A Study On Khorchin Short-tone Folk Songs

The traditional short-tone folk songs in Khorchin are focused on in this study. Onthe basis of fieldwork, the short-tone folk songs of Khorchin Mongolians aredescribed, analyzed and interpreted from multi-dimensional perspectives, and somerelevant issues like its inheritance and preservation are discussed.The main content consists of six chapters and the appendix.Chapter one presents the symbiotic relation between the short-tone folk songsand their indispensible social cultural background. With the formation, growth andevolution of Khorchin tribes, the development of their folk songs underwent fourhistorical stages, i.e.“original Khorchin style period”,“ancient Khorchin style period”,“delicate Khorchin style period” and “Zhelimu Khorchin style period”. The traditionalstyle of the folk songs was constantly adjusted and readapted during the socialdevelopment. The identity and characteristics of tribe culture produced the stylefeatures of Khorchin folk songs, especially the narrative music style in modern timeswhich has great impact on its narrative. In addition, the chief distribution areas ofcontemporary short-tone folk songs are introduced.Chapter two discussed the classification of Khorchin short-tone folk songs andits links with people’s concept and customs. Their classification is interpreted in detailfrom the perspective of emic and etic. From the author’s standpoint, the traditionalclassification of these folk songs is unwritten local knowledge, which is implied inKhorchin Mongolians’ traditional concepts and behaviors concerning folk songs. Thegenres of folk songs are defined according to the popular notion, which logicallyreflects not only the rationality of emic classification, but the opinions of local peopleon the essential features of folk songs. Besides, the feature cognition of short-tonefolk songs is based on it according to the etic classification.In chapter three, the theory of oral composition is applied to explore the singer’sperformance, the composition in the performance, performance procedures and textsand their interactive relationship. It is supposed that all matters of orally instructedmusic exist in the performance, not outside it. Texts develop via performance, and theperformance is a communication form, an interpersonal interactive behavior inparticular situation.“text—performance—situation” is an integrated structure inwhich they are correlated with each other, and their respective meaning can bepresented only in this integration. As a key carrier of Mongolian oral music, Khorchinshort-tone folk songs generate their texts via singers’ performance, and the new texts are both the results of a performance and a fresh creation.Chapter four is about the lyric features and musical pattern characteristics ofKhorchin short-tone folk songs. The analysis of musical pattern includes thefollowing aspects: Firstly, the basic situation of mode distribution of Khorchin folksongs is generalized with plenty of living examples; Secondly, the tone logic, melodypattern and structure types of Khorchin folk songs are classified according to someinstances. As mentioned above, the musical pattern of Khorchin short-tone folk songsis a very complicated musical phenomenon, and its origin is extremely sophisticated.For example, the rank of Shang mode is higher than that of Gong mode in the modedistribution, and there exist the subordinate approach of the melody line and theslightly higher or lower mode color tone. All these phenomena are worth furtherstudy.Chapter five mainly discusses the relationship between Khorchin short-tone folksongs and other traditional music genres. The existence of these folk songs is not anisolated phenomenon, and it has certain links with its social cultural system. The linksare specifically displayed in the internal relation between the short-tone folk songsand singing and dancing music, rap music and folk instrumental music and theirexternal extensions. The original reasons can be reduced to two aspects from theperspective of musical history: First, various tribe culture features are involved in thetraditional Mongolian culture. However, they are not presented respectively, butintegrated in diversity in the long evolution. Hence, it is understandable that Khorchinshort-tone folk songs are related to the music of other tribes during its establishment,spread and inheritance. Second, as the cornerstone of Khorchin tribe musical culturalsystem, the short-tone folk songs have formed multifaceted relation with othermusical genres in the long history of Mongolia.Chapter six focuses on the existing ways and changes of singers and theirshort-tone folk songs in the contemporary social and cultural background. Specificallyspeaking, on the basis of fieldwork, the current situation of Khorchin short-tone folksongs is objectively analyzed. Moreover, from the perspective of intangible culturalheritage preservation, the inheritance subject, channels and preservation are mainlydiscussed, and some specific suggestions and measures are advanced as to theirinheritance and preservation.