Traditional Music: India, Indonesia, and China
Musicology and Ethnomusicology
Musicology, as a discipline, has studied the sources of music. Comparative musicology was created by the interest in folklore and ethnomusicology, and exotic music. Ethnomusicology is the study of traditional music and instruments from all cultures: classical music, folk, and cultured music with long traditions; popular music; and the evolution of music, which occurred in centers related to civilian and religious targets. A public has grown for folk music that developed in rural areas or modest layers of society. It is of oral tradition and popular, by anonymous authors, and is still known primarily for recording and sound of massive distribution.
Traditional Music of India
India has a system of musical notation, but usually, the music is transmitted orally through the practice of a guru. The guru is a spiritual guide who shares their musical knowledge to address discipline and humility.
- Main Styles:
- Classical: Traditional music of India.
- Bollywood: Popular music used on the soundtracks of films; important to the film industry. India has a marked influence of Western pop.
- Purpose: Much of the music is based on religion, based on sacred texts, the Vedas. Other music is for pure entertainment.
- Texture: Either monodic.
- Vocal or instrumental melody: The scale consists of 22 microtonal ranges. Music from India has a high component of improvisation and virtuosity.
- Rhythm: Music organized into cycles of beats called Talas.
- Instruments:
- Wind: Bansuri, Harmonium.
- Percussion: Tabla.
- String: Sitar, Tambura.
Traditional Music of Indonesia
Indonesia has more than 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, and Bali. The gamelan ensemble is central to Indonesian music. The music is transmitted orally. It has a simple notation system. In their works, the composers themselves adopt amendments that the interpreter suggests.
- Main Styles:
- Gamelan: Designates both a set of instruments in an orchestra and the musicians that play.
- Krocong: The product of a mixture of Indonesian popular songs and music of Portuguese sailors.
- Purpose:
- Office: The gamelan is an element of unifying society in both rural and urban areas. There are amateur musicians, and a gamelan orchestra gathers all sorts of people.
- Accompaniment: Gamelan music is played in various places, including religious or profane ceremonies, and dances for scenic interpretations, which are in the great tradition of shadow theater.
- Texture: Polyphonic.
- Melody: Constructed from two types of scales:
- Slendro: a five-note scale.
- Pelog: a seven-note scale.
- Pace: Gongan is the fundamental unit that consists of all the sound facts between the most serious gong sounds, which are more spaced. The meter is binary.
- Instruments:
- Wind: Suling.
- Percussion: Gong, Saron.
- String: Rebab, Celempung.
Traditional Music of China
- Main Styles:
- Chinese Opera: A dramatic representation of theater combining music, dance, acrobatics, etc.
- Classical Chinese: Music that developed in the imperial court.
- Purpose:
- Philosophical-religious: The twelve notes in the system have been related to the cycles of the months and hours of the day. They have a religious function in ceremonies.
- Politics: The fundamental note received the name Huang-chung and symbolizes the power of the Emperor because yellow is the color reserved for the imperial family.
- Texture: Accompanied monody.
- Melody: Pentatonic.
- Rhythm: Use binary beats. Predominantly regular and repetitive rhythmic cells.
- Instruments: China uses endless instruments based on materials like wood, clay, stone, leather, metal, bamboo, etc.