Yiri- Koko

• Sub-saharan / traditional west african music.
• common features
  • Repetition
  • improvisation
  • polyphony
  • call and response
  • complex polyrhythm

• Mostly Hexatonic
• Syncopated
• octave doubling
• repetitive
• regular 2 bar phrasing

What dynamics?

(or in examiner friendly words- 'are largely unvaried') 

• ostinato paterns
• based in Gb major
• improvised sections between parts of music - often contain tremolos
• contains acciaccaturas
• have regular octave leaps
• there are two balafons
• tremolo playing is common as sustained notes are not possible.

• Balafon
  • ostinati combined produce complex polyrhythm
• drum ostinati- play 1 bar rhythm all the way through
• syncopation
• vocal line uses triplets

• The tempo is set by the balafon
  • moderato
• it sounds as though it speeds up towards the end (it doesn't)
• The tempo is rather boring (unvaried)

• Intro
• Series of chorus, verse and instrumental bits
• Coda
  • signalled by bell
  • 5 x 2 bar phrases
  • finished by bell

Beginning        there isn't (unmetred)

After         constant metre

There isn't one.

• Major (sounds Hexatonal)
• leading note rarely used

• Starts monophonic
• when the 2nd balafon joins in playing octaves it is homophonic
• when all parts are playing it is polyphonic

• Djembe- Goblet shaped drum
• Dundun- double headed drum played with wooden sticks
• Talking drums- Hourglass shape with strings holding the skin on either end, squeeze to change pitch
• Vocals- call and response
• Vocables- effects by voice and body percussion
• Agogo bell- played right at the end