QUARTER 3- Week 2

MAPEH 7 (MUSIC)

MODULE 1: The Beauty and Elegance of the South

(Vocal Music of Muslim Filipinos)
Learning Competencies The
learner:
1. describes the musical characteristics of representative music selections from Mindanao after listening;
MU7MN-IIIa-g1
2. analyzes the musical elements of some Mindanao vocal and instrumental music; MU7MN-IIIa-g2
3. identifies the musical instruments and other sound sources of representative music selections from Mindanao.
MU7MN-IIIa- g3

Islamic Music in general is characterized by delicate patterns of melody and rhythm. To the Muslims, music is a
vertical connection to Allah. That is why the Quran must be recited in a singing-like manner. In Islamic music, the
vocal aspect must overmaster the instrumental. It is based on the skill of the artist which is given the freedom to
improvise the piece. Here, the performer also becomes a composer. Using the traditional musical elements, the artist
is encouraged to improvise with the guidance of a specific emotional or philosophical foundation of the music.
One of the literary art forms of our Muslim brothers and sisters are their epics. Epics are long, narrative poems
telling about heroic deeds of significant characters. In Muslim culture in Mindanao, the epics may be narrated in a
form of a poem or song. At present, only three of the 13 Muslim community groups have their epics identified. This is
because of the lack of informants or researchers because of peace and order situation in some areas for research.
The Bantugan and Darangen of the Maranao or People of the Lake, the Indarapatra at Sulayman of Maguindanao or
People of the Flood Plains, and the Parang Sabil hi Abdulla iban hi Isara of the Tausugs People of the Current.

Darangen
The Darangen is an epic song about Maranao people. The story, together with the Qur’an, the central
religious text of Islam, serves as a cultural foundation on their community. Although it is used by a Muslim
community, scholars said that most of its content dates back before the arrival of the first Muslims in Mindanao.
Therefore, it is a mixture of both Islamic and non-Islamic way of life, and for the Maranao people, this Anonen A
Rawaten or The Way of the Ancestors is worth imitating.

Only 18 out of 25 song cycles of the Darangen has been recorded and studied. The epic deals not only about
relationships and adventures but also ancestral political laws like kingship and succession. Even today elders of the
community still refer to the text of the epic in dealing with various laws.

Literally this epic means “to narrate in song”. For this, it will require specialized male and female performers a good
memory, a skill to improvise, an imaginative and creative mind, knowledge on customary laws and traditions, a good,
clear voice, and the ability to get the audience attention for long hours of performance. Like most of our ethnic literary
art forms, it is passed down from generation to generation by oral tradition but some parts have ancient transcriptions
based on Arabic writing system.

An Onor plays the lead role in a Darangen performance. Her responsibilities include singing the traditional
songs, being a dancer, and playing the Kulintang, a set of eight small gongs. She is also expected to portray the
characteristics of a Maranao princess, setting a royal standard for Maranao women. This epic is usually performed in
weddings and lasts up to several nights of performances.

Ballads
Most ballads (poem that tells a story) in Muslim Mindanao are religious and historical. But would you believe that
these two types of ballads are related to each other? Religious because they talk about Islamic faith. Historical
because they talk about historical personality and their works - mostly to propagate or to defend the Islamic faith.
And like most of their literary art forms, they are handed down from generation to generation by oral tradition. These
art works are usually done in song form and accompanied by instruments like the gabbang kulintang and byula. form
and accompanied by instruments like the gabbang kulintang and byula.

Islamic Music retains its original form and style. There are two main uses of Islamic music. The first one is for rituals
and the other is for entertainment. Music for rituals is mainly vocal with no instrumental accompaniment. Various
Islamic tribes still possess the same vocal music style like the ones used by their early ancestors. Music with musical
instruments attached to its performance are normally for entertainment purposes only.

