The Lute of Wisps
The Lute of Wisps is a form of music used during marches and military engagements originally devised by the dwarf Urist Ancientvault. The form guides musicians during improvised performances. Two speakers recite The East Price while the music is played on a imgoz. The musical voices are joined in melody. The entire performance slows and broadens. The melody has short phrases throughout the form. It is performed in free rhythm. Throughout, when possible, performers are to alternate tension and repose and modulate frequently.
- Each speaker always should build as the performance proceeds.
- The imgoz always does the main melody and should be broad.
- The Lute of Wisps has a well-defined multi-passage structure: an introduction and a verse and a chorus all repeated two times.
- The introduction is to be moderately loud. The imgoz covers its entire range from the strident low register to the heavy high register. Chords are packed close together in dense clusters in this passage. The passage is performed using the nicol scale.
- The verse is to be very loud. The imgoz stays in the harsh middle register. This passage is richly layered with full chords making use of the available range. The passage is performed using the alak scale. The passage should be performed using staccato.
- The chorus is to be moderately loud. The imgoz ranges from the strident low register to the harsh middle register. Only one pitch is ever played at a time in this passage. The passage is performed using the kulet scale. The passage should be performed using staccato.
- Scales are constructed from nineteen notes dividing the octave. In quartertones, their spacing is roughly 1xx-xxxx-xx-xxx-xxx-xxxxO, where 1 is the tonic, O marks the octave and x marks other notes. The tonic note is a fixed tone passed from teacher to student.
- The nicol hexatonic scale is constructed by selection of degrees from the fundamental scale. The degrees selected are the 1st, the 2nd, the 7th, the 10th, the 14th and the 16th.
- The alak pentatonic scale is constructed by selection of degrees from the fundamental scale. The degrees selected are the 1st, the 5th, the 9th, the 11th and the 18th.
- The kulet hexatonic scale is constructed by selection of degrees from the fundamental scale. The degrees selected are the 1st, the 3rd, the 8th, the 10th, the 13th and the 17th.
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