densmore] 



TETON SIOUX MUSIC 



45 



Tahle 7 A. — The purpose of this analysis is to ascertain whether these 

 songs adhere to the intervals of the diatonic scale or whether, while 

 having a keynote and a feeling for the tonic chord of the key, they 

 still use tones which are a semitone higher or lower than the tones of 

 that key. The analysis shows that 85 per cent of the songs contain 

 only the tones of the diatonic scale. In the remaining 15 per cent 

 the toiK^s most frequently raised or lowered are the seventh, sixth, 

 fourth, and second. (See fig. 8.) In only 10 songs is the pitch of 

 the Lhird altered, and the fifth is changed in only one song. This 

 keeping of the diatonic pitch on the tones of the tonic chord is a 



;'o 



Percentages 

 50 60 



90 



100 



Songs containing accidentals 



Fig. 8. Accidentals. 



Songs without 

 accidentals 



peculiarity which emphasizes the points mentioned in connection 

 with Table 2 A. 



Tahle 8 A. — Thus far we have considered the tones in a song chiefly 

 with reference to the keynote of the song. The purpose of the present 

 table is to determine the structure of the songs by observing the 

 interval relation of accented tones. Thus if contiguous accented 

 tones bear a simple chord-relation to each other the song is classified 

 as harmonic in structure; if such chord-relation does not exist it 

 is classified as melodic in structure, while an intermediate ty^pe is 

 classified as melodic with harmonic framework. An example of 



40 



Percentages 

 50 60 



70 



80 



Melodic 



Melodic 

 with har- 

 monic 

 framework 



Harmonic 



Pig. 9. Structure. 



the latter is a song containing the tones C-E-G-A-C, with the 

 accent placed consecutively on G, A, and G. The framework of 

 the melody is harmonic and comprises the chord C-E-G, but the 

 consecutive accents on G, A, G do not imply a simple chord of the 

 key of C. The song, therefore, is not purely melodic nor strictly 

 harmonic according to the basis adopted for classification. Nine- 

 teen per cent of the songs are harmonic in structure, every accented 

 tone having a simple chord-relation to a contiguous accented tone, 

 these chord-relations being witliin the key implied by the keynote. 

 A much larger proportion are melodic in structure. (See fig. 9.) 



