Characteristics of African music

Africa has a vast land, rich resources, diverse ethnic groups and different beliefs, so African music is complex. According to the classification of ethnomusicologists, African music can be divided into four major categories: ancient Egyptian music, North African Andalusian music, Ethiopian music, and black music south of the Sahara Desert (referring to East Africa, Countries in West Africa, Central Africa and South Africa). African music is a collective concept that encompasses a variety of music cultures, and the African music we are talking about here is what it usually means

Sub-Saharan Desert (referring to Black Africa) various black traditional music originating from the local area .

The African continent has dozens of countries, hundreds of languages ??and countless ethnic groups and tribes, so African music is very complex

. Black Africans gathered in sub-Saharan Africa are divided into two major ethnic groups and four ethnic minorities: the two major ethnic groups are the dark-skinned Sudanese north of the equator, west of Ethiopia to the Atlantic coast, and the light-skinned Bantu south of the equator

People. The four ethnic minorities are the Hamites in the Horn of East Africa; tribes descended from Malays and blacks in Madagascar; the Khoisan tribes in Southwest Africa; and the Pygmies scattered in the tropical jungles of Central Africa.

Due to the many complex tribes and various external influences, African music culture is diverse and rich, but black African music has obvious unique characteristics, and they are interconnected. African music is passionate and unrestrained, giving people a strong sense of rhythm. Anyone who has listened to African music will never forget its distinctive musical characteristics.

1. Rhythm characteristics of African music

Rhythm has a special status in African music. Highly developed rhythm is the main characteristic of African music. Complex, changeable, strong and unrestrained rhythms are the soul of African music.

The rhythm of African music is a multi-line and multi-layered rhythm. African music is roughly based on two beats, but it also uses a mixed rhythm of several overlapping rhythm patterns at the same time and constantly adds syncopation to create a vibrant rhythm. An important feature of the rhythm of African music is compound rhythm. Many rhythms with different lengths and different beats are played in parallel, or rhythms with the same length and the same beat are played staggered, which will produce beautiful rhythm and harmony. For example: the rhythm in "Inspiration",

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Different rhythm patterns of two beats and three beats are performed simultaneously, forming a multi-line and multi-level rhythm. This is the most distinctive feature of African music. None of the musical rhythms can compare to the rhythms of African music.

Rhythm is of special importance in Africa. In Africa, specific rhythms convey specific meanings, so a sense of rhythm is the main feature of African music.

2. Percussion instruments in African music

Africa has a variety of musical instruments, such as marimba, castanets, recorders, cow horns, African melody pianos, etc. , most of which are percussion instruments, the most important of which are marimba and drums. It can be said that Africans themselves prefer percussion instruments, especially drums. Because there are often sacrificial ceremonies in Africa, wizards will pay special attention to rhythmic percussion instruments, and the percussion instruments focus on drums. Sometimes priests are also drummers.

Therefore, African drums are like gods in the eyes of Africans. lofty status. Drums can best express African music full of rhythm and vitality. In Africa, drums are not only an instrument, but also the main tool for imitating language and transmitting information. They also assume important functions such as witchcraft, rituals, and entertainment. . In Africa, drum performances are sometimes performed for entertainment. There are also tribal harvest celebrations, Christian baptisms, funerals, coming-of-age ceremonies, political exchanges between tribes, spring, summer, spring and winter celebrations, wedding banquets, etc. All of which involve drumming and African dance. Drums are an indispensable thing for every tribe, and they are also a symbol of status and rights, because in Africa, the number of drums owned by tribal leaders or chiefs is directly proportional to their rights and status.

African drums are also diverse. The first is the diversity of drum materials. The drum skin is generally made of animal skin, and the drum body is made of many materials. Common ones include Hollowed logs, large gourds, clay containers, etc.

The second is the diversification of hitting methods. The larger ones are placed on the ground and hit with palms or drumsticks. The smaller ones include hanging on the shoulders, holding under the armpits, and sitting down. Clamped between the legs, some are beaten while standing, some are beaten while sitting, some are beaten with drums and hammers, some are beaten with palms, etc. Finally, there is the diversification of drum varieties. Drums are the most popular musical instrument in Africa. Different drums have different uses and rhythm patterns, and different playing techniques are used on different occasions.

The most common ones are the Jinbei drum and the Goblet drum. The Jinbei drum looks like the Holy Grail. It is the only culture in Africa and an important historical asset. The shape of the goblet drum is like a glass sand timer. The upper and lower edges of the double-headed drum are pulled by ropes

. When drumming, the drum is clamped under the armpit and squeezed at the same time. The drum can be beaten with a special wooden stick. The strange drum sounds it makes are like talking, so it is called talking drum. In addition, there are conical drums, ceramic drums, barrel-shaped wooden drums, and long Ashik drums. There are two types of drums, drums played with palms and drums held.

In short, African drums are complex and diverse, and are the most important instruments in African music and people's lives.

3. Echo songs in which one person leads the crowd

The most common form of singing in African music is the echo song, that is, one person leads the singing and everyone follows along, or sings in turn or overlapping. The phrases are short and repetitive, and mostly use the heptatonic scale, but also the pentatonic scale.

Africans love rhythm and singing. You can see people hitting percussion instruments, singing and twisting their bodies everywhere. The most common form of singing is echoing songs, just like playing. There is a leading drummer, who sings a few lines first, very rhythmically, as if inviting everyone to sing together, and then everyone agrees to sing a few lines. Almost the entire music goes like this, the melody is very simple, and the phrases are also very simple. It's short and repetitive, but it's very capable of infecting people's emotions. Leading the crowd in responding to the song causes more people to join in singing and also makes the singing proceed more orderly.

4. The relationship between African music and dance

An important feature of African music is the combination of music and dance. If Africans are particularly fond of rhythm, then dance is a part of life for them. Life has rhythm, and rhythm has dance. Music and dance are inseparable. To this day, the words "music" and "dance" in the languages ??of many ethnic tribes are the same. In the concept of most Africans, music and dance are a unity and can be equated. When holding ceremonies or celebrations, in life, in labor, in the fields, or in the house, people shake their heads, shake their shoulders, and twist their buttocks in a very coordinated manner to the accompaniment of various percussion instruments. , dragging their feet on the ground, and any music will make Africans dance. In Africa, music and dance can even be equated. Music is dance, and dance is music.

5. Functions of African Music

African folk music has a strong functionality. Music activities mostly accompany social daily life. Music is part of social life. Like every country in the world, music accompanies life and labor and is an indispensable part of various

ceremonies. Music has a social nature at various festivals and celebrations, and is often closely associated with religious rituals. In Africa, music can praise gods, praise people, and can also be used to exorcise demons and diseases.

Music is inseparable from everything in their lives. There is specific music for specific occasions. Africans are very good at using music to express all their thoughts and feelings. For example, there is a lot of funeral music in Africa. People can know who died based on the music played, and they can also judge the identity and gender of the performer based on the nature of the traditions and rituals related to the music. Wait for some situations, this is the extremely powerful functionality of African music

.

African music, especially song and dance activities, has a strong self-entertainment nature. African music has a strong social function and is often used as a tool for inter-tribal socializing and formal occasions such as sacrifices and celebrations. African people’s lives are inseparable from music and dance. African music has many functions, and more often than not, Africans spend time in their leisure time. Sometimes, they sing and dance spontaneously, sometimes without any musical accompaniment.

The music at this time is improvisation for self-entertainment.

Everyone gathers together, you play a drum and I sing a song. The music will attract more people to join in, and slowly the music will It will become a small-scale musical work, and it will sound stylish, as if it has been rehearsed in advance

Because Africans have so many impromptu and spontaneous songs and dances that it almost becomes part of their daily lives. Africans will never tire of this kind of self-entertainment music activity.

6. The influence of African music

The spread of African music culture mainly relies on African residents-black people. The development of the African continent has always been relatively backward, and black Africans have joined the societies of other countries and regions as slaves, which has made it possible for the spread of African music culture. In the process of labor, they preserved the African musical tradition in their own way and enabled this tradition to be continued and developed. In this process, the musical characteristics of black African music were integrated into the music of other countries, promoting the development of local music and spreading African music, allowing African music to be preserved and spread. Therefore, many countries are influenced by African music to a certain extent, especially the music of North and South America and

Latin America. Overall, they are influenced by black music, of which American music is the representative. We all know that American pop music is the most representative of American music, and American jazz is the most representative of American pop music. Before jazz was produced, there were similar black spirituals, Blues, Ragtime, etc. The emergence of jazz originated from black dance music. The two main sources are black songs

"Blues" and "Ragtime".

African music is strong, unrestrained and has great vitality. The original, simple, dynamic music from the primitive jungle, while integrating with the music culture of other countries, has produced more unique music cultures, influencing and promoting the development of world music, and providing a good foundation for world music. The development of culture has made a huge contribution.