Throat singing Worksheet

Tuvan Throat Singing

The singer starts out with a low drone and then manipulates the vocal tract to amplify

one or more overtones.

Discuss the Development of Tuvan throat singing.

Tuvan throat singing was developed among herdsmen of Central Asia, they had a very

close relationship with nature so much of the music is used to mimic and interact with

sounds from their natural surroundings.

Tuvan throat singing is practiced by people in inner Mongolia, Tuva, and Siberia

Sygyt [suh-gut] embellishment with an additive pulsing

rhythm to the top

The Xöömei [her-may] low pitched with growling undertones

below and overtones above the

fundamental

The Kargyaa [kar-guh-rah] high-pitched with a sharp whistling tone

above the fundamental pitch.

Borbandnadyr [bor-bong-nah-dur] midrange with an airy whistle tone above

the fundamental pitch.

Ezenggileer [eh-zen-ghi-lair] added trilling and changing harmonics


Xhosa throat singing

Throat singing here is called Umngqokolo [Um-no-ko-low] which is derived from the

Khoisan [Koi-san] language.

The sound of Xhosian throat singing is based on the bow instruments of the region

including the Umrhube & Uhadi

Xhosian throat singing is exclusively practiced by women and sometimes young males

Discuss performance practice of Xhosian Throat singing

Generally, Xhosian singing is performed as a group with one overtone singer leading

the group in song, kind of like a call and response style

Diviners believe that they can even speak to their ancestors using the overtones

produced through the style.

Xhosian throat singing utilizes both over and undertones

They produce a very growling sound

The undertones tend to help women’s voices sound much lower than they actually are

closer to a baritone register

Inuit Throat Singing

There’s a similar type of throat singing on the among the Ainu on the island of

Hokkaido in Japan called Rekkukara but it has completely disappeared with the last

person that participated in the singing dying in 1976.

It’s a very guttural sound using inhalations and exhalations.

Singers developed techniques similar to circular breathing

Discuss components of Katajjaq

Traditionally this singing is considered a noise game referred to as Katajjaq

Women play these games to entertain children during a long winter nights and while

men were out hunting

the game is usually played by two women facing each other

one person leads and one person responds

the leader creates a short rhythmic motif with a short silent gap in between while the

responder rhythmically fills the gaps

both singers are trying to show off their different vocal abilities with their motifs

the first Woman to run out of breath, laugh, stops, or is unable to maintain pitch loses

the game this game usually lasts 1-3 minutes