Tausug Vocal Music

The Tausug vocal music called the “Palangan” can be categorized into narrative and lyrical songs. Narrative songs
tell a story which include the Kissa or epic legends and the lyric songs which both deal with their normal and daily
way of life. Lyric songs are also sub-categorized into Lugu and paggabang types. The lugu is a religious chant
usually done by women. This song is related to Muslim rituals like wedding, funeral, birth, and the paggunting
(traditional cutting of an infant boy’s hair during baptism.) The lugu is characterized by high vocal tension, a slow
tempo, long and sustained notes, and with a tremolo at some parts of the phrase. Since this type of song is for
rituals, it is sung in acapella.
The paggabang, on the other hand, are songs usually accompanied by the gabbang or bamboo xylophone and the
byula or violin. These songs are less serious in nature.
Lyric songs consist of the langan bata-bata or Children’s song, the Baat or occupational song. This form
includes the Baat callaw or Funeral song which has a very sad melodic line, pangantin or the wedding song which
the newly-wed couple dances while the singer or a modern band performs it. Traditionally, this song has a soothing
melody. Another example of the Baat is the song of fishermen or farmers which has a happy melody.
Moreover, sindil is another form of vocal music. It is their local version of the balagtasan wherein a man and
a woman exchange idea for a certain topic. It is usually done in weddings.

Other forms of vocal music of Mindanao are the Diker or death song of Maranao and the Dekil or Maguindanaon
mournful song. All of these songs regardless of its tribe of origin have some common characteristics:
1. Melismatic style of singing. Melisma means a group of notes sung in one syllable of the text.
2. Use of tremolo (rapid reiteration of a single note). The tremolo produces a musical effect which resembles a
shaky sound of notes.
3. Long and slow melodic phrase. Unlike the regular song which has a fixed meter or number of syllables for each
line in stanza, these songs have indefinite length of lines which results from the singer’s improvisation of the tune
of the song.
4. Strained or throaty voice. This style of singing is very common to ethnic groups wherein the singer uses his/her
speaking voice to execute the song.
5. Free rhythm. Vocal music of Mindanao uses the free rhythm style. It means there are no fixed measures in the
song. You cannot distinguish if the song you are hearing is done in duple, triple or quadruple. And because the
singer has always the freedom to improvise the piece, one cannot predict the length of each line of the song.

MODULE 2: THE KULINTANG ENSEMBLE OF MINDANAO

Learning Competencies The
learner:
1. identifies the musical characteristics of representative music selections from Mindanao after listening; MU7MN-
IIIa-g1
2. analyzes the musical elements of some Mindanao vocal and instrumental music; MU7MN-IIIa-g2
3. explains the distinguishing characteristics of representative music selections of Mindanao in relation to its culture
and geography; MU7MN-IIIa-g3
4. explores ways of producing sounds on a variety of sources that is similar to the instruments being studied;
MU7MN-IIIb-h4
5. evaluates music selections and music performances applying knowledge of musical elements and style.
MU7LV-IIIb-h10

The Instruments of the Kulintang Ensemble Kulintang

The kulintang plays the melody of the piece. It is usually composed of 8 small embossed graduated gongs laid into a
wooden frame. The gongs are made of brass and the beaters are made of lightweight wood for ease of playing fast
and complicated pieces. The Maranaos call this instrument Kolintang while the Tausugs name it Kulintangan. This
instrument has no defined pitch because what matters is the player’s ability to follow the rhythm and to make
improvisations.
Dabakan
The Dabakan (Maguindanaon term) is a gobletshaped drum. It is carved from a single trunk of wood. This
intricately - designed drum is the only non-gong instrument of the Kulintang ensemble. Thin and long rattan sticks
are used as beaters to play the steady beat of the piece. Usually its drum head is made of goatskin. The Maranaos
call this
“Dbakan”.
 Agung
Agung is the biggest gong in the ensemble. If we compare the timbre between agung and kulintang, agung has a
low pitch sound while kulintang has a high pitch quality of sound due to its small size. The agung may be compared
to the bass section of the orchestra or a band.

Gandingan The gandingan is also called “talking gongs” because traditionally they are used to tell messages. It is
composed of four hanging slim bossed gongs arranged from low to high pitch starting from the player’s left hand.
Each pair of gongs are hanged facing each other.

Babandir
This gong is the time keeper or the ensemble. It acts as the conductor of the music.

