The Fifth International Symposium on Traditional Polyphony ...

274
Simha Arom, Polo Vallejo
88 Erekheli A --- --- VII 3* Humor
89 Tesh Ighbali A --- 6# IV 5/3 Humor
* <strong>The</strong> three parts begin simultaneously
** <strong>The</strong> bass and middle parts begin simultaneously
Cadences
In the mode of A there are three types of cadences: A, B and C.
<strong>The</strong>re are no rest points or semicadences.
Beginnings and endings
<strong>The</strong> degrees and chords that the songs begin with are highly varied: 1. I (3, 5, 5/3, 6/4, 8/6); 2. III (1, 3,
5/3, 6/4, 5, 9/5, 6, 9/8); 3. IV (8/5, 9/5, 9/8); 4. V (5/3, 7/5); 5. VI (5); 6. VII (5/3, 5/4, 6/4, 7, 8/6).
<strong>The</strong> songs can start on any degree with the exception of II. Two of them begin on III, a degree that is rarely
found in the movement of the lower part.
Occasional accidentals and modulations (shifts to neighboring modes):
<strong>The</strong>re are few songs in the mode of A that go from start to finish with no accidentals appearing.
In this mode, the accidentals affect three degrees: 1. On II, descending; 2. On VI, ascending; 3. On V,
descending.
<strong>The</strong> descending alteration on the II degree suggests a shift to the mode of E.
<strong>The</strong> ascending alteration on the VI degree suggests a shift to the mode of D.
<strong>The</strong> descending alteration on the V degree doesn’t suggest a shift to any mode: it only implies a change of
color that affects the chord of which it forms a part.
Movement of the bass part
<strong>The</strong> bass part shows a clear tendency to form melodic patterns as the upper parts do. <strong>The</strong> II degree is
totally non-existent.
Types of chords and harmonic syntax
<strong>The</strong> types of chords that appear in the mode of A are more numerous than in the other two modes (E
and G). On the degrees*:
I 1 3 4 4/2 5/2 6/2 4/3 5/3 6/3 5/4 6/4 5 7/5
III 1 3 5/3 6/4 5 9/5 6 9/8
IV 1 3 5/3 7/3 5/4 6/4 5 6/5 7/5 8/5 9/5 8/6 9/6 8/7 9/7
V 4/2 3 5/3 6/3 7/3 4 5/4 6/4 5 6/5 7/5 8/5 9/5 7/6 8/6 7
VI 4/2 5/2 3 4/3 5/3 6/3 7/3 4 5/4 6/4 7/4 5 6/5 7/5
8/5 9/5 6 7/6 8/6
VII 2 4/2 3 5/3 4 5/4 6/4 7/4 5 6/5 7/5 8/6
*<strong>The</strong> II degree does not appear. <strong>The</strong> cords in italics are rarely encountered
Inventory of all of the chords that appear in the mode of A independently of the degree on which they
are constituted: