ETHNOMUS 108B Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Ethnomusicology, Folk Music, Organology
13 Dec 2016
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-Have readings done before Friday discussion
PART ONE
● Models of ethnomusicological inquiry
○ How to study music
● Issues of musical categorizations
● Listening skills
Models of Ethnomusicological Inquiry
● Different ways of studying music
1) Alan Merriam’s tripartite model:
a) There are three things you study in ethnomusicology
○ Concepts: learn what does the music mean to the people, learn the history of where it
comes from
○ Behavior: behavior in relation to music;
○ Sound itself: the way sound is constructed, the way people perform, learning to play the
instruments, apprentice yourself to a musician, transmission (how people learn the music)
● Jeff Todd Titon’s model: music-cultures
○ Does not have strict ethnic boundaries; abandons the idea of “other”
○ His model studies:
■ Ideas about music
■ Activities involving music: context, setting of music
■ Repertories of music: the body of music you are familiar with or can perform;
(rock band: songs they have written); how they are formed
■ Material culture of music
● Organology: the study of musical instruments
● Meaning of music instruments: religious significance etc.
● Prof: economic factors, how music is labored, whether or not
Issues of Musical Categorization
● Problematic idea of the distinctions between these genres:
● Classical music:
○ Usually meant “Western/ European art music”
○ Music of the elite, ruling classes (nobility)
○ Later, elite musics of non-Western world
○ Easier to study its history because it was written
○ Refers to the association of a particular economic class
● Folk music:
○ Music “of the people” (not elite classes)
○ More problematic term today
○ Counter distinction to classical music
○ Often rural or urban poor (in Europe)
○ Primarily oral traditions, not written down
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Different ways of studying music: alan merriam"s tripartite model, there are three things you study in ethnomusicology. Concepts: learn what does the music mean to the people, learn the history of where it comes from. Sound itself: the way sound is constructed, the way people perform, learning to play the instruments, apprentice yourself to a musician, transmission (how people learn the music) Does not have strict ethnic boundaries; abandons the idea of other . Activities involving music: context, setting of music. Repertories of music: the body of music you are familiar with or can perform; (rock band: songs they have written); how they are formed. Meaning of music instruments: religious significance etc. Prof: economic factors, how music is labored, whether or not. Problematic idea of the distinctions between these genres: Music of the elite, ruling classes (nobility) Easier to study its history because it was written. Refers to the association of a particular economic class.
