Mongolian Music Style
Music in Mongolia, like any other country, differs in the regions of the country, depending on the clan, lifestyle and geographic region, with similar themes running throughout. I thought that "style" was a more appropriate title for this page than "theory", because so much about Mongolian music is about expressing feelings or telling a story, that "theory" seemed too small a box to put it all in.
In The Past...
There were three major stages that contributed to the development of Mongolia's music as it is today. The major changes mostly involve "coming togethers" in history, because as nomads, Mongolians may not have had regular contact with others outside their home tribe and territory.
- Firstly, when Ghenghis Khan first united Mongolia (13th century), many different tribes were brought together, and this allowed sharing of music that had not happened before.
- When Khubilai Khan's Yuan Dynasty is joined with China was also a major time of development for Mongolian music. This point in time is likely when the similarities between China and Mongolia's pentatonic scales were initialized.
- Also, things like a common national language and similar lifestyles contributed to more nationally uniform Mongolian music. This would have made it much easier for musicians from different areas to collaborate, say at a Nadaam festival in the capital, than it would be if they spoke different languages, or didn't celebrate the same holidays, so would never have met in the first place.
Theory System
The scale of Mongolian music is mainly based around is the major pentatonic scale. This means it has 5 pitches, as opposed to the 8 pitch scale western musicians use. A major pentatonic scale is sometimes described as a "gapped" scale, because it is like a diatonic scale with the 4th and 7th pitches removed. However, it is still a complete scale and does not sound like there are pitches missing. If you play the 5 black keys on a piano, you are playing a pentatonic scale. It might sound a bit Chinese. That is because both Mongolians and Chinese use the pentatonic scale system. Mongolian traditional melodies are distinctly Asian and not at all derived from western influence.
Khoomi or Hoomi Singing
Mongolians have a unique style of throat or overtone singing called khoomii. It is not so much considered singing, as using the voice as an instrument, and is a highly appreciated part of Mongolian culture. When singing in the khoomi style, a singer produces a low, "drone" tone, and a melody of high notes that can sometimes sound remarkably like a flute. There are several different styles of khoomii singing, involving different ways of manipulating the lips, tongue, mouth, throat and chest.
Uritin Duu or Long Song
Mongolian long songs are traditional songs sung with long, expressive drawn-out notes, rhythms and words. Most are sung in two parts, and include many rises and falls in pitch and changing melodies. Originally sung by herders in the grazing areas for what is belived to be 2000 years, they have very free structures that allow the singer to improvise, either with their voice, or accompaniment on the morin khuur or with khoomii. The singer will often sing two lines of the up to 32 verse song and then repeat them. The topics of the long songs are directly derived from the environment and values of the Mongols, including things like horses, family members, mountains and wine. Some well known long song are: Rich and Vast Alxa, Good Farewell, Vast Grassland, LittleYellow Horses and Walking Horses. Many khoomii singers will train for years (we're talking up to 20) before they perform. This is a short long song:
And a longer long song:
Bogino Duu or Short Song
A short song is a type of song not quite as old as the long song, and is still a part of everyday Mongolian life. There are less technicalities and intricacies than the long song, making them easier to sing, though it still requires much practice to perform. Short songs are upbeat, and often have a humorous note to them, recalling a funny event or making fun of someone. During the Chinese rule of Mongolia, short songs making fun of politics were forbidden.
Moving Into The Future
Unfortunately, Mongolia has experienced and is still experiencing a loss of their traditional songs. Some were lost because they were forbidden by the Chinese government. Many others are lost because people are moving into the cities and living a more modern lifestyle where the traditional songs are not as important to them. Lost also are the meanings and significance of many of the songs, as people living in the city cannot appreciate the same value of the songs as can a herder who travels the same path and has the same experiences in the environment in which the songs were created.
That being said, Mongol artists are doing their valiant best to bring "the best of both worlds", combining tradition with new. By doing so, many have brought the eye of other countries to Mongolia's music scene, which has benefitted them, and helped spark interest in traditional Mongolian music.
That being said, Mongol artists are doing their valiant best to bring "the best of both worlds", combining tradition with new. By doing so, many have brought the eye of other countries to Mongolia's music scene, which has benefitted them, and helped spark interest in traditional Mongolian music.