➢ The music of the Maguindanao Kulintang ensemble is based on the following rhythmic modes:
These five modes are used for entertainment
1. The Sirong and the Sinulog a Minuna are modes preferred by elderly people because of their steady tempo and
refined melodies.
2. The Binalig, Sinulog a Bagu, and Tidtu are preferred by younger generations because of its fast tempo.
The above-cited modes are used for entertainment.
3. Meanwhile, the sixth mode, the Tagunggo, is used for rituals.

MODULE 4: MUSIC OF MINDANAO

Islamic Music: Instrumental Music
(Solo Instruments from Mindanao)

Learning Competencies The

learner:
1. evaluates music selections and music performances applying knowledge of musical elements and style.
(MU7LV-IIIb-H10)
2. analyzes examples of Philippine music from Mindanao and describes how the musical elements are used
(MU7MN-Illa-g2)
3. Discovers ways of producing sounds on a variety of sources that is similar to the instruments being studied.
(MU7MN-IIIb-h4)
4. improvises simple rhythmic/melodic accompaniments to selected music from Mindanao. (MU7LV-IIIc-h5) 5.
performs music from Mindanao, with own accompaniment. (MU7LV-IIIc-h6)

SOLO INSTRUMENTS
Solo instruments are instruments that can be played alone or in a solo performance. This time, you will get an
opportunity to get acquainted with three of the most popular solo instruments in Mindanao Islamic music, the
kudyapi, kubing, and the suling.

Kudyapi
Kudyapi is a two-string lute. A lute is a wooden stringed instrument with long fretted
neck, a pear-shaped body with an enclosed back.

Lutes have different number of strings. For example, the guitar, which is also a
member of the lute family has six strings, the violin has four, and the Philippine
Banduria has 14 strings.

The kudyapi is also called a boat lute because it resembles the shape of a river boat in Mindanao. Similar to the
other instruments of Mindanao, this instrument is also called in different names depending on the tribe that uses it.
For example, it is called Kutiapi by the Maguindanaons. Whereas, it was called Kotyapi by the Maranaos, Kotapi by
the Subanons, Fegereng by the Tirurays, Faglong, Fuglung, Kitara, Kudlong by the B’Laan group, Kusyapi by the
cultural groups in Palawan, Kudyapi and Katyapi by Bukidnon and Tagbanua, Hegelong by the T’Boli, Binarig and
Binudyaan by the Mansaka, Piyapi by the Higaonon and Kuglong, Kadlong, Kudlong or Kudlung, Kudyung by the
Manobo, Mandaya, Bagobo and Central Mindanao.

Kubing
The kubing is a bamboo musical instrument under the
Jew’s harp (also called jaw harp) family. This group of
instruments can be found all over the world and the earliest trace
of its origin dates back to the 4th century B.C. in Mongolia. Its
origin, according to historians, came from Asia and spread all
over the world by means of migration and trade. Through these inter-cultural activities, this instrument adopted the
geographical features of the place and gradually developed its unique features - some have fixed reed, a metal
attached, and were made of bamboo.
In the Philippines, this instrument can be found mostly in Mindanao, but small traces of it can also be found
in Mindoro and other parts of northern Philippines. This instrument is called kinaban by the Mangyans of Mindoro. In
the northern Philippines, the Ibaloys and Kalingas called this instrument koding, kulibaw or ulibaw. The Bontocs have
a similar instrument made of metal called afiw or abillaw. The Cuyunon, Ilongo, and Bukidnon call this subing.
Higaonon, Samal, Tausug, and Yakan call this kulaing. In the south, the Maguindanaons, the Maranaos, the Attas,
and the Yakans are the people who commonly use this instrument.

Suling
Suling is (Maguindanao and Yakan’s) made mainly of “lamiang” bamboo, a long,
thin-walled bamboo tube. This thin band is made of rattan, bamboo, or leaf
wrapped around the blowing hole, with six fingerholes. Its mouth piece is circled
with a thin band made of rattan near a small hole.
 It is played through blowing a hole found at the bottom of it while pitch is controlled via five finger holes on the top
and one finger hole located at the bottom. The different fingering positions and speed of the airflow blown by the
mouth directly affect suling’s tone.

