The Queen of Singing
The Queen of Singing is a form of music used for entertainment originally devised by the elf Lapama Glovesmile. The rules of the form are applied by composers to produce individual pieces of music which can be performed. The music is played on a irede. The entire performance is very slow. The melody has short phrases throughout the form. Only one pitch is ever played at a time. It is performed in the thuna rhythm. Throughout, when possible, composers and performers are to use grace notes and play rapid runs.
- The irede always does the main melody and should be broad.
- The Queen of Singing has a well-defined multi-passage structure: a lengthy introduction, a theme and one to two series of variations on the theme, a bridge-passage and a finale.
- The introduction is to be loud. The irede stays in the sparkling high register. The passage is performed using the ifife scale. The passage should be composed and performed using staccato.
- The theme is to be moderately soft. The irede stays in the sparkling high register. The passage is performed using the warere scale.
- Each of the series of variations is to be loud. The irede ranges from the quavering low register to the muddy middle register. Each passage is performed using the eyo scale.
- The bridge-passage is to start loud then be immediately soft. The irede ranges from the quavering low register to the muddy middle register. The passage is performed using the aro scale.
- The finale is to become softer and softer. The irede covers its entire range from the quavering low register to the sparkling high register. The passage is performed without preference for a scale.
- Scales are constructed from fifteen notes dividing the octave. In quartertones, their spacing is roughly 1-x-x-x-xx-x-xxxx-xx-x-xO, 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 ifife heptatonic scale is constructed by selection of degrees from the fundamental scale. The degrees selected are the 1st, the 4th, the 5th, the 6th, the 9th, the 11th and the 14th.
- The warere pentatonic scale is constructed by selection of degrees from the fundamental scale. The degrees selected are the 1st, the 4th, the 7th, the 11th and the 13th.
- The eyo hexatonic scale is constructed by selection of degrees from the fundamental scale. The degrees selected are the 1st, the 3rd, the 5th, the 7th, the 10th and the 11th.
- The aro heptatonic scale is constructed by selection of degrees from the fundamental scale. The degrees selected are the 1st, the 3rd, the 6th, the 8th, the 10th, the 11th and the 12th.
- The thuna rhythm is a single line with four beats. The beats are named arazi (spoken ar), fidale (fi), tarathe (ta) and cuthefi (cu). The beat is stressed as follows:
- | x - - - |
- where x is a beat, - is silent and | indicates a bar.
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