INTERNATIONAL THROAT SINGING CAMP

There will be more information coming soon, but in the first round of this camp, I hope along with fellow students to clarify issues written in this technique training/research proposal.  The camp will be held in Kyzyl, Tuva this summer.

   - Andy Bauer 2013/2/13

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Sonic Sketching the Tuvan Way (Technique Research Proposal)

In the Republic of Tuva, a remarkable vocal music technique called kargyraa has developed over hundreds of years. Kargyraa singers generate very low-resonance, timbre rich sounds using respiratory tract muscles dormant in most human cultures. A single human voice creates chords and harmonies. The outside world only came to know of the existence of kargyraa in recent years following an increase in Tuvan music concerts worldwide. When I heard my first kargyraa performance by Tuvan musicians while studying at Cornell College ten years ago, I was forever impressed.

I started researching kargyraa and found in-depth reports: a 1999 Scientific American article by Michael Edgerton detailing the biophysical human mechanisms involved in kargyraa; a 2006 book Where Rivers and Mountains Sing by ethnomusicologist Valentina Suzukei and musicologist Theodore Levin that explores the timbre-centered ethno musical model inherent in kargyraa; Zoya Kygyz’s 2008 book Tuvan Throat Singing which reports thirty years of field findings about kargyraa sub-styles. Throughout each of these writings, art anthropology methodologies are used to describe the use of kargyraa by Tuvans to project boidus churumaly or ‘sonic sketches of nature’. However there are no detailed explanations for making or learning how to make such sonic sketches. During a three week trip to Tuva in June 2012, in my own personal pursuit to gain more proficiency in the physical aspect of kargyraa singing, I discussed boidus churumaly with Tuvan singers. They considered the concepts I had read about on the right track yet suggested that I session with many kargyraa singers coming from different parts of Tuva to really get a knowledge and feel for the idea.

Returning to China, I started to ask myself more questions about kargyraa: Why are Tuvan singers of the sub-styles of kargyraa such as “mountain,” “steppe,” and “taiga” generally masters of the style that portray the landscape in which they live? Are the sonic sketches merely of landscapes singers have deep impressions, such as childhood dwelling sites, or can they be imagined landscapes? The names of kargyraa sub-styles, at least in some metaphorical capacity, imply referencing to different landscapes. The aforementioned scholars suggest that the timbre quality of the kargyraa will determine the landscape projected. Yet how exactly does a singer propagate sounds to reference individual objects in the landscape? Unlike still sketches or still paintings finished and hung on a wall, sonic sketches are temporal and require the passing of time to project or “display”; do Tuvans conduct boidus churumaly to project still sketches over time or is the singing more like the time-based process itself by which a painter paints? Can the landscape sketched be in motion? Sonic sketching is a unique concept and the process of creating these temporal images is somewhat elusive but worth clarifying.

In order to shed light on the way singers contextualize kargyraa into boidus churumaly, I propose to collaborate with Tuva’s most experienced kargyraa researchers, my official affiliates Valentina Suzukei of the Tuvan Institute of Humanities and Zoya Kygyz from the International Scientific Centre Khoomei and do research to document the process of mental visualization and embodiment of sounds used.

The first task at hand will be to identify the canonical factors singers tend to follow in different sub-styles (mountain, taiga, wind, steppe-sided-peak, hill and steppe kargyraa) when displaying boidus churumaly. I will compare the particulars of sound quality, the function of time, as well as the significance of accompanied body language. My affiliates will help me arrange sessions with 50 or more kargyraa instructors and students of varying origin dwelling in the capital city of Kyzyl as well as at the Bai-Taiga school in western Tuva, a school well known for teaching outstanding boidus churumaly techniques. I will then document the scope and range of the two techniques when executed in tandem.

