The song is strictly pentatonic.  Peculiarly enough, it may be considered as belonging to any one of the following tonalities, B minor, E minor, or G major, though there is no G in the melody.  The song seems the most primitive, however, when considered in the key of E minor, for the harmonies required to place it in this tonality carry more of the primitive atmosphere than do the chords which are required in either of the other tonalities.

In this connection it would be interesting to know just how these various harmonizations would appeal to the Tinguian.  It is a well-known fact among musicians who have recorded the songs of primitive peoples, that though the songs are used with practically no harmonies, yet the singers feel an harmonic support which they do not express.  Experiments along this line have been tried with the American Indians.  Various harmonizations of a given melody have been played for them, a melody which they themselves sing only in unison, and they have been very quick to choose the particular harmonic support which appeals to them as being an audible expression of the vague something which they feel within, but do not attempt to voice.

The tones of this song when arranged to represent the scale of E minor coincide exactly with the scale tones of two of the tunings of the Japanese 13 stringed koto.  These tunings were both borrowed by the Japanese from the Chinese by whom they were used as special tunings of the ch’in, or kin, one of the most ancient of musical instruments.

In each of the eleven glissandos shown in the notation, the voices drop suddenly to approximately the tone shown by the small square note.  The glides are taken diminuendo, the tone dying away completely.  The sudden diminuation of tone taken with a glissando gives an effect something like a short groan.  The song is in seven-measure periods.

Dang-Dang-Ay

Record M. Sung by women while pounding rice out of the straw and husks.

Only one voice can be distinguished in the record.  It is that of a woman.

Though strongly pentatonic in character, the song is cast in the diatonic scale of F major.  Metrically there is considerable freedom. 3/4, 4/4, and 5/4 rhythms are thrown in with the most haphazard abandon, yet it has the even pulsing which should dominate a song of this character.

The song is in two rather distinct movements.  The first, in spite of the two triplets thrown in at the first and third measures, has a straight-away motion which offers a striking contrast to the more graceful, swaying second part which is mostly in triplets.  The change from one style to the other is made by the singer with no variation in tempo.  It is therefore admirably adapted to accompany the regular falling of the pestles while beating out the rice.

Near the close of the song are two notes with [Sun] over them.  These were vocalized on the inhaled breadth (for other examples of Inhaled Tones, see analysis of Record K, Bogoyas).