Höömij - (overtone singing, throat singing)
The performance of overtone singing takes usually place during social events such as eating or drinking parties.
The Mongols call their overtone singing höömij (= throat, pharynx). The singer creates a drone fundamental, and at the same time modulates the selected overtones to create a melody from harmonics. Today overtone singing is a common feature of Siberian peoples as well as the Kazakhs and Mongolian tribes. Overtone or throat singing is a special technique in which a single vocalist produces two distinct tones simultaneously. One tone is a low, sustained fundamental pitch (drone) and the second is a series of flutelike harmonics, which resonate high above this drone. Who masters this singing technique may even make the overtone sound louder then the fundamental pitch, so the drone is not audible anymore. A different technique often used by overtone singers combines a normal glottal pitch with the low frequency, pulse-like vibration known as vocal fry. The Turkic tribes in the Altai use to sing their texts in such a low vocal fry register of about 25-20 Hz. Several techniques are known, depending on the vocal source and the place of resonance: kharkhiraa = lung, khamryn = nose, tövönkhiin = throat and bagalzuuryn = pharynx. Overtone singers form and vary sound and timbre with their mouth, teeth, tongue, throat, nose and lips. They always form two distinct tones simultaneously sustaining the fundamental drone.
Overtone singing can also be heard from Turkic-speaking tribes in disparate parts of central Asia. The Bashkir musicians from the Ural Mountains call their style of overtone singing uzlyau; the Khakass call it khai, the Altai call it koomoi and the Tuvinians khoomei.
- Tuuli - (heroic-epic myths)
Mongolian epics report about fierce fights between good and evil powers in a highly qualified literary poetry.
The recital of epics was always bound to rituals and it was believed to have magical power. The recitation should have a favorable influence on natural spirits as well as the power to expel evil spirits. Generally, the epics were sung inside the round felt tents of the shepherds, during the period of their search for the winter quarters, before the hunt or a battle, and against infertility or disease.
Instruments:
Morin khuur (string instrument - horse-head-violin)
The morin khuur is a typical Mongolian two-stringed instrument. Made from wood the end of the neck is fashioned to form of a horse-head. The sound is similar to that of a violin or a cello. The strings are made of dried deer or mountain sheep sinews. It is played with a bow made of willow, stringed with horsetail hair and coated with larch or cedar wood resin.
This instrument is used to play polyphonic melodies, because with one stroke of the bow the melody and drone-strings can be played at the same time. The morin khuur is the most widespread instrument in Mongolia. It is played during celebrations, rituals and many other occasions, as well as an accompaniment for dances or singing.
People say that it is connected with a handsome man. It is also played when a ewe doesn't want to suckle her lamb.
There is a legend about the origin of this instrument: A Mongol missed his dead horse so much that he used its head, its bones and its hair to build an instrument on which he started to play the familiar noises of his beloved horse.
Shudraga / Shanz (string instrument)
The shudraga or shanz is a long-necked spiked lute with an oval wooden frame with snakeskin covering stretched over both faces. The three strings are fixed to a bar, which is inserted in the body. The instrument is struck or plucked with a plectrum made of horn or with the fingers. As the tones do not echo, every note is struck several times.
Yoochin (string instrument)
The yoochin is a box zither, a dulcimer with 13 double-wire strings. The strings are struck with two wooden sticks similar to the Persian santur. It has a black wooden soundboard richly decorated with ornaments.
Limbe (wind instrument)
This instrument is frequently used in accompaniment, occasionally also as a solo instrument. Formerly made of bamboo or wood, nowadays mostly made of plastic. These flutes (transverse flutes) are culturally linked with the nomads of Central Asia.
The length of the flutes is approx. 64 cm, with nine holes, with one blowhole and two others reserved for the tuning. It is often played using circular breathing*. Playing styles often imitate the sounds of nature..
*Circular breathing: one note is blown, while the musician inhales through his nose. The air is collected inside the cheeks and exhaled by the pressure of the cheeks' muscles (same principle as for the bagpipe). The base of the tongue is used as a valve.
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