"Music of the World" – MUL 2720 (Spring 2009) - Warfield

Review Sheet # 2
Nettl, Excursions, Chapter 1

  1. What does the term World Music generally cover? What is ethnomusicology, and how is it different from musicology? In addition to the sounds of the music itself and how it is produced, what other important factors are part of the ethnomusicological study of music?
  2. What does Alan P. Merriam's “Three-part model” describe? How does changing one corner of this equation affect the other two? Be able to describe and explain some examples (real or your own invention) of this.
  3. What are some of the "Universals of Music", i.e., musical things, facts, or practices that can be found in nearly all cultures of the world?
  4. What are some common misconceptions about the world’s musical cultures?
  5. How does the way that ethnomusicologists classify musical instruments of the world differ from the common western groupings? What are the four (4) basic categories in the Hornbostel-Sachs system and the primary criteria for each?
  6. Why might two cultures have different musical styles and practices? What are some invalid or doubtful explanations that have been suggested for such differences? What is the more accepted explanation?