Intellectualizing and documenting this aesthesia requires sensitivity and therefore direct accessibility to the highly nuanced chanting process. Therefore, in order to understand and master kargyraa as Tuvans do, I will employ a participatory research methodology and continue to put my own body through the strokes. That is, I will further develop the aesthetic sense and skills necessary to carry out the aforementioned task not only by taking ‘vocal’ lessons, but also by observing other students during instruction as well as interviewing teachers and students of kargyraa. I intend to keep detailed logs, digital recordings, and consult daily with my affiliates. I wish to reside in Kyzyl, where my affiliates are headquartered, and take occasional two day field trips to the Bai-Taiga school during a nine month period starting around June, 2013. In order solve detailed language issues which arise during this process I wish to continue to study Russian through the CLEA.

The second task will be to collaborate with Valentina Suzukei and Zoya Kygyz to describe in detail the boidus churumaly process building upon a system of analogies. For example, I may use terms such as ‘paint brush’ for the respiratory tract, ‘color palette’ for harmonic overtone resonances achieved by tongue, lip and glottis modulations and ‘paint colors’ for the simultaneously sang melodies to convey my target research finding, that is, how the ‘paint’ is put on the ‘canvas’. I will also produce illustrations building upon the analogous model we develop. I will borrow many ideas from the drama theory of embodiment process to describe the method by which landscapes are mentally visualized into sound. Finally, I will produce a pedagogical model instructing kargyraa in terms of boidus churumaly including a textual, audio, video as well as internet component all completed during the fieldwork period.

I will apply the knowledge and training upon completion of my fieldwork in a multitude of contexts: a comprehensive fieldwork report in the capacity of a graduate thesis in English as well as Chinese; publish condensed findings in anthropology journals; seek opportunities to instruct kargyraa and the process boidus churumaly; continue organizing my own educational music programs worldwide which integrate kargyraa performance and the discussion of anthropological methodologies; and leverage skills and experience gained through fieldwork to further advance my long term “Interethnic Art’ research project.

The report will be of high use to other Americans learning kargyraa as well as those researching subtleties of other ethnic art techniques. These findings will be significant to art anthropology because they will shed new light on how the relationship between landscape and
soundscape is understood in different ethnic cosmological views. The way I will involve myself as a participatory researcher will set an example to other students in art anthropology, other social sciences, as well as international music. The reports will further demonstrate the power of researching cultural phenomena using an aesthesia centered approach. It is an intriguing cultural research topic that will captivate the attention and imagination of all kinds of Americans and it will further exemplify the applications of anthropology.

Other Resources:

七种图瓦呼麦种类——老外的呼麦

老外Tuva呼麦挺牛Brian Grover

图瓦喉音分类
Xorekteer / 胸部声音 = 用胸中部而发出的唱法（有一些人反对“呼麦”再强调这说法作为总称）。在图瓦语意味着"with feeling," as in "more heart."

Shaha-Khoomei / Хөөмей / 希寄呼麦

•            Buga (Bull’s) Khoomei = mimic bull (cow) AMAP, set rhythm, improvised harmonics.

•            Opei (Lullaby) Khoomei = lips barely open, generally quieter, Uvai-Uvai through nose

•            Ergi (Old) Khoomei = Generally deeper, melody of harmonics more expressed

•            Despen Khoomei = ? (Under research)

•            Shaha Khoomei = 用舌根的呼麦唱法

•            Kozhagar (Peak) Khoomeii = Said to be an extinct style.

•            Byrlang Khoomei = Any of the above styles with lip vibration.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Transitional Position ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kanzyp (Kanzat o Kumzattaar) = tone quality between Buga Khoomei & Kargyraa (lamentation of two pitches (of 3^rd interval)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Transitional Position ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kargyraa / Каргыраа / 卡基拉

•            Khovu [Steppe] Kargyraazy / 草原卡基拉 = usually sung at a higher pitch, with more throat tension and less chest resonance. It also has a generally raspier sound.

