African Music

Rhythm is one of the most important features of African Music. Much of African music is
played on percussion instruments and rhythm plays an important part in celebrations.

Much of African music is in 12/8 time (4 main beats in a bar). The focus can very often be on
the second and fourth beats of a bar which are considered the off beats in the bar giving much of
the music a slightly ‘syncopated’ feel. The off beats are often stressed.

Polyrhythm is a huge part of African music. Several rhythmic patterns can be played at the
same time. This gives the music a very exciting feel. Sometimes rhythms can sometimes be
played simultaneously in different time signatures. (polymetric)

Highlife:

 African pop music

 Found in cities
 Talking drums can play a major role in highlife performances.
 Chords used in Highlife performances are based on the Tonic (I), Subdominant (IV) and
Dominant (V).

Talking Drums: These are master drummers in Africa that loosen and tighten the membranes
of the drums they are playing. With changes in the membrane, master drummers are thought to
be able to mirror the sounds of speech and communicate to the other people within a tribe.

Instruments, music, dance and drama varies from tribe to tribe. Instruments can depend on the
raw materials that are available in the locality. Instruments are tuned to different pitches also
depending on the area.

Songs are all important in Africa. Songs are used for work, celebration and other events. ‘Field
Hollers’ are used for example while doing repetitive work.

Call and Response: The performance technique of Call-and-Response if very common in

African singing. This is when a solo performer sings a line of verse that is then passed to a
group of performers who answer or ‘respond’. The response can come in one of two ways:

1. Identical to that which the caller has sung

2. A different melody to that which the caller has sung.

The call will generally be a monophonic line as it will generally be sung by one individual.
The response can vary in texture from: Homophonic or heterophonic.
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Vocal melody is all-important in African music.

There is no fixed scale or pitch in African music. Instruments are tuned according to the
‘comfort’ level of performers.

 Melodies are often within a very narrow range.

Many melodies are based on a five-note scale known as the ‘Pentatonic Scale’

Harmony: Even when harmony sounds chordal in African music, in fact each line is
considered to be another melody with singers singing a 4th, 5th or octave below the actual
melody.

This can sometimes cause ‘Parallel Movement’. This is very common in African music
causing the music to move in parallel 3rds, 4ths, 5ths or Octaves. The vocal line is very often
sung in parallel 3rds.

African Instruments:

An enormous variety of instruments exist in the African Tradition. These are usually made by
the musicians in the tribes themselves to suit their particular style or tradition. Materials from
which the instruments are made vary according to what is available in local areas.

Typical instruments include:

 Drums: A collection of drums in different sizes. Depending on the size of the

membrane these drums will differ in pitch from high to low.
 Xylophone: Usually made from wooden blocks placed on top of a hollow gourd. It is a
melody or chordal instrument. It is struck using wooden mallets.
 Mbira (Thumb Piano): Consists of metal strips, cut to different lengths. The thumb
piano is tuned to the pentatonic scale. The metal or bamboo strips sit on top of a hollow
gourd and are played using the thumbs.
 Rattles, Wood Blocks, Shakers are also used.
 Kora: This is a string instrument made of 21 strings. The sound is produced by plucking
the strings using the thumb and forefingers. The resonating chamber is also made of a
large gourd covered in skin. A hole is cut in the skin to allow the sound to come through.
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Rhythmic ostinatos occur quite frequently in African music because of the heavy reliance on
rhythm in the region.

An ostinato is a short repeated rhythmic pattern. There are two types of ostinato. There is the
RHYTHMIC OSTINATO and the MELODIC OSTINATO.

Rhythmic Ostinato: This is when the constant repetition is rhythmic only.

Melodic Ostinato: This is when the constant repetition is a short melody