Folk long song performance technique of Limbe performances - circular breathing
Title
Folk long song performance technique of Limbe performances - circular breathing
Alternative Title
Монгол лимбэчдийн уртын дуу тоглох уламжлалт арга барил - Битүү амьсгаа
Publication Type
Language
mon
eng
Location
Mongolia
Keywords
Limbe
Flute
Circular breathing technique
Long song
Music
Relevance to ICH Safeguarding
ICH Genre
Description
Inscribed in 2011 on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding. The Limbe is a side-blown flute of hardwood or bamboo, traditionally used to perform Mongolian folk long songs. Through the use of circular breathing, Limbe performers are able to produce the continuous, wide-ranging melodies characteristic of the long song. Players breathe in through the nose while simultaneously blowing out through the mouth, using air stored in their cheeks to play the flute without interruption. Single stanzas of folk long songs last approximately four to five minutes. A single song consists of three to five or more stanzas, which require performance of the flute to continue uninterrupted for twelve to twenty-five minutes. Traditional training methods used to acquire this technique include continuously blowing at a candle flame without extinguishing it and blowing through a straw into a glass of water. Limbe playing is characterized by euphonious melodies, melisma, hidden tunes, and skillful and delicate movements of the fingers and tongue.
Publisher
National Center for Cultural Heritage
Place of Publication
Mongolia
Date of Publication
2022
Academic Field
heritage management
Community/Ethnic Group
Mongolia
Active Contribution
Mongolia, FY 2024