New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-09-10

| NJ feeling Now IL is doubtful II MISS 1"'o'e
| ever heard even two Indians sing tosether an,
preserve exact equality in pitch. III she mas anu
| IL she found il 10 be the rule among the oi''''
| that such business Of intonation was preSi ''"'
then those Indians differ from the lro1uols OIL 'he
| Six Nations Reserve in Canada, VINO nave "c'n
surrounded by the influences of white civilization
o.. ,,ore than century, and also from the
KwaLiutl Indians Of Vancouver Island whose
| nns and dances were recently studied by m"m-
ho, of this journals editorial staff, and who sho"
,,,ob hioher stage of artistic development tiiah
/ any of our plains Indians
Having disabu-cd her mind OF the NOTION 'ha'
tho variations Of pitch belonged TO what we may
call the acoustic system of the lndans' Nv '
tributing them to mannerisms and cNterhaI III
Huenccs. Miss Fletcher transcribed large h"mpcr
of the ceremonial songs of the Omahas. III SUI"
hitting them for veriication by playing inc"
NM, KEYED instrument she made a discovery
which was the starting point OF Mr.. flll'norc
technical study. The Indians recognized the
melodies most quickly when they were played with
accompanying harmOnios.
From this fact, supported by original expert
mcnts Mr. Fillmore dcduced the theory that IN
the construction of his melodies the Indian FOL
lows what he calls a :" latent harmonic sense or
"a sort of sub"onscious perception OF harmonic
relations The acceptance Of this theory enabled
him 10 treat as entirely subordinate the dill
cultics in which he had become involved bv AN
effort 10 reduce the melodies to a scale. or
course snoh a reduction Is easily made. especially
in melodies in the major mode for n recognition,
conscious or subconscios, Of the fundamental major
chords presupposes the existence of the diiton;c
major scale. which acousticians would have MS be-
lievc is a natural scale, because it is found in the
of tIo In ntol Of "A
on the column of air in tube. To reconcile the
Indian satisfaction with the minor harmones Mr..
Fillmore is not yet able. except on tho ground
Of the doctrine Of Rcmann and Won Oet'ineen
touching a series Of undcrtones: and he does not
seem TO he quite willing 10 give his assent to
that somewhat whimsical theory. II is perhaps
sufficient for this part Of the study. which is in
danger OF running out into scientific technicalI-
ties. beyond the comprehension Of tho nina nm
trained in musical theory. to say that Mr. fili-
more an expert harmonst, says that In" abor-
rati0rs in the scales disclosed hv the melodies
mot the mere variations from inst pitch, OF when
we have spoken, but tho omission Of some inter
walls Of the diatonc series. and the nse OF chro-
matte tones foreign TO the scale, seemingly implied
by the melodies are TO he accounted for iy
reference TO their natural harmonic relations and
in other way. In playing the melodies to the
Indians on their reservation in Nebraska, with the
harmonies added 10 them by him, hr discovered
that the Indian accepts major and minor con-
cords the dominant seventh diminished seventh
and suspcnsons-in short, all that Is contained
in the theory Of harmony The most prevalent
scale was the pentatonic major, that Is, tho dia-
tonic major scale with fourth and seventh cdcd.
The music of the Omaha Indians is thus brought
into relationship with the music Of tho Chinese,
Jananesp .1aVancsp Sigmesp scotch Irlsh-in
short with nearly all primitive music
The most elaborate attempt N description would
do but scant Justice to Miss Fletchers copiouS
counts of the songs of which in Mr.. Fillm0rcs
arrangement she prints ninety in the monograph
and the ceremonies with which they are con
nectcd. We must pass all this by with III"
recommendation 70 every person interested in the
study to read her pamphlet, On one point nor"
il seems desirable to make few suggestions,
which like those already vcntur~l, shall have
general bearing the subject Of the proper
manner of going about the study OF primitive
music
The songs Of the Omaha Indians seem TO NJ
10 publish AT once their own antiquity and the
decadence OF their present usrrs. They are relies
Of time when emotional uttcrance through the
medium Of tones OF greater consequence fhan
the words employed Let us examine a specimen
Of song No II, which belongs to the subgroup 4,
pertaining TO war
Vac Ina hae va ae haze tina
Vac ha hae va ae lac tia
ALI ha
IA ae hac tina yac Ina lac
va ae hlc tina ha thO-c,
Zan-zhcmungdae alma sha-ec thae
All ha va ac Iae tina
Ac la hae vac hn tina
Tla ha tho"
Concerning the meaning OF this song Miss
Fletcher says Zan-zhemungdae was very oil
man when the incident which gave birth TO I'll"
song occurred There had been attack on the
village, and the enemy had been driven OIL with
such vigor that they were Obliged 10 leave their
slain on the field. As the warriors rode toward
the dead to claim their honors the old man, Ian-
zhemungdac, was seen coming fast "a his feeble
ness would allow they halted for him 10 join
them, and permitted him, out Of respect to his
age and previous valiant career, 10 tonch the
dead, and thus carry of one Of the coveted hon
ors In view Of this explanation ~ il not anal-
ing that the only words which have significance
to the Omahas Of TO-DAY the name Of the super
ANIMATED warrior, alma he), and " sha-cc
lis coming? All the rest are mere musical -ylla-
bles. Miss Fletcher discusses the of these
syllablcs at some length earlier in her brochure,
and is Of the opinion that in manner thc' mark
the progress of the Omaha MIND toward poctcal
expression. Evidently they are sometimes used
for mctrical padding like 90" and A" in early
English lyrics "Grccn grow the rasheSO,' etc.:
but it seems to Us NOR, than likely that we have
in cases like this land they are numerous in the
collection merely fragment of an old song the
words of which have been lost and the melody
preserved. In the prayer and praise music Of
primitive peoples sanctty attaches quite much
10 the melody az to the words. We say quite as
much but, 10 be frank. We believe more. because
music in its eementals being a direct and I'M
volitonal product OF the emotions, probably ante
dated speech agent of worship. The his
tory of the Gregoran chant in the Christian
Church offers its testimony in behalf Of this con-
tenton So do the traditional melodies of the