The Melodic Squash

The Melodic Squash is a form of music used to commemorate important events originating in The Civilian Nettles. The form guides musicians during improvised performances. The music is played on a asane and three ewera. The music is melody and rhythm without harmony. The entire performance should feel mysterious and is slow. It is performed in free rhythm.

• The asane always provides the rhythm.
• Each ewera always does the main melody.
• The Melodic Squash has a well-defined multi-passage structure: a chorus and a verse, a bridge-passage and a finale.
• The chorus is to fade into silence. Each of the ewera stays in the dull high register. The passage has phrases of varied length in the melody. This passage is richly layered with full chords making use of the available range. The passage is performed using the ezococa scale.
• The verse is to be very loud. Each of the ewera stays in the resonant low register. The passage has mid-length phrases in the melody. This passage features only melodic tones and intervals. The passage is performed using the wonethu scale.
• The bridge-passage is to become softer and softer. Each of the ewera covers its entire range from the resonant low register to the dull high register. The passage has phrases of varied length in the melody. This passage is richly layered with full chords making use of the available range. The passage is performed using the seyawi scale.
• The finale is to be in whispered undertones. Each of the ewera stays in the dull high register. The passage has short phrases in the melody. Chords are packed close together in dense clusters in this passage. The passage is performed using the viceva scale.
• Scales are constructed from twenty-four notes spaced evenly throughout the octave. The tonic note is a fixed tone passed from teacher to student.
• The ezococa heptatonic scale is thought of as two disjoint chords spanning two perfect fourths. These chords are named ucame and umamalu.
• The ucame tetrachord is the 1st, the 4th, the 6th and the 11th degrees of the quartertone octave scale.
• The umamalu tetrachord is the 15th, the 18th, the 22nd and the 25th (completing the octave) degrees of the quartertone octave scale.
• The wonethu heptatonic scale is thought of as two disjoint chords spanning two perfect fourths. These chords are named iwarivuli and bone.
• The iwarivuli tetrachord is the 1st, the 3rd, the 9th and the 11th degrees of the quartertone octave scale.
• The bone tetrachord is the 15th, the 16th, the 20th and the 25th (completing the octave) degrees of the quartertone octave scale.
• The seyawi heptatonic scale is thought of as two disjoint chords spanning two perfect fourths. These chords are named ucame and ifiyo.
• The ifiyo tetrachord is the 15th, the 23rd, the 24th and the 25th (completing the octave) degrees of the quartertone octave scale.
• The viceva hexatonic scale is thought of as two disjoint chords spanning two perfect fourths. These chords are named ipila and umamalu.
• The ipila trichord is the 1st, the 7th and the 11th degrees of the quartertone octave scale.

Events