Excerpt+21

This music comes from Pakistan. a. Describe the layers of sound at the beginning of the excerpt. b. Describe the vocal melodies throughout the excerpt. c. Discuss how the solo vocal line interacts with the other sound sources.
 * Track 21: Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan – ‘Dhyahar-eh-ishq-meh’ (2:05) **

KingYi :)

__ Interaction between the Aerophone and the Solo Vocal Line __

1) At the beginning of the piece, the accordian-like aerophone has the main melody while the solo vocal line stays tacet. In the last phrase of the aerophone’s melodic line before the entrance of the vocal solo, the aerophone plays it’s highest note yet (Bb’) with a high ascending and descending melodic contour. This signals to the vocalist that the vocal solo entrance is nearing, easily identifies amongst the repetitive ostinatos.

2) The last few notes of the aerophone main melodic motif at the start of the piece consists of ‘Bb’s and ‘C’s which helps to indicate the starting pitch of the vocal solo line (which is a Bb acciaccatura to a C) to help establish ‘correct’ intonation.

3) As the main melodic line is taken over by the vocal solo line, the aerophone drops its dynamics to a mezzo piano approximately to complement the melodic line so it could be heard clearer.

4) The aerophone plays only long held notes to create a drone underneath the vocal solo line to create a biphonic texture as well as to ensure that the main melody is still prominent over the many textures.

5) At the start of the piece before the entrance of the ‘chorus/backing singers’, the aerophone always returns to a ‘C’ note at the end of each phrase of the solo vocal line. Similarly, the drone produced by the aerophone acts as a pedal point or tonal center to the vocal solo line. The aerophone tends to anticipate the longer held notes of the vocal solo line which generates a surer sense of pitch and creates a sense of diatonic, functional harmony.

6) Nearing the end of the piece, the aerophone resumes to a play a main melodic idea but still at a softer dynamic level in comparison to the solo vocal line. This creates a polyphonic texture but ensures that the main melodic line in the solo vocal line remain audible.

__ Interaction between the Membranophone and the Solo Vocal Line __

1) The sense of rhythmic drive is heightened when there is a gradual accelerando and then a faster, more obvious one at the end of the piece. The membranophone section creates this by quickening the tempo, initiated and mainly spurred on by the faster note values and percussive sounds in the vocal solo line.

2) All the membranophones play a constant rhythmic and melodic (with the exception of the unpitched percussion) ostinato when the solo vocal line stays silent and has not yet entered. When the solo vocal line is present, the hollow-sounding bass membranophone only plays less frequently and is only occasionally audible.

3) Initially, the ‘claps’ remain a steady beat, sounding only on the offbeats. When the solo vocal line is enters, the claps occur between beats on quaver, instead of crotchet offbeats to create a sense of anticipation.