A Trip To Mongolian Music

 My first introduction to Mongolian music was The Hu, a Mongolian folk metal band. Their song, 'Wolf Totem' is my favorite song to listen to before hard workouts and competitions! 

    However, this is not the true glory that is the traditional music of Mongolia. If you haven't had the pleasure of hearing about the history of  Mongolia, it is deeply intertwined with horses. An entire empire was created from the back of a horse. Even the most popular instrument is a two-stringed instrument topped by a horse head! Sounds cool right? This instrument is called a Morin Khuur and though it resembles a cello in the way it is played, it is firmly and completely rooted in Mongolia. Legend has it that the first of this magnificent instrument was made from one of the fastest horses. It could travel great distances in an instant but one day the man who rode it found the horse dead and in his grief made an instrument out of its tendons, bones, hair, and head. He started playing this morbid skeleton to describe the wonder that was his faithful steed. The sound of this instrument can be just as mournful though it generally is more melodic. The Morin Khuur has a very unique rasp, or drone, to its sound that reminds me of the bagpipes. This is one of the ways this style of music is unique. The timbre of the instrument, though raspy, is clear and melodic. It is a truly fascinating combination and a nice change in flavor from the traditional strings of classical music It has only two strings and is played with a bow, however, instead of the traditional french grip that one would use, the musician utilizes a grip similar to that used with a german bass bow.

    Another wonderful instrument, though not traditionally considered one, is the throat of the singers! Tuvan throat singing is a major component of the Mongolian sound and, in my opinion, one of the most unique sounds a person can create. It somehow has the same drone as the Morin Khuur but has a rougher, more gravely sound than the stringed instrument. This is because of a technique called Khoomii which allows a singer to produce two or three simultaneous notes. This is done by a combination of constricting the throat and manipulating the tongue.

    The Mongolians have many types of songs: long song, short song, and magtaal.

    Long song relates to the nomadic life and its sorrow and loneliness. These songs sound melancholy because of the contents. They are the oldest form of music in this culture and are named long for the drawn-out vowels.

    Short song is livelier and younger both in nature and creation. This form often has themes of love and happiness.

    Magtaal or odes are like hymns or sung poetry and are dedicated to the strong and brave. Some songs are dedicated to mountains, some are dedicated to people and animals.

    I enjoy the unique tone of this music because of how it contrasts with what I normally listen to. I enjoy the bagpipes but oftentimes they can be piercing. This music manages to combine the uniqueness of the drone and timbre that I enjoy from the bagpipes but at the same time feeds into my love for strings and the meaning behind the music. Even the instruments themselves are dedicated to animals and nature. Considering I moved to Alaska to be closer to these values I don't see how I cannot like this music. Whether traditional or leaning more towards popular American music, the Mongolian singers and musicians retain their culture in everything they produce.