The Chöömij of Mongolia A Spectral Analysis of Overtone Singing.
- Abstract: This report is a preliminary study of the Mongolian style of singing known as chöömij. It begins by assembling the physical vocabulary of this singing style, and compares its mechanism with that of the Jew’s harp. It proceeds to a consideration of the ictus in isolation in order to show a progression toward a “normal” sustained chöömij sound. The normal chöömij is described in terms of its formants and their relation to possible physiological counterparts. Finally, it is inferred that, if correctly interpreted, the melographic data might be successfully linked with concepts and data from other disciplines, thereby significantly widening the implications these may have in explaining musical phenomena.
