Musical

Compared to the other first peoples, African tribes have a highly developed sense of harmony.  No one seems to know exactly how old the music of Africa is, or where it started or how it grew or even how much it has been influenced by other primitive cultures. 

Africa is a large continent with hundreds of tribes.  Its people sing and play many different kinds of music, as well as a wide range of musical instruments.  Once you've heard African music, it is surprisingly very easy to recognize in spite of all the variety.  This is due mainly to its unforgettable rhythm.  African music has a very steady beat that may not change in tempo for hours.  African tribes have an extraordinary sense of rhythm that makes it easy for them to maintain the same tempo over an enormous time span without creating the slightest variation.  This rhythm is needed to be maintained throughout a whole ceremony or event because songs had to provide a backdrop for celebrations that sometimes lasted for days, such as courtship, marriage, or mourning for a deceased leader.  Because of extensive practice and endurance, African musicians can easily perform musical feats on their drums and instruments that are truly impressive. 

The melodies of African music are usually simple and short and use fewer notes of the modern musical scale.  These melodies are unlike their Western counterparts which are sung from beginning to end.  African melodies consist of short bits of melody repeated over and over while in alternation.  The rhythm is also quite unpredictable and singers or players can change the melody at will.  The singers also sometimes distort their voices to make them sound like cries of wild animals or to compensate for missing instruments. 

African musicians do not hear music in terms of chords like we do, but they think in terms of several voices singing different melodies all at once.  In some songs there are so many rhythms and melodies going on at once that it can be impossible to distinguish between them as you listen.  It is not uncommon to hear the same melody sung by two separate groups on different pitches at the same time.  The unpredictability and countless variations of African music have often been cited as a massive and pervading influence in modern music. 

Africans also sing rounds similar to our nursery rhymes.  Some songs are accompanied by instruments with short chords and melodic patterns repeated over and over.  When a group of singers performs, it is common to hear one person in the chorus suddenly going off on his own to make up his own version of the melody while others continue their own rhythm.  Rap music is often attributed to this unpredictability in singing and musical timing.  To be able to improvise or make up your own music on the spot is highly valued by the tribe and is also considered a mark of a very good musician.  This practice has survived in American Negro folk music through jazz, since Jazz also allows improvisation and variations of the melody while being performed.