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Brianna Bradley
Culminating Assessment
World Music
Mrs. Reed
04 December 2014
Tuvan Throat Singing
Tuva, or sometimes called Tyva is a republic in eastern Siberia. Most Tuvans reside in
the Tuvan Republic, the remaining population lives in bordering Mongolia. Tuvans are one of
the most ancient peoples living in the Central Asia, they have unique culture. Traditional culture
of Tuva people is the culture of nomads. Tuva is a very isolated location with very little
infrastructure and transportation; because of this many Tuvans still practice a nomadic herding
lifestyle.
Buddhism and Shamanism are the two most widely spread religions in Tuva. Traditional
religion of the Tuvans is Shamanism. Shamanism is an ancient healing tradition and, a way of
life. It is a way to connect with nature and all of creation. Shamanism originated in neighboring
Siberia. Although Shamanism is the ancient religion of Tuva, Buddhism is the most widely and
accepted religion of that region.
Tuvan culture is noted for its ornate oral epic poetry, and especially for its music. There
are more than fifty different musical instruments. In Kyzyl, music and drama are performed in an
ornate theater with Oriental architectural inspirations. In the countryside, traveling ensembles
often perform outdoors. The most unusual Tuvan art form is overtone singing, also known as
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“throat singing” which uses a low, throaty voice. It’s usually a hum lasting up to thirty seconds,
sung after a melodic line of text, and is accompanied by a "second voice" which are harmonics of
the hum produced by the same singer contorting his lips, tongue, soft palate, and throat muscles.
Overtone singing, practiced almost only by men, has three main styles: Khoomei, Kargyraa and
Sygyt.
The popularity of throat singing among Tuvan has risen as a result of geographic location
and culture. The open landscape of Tuva allows for the sounds to carry a great distance. Often,
singers will travel far into the countryside looking for the right river, or will go up to the steppes
of the mountainside to create the proper environment for throat-singing. Singers use their voices
to mimic and interact with the sounds of the natural world like birds humming, the flow of a
stream, blowing wind, or the sound of various herding animals. Throat singing is most
commonly done by men. There used to be a superstition against women throat singing, but that
taboo has gone by the wayside over time. Women now throat singing too. Only recently has
Tuvan Throat singing been brought into concert halls, it is almost performed in nature.
A Khoomei melody is produced through varying tongue positions without moving the
mouth or jaw. Khoomei is a soft-sounding style, with clear but filtered-sounding harmonics
within the low-mid to midrange of the singer's voice. In Khoomei style, there are two or more
notes clearly audible. If you tighten your throat and, sing an “e” vowel at a comfortable pitch,
shift your jaw slightly forward and partially close your mouth with lips protruded. You should
hear a drop in the pitch of the harmonic, which will produce a Sygyt melody. It is characterized
by a strong, harmonic or complex of harmonics and can be used to perform complex and very
distinct melodies, with a tone similar to a flute. The ideal sound is called "Chistii Zvuk," Russian
for clear sound. Part of achieving this ideal is learning to filter out unwanted harmonic parts. A
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Kargyraa melody is produce through vibrations made with the vocal cords. It is closely linked to
vowel sounds; in addition to various throat manipulations, the mouth varies from a nearly closed
"O" shape to nearly wide open. Except for the throat technique, this style is loosely related to
western overtone singing styles that use vowels and mouth shapes to affect the harmonic content.
Common instruments used in Tuvan Throat singing are: Igil, Doshpuluur, Byzaanchy,
Chanzy, Chadagan, and Xomus. The igil is a two-stringed instrument whose teardrop-shaped
body is held between the legs and bowed like a cello. The doshpuluur is a three-stringed
instrument, sort of like a banjo because it is plucked or strummed, but the doshpuluur's strings
are unfretted. The byzaanchy instrument has four strings, like the four udders of a cow, and it is
the sound box is covered with goat skin in front and is open in back. The chanzy, is like the
doshpuluur. It is a three-stringed plucked instrument, but produces a louder tone than the
doshpuluur. The chadagan is a plucked zither. The number of strings differs, and the bridge is
sometimes movable. There are two chadagans: one has 12 strings and one has 16 strings. The
xomus is a jaw harp. It consists of a flexible metal tongue attached to a frame. The frame is held
against the performer's teeth, and the metal tongue is plucked with the finger to produce a note.
Tuvan throat singing has always had a very rich history in Central Asia, as it has been
sung and produced for many centuries. The Tuvans are known for very little by the outside world
and Tuvan Throat singing is a mastery of their own. A lot about Tuvan Throat singing has
remained constant throughout its history and the people are very dear and committed to their
cultural traditions. Maybe one day Tuvan Throat singing will have a reputation outside of its
own region.
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http://blogs.goucher.edu/culturalsustainability/2009/09/24/khogzhumchu-tuvan-throat-singers-at-
goucher
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Sources
"Alash "Khogzhumchu Tuvan Throat Singers at Goucher." Cultural Sustainability
Khogzhumchu Tuvan Throat Singers at Goucher Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Dec.
2014Ensemble - Igil." Alash Ensemble - Igil. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2014.
"Tuva Republic, Russia (Tyva)." Tuva Republic, Russia Features, People, History, Photos. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2014.
"Tuvan Throat Singing 101." About. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2014.
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