Project

The Notation System of Gyil (Xylophone) Music of Ghana: An Alternate Approach

Program

African Humanities Program Dissertation Fellowships

Department

Music

Abstract

This study addresses non-temperament, tonality, and modality issues as well as problems of notation in African music, especially in the gyil (xylophone) music of Ghana. It proposes an alternate notation system to the Western system which does not leave room to pitch tolerance as in gyil music. To determine the efficacy of the proposed alternate notation system, the thesis includes a twenty-minute composition with the gyil as the principal instrument.