4.2 Music & Instruments of Asia

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​Song of the Day
Title: Mo Li Hua
Artist: Unknown
Genre: Traditional
Instruments: Guzheng, drumset, strings

Pumpkin Race

Last class we had __ total participants!

• Erhu

• Guzheng

• Peking Opera

• Shamisen

• Sitar

Vocabulary

• Analyze listening examples of music from Asia

• Identify Asian instruments and their countries of origin

Learners can...

4.2 Music & Instruments of Asia

7 Elements of Music

• Beat: steady pulse in a song

• Rhythm: how long/short notes are

• Melody: main part of a song (think singing "happy birthday")

• Harmony: complement to the melody (2+ notes at once)

• Timbre: quality or mood of sound

• Dynamics: how loud/quiet it is

• Tempo: how loud/fast it is

Instrument Categories

Percussion- instruments that are played by striking, shaking, or scraping
Wind - instruments that rely on the movement of air to produce sound
String - instruments that rely on the vibration of strings to produce sound
Voice - the human voice produces sound through the vibration of the vocal cords

Culture of China

• Solo Performance

• Ensemble Performance

• Peking Opera

Types of Music

• Replicate sounds of nature

• Express joy

• Feel calm, thoughtful

• Religious ceremonies, holidays, parades

Uses of Music

Music of China

Instrument: The Erhu

• One of the most notable and popular traditional Chinese instruments

• Traditional string instrument

• Two strings, played with a bow

• Sometimes called the "Chinese violin"

Instrument: The Guzheng

• String instrument with 16+ strings

• Strings plucked with player wearing finger picks

• Similar to the harp

• Mimics sound of waterfall

Guzheng in Modern Music

Peking Opera

Form of musical theatre featuring costumes, make-up, music, dance, acrobatics, and story-telling

Multiple Choice

What was the music of China meant to sound like?

• Stressful Dreams

• Elements of nature

• Silence

Culture of Japan

Work Songs

• songs sung while performing labor; meant to pass time

The word for music "ongaku" translates to "enjoyable sound"

Music of Japan

Religious Songs

• way to worship and share religion; passed down stories or legends

Gathering Songs

• performed at events like weddings, funerals, celebrations

Children's Songs

• legends, fairy tales, teaching knowledge or rules

Instrument: The Shamisen

• String instrument with 3 strings

• Played with a pick called a "bachi"

• One hand plucks strings, other plays notes on fingerboard and turns sound pegs to change notes

Multiple Choice

Which of the instruments below is from China?

• Erhu

• Sitar

• Shamisen

Culture of India

Folk Music and Hindustani Classical Music

Music of India

• Folk music features traditional non-religious music

• Hindustani Classical Music is based on the Hindu faith

• Both use traditional Indian instruments and singing

​Consider how this is different or similar to European classical music

Instrument: The Sitar

• Most notable instrument in India

• Large string instrument

• Often considered a "Raga" instrument because it plays the melody of a song!

• Can also create a drone in the background while playing melody

• 2nd largest film industry in the world: Bollywood

• Bombay (city in India) + Hollywood = Bollywood

• Centered in Mumbai

• Filmi music is upbeat, energetic music in Bollywood films often with dance

• Features traditional Indian instruments and Western instruments

Bollywood's Filmi Music

Indian Instrument Uses

Drone - note constantly played in the background
Tala - specific rhythms used in a song
Raga - melodic line in a song

Indian music often has instruments doing 1 of 3 things during a song. They can do different jobs at different times too!

Multiple Choice

Which of the instruments below is from China?

• Erhu

• Sitar

• Shamisen

Multiple Choice

Which of the instruments below is from India?

• Erhu

• Sitar

• Shamisen