who asked the first question? - International Research Center For ...

196coordination between the parts), and the information about them is more readily availablefrom the existing transcriptions. Some of the other parameters seem to be more flexibleand mobile even within the obviously related polyphonic traditions (e.g. differentpentatonic, tetratonic, hexatonic and even diatonic scale systems can all be present inrelated polyphonic cultures). At other times the information on some parameters is notavailable from the existing transcriptions (e.g. it is not always indicated in transcriptionsand the accompanying notes how many of the singers are singing different parts).Therefore, some parameters are naturally better suited for comparative research thanothers. As a result, among these five parameters I rely heavily on the first two parameters(type of polyphony and vertical coordination between the parts), as the most stable andreadily available parameters for the comparative research of polyphonic traditions.The third parameter (social organization of the singing group, or shortly – socialorganization) is the next in line for its importance for comparative studies (at last in thisresearch). Social organization of the singing group seems to be a very stable parameter.For example, for the major part of European polyphonic cultures on one side, and sub-Saharan polyphonic traditions on the other side, the stable models of the socialorganization of the singing group are used. At the same time, the social organization ofthe singing group can use different social models within the same culture. For example,in Georgian culture some songs are performed by the large group (the group always singsa bass part in unison, never the melodic parts), while some western Georgian songs areperformed by individual performers for each part. Unfortunately, transcribed music doesnot always contain the information about this important factor, so it is not always clearwhich part of the polyphonic texture is performed solo, and which part is performed bythe group of singers.Unlike the first three parameters (type of polyphony, vertical coordination, andsocial organization), which are specifically connected to polyphonic cultures, the lasttwo parameters (scale and rhythm) are not specifically connected to polyphonic music.Scales are very important as the universal “building pitch blocks” of every musicalculture, both polyphonic and monophonic. As a matter of fact, one of the strongestimpulses for the development of ethnomusicology was the introduction of the universalinterval-measuring system in cents for measuring different scales from different cultures(1 cent equals 1/100 of a semitone) in 1884 by A. Ellis. Despite their obvious importancefor the musical language, there are at least two inconveniences for using specific scales incomparative research:(1) Some scales are so widely distributed that it does not make much senseto use them as culture markers. For example, the anhemitonicpentatonic scale is spread through huge territories of all continents(both in monophonic and polyphonic cultures), so, for example, notingthat the Chinese and Scottish use the same scale in their traditionalmusic, does not mean that there have been any specific historicalconnections between them. The same scale is used in many traditionsof sub-Saharan Africa and South America. Another group of morespecific scales, known as scales of octave, fourth and fifth diatonic, aremore culture-specific and more suitable for comparative studies.