Songs of the Copper Eskimos 263 



Measures Beats 



V. 6. pt. 2. fA' / g5 ai b+ c 4 12^ 



and I 1 3 3 34 3 



Refrain. j^B Jde---- - 



13 3 



The naore one studies this melodious and well-balanced tune, the more 

 ' interesting points one discovers. The song belongs to that rare type in which 

 the refrain is one and indivisible with the second phrase of the verse part. In 

 most cases the refrain is very regular but there are one or two exceptions. It 

 is designated by brackets over the letters, for it comprises not only the extension, 

 but the last measure of the phrase proper. On the whole the structure is three- 

 part, not only as to the number of phrases in the verse part, but as to the number 

 of measures in the phrase and beats in the measure, although there are some 

 outstanding exceptions. The three-measure phrases overlap in the case of the 

 second phrase of the verse proper and the refrain, and the connectives, as usual, 

 have at most two measures. The -melodic structure of the first and second 

 phrases is very interesting, with the almost perfect melodic sequence that 

 appears in the second phrase, to balance the first. The refrain closes these two 

 phrases very effectively from the melodic standpoint, although it is occasionally 

 rather short. The connectives vary according to whether or not the verse 

 begins with an accented syllable. 



The song starts on the third degree, on the first beat of the measure, and 

 ends on the same tone, which is the general level, that is, if we accept the end of 

 the final verse as being like that already giveii. There is a gradual shift of 

 pitch which is confusing and was disregarded entirely in the analysis, as ■ it 

 certainly could not have been intentional. In the course of the song there is a 

 drop of half a step. 



