The Tresses of Fanciness

The Tresses of Fanciness is a form of music used during marches and military engagements originally devised by the goblin Nguslu Hatredpaints. The form guides musicians during improvised performances. A singer recites any composition of The Larks of Teaching while the music is played on a odsnen. The music is melody and rhythm without harmony. The entire performance should bring a sense of motion. The melody has long phrases throughout the form. It is performed using the ngub scale. Throughout, when possible, performers are to alternate tension and repose.

• The singer always does the main melody and plays rapid runs.
• The Tresses of Fanciness has a well-defined multi-passage structure: an introduction, three unrelated passages, a bridge-passage and a finale.
• The introduction is voiced by the melody of the singer and the rhythm of the odsnen. The passage is at a free tempo, and it is to fade into silence. The singer's voice covers its entire range. This passage features only melodic tones and intervals. The passage is performed in the usmdas rhythm.
• Each of the simple passages is voiced by the melody of the singer and the rhythm of the odsnen. Each passage is at a free tempo, and it is to be soft. The singer's voice stays in the middle register. This passage features only melodic tones and intervals. Each passage is performed in the ost rhythm.
• The bridge-passage is voiced by the melody of the singer and the rhythm of the odsnen. The passage is slow, and it is to become louder and louder. The singer's voice ranges from the middle register to the high register. Only one pitch is ever played at a time in this passage. The passage is performed in the nol rhythm.
• The finale is voiced by the melody of the singer. The passage is at a walking pace, and it is to be loud. The singer's voice stays in the low register. Only one pitch is ever played at a time in this passage. The passage is performed in the urdu rhythm.
• Scales are constructed from eighteen notes dividing the octave. In quartertones, their spacing is roughly 1xxxx-xx-x-x-xxxxx-x-xxxO, 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. Preferred notes in the fundamental scale are named. The names are ekxox (spoken ek, 4th), asmuk (as, 5th), ok (ok, 11th) and slulasp (slu, 12th).
• The ngub pentatonic scale is constructed by selection of degrees from the fundamental scale. The degrees selected are the 1st, the 4th, the 10th, the 14th and the 17th.
• The rhythm system is fundamentally polymetric. There are always multiple rhythm lines, and the beats are always played together, even if one rhythm line completes (and then repeats) before the other is finished. The rhythm lines are thought of as one, without a primary-subordinate relationship, though individual lines can be named.
• The usmdas rhythm is made from two patterns: the nuklat and the odu. As stated above, they are to be played in polymeter.
• The nuklat rhythm is a single line with eight beats. The beat is stressed as follows:
• | x - x x x x x x |
• where x is a beat, - is silent and | indicates a bar.
• The odu rhythm is a single line with seven beats. The beat is stressed as follows:
• | - - x - x x x |
• where x is a beat, - is silent and | indicates a bar.
• The ost rhythm is made from two patterns: the slusna and the nuklat. As stated above, they are to be played in polymeter.
• The slusna rhythm is a single line with three beats. The beat is stressed as follows:
• | - - x |
• where x is a beat, - is silent and | indicates a bar.
• The nol rhythm is made from two patterns: the sasne and the odu. As stated above, they are to be played in polymeter.
• The sasne rhythm is a single line with thirty-two beats divided into six bars in a 6-5-8-6-2-5 pattern. The beat is stressed as follows:
• | - - x x - - | x x x - x | x x x x x x x x | - - x - x x | x - | x - x - x |
• where x is a beat, - is silent and | indicates a bar.
• The urdu rhythm is made from two patterns: the odu and the sasne. As stated above, they are to be played in polymeter.

Events

• In midsummer of 261, The Tresses of Fanciness was created by the goblin Nguslu Hatredpaints in Tintwilight