The Maguindanaon’s suling is the smallest bamboo flute of the Maguindanaon and the only one classified as a ring
flute (the other two bamboo flutes of the Maguindanaon, the paldong and the palendag are both lip-valley flutes).

MODULE 5: NON-ISLAMIC MUSIC

Christian Music of Zamboanga
LEARNING COMPETENCIES:
The learner:
1. Identifies the musical characteristics of representative music selections from Mindanao after listening; MU7MN-
IIIa-g1
2. Analyzes the musical elements of some Mindanao vocal and instrumental music; MU7MN-IIIa-g2
3. Identifies the musical instruments and other sound sources of representative music selections from Mindanao;
4. Improvises simple rhythmic/melodic accompaniments to selected music from Mindanao; MU7LV-IIIc-h5
5. Evaluates music selections and music performances applying knowledge of musical elements and style.
MU7LV-IIIb-h10

The Music of the Christian (non-Islamic) Mindanao

Along with the Spanish colonization in the country came the influence of Western musical tradition,
particularly through liturgical music. “History relates that the Filipino’s first encounter with Christian religious music
was during the Easter Sunday mass on March 31, 1521.” (Javellana and Brillantes 1994)

CATHOLIC MUSIC
Most of the Christian settlers (Catholics, Evangelical, Pentecostal, etc.) from Luzon and Visayas migrated to
Mindanao and comprise majority of the household population in the region. They brought along with them musical
culture with Spanish and American Influence. In celebration of the liturgy, singing using Gregorian chant, (a sacred
song set in Latin text normally sung by a male chorus), polyphonic masses (every day prayers like the Kyrie, Gloria,
Credo, Sanctus, Agnus Dei) and motets (sacred song sung by choir in imitative counterpoint), and hymns in Latin are
used.

Later in vernacular songs (Cebuano and Chavacano) were introduced. Extra liturgical music (blending of
folk traditions and practices with Catholic rituals and celebrations) such as Pamamasko and Panunuluyan, Pabasa or
chanting of Pasyon and Salubong, Pangangaluluwa, Flores de Mayo and Santacrusan are also performed. Playing
instruments like the guitar, violin, flute, harp, and the organ and singing of Spanish, Mexican, and local Villancicos
(poetic and musical form sung with or without accompaniment) are highly emphasized in their celebrations. Narcisa
Fernandez, a music graduate from Davao City and Msgr. Rudy Villanueva, a musician from Cebu wrote and enriched
the music for the Cebuano Liturgy.
 CONTEMPORARY / ECUMENICAL MUSIC
At the start of the American rule, English hymns and songs were introduced by new missionaries.
Ecumenical music (sacred songs of unity of Christian churches) found its way into Catholic liturgical celebrations.
The Lutheran, Anglican, Methodist hymns, and even Baptist gospel songs as well as charismatic songs emerged.
Christians of various communion pray and sing together with songs that proclaim their faith in Christ, the Redeemer,
and Saving Lord.

SECULAR MUSIC
A European type of secular music (poetry and non-religious music) performed by Filipinos and visiting
artists became more pronounced among the urban upper class. This musical form developed in rural Christian
communities, commonly known as folk music (traditional or composed song with simple melodies) integrates the
elements with physical movement, space, dance, and theater. They can be categorized as vocal, instrumental, or a
combination of both. This music reflects the life of common or mostly rural Filipinos and their strong connection with
nature. It employs the diatonic scale with Spanish flavor rather than the more Asian pentatonic scale (consist of five
tones do, re, mi, so, and la). Numerous band and musical ensemble arose and used to accompany dances adopted
from a western form (European type of music).

No Te Vayas de Zamboanga – is a Zamboangueno Spanish folk song written by Juan Cuadrado Sr., a
Spaniard who decided to stay in the peninsula after the Spanish soldiers left the country. This song is sung in a
Zarzuela entitled “De Cavite a Zamboanga” by a Cavitena. It became a trademark folksong where people are asked
to stay put in the city and relish its natural and cultural allure.

