with music, dance, & fertility
    [Show full text]
  • Avant-Gardes in Musical Notation and Their Impact on the Music Jonathan Bell
    Avant-gardes in Musical Notation and Their Impact on the Music Jonathan Bell To cite this version: Jonathan Bell. Avant-gardes in Musical Notation and Their Impact on the Music. Integral Music Theory, “Prof. Pancho Vladigerov” National Academy of Music, 2018, Academic Forum Integral Music Theory 2017 (International Online Conference) Conference Papers, pp.62-77. hal-01802961 HAL Id: hal-01802961 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01802961 Submitted on 11 Jun 2018 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. AVANT-GARDES IN MUSICAL NOTATION AND THEIR IMPACT ON THE MUSIC Jonathan Bell Calling into Question the Function of Musical Notation It is hard to determine at any time in music history whether the innovative musical ideas of composers and performers demand new forms of notation, or provocative notational statements stimulate new musical ideas and new performative situations. Since representation and realisation often go hand in hand, both processes may often occur at the same time, and a constant feedback between musical practice and the notation seems the most plausible scenario in most cases. In 14th-century France, however, a treatise attributed to Philippe de Vitry, Ars Nova Notandi (1322), presented new techniques of rhythmic notation.
    [Show full text]
  • The Conducting Manual of the Basic Music Course
    B A S I C M U S I C C O U R S E CONDUCTING COURSE THE CONDUCTING MANUAL OF THE BASIC MUSIC COURSE Copyright © 1992 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints All Rights Reserved Printed in the United States of America Published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Salt Lake City, Utah 31241 5/92 CONTENTS Introduction to the Basic Music Course......1 Pickup Beats...........................................38 Some Tips on Conducting.........................63 Advice to Students ......................................3 The Cutoff between Verses Interpreting Hymns....................................64 in Hymns with Pickup Beats..................39 Learning about Beats and Rhythm .............4 Sight Singing .............................................65 Fermatas ................................................40 Counting the Beats .....................................6 Cutoff: Review.........................................41 Guidelines for Teachers.............................67 The Time Signature ....................................7 Dotted Notes ..........................................42 How to Set Up Basic Time and Tempo ........................................8 Music Course Programs .......................67 Hymns with Dotted Notes .......................43 The Downbeat.............................................9 In Stakes ..............................................67 The Two-beat Pattern................................44 Notes and Rhythm ....................................10 In Wards ..............................................67
    [Show full text]
  • From Neumes to Notes: the Evolution of Music Notation Hope Strayer Cedarville University
    Cedarville University DigitalCommons@Cedarville Music and Worship Student Presentations Student Scholarly Activity 4-11-2013 From Neumes to Notes: The volutE ion of Music Notation Hope R. Strayer Cedarville University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/ music_and_worship_student_presentations Part of the Music Performance Commons, and the Music Theory Commons Recommended Citation Strayer, Hope R., "From Neumes to Notes: The vE olution of Music Notation" (2013). Music and Worship Student Presentations. 14. http://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/music_and_worship_student_presentations/14 This Conference Presentation is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@Cedarville, a service of the Centennial Library. It has been accepted for inclusion in Music and Worship Student Presentations by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@Cedarville. For more information, please contact [email protected]. From Neumes to Notes: The Evolution of Music Notation Hope Strayer Cedarville University New things are often viewed as being better and more advanced than older counterparts. However, new does not denote superior. Music notation serves as one example of old methods that were as adequate as the new. Early forms of music notation may appear vague and ambiguous, but when combined with oral tradition the notation contained all the information required for a successful performance. Though these early notational forms seem insufficient when compared with contemporary forms, notation cannot be removed from the context in which it served. From the origin of neumes in the ninth century to the rhythmic developments of the Ars Nova period in the fourteenth century, each musical period collaborated with the foundation of oral tradition to create and adapt notational forms.
    [Show full text]
  • Music Department Colloquium Series Fall 2020 Thursdays | 4:40–6:10Pm | Online
    Music Department Colloquium series Fall 2020 Thursdays | 4:40–6:10pm | Online: https://wesleyan.zoom.us/j/97924122311 This lecture series showcases new work by performers, composers, and scholars in ethnomusicology, musicology, music theory, sound art, and cultural history. The colloquia also invite dialogue with professionals working in the arts, music journalism, and in librarianship. A brief virtual reception follows each formal presentation, offering a chance for online collegiality. New this year is the Colloquium Spotify playlist, which provides music related to each colloquium, archived on the department website, along with the list of past colloquium visitors. The Fall 2020 series is organized by Jane Alden with the assistance of Grant Cook. All meetings take place online, via Zoom (address above). Reminders will be sent to enrolled students, Music Department faculty and staff, and registered visitors. Others wishing to register for one or all Music Department colloquia should complete our online registration form. Questions may be sent to [email protected] or [email protected]. Fall 2020, 4:40–6:10pm Sept 24 LARAAJI (multi-instrumentalist musician and mystic, NYC) “LAUGHTER & CREATIVITY” Oct 1 Anna Morcom (ethnomusicologist, UCLA) “Music, Exchange, and the Production of Value: A case study of Hindustani Music” * affiliated Navaratri event on Oct 1: Sakthi Vibrations (2018), screening of a film by Zoe Sherinian, 8pm* Oct 8 Bridgid Bergin (International Contemporary Ensemble, ’17 MA in ethnomusicology) “Conversation: Artistic
    [Show full text]
  • Musical Work
    MUSICAL WORK Definition [Section 2(p)]: “musical work” means a work consisting of music and includes any graphical notation of such work but does not include any words or any action intended to be sung, spoken or performed with music. Who is the author of the musical work? According to the section 2(d)(ii) the author in relation to the musical work is a “Composer”. Whereas according to section 2 (ffa) “Composer”, in relation to a musical work, means the person who composes the music regardless of whether he records it in any form of graphical notation. An application for Musical Work may also be filed by joint authors/composers. Section 2(z) defines “work of joint authorship” as a work produced by the collaboration of two or more authors in which the contribution of one author is not distinct from the contribution of the other author or authors; Duration of copyright in Musical Works (Section 22): Duration of copyright protection for musical work published within the lifetime of the author until sixty years from the beginning of the calendar year next following the year in which the author dies. In case of joint authorship work, the term shall be counted at or immediately before the date of the death of the author who dies last. Adaptation Section 2(a)(iv) defines “adaptation” as stated below “adaptation” means, “in relation to a musical work, any arrangement or transcription of the work; ” Hence, according to section 2 (a) (iv) ‘Adaptation’ in relation to musical works means ‘any arrangement or transcription of the work’.
    [Show full text]