The Umber Phrases

The Umber Phrases is a form of music used for entertainment originating in The Maligned Devil. 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 aslot and a uspslol. The music is melody and rhythm without harmony. The melody has phrases of varied length throughout the form. It is performed using the lubu scale and in free rhythm. Throughout, when possible, composers and performers are to alternate tension and repose.

• The uspslol always does the main melody.
• The Umber Phrases has a well-defined multi-passage structure: a lengthy theme, an exposition of the theme and a recapitulation of the theme.
• The theme is voiced by the melody of the uspslol and the rhythm of the aslot. The passage should be stately and is at a walking pace, and it is to become softer and softer. The uspslol covers its entire range from the liquid low register to the breezy high register. This passage features only melodic tones and intervals.
• The exposition is voiced by the melody of the uspslol. The passage should be melancholic and is at a hurried pace, and it is to be in whispered undertones. The uspslol stays in the liquid low register. Only one pitch is ever played at a time in this passage. The passage should be composed and performed using staccato.
• The recapitulation is voiced by the melody of the uspslol. The passage should be broad and is moderately paced, and it is to be moderately soft. The uspslol covers its entire range from the liquid low register to the breezy high register. Only one pitch is ever played at a time in this passage. The passage should be composed and performed using staccato.
• Scales are constructed from seventeen notes dividing the octave. In quartertones, their spacing is roughly 1-x-x-xxxx-x-xxxx-x-xxxxO, where 1 is the tonic, O marks the octave and x marks other notes. The tonic note is fixed only at the time of performance. After a scale is constructed, notes are named according to degree. The names are slulasp (spoken slu), ozse (oz), sasne (sa), odu (od), nuklat (nu), ost (ost) and urdu (urd).
• The lubu pentatonic scale is constructed by selection of degrees from the fundamental scale. The degrees selected are the 1st, the 7th, the 8th, the 13th and the 17th.

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