MODULE 6: NON-ISLAMIC MUSIC

(Subanen-Lumad of Zamboanga)

LEARNING COMPETENCIES
The learner:
1. identifies the musical characteristics of representative music selections from Mindanao after listening; MU7MN-
IIIa-g1
2. analyzes the musical elements of some Mindanao vocal and instrumental music;MU7MN-IIIa-g2
3. explains the distinguishing characteristics of representative music selections of Mindanao in relation to its culture
and geography; MU7MN-IIIa-g3
4. improvises simple rhythmic/melodic accompaniments to selected music from Mindanao; MU7LV-IIIc-h5
5. evaluates music selections and music performances applying knowledge of musical elements and style;
MU7LV-IIIb-h10
6. sings songs from Mindanao. MU7LV-IIId-h7

The Folk Music of Subanen (Lumad of Zamboanga)

The Subanen (Lumads) People
The Subanen is a group of Lumads or non-Muslim indigenous cultural community in Mindanao. They are
the first settlers of Zamboanga peninsula who are also known as Subanen or Subanun, taken from the word “suba”,
a Bisayan word meaning river, from which they distinguish themselves from their roots or origin. They are slash-
andburn farmers, as most of their settlements are near river or mountain streams who fish, hunts, gather, and
practice little trade.
This cultural group originally lives in low-lying areas and once roamed the seas in great numbers. However,
they have been pushed to the hinterlands, mountains and forest upon the arrival of Muslims who often attack the
group to collect taxes and capture slaves, by the Spaniards in the 16th Century, and with the migration of the
different groups of people in the area. The destruction of the forests, the building of the towns and cities, and the
efforts of the lowland majority of people to assimilate them into Christian culture, forced the Subanen community to
struggle in protecting their ancestral domain and cultural identity.

The tribe embraces no religion although it is believed that they have scripture at one time. They believe in
the supreme being called “Diwata Migbebaya” and in spirits that are part of nature. The spirit and gods are said to
inhabit the most striking features of nature such as the unusual large trees, the balancing large rock in small bases,
the oddly shaped mounds of earth, the isolated caves and the very high peaks.
A. Subanen Music
1. Traditional Musical Instruments include:

Gagong – single brass gong

Durugan – hollow logs beaten like drums

g’lantoy or thulali – is the ring flute of the Subanun

(Sindingan Zamboanga del Norte). It has three finger
holes- one on the underside and the two on the
opposite side. This flute is played by both men and
women mainly for entertainment. The melodies
express different sentiments—love, joy, grief—or
imitate sounds of birds and insects. It is often used to
lull babies to sleep.

Thumping – is another type of flute with a V-shape duct cut on the edge of the mouthpiece and is covered by a
piece of wood and glued into the duct with hardened wax from the house bee. The flute has five or six holes, all
situated on the frontal side of the tube. It is played mostly by women for self-entertainment, usually heard in the
early morning, early evening or while keeping over the rice field.
Kubing or the Jaw’s harp – made from bamboo either plain or with more ornate designs dye-painted on the
handles with accompanying bamboo containers.

Sigitan – is a five-string-polychordal tube zithers made from bamboo

tubes which is closed on both ends by nodes with a small opening for
resonance. It is played by plucking the strings by the player and by
tapping the body of the instrument with two bamboo sticks by another
player to produce drone. It is used to accompany a dance or to
express human sentiments of love, sorrow, sadness, or joy.

Subanun tabobok, thambabok – is a parallel stringed tube zither made from a heavy bamboo tube closed at both
ends with a node. The upper node has opening which the player covers or uncovers while performing. They play
this instrument mainly for selfentertainment and relaxation.

2. Subanen has a musical ensemble same with the Tiruray Karatun.

a. Gagung Sua – is an agung ensemble (large hanging, suspended or held knobbed gongs which act as a drone
(continuous musical note of low pitch) without any accompanying melodic instruments like kulintang) same with the
Tiruray Karatung. It is made up of five shallow bossed gongs of graduating size, each played by one person. The
smallest, the segaron (high pitched) is used as the lead instrument providing a steady beat.

3. Subanen music are often performed in different social events

including: a. agricultural rituals
b. wedding ceremonies
c. victory celebrations
d. curing rites
e. rituals for the dead
f. entertainment for visitors
g. other community rituals.