•            Dag [Mountain/Cave] Kargyraazy / 山卡基拉 = dense, nasal, dark, usually the lower of the styles in pitch, and often includes nasal effects; this sometimes sounds like oinking! It should feature strong low-chest resonance, and not too much throat tension.

w/nasal manipulations (link)

•            Oidupaa (Jail) Kargyraazy 五大怕（监狱）卡基拉= Substantial range w/very smooth transitions between Dag/Khovu

•            Arga-aryg [Taiga] Kargyraazy = 泰加（森林）卡基拉 evokes forest hunting atmosphere

•            Khat [Wind] Kargyraazy =  风卡基拉

•            Kanzat / 卡纳扎特 = almost extinct style sang by Albert Kuvenzin (Yat-Kha)

•            Dalai [Далай] Kargyraazy / 海卡基拉  =  Andy Bauer 原创的风格

•            Dumchuk [Nasal] Kargyraazy / 鼻子卡基拉 = 主要为图瓦西南部的风格 very peaceful sound

•            Kashpal [hill] Kargyraazy = Possibly uses tonic intermediate of Dag and Khovu.

•            Kozhagar [Steppe-sided mountain] Kargyraazy = May be similar to Kashpal Kargyraazy with sudden changes deep into Dag or up into Khovu Kargyraazy.

•            Buga [Bull’s] Kargyraazy = Keynote will be reached and "settled" glissando from one tone lower (approximately one and a half tone below). Similar to Buga Khoomei.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Transitional Position ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chylandyk / Чыландык / 蟋蟀唱法 = 西奇与卡基拉的结合唱法
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Transitional Position ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sygyt / Сыгыт / 西奇

•          Khoor Sygyt = (Under Research)

•          Kushtep Sygyrtyr (Sygyt with aspiration) =

•          Kozhagar Sygyt = (Under Research)

Ezengileer / Эзеңгилээр / 伊泽哥勒 = 马镫式唱法

•          Different kinds of Ezengileer and related terminologies to be determined

 

Ornamentations [装饰术]：

•            Borbangnadyr / 保班纳地= 滚动式唱法

•            Dumchuktaar / Думчуктаар= 闭嘴喉声法 to sing through the nose (dumchuk). This may mean exclusively nasal with the mouth shut, or may just mean a voice exhibiting an obvious nasal sound, could also be explained as throat humming.

•            Byrlannadyr = trembling of lips to make other sounds.

•            Uyangylaar = performance in a doleful, pitiful manner.

•            Damyraktaar = mimics the sound of a brook/stream.

•            Sirlennedyr = mimicry of tinkling or shrilling sound.

•            Kishteer = ？possibly of sub-style of sygyt (Under Research)

•            Despen Borbang = ？(Under research)

 

Words to Express Emotional Moods of Tuvan Throat Singing:

Yndynnyg (doleful), Yiangylyg (plaintive), Syrynnyg (drawling)

 

Tuvan Song Genre Types:

Uzun Yrlar = Long Songs

Kyska Yrlar = Short Songs

Kozhamyk = Refrain Songs

Insertion Types:

Chugaalap Kuusedir = Perform a melodious recitation.
Shuudup Kuusedir = Perform while singing a lullaby.

Sos Chokka Kuusedir = Literally singing without words.
Khoynun Kuusedir = Literally joint singing (instrument and voice).
Yrlap Kuusedir = Perform in a singing voice.

Mongolian Khoomei （蒙古呼麦）

Khoomii (Mongolian: Хөөмий)

uruulyn / labial (chin) khoomii

tagnain / palatal (behind teeth) khoomii
khamryn / nasal khoomii

bagalzuuryn / glottal khoomii

hooloin / throat khoomii

tseejiin / chest cavity

khondiin /

khevliin / stomach khoomii

turlegt or khosmoljin khoomii = khoomii combined with long song?

harhira
uulyn (mountain) hoomii = played with flute

Shingen hoomii / liquid hoomii (mongol-altai style) Sengedorj

iskelei

Video Demonstrating Different Kinds of Mongolian Khoomei:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNVrmW0VL2I&feature=related