Native American music

There are hundreds of tribes of Native Americans (called the First Nations in Canada), each with diverse musical practices, spread across the United States and Canada (excluding Hawaiian music). However, according to Bruno Nettl (1956, p.107, Music in Primitive Culture), "almost every trait occurs in every culture to some degree." These commonalities exist, however, and are part of a shared folk musical tradition. More recently, Native Americans have developed distinct rock, blues, hip hop and reggae scenes, as well as popular pan-tribal styles like waila (chicken scratch).

Related Topics:
Tribe - Native American - First Nations - United States - Canada - Hawaiian music - Bruno Nettl - Folk music - Rock - Blues - Hip hop - Reggae - Waila

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Traditional music is dominated by choral vocals, and more rarely solo singing, is common, and harmony and polyphony are non-existent.

Related Topics:
Choral - Harmony - Polyphony

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Vocables (rhythmic, nonsense words, repeated) are an integral part of vocal music. Descending melodic figures are common. Drums and other percussion instruments are the most commonly-used instruments, though flutes and others are in common practice.

Related Topics:
Vocable - Drum - Percussion - Flute

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There is antiphonal singing between the chorus and soloist and thus incipient polyphony. Rhythms are often irregular or heterometric and the pentatonic scale predominates. (ibid, p. 196-197)

Related Topics:
Antiphonal - Rhythm

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