The Musician of Pistils

The Musician of Pistils is a form of music used for entertainment originating in The Totem of Raising. The form guides musicians during improvised performances. One to five chanters recite nonsensical words and sounds while the music is played on a uaki and a adi. The music is melody and rhythm without harmony. The entire performance slows and broadens. The melody has mid-length phrases throughout the form. It is performed in free rhythm. Throughout, when possible, performers are to alternate tension and repose and modulate frequently.

• Each chanter always does the main melody and should bring a sense of motion.
• The uaki always does the main melody and should be broad.
• The adi always provides the rhythm and should feel mournful.
• The Musician of Pistils has a well-defined multi-passage structure: an introduction and one to two passages and another one to two lengthy passages.
• The introduction is to be loud. Each of the chanters' voices covers its entire range and the uaki covers its entire range from the focused low register to the dull high register. This passage features only melodic tones and intervals. The passage is performed using the kopi scale.
• Each of the first simple passages is to be very soft. Each of the chanters' voices ranges from the middle register to the high register and the uaki covers its entire range from the focused low register to the dull high register. Only one pitch is ever played at a time in this passage. Each passage is performed using the kiteq scale.
• Each of the second simple passages is to be very soft. Each of the chanters' voices ranges from the middle register to the high register and the uaki stays in the dull high register. Only one pitch is ever played at a time in this passage. Each passage is performed using the toipe scale.
• Scales are constructed from twenty-two notes dividing the octave. In quartertones, their spacing is roughly 1xxx-xxxxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxxO, 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. Every note is named. The names are uki (spoken uk), uok (uok), ahdid (ah), toki (to), oq (oq), dotip (do), kotoq (ko), kiqo (ki), ituq (it), piaki (pia), edo (ed), qahpa (qa), ej (ej), at (at), iadok (iad), poqin (po), oti (ot), nuod (nuo), ojip (oj), toad (toa), paciyq (pa) and oaf (oaf).
• The kopi heptatonic scale is constructed by selection of degrees from the fundamental scale. The degrees selected are the 1st, the 5th, the 7th, the 9th, the 12th, the 15th and the 18th.
• The kiteq heptatonic scale is constructed by selection of degrees from the fundamental scale. The degrees selected are the 1st, the 4th, the 6th, the 9th, the 14th, the 17th and the 18th.
• The toipe heptatonic scale is constructed by selection of degrees from the fundamental scale. The degrees selected are the 1st, the 5th, the 7th, the 10th, the 13th, the 17th and the 18th.

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