BULL. 30] 



MUSIC AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS 



959 



collar rhythm, so also have the classes of 

 songs which jjertain to individual acts: 

 fasting and prayer, setting of traps, hunt- 

 ing, courtship, playing of games, facing 

 and defying death. An Indian can deter- 

 mine at once the class of a strange song 

 by the rhythm of the music, but not by 

 that of the drumbeat, for the latter is not 

 infrequently played in time differing from 

 that of the song. In structure the Indian 

 song follows the outline of the form which 

 obtains in our own music — a short, me- 

 lodic phrase built on related tones which 

 we denominate chord lines, repeated with 

 more or less variation, grouped into 

 clauses, and correlated into periods. The 

 compass of songs varies from 1 to 3 

 octaves. 



Some songs have no words, but the ab- 

 sence of the latter does not impair the 

 definite meaning; vocables are used, and 

 when once set to a melody they are never 

 changed. Occasionally both words and 

 vocables are employed in the same song. 

 Plural singing is generally in unison on 

 the plains and elsewhere, the women 

 using a high, reedy, falsetto tone an octave 

 above the male singers. Among the Cher- 

 okee and other Southern tril)es, however, 

 "round" singing was common. Men 

 and women having clear resonant voices 

 and good musical intonation compose the 

 choirs which lead the singing in cere- 

 monies, and are paid for their services. 

 Frequently two or three hundred per- 

 sons join in a choral, and the carrying of 

 the melody in octaves by soprano, tenor, 

 and bass voices, produces harmonic 

 effects. 



Songs are the property of clans, socie- 

 ties, and individuals. Clans and societies 

 have special officers to insure the exact 

 transmission and rendition of their songs, 

 which members alone have the right to 

 sing, and a penalty is exacted from the 

 member who makes a mistake in sing- 

 ing. The privilege to sing individual 

 songs must sometimes be purchased from 

 the owner. Women composed and sang 

 the lullaby and the spinning and grinding 

 songs. Among the Pueblos men joined in 

 singing the latter and l)eat time on the 

 floor as the women worked at the metates. 

 Other songs composed by women were 

 those sung to encourage the warrior as he 

 went forth from the camp, and those sung 

 to send to him, by the will of the singers, 

 strength and power to endure the hard- 

 ships of the battle. 



On the N. Pacific coast, and among other 

 tribes as well, musical contests were held, 

 when singers from one tribe or band 

 would contend with those from another 

 tribe or band as to which could remem- 

 ber the greatest number or accurately 

 repeat a new song after hearing it given 

 for the first time. Among all the tribes 



accurate singing was considered a desir- 

 able accomplishment. 



Among the Baffinland Eskimo 

 grudges are settled by the opponents 

 meeting by appointment and singing 

 sarcastic songs at each other. The one 

 who creates the most laughter is regarded 

 as the victor. The Danish writers call 

 these controversial songs "nith songs." 



In ceremonial songs, which are formal 

 appeals to the supernatural, ai'curacy in 

 rendering is essential, as otherwise "the 

 path would not he straight"; the appeals 

 could not reach their proper destina- 

 tion and evil conse(|uences would follow. 

 Consequently, when an error in singing 

 occurs, the singers stop at once, and either 

 the song or the whole ceremony is begun 

 again; or, as in some tribes, a rite of con- 

 trition is performed, after which the cere- 

 mony may proceed. Official prompters 

 keep strict watch during a ceremony in 

 order to forestall such accidents. 



MUSICIANS, PEYOTE CEREMONY; KIOWA 



The steps of ceremonial dancers follow 

 the rhythm of the drum, which frequently 

 differs from the rhythm of the song. The 

 drum may be beaten in 2/4 time and the 

 song be in 3/4 time, or the beat he in 5/8 

 time against a melody in 3/4, or the song 

 may be sung to a rapid tremolo beating of 

 the drum. The beat governs the bodily 

 movements; the song voices the emotion 

 of the appeal. The native belief which 

 regards l)reath as the symljol of life is in 

 part extended to song; the invisible voice 

 is supposed to be able to reach the invis- 

 ible power that permeates nature and 

 animates all natural forms. The Indian 

 sings with all his force, being intent on 

 expressing the fervor of his emotion and 

 having no conception of an objective pre- 

 sentation of music. The straining of the 

 voice injures its tone quality, stress shar- 

 pens a note, sentiment flattens it, and 

 continued portemento blurs the outline of 

 the melody, Avhich is often further con- 

 fused by voice pulsations, making a 



