The Song of Sisters

The Song of Sisters is a form of music used during marches and military engagements originating in The Infamous Monster. The rules of the form are applied by composers to produce individual pieces of music which can be performed. A chanter recites any composition of The Just Controls while the music is played on a nguzo. The music is melody and rhythm without harmony. The entire performance should evoke tears. Throughout, when possible, composers and performers are to alternate tension and repose, modulate frequently and play staccato.

• The chanter always does the main melody and spreads syllables over many notes.
• The nguzo always provides the rhythm.
• The Song of Sisters has a well-defined multi-passage structure: an introduction, a first theme, a brief exposition of the first theme, a second theme, a lengthy exposition of the second theme and a synthesis of previous passages.
• The introduction gradually slows as it comes to an end, and it is to be very soft. The chanter's voice ranges from the middle register to the high register and the nguzo covers its entire range from the dull low register to the breezy high register. The passage has short phrases in the melody. This passage features only melodic tones and intervals. The passage is performed using the sasne scale and in free rhythm.
• The first theme is very fast, and it is to be very soft. The chanter's voice ranges from the low register to the middle register and the nguzo stays in the dull low register. The passage has short phrases in the melody. Only one pitch is ever played at a time in this passage. The passage is performed using the nol scale and in the obxo rhythm.
• The first exposition is very slow, and it is to become louder and louder. The chanter's voice covers its entire range and the nguzo covers its entire range from the dull low register to the breezy high register. The passage has short phrases in the melody. Only one pitch is ever played at a time in this passage. The passage is performed using the nuklat scale and in the uku rhythm.
• The second theme is fast, and it is to be moderately soft. The chanter's voice stays in the middle register and the nguzo covers its entire range from the dull low register to the breezy high register. The passage has phrases of varied length in the melody. This passage features only melodic tones and intervals. The passage is performed using the xenmu scale and in free rhythm.
• The second exposition is twice the tempo of the last passage, and it is to be in whispered undertones. The chanter's voice stays in the low register and the nguzo ranges from the dull low register to the heavy middle register. The passage has mid-length phrases in the melody. This passage features only melodic tones and intervals. The passage is performed without preference for a scale and in free rhythm.
• The synthesis is at a walking pace, and it is to become louder and louder. The chanter's voice ranges from the middle register to the high register and the nguzo covers its entire range from the dull low register to the breezy high register. The passage has phrases of varied length in the melody. This passage features only melodic tones and intervals. The passage is performed using the nol scale and in the zosto rhythm.
• Scales are constructed from twenty-four notes spaced evenly throughout the octave. The tonic note is fixed only at the time of performance. Every note is named. The names are dab (spoken da), nolsmu (no), agun (ag), ung (ung), stotho (sto), bor (bo), osm (osm), enu (en), stol (sto), zak (za), tuxxu (tu), ugas (ug), ustrok (us), gosma (go), kabu (ka), ron (ro), zudol (zu), ospo (os), strog (stro), ulu (ul), smug (smu), tobog (to), stran (stra) and sputo (spu).
• The sasne scale is thought of as joined chords spanning a perfect fifth and a perfect fourth. These chords are named lasm and ok.
• The lasm trichord is the 1st, the 5th and the 15th degrees of the quartertone octave scale.
• The ok trichord is the 15th, the 19th and the 25th (completing the octave) degrees of the quartertone octave scale.
• The nol scale is thought of as joined chords spanning a perfect fifth and a perfect fourth. These chords are named abo and ekxox.
• The abo trichord is the 1st, the 11th and the 15th degrees of the quartertone octave scale.
• The ekxox trichord is the 15th, the 16th and the 25th (completing the octave) degrees of the quartertone octave scale.
• The nuklat pentatonic scale is thought of as joined chords spanning a perfect fifth and a perfect fourth. These chords are named ogo and slusna.
• The ogo trichord is the 1st, the 7th and the 15th degrees of the quartertone octave scale.
• The slusna tetrachord is the 15th, the 19th, the 21st and the 25th (completing the octave) degrees of the quartertone octave scale.
• The xenmu pentatonic scale is thought of as joined chords spanning a perfect fifth and a perfect fourth. These chords are named abo and asmuk.
• The asmuk tetrachord is the 15th, the 16th, the 24th and the 25th (completing the octave) degrees of the quartertone octave scale.
• The rhythm system is fundamentally polyrhythmic. There are always multiple rhythm lines, and each of their bars is played over the same period of time, regardless of the number of beats. The rhythm lines are thought of as one, without a primary-subordinate relationship, though individual lines can be named.
• The obxo rhythm is a single line with eight beats divided into four bars in a 2-2-2-2 pattern. The beat is stressed as follows:
• | - x | x x | x - | x - |
• where x is a beat, - is silent and | indicates a bar.
• The uku rhythm is made from two patterns: the usasp (considered the primary) and the onu. As stated above, they are to be played in polyrhythm.
• The usasp rhythm is a single line with two beats. The beat is stressed as follows:
• | - x |
• where x is a beat, - is silent and | indicates a bar.
• The onu rhythm is a single line with four beats. The beat is stressed as follows:
• | - x - - |
• where x is a beat, - is silent and | indicates a bar.
• The zosto rhythm is made from two patterns: the zuspo (considered the primary) and the umung. As stated above, they are to be played in polyrhythm.
• The zuspo rhythm is a single line with two beats. The beats are named moslo (spoken mo) and ogom (og). The beat is stressed as follows:
• | - x |
• where x is a beat, - is silent and | indicates a bar.
• The umung rhythm is a single line with three beats. The beats are named ogur (spoken og), roz (ro) and uxzo (ux). The beat is stressed as follows:
• | - x x |
• where x is a beat, - is silent and | indicates a bar.

Events