INDIAN ]MTJSIC — DENSMORE 535 



in the little store of a Northwest Coast Indian, with whaling equip- 

 ment of various sorts on the walls. There was a fine pair of floaters 

 that I wanted to buy, but one morning when I asked for them the 

 Indian said that someone came for them the night before, saying that 

 a whale had been sighted. He said the floaters belonged to the whole 

 village and anyone might call for them. 



It is a rare combination of circumstances if I have a comfortable 

 place to stay, an interpreter, singers, and a place to record all at the 

 same time. Let us suppose that such ideal conditions exist, that the 

 equipment has arrived in perfect order and been set up in an "office," 

 that the singer is willing to sing, and the interpreter is seated beside 

 him. Perhaps the man wants to smoke before he sings, which causes 

 a slight delay. I usually ask the brand of tobacco that is popular in 

 the tribe and provide a package which is duly presented at this time. 

 I pay the singers in cash at the end of each day, and sometimes at the 

 close of each song. An argument always arises as to the price, and 

 I explain that I have the same price in each tribe for general songs, 

 paying a higher price for certain classes of personal songs. It is hard 

 for an Indian to understand why a song that was worth a horse in the 

 old days should be recorded for the small price that I pay. A Sioux 

 once oifered to record a song that would break the drought. He said 

 the dry summers would not have occurred if the Government had let 

 the Indians sing their rain songs. He said the song would "work" 

 for me as well as for an Indian, and he wanted $50 for it. According 

 to him, the song was cheap at that price. Needless to say, I did not 

 record the song and the drought continued. 



If the Indian singer does not understand or speak English, the nego- 

 tiations must be entrusted to the interpreter. He must explain that 

 the history and origin of the song and the meaning of the words is 

 included in the price of recording, unless there is a long legend or 

 extended information, for which he will be paid by the hour. The 

 interpreter explains that different verses of a song do not count as 

 separate songs, neither are recordings of the same tune with different 

 words paid for as separate songs. The Indian is told that he must 

 not record songs that differ in only a few tones and expect pay for 

 each recording. If a long series or a cycle of songs is under considera- 

 tion, he is told to select the songs with the most interesting words or 

 melody. This understanding is necessary, as a series may comprise 

 a very large number of songs, and it is easier for the Indian to sing 

 them all in sequence. There is little variety in such series, and it would 

 be impossible, as well as unnecessary, to transcribe them all. The 

 Indian is also instructed to sing the song through a certain number of 

 times and then pause. Without this precaution the recordings would 

 be almost impossible to separate. 



