Ethnic groups of Southern African deserts have very simple songs. People in the Congo River Basin have more complicated singing and instrumental music. East Africans specialize in music played on xylophones. West Coast tribes have made the art of drum playing a highly developed skill. Melodies are usually short and simple.
African music uses short bits of melody that are repeated over and over.
Singers or instrumentalists may change them at will, so that the performance becomes a theme with many variations. When performing, one person may begin to improvise, or make up a special version of the melody while the other singers continue the original melody. Often, several voices will sing different melodies at the same time. Africans also sing in rounds. The accompaniment may consist of chords or short melodic patterns that are repeated continually.