Traditional
musical instruments of the Metis include the fiddle, the concertina, the
harmonica, the hand drum, the mouth harp, and finger instruments such as
bones or spoons. The main instrument is the fiddle and in the early
days, fiddles were hard to obtain and expensive. The Metis simply made
their own from maple wood and birch bark. Unlike other forms of music,
traditional Metis style fiddle music is not contained in a bar structure
and this creates a bounce to the tune that is unique to North America
and can still be heard across Northwestern Canada and the United States.
Metis style fiddle music is an oral tradition handed down for many
centuries. The fiddle plays the melody, tells the story, and many Metis
legends are recorded in fiddle tunes. Rhythm is supplied by toe tapping
or spoons and the uneven and irregular beats of the fiddle creates a
bounce in Metis jigging that is as unique as the fiddling itself. The
extra beats make the Metis jig a rapid moving dance and though similar
to the Scots - Irish stepdance, the Metis jig is definitely unique in
style.
Another Metis tradition is called Turtulage. This is essentially the
beating out of rhythm with spoons or heels, accompanied by syllables
hummed to simple melodies. If a baby is handy, the baby is bounced on a
friendly knee, introducing little ones to Metis music in the cradle.
The traditional dance of the Metis include the Waltz Quadrille, the
Square dance, Drops of Brandy, the Duck dance, La Double Gigue and the
Red River Jig which is the dance most widely known. To play the Red
River Jig, the Fiddle is tuned differently, the bottom string is raised
from