AOS 4: West African Music And Koko - Yiri

Question 1

Instrumentation of Yiri

Answer 1

Balafon - similar to a xylophone, this instrument is made out of wooden bars which are tuned to different pitches.

Djembe - A drum, shaped like a goblet, played with the hands.

Talking drum - A drum that is played with a hooked stick and can be used to imitate speech.

Question 2

Structure of Yiri

Answer 2

It has three sections

Intro:
Short balafon solo played using tremolo

Main:
Drums play a rhythmic ostinato and there is a clear pulse.
It alternates between balafon solos and choruses.
In the middle of this section there is a vocal solo where call and response is used between the solo vocalist and choir.

Coda:
Short phrase for the balafon played 5 times in slightly varied versions.
The drum ostinato is interrupted by rests and a bell is sounded to mark the end.

Question 3

Harmony and tonality of Yiri

Answer 3

In key of Gb major

Balafon plays a hexatonic scale

Singer plays a pentatonic scale

2 main notes emphasised are the tonic and the dominant (Gb and Db)

Question 4

Melody of Yiri

Answer 4

Most of the music is hexatonic

Vocal phrases are pentatonic

Call and response between the solo vocalist and the chorus

During the choruses the group sings together in unison

• it has short, falling phrases that emphasise the notes Gb and Db

Question 5

Texture and dynamics of Yiri

Answer 5

Most of it has a layered texture but it also includes:

Monophonic texture in the introduction
Heterophonic textures created when the two balafons play different versions of the same tune at the same time.

There is little dynamic variation throughout

Question 6

Rhythm and metre in tempo of Yiri

Answer 6

4/4

The tempo at the start is free

When the drums enter, (the rest of) the piece becomes steady / maintains a steady pulse

Triplets are used in the vocal parts to create cross rhythms

The djembe plays a repetitive ostinato of a quaver and two semiquavers which lasts for the whole piece

Syncopation is frequently used especially in the vocal and balafon part

During one of the vocal solos, the balafon plays semiquavers in groups of three, creating cross rhythms

Question 7

Context of Yiri

Answer 7

It’s from west Africa

Yiri means wood which may refer to the fact that all the instruments in the piece are made from wood.

It was performed from memory
The score was made later by noting the music heard on the recording this type of recording is called transcription.