1. Textual Analysis of Musical Genres:
* Lyrics: Examining the meaning, metaphors, and cultural significance of song lyrics. This could include:
* Themes and motifs: Analyzing recurring themes like love, loss, social commentary, or religious devotion.
* Linguistic features: Studying the use of rhyme, meter, dialect, and other linguistic features in song lyrics.
* Historical context: Understanding the cultural context and historical events reflected in lyrics.
* Musical Notation: Deciphering and interpreting musical notation systems in different cultures, including:
* Musical notation in oral traditions: Analyzing the ways musicians encode and transmit musical information orally.
* Written notation systems: Understanding the evolution and meaning of different systems of musical notation.
* Symbolic language: Exploring the use of symbolic language in music, such as the relationship between musical scales and cultural beliefs.
2. The Role of Language in Musical Performance:
* Vocal Techniques: Examining the relationship between language and vocal techniques, including:
* Articulation: Studying the ways language influences the articulation of vowels and consonants in singing.
* Intonation: Analyzing how language affects the melodic contours and rhythmic patterns of vocal music.
* Performance styles: Understanding how different cultural backgrounds influence vocal performance practices.
* Instruments and Musical Language:
* Onomatopoeia: Investigating the use of onomatopoeia in music, where sounds are used to mimic natural phenomena.
* Instrumental techniques: Analyzing how the physical properties of instruments interact with language and create specific musical effects.
* Musical idioms: Studying the cultural significance of specific musical phrases and gestures that are embedded in musical languages.
3. Cultural Meaning and Identity:
* Language as a marker of identity: Examining how music and language contribute to shaping and maintaining cultural identities.
* Musical and linguistic revitalization: Exploring the use of music and language in efforts to revitalize endangered languages and cultural traditions.
* Cross-cultural communication: Analyzing how music and language facilitate communication and understanding across cultures.
In essence, an ethnomusicologist studying words would be interested in the complex interplay between language, music, and culture. By examining these connections, they can gain a deeper understanding of how music shapes and reflects human experience across different societies.