Australian Aboriginal music has always interested me with its unique instruments and rhythms. This style of music is very different from the usual type of music I listen to. That grows my interest in it because I am unable to connect or compare it to my other music, allowing me to truly expand my musical library with vastly different types of music.
The Aboriginal music can be dated back as far as 50,000 years ago and carries a major cultural significance to the Aboriginal peoples. Their music is significant to their culture because it is used to tell their history, and is passed on using their music and dance in sacred and non-sacred ceremonies. In their music, the Aborigines would use their voices, bilma (clapsticks), yidaki (digeridoos), and bullroarer. Each of these instruments has its own unique sound, making each song sound individually special and unique.
This is an image of what typical Aboriginal ceremonies might look like.
Most Aboriginal music usually follows a double and or half-time rhythm, though the chosen rhythm typically lasts for the entirety of the song. There is no harmony in traditional Aboriginal music, and because of that, any melodic lines are done in solo or unison. Aboriginal music is an important part of an Aboriginal ceremony and can last upwards of an hour. The music is used to tell a story of a tribe's ancestry and history, and the music does not follow a structured/exact path, just flowing with the nature of the story.
Aboriginal instruments are very special and have very unique ways of construction. The Didgeridoo is traditionally made from Eucalyptus trees that are hollowed out by termites, creating a long wooden tube with no other modifications. The bullroarer is a thin ellipse piece of wood attached to a string, made for swinging around to create a low-pitch hum. Slapsticks are made from specially chosen sticks, to slap together. These are just some of the most important instruments in Aboriginal music that make it what it is.
This is a shorter example of some Aboriginal music by Lewis Burns. This song uses a didgeridoo and clapsticks, and does not have vocals of any kind. This song has an upbeat tempo and a free-flow feel to it, and the beat of the song is enhanced with the clapstick. There is an oscillating rhythm created with the didgeridoo, and this is a result of a technique called circle breathing. Circle breathing is where the user of the didgeridoo breathes out of their mouth into the instrument and breathes in their nose, allowing for a constant flow of air into the didgeridoo, creating that oscillating rhythm. When listening to this, I feel like I am being connected to Nature and the didgeridoo is telling me the story of its player.
This is a longer example of some Aboriginal music, Spirit of Uluru by an unknown artist, telling several different stories throughout the song, each following a slightly different tempo and beat from the last. This song uses the didgeridoo, slapstick, and some vocals. Each part of the song is slightly different from the last, growing throughout the song, and turning into something different from the start. The circle breathing technique is also used in this display, allowing for its unique touch in this song. The clapsticks are used in the last part of the song emphasizing the end of it, small vocals are sprinkled throughout the song, and the didgeridoo is used for the entirety of the song. This song makes me feel like I am watching a sunset on a nice warm beach, I feel like it is telling me the story of life on the land and the people who live on it.
Hello!! This is not something I think I would have ever looked into or listened to before I saw this. The way this music sounds is so cool and I think these instruments are very interesting. I wonder if you could've looked into the instruments for the Australian culture and seen if these instruments are only unique to this culture or if maybe some neighboring cultures use it as well. I really enjoyed this assignment!!
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ReplyDeleteThis is not something I think I would have ever looked into or listened to before I saw this. The way this music sounds is so cool and I think these instruments are very interesting. I wonder if you could've looked into the instruments for the Australian culture and seen if these instruments are only unique to this culture or if maybe some neighboring cultures use it as well. I really enjoyed this assignment!!