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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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