Since posting that video with the 'King of 1 string' I've been thinking about the primitive ways in which people started making music. I did a little research and found this very interesting little video about the evolution of musical instruments in Ireland, which I invite you to take a look at:
What sort of systems were they using and how were they thinking about music? Were they just trying to imitate sounds they were hearing in nature? The music seems more based on rhythmic variations rather than melodic/ harmonic ones
I think we have a lot to learn by observing how the instruments and the human vision over music has evolved - take a look at about 05.06 there's a primitive form of whammy bar - used on a horn he drops the pitch by placing his hand inside the horn.
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I do wonder whether a lot of the sounds were made as a way of re-creating the experiences that people experienced in nature, so when re-telling a story they would use sounds to help convey what they were trying to relate. Just a guess, I didn't watch the whole video.. maybe they said that ??
Maybe the primal beats etc were also a way of gearing themselves up for hunting or conflict in some way.. by attuning their heart beats and adrenaline to the sounds ? Again, another wild guess....
I am most certain that they were using war chants and crop growth chants and rain calling chants and all that you see, the power of music is something incredible - maybe it didn't magically trigger any rain or instant crop growth BUT it made people fight harder in battle -> more chances to win, work harder on the fields -> more chances to finish faster and catch more rain and about the rain...well...maybe there's a little magic here after all
Instructor Posts: 13.792
Joined: 11-March 10
From: England
QUOTE (Cosmin Lupu @ Jun 22 2012, 01:11 PM)
I am most certain that they were using war chants and crop growth chants and rain calling chants and all that you see, the power of music is something incredible - maybe it didn't magically trigger any rain or instant crop growth BUT it made people fight harder in battle -> more chances to win, work harder on the fields -> more chances to finish faster and catch more rain and about the rain...well...maybe there's a little magic here after all
Yes that makes sense.. just like music inspires us today it inspired back then too, towards a specific purpose.
at about 05.06 there's a primitive form of whammy bar - used on a horn 
he drops the pitch by placing his hand inside the horn.
