DENSMORE] CHIPPEWA MUSIC 63 



a circle;" later, another interpreter gave as the meaning "a place 

 where the water moved in a circle;" the place was finally iden- 

 tified as a portion of Lake St. Clair where the water is said to form 

 eddies or small circles. This suggests that the song may have come 

 from Walpole island, where many C^anadian C^hippewa make their 

 home, or from some other group of Chippewa in that vicinity. In 

 this case it is reasonable to assume that the ''hmg rapids" referred 

 to in no. 25 are the rapids at Sault Ste. Marie. 



These songs are not fully transcribed, only the outline of the 

 melody being given. This takes no account of rhythm or note 

 values, but shows the melodic trend of the song more clearly than 

 a full transcription. The songs contain frequent interpolations of 

 Tii hi hi hi; the syllables of the words are repeated; and in many 

 instances the songs resemble chants. 



The musical material of many of these songs consists of the major 

 triad with the sixth added, yet the principal interval is the descending 

 minor third. The descent of the minor third characterizes the most 

 primitive music, and the five-toned scale characterizes music which 

 may be termed semideveloped. The major triad with the sixth 

 added is the five-toned scale lacking the second, and in songs nos. 28, 

 30, and 33 of the present series we find this tone present as a passing 

 tone, thus completing the tone material of the five-toned scale. 



In all these songs, except no. 20, the feeling of the tonic chord 

 is very strong. The ending of no. 20, as written, suggests a transition 

 to the relative minor, but as sung it gives us the impression that the 

 song is suddenly left in midair. Yet the ending was conclusive, 

 followed by the customary ho ho ho ho. The accidentals in songs 

 nos, 26 and 27 were firmly given, but seem intended as an ornamenta- 

 tion rather than sussestinp; modulation. 



'&&" 



No. 25 (Catalogue no. 16) 



^ii 



m^^^^E^^^^^^^^^^ 



WORDS 



Keno^'djiwanun^ At the long rapids 



Nimadwc^nadomi'go.. .1 j n j * 



m-,.,,. ,, } ^ am called to go m 



Tciobm^digean^ J 



Nikan'ug , . , , . My Mide^ brethren 



fcJQNa PICTURE NO. 25. 