4. Drums and gongs are used to accompany ritual dances like:

a. Pangalitao -is a courtship dance. It is played with courtship songs and is performed with an accompaniment
of traditional instruments.

b. Sinalimba - a dance that utilizes swing, a representation of a mythical vessel used to travel.

c. Buklog - is a thanksgiving ritual performed at the start of planting and harvesting season to pray for the
bountiful harvest throughout the year. It is also a thanksgiving festival among the Subanen involving several rituals.
This is conducted to express gratitude to the spirits ensuring harmony among family, clan, and community
members, as well as among the human, the natural and the spirit world.

The ritual includes dancing, to mark the renewal of relationship in the community on an elevated wooden structure
called “Buklog” – a sacred and social space which resonate with a sound believe to please the spirits. They include
asking permission to the spirits to gather material from the forest, presenting coin offerings, inviting spirits of the
departed to feast, invoking spirits of water and land and music and dance. A constant sound of an agung or a
single brass gong is produced a week prior to the celebration to signify the upcoming buklog.
 d. Gukas - a ritual ceremony performed as a memorial for the death of a tribal chief. It is accompanied by ritual
offerings of bottled drinks, canned milk, chocolate, margarine, sardines, grilled fish, chicken, and pork. The songs
begin inside the house by the balian.

5. Subanen vocal music includes singing several types of song and chanting of epics. A.
Several types of song:
1. Dionli – love songs
2. Buwa – lullaby songs
3. Giloy – funeral song for dead chieftains. This is usually sung by two singers, one of which is a balian (who is
believed to be able to visit the heavenly) during gukas. The balian and his assistant usually bring a bottle of
pangasi (rice wine) and pour it to the earth to be followed by singing inside the house.
4. Inadung – the elders’ way of conversing when having a visitor from another area, discussing matters with their
children, when a maiden and a young man are given to marriage and people are drinking rice wine.
5. Gagonapu – work song referring to fishing and hunting.

B. Singing/chanting of epics
Epics feature Diwata, as well as myths, legendary heroes and chiefs who are partly divine and are told that it took
one night to complete the story. Epics chanters must have strong memory and strong voice, pronouncing some
syllables meaninglessly, giving them the tone and duration of the recital.

Examples of Subanen epics are:

a. The Guman of Dumalinao – tells about Datu Pomb’nwa, his wife Bayslaga and their young daughter who
were drowned in the rivers, and their sons venturing out in search of them but failed to return. The guman ends with
the return of the missing children. A traditional “buklog” or feast is held to celebrate the union of the two kingdoms.
b. Ag Tobig nog Keboklagan (Keboklagan kingdom) – contains 7590 verses which tells about the dream seen
by Datu Tomitib Manon fighting alone in Keboklagan kingdom.
c. Keg Sumba neg Sandayo (The Tale of Sandayo) – has 6577 verses. The story is about a young Datu who
was born with outstanding feature that made him unique among other Datus. It also depicts his adventures and
misadventures in life.

DISCLAIMER:
QUEZON NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL, in any way, claims no ownership of all the materials (images/photos, text
and the like) used in the production of this learning module. Credit is due to the rightful owners of all copyrighted
materials used in the production of this learning module.
NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED. THIS LEARNING MODULE IS INTENDED SOLELY FOR
INFORMATION AND EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES.

REFERENCES:
Grade 7- MUSIC Quarter 3- Module 1-6 Alternative Delivery Mode First Edition, 2020
Department of Education – MIMAROPA REGION

Module 1: The Beauty and Elegance of the South (Vocal Music of Muslim Filipinos
Author/s: Howard Bong M. Abao

Module 2: The Kulintang Ensemble of Mindanao

Author/s: Howard Bong M. Abao

Module 4: Music of Mindanao - Islamic Music: Instrumental Music (Solo Instruments from Mindanao)
Author/s: April T. Garcia
Howard Bong M. Abao

Module 5: Non-Islamic Music (Christian Music of Zamboanga) Author/s:

Evangelina L. De Leon

Module 6: Non-Islamic Music (Subanen-Lumad of Zamboanga)

Author/s: Evangelina L. De Leon