Native american regional styles vocal and instrumental - Essay Example

of the of the Native American Regional Styles Vocal and Instrumental Traditions, culture, family ties, friendships, and social values are all an integral part of the Native American society. The tribes follow their historical tradition and each tribe has a particular flag song which is the identity and the pride of that tribe. The tribes consider the song and dance as a link between the human and the supernatural. The music therefore forms an important part of their culture. Drums, rattles and bells are the most common instruments that are used to provide the music for all the dances and songs.

Flutes are sometimes used for choral dances and songs but mostly they are brought into play for the creation of instrumentals and for providing music for solo songs. The Native American Flute is a special creation of the natives. According to legend, a woody wood pecker pecked the wood at different places and the passing wind created a beautiful melody. Since then the natives have been using this flute to provide relaxing music for their instrumentals and solo songs. The tribes promote inter-tribal relationships by using vocables in their songs.

Vocables are meaningless syllables or words that are used so that the language difference between different tribes is abolished. The vocables can easily be used and pronounced by everyone hence they are very common in the Native American regional music. The songs sound like chanting due to the use of vocables in the lyrics. The natives have also specially designed dresses for different occasions. The most appealing dress is the ‘Native American regalia’ which is used in many ceremonies and rituals.

The different designs, beadwork and the jewels worn distinguish people from the different tribes. This dress is particularly famous for its use as a dress code in the Powwow. There are different categories of songs classified according to the events in which they are performed. The traditional songs are the songs that are being sung for decades and are still very popular. These songs have been passed from the ancestors to the progeny and are mostly sung in rituals and important ceremonies. The other category belongs to the songs that have been revealed to a person in a tribe.

These songs hold special significance for the tribe and cannot be passed on to anyone outside the tribe without proper consideration and approval from the elders of the tribe. These songs also find their place in the rituals and religious ceremonies. In the third category, the songs are only sung for the purpose of entertainment. These songs may incorporate the vocables and traditional music of the tribe or it may contain influences from the other forms of music found in the world like pop and rock.

These songs are for recreational purposes and are used in contest dancing and contest singing in events like Powwow. Even after the technological and social advancements in the world, the tribes still hoist up their tradition and values and stay tied together with the presence of traditional music and vocals in their culture. Works Cited Moerman, Daniel E. Native American ethnobotany. Timber Press; 1st edition, 1998. Print.