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Coordination between Lexical Tones and Melody in Traditional Kammu Singing

Karlsson, Anastasia LU (2018) In Journal of the Phonetic Society of Japan 22(3). p.30-41
Abstract
The study of the interaction between music and language is a small but rather active branch of musicology and linguistics. The two disciplines seldom meet. In this study we add a linguistic approach to our ethnomusicological knowledge. The cultural setting under study is Kammu, an Austroasiatic language spoken mainly in Laos. Kammu is a tone language where each syllable has a tone, either High or Low. The overarching melodic template is separated from tones to detect if or how lexical tones interact with melody. We study three genres, all performed by the same singer. The degree of preservation of lexical tones is genre dependent. Three main types of genres are found, tone-centered with melodic template built solely on lexical tones,... (More)
The study of the interaction between music and language is a small but rather active branch of musicology and linguistics. The two disciplines seldom meet. In this study we add a linguistic approach to our ethnomusicological knowledge. The cultural setting under study is Kammu, an Austroasiatic language spoken mainly in Laos. Kammu is a tone language where each syllable has a tone, either High or Low. The overarching melodic template is separated from tones to detect if or how lexical tones interact with melody. We study three genres, all performed by the same singer. The degree of preservation of lexical tones is genre dependent. Three main types of genres are found, tone-centered with melodic template built solely on lexical tones, melody- and tone-centered, and melody-centered in which lexical tones adapt to melody. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
lexical tones, melodic template, traditional singing, Kammu culture
in
Journal of the Phonetic Society of Japan
volume
22
issue
3
pages
30 - 41
ISSN
1342-8675
DOI
10.24467/onseikenkyu.22.3_30
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
c998673d-7989-40c3-ac72-d379d43c2548
date added to LUP
2019-02-13 18:11:13
date last changed
2019-03-06 09:33:13
@article{c998673d-7989-40c3-ac72-d379d43c2548,
  abstract     = {{The study of the interaction between music and language is a small but rather active branch of musicology and linguistics. The two disciplines seldom meet. In this study we add a linguistic approach to our ethnomusicological knowledge. The cultural setting under study is Kammu, an Austroasiatic language spoken mainly in Laos. Kammu is a tone language where each syllable has a tone, either High or Low. The overarching melodic template is separated from tones to detect if or how lexical tones interact with melody. We study three genres, all performed by the same singer. The degree of preservation of lexical tones is genre dependent. Three main types of genres are found, tone-centered with melodic template built solely on lexical tones, melody- and tone-centered, and melody-centered in which lexical tones adapt to melody.}},
  author       = {{Karlsson, Anastasia}},
  issn         = {{1342-8675}},
  keywords     = {{lexical tones; melodic template; traditional singing; Kammu culture}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{12}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{30--41}},
  series       = {{Journal of the Phonetic Society of Japan}},
  title        = {{Coordination between Lexical Tones and Melody in Traditional Kammu Singing}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.24467/onseikenkyu.22.3_30}},
  doi          = {{10.24467/onseikenkyu.22.3_30}},
  volume       = {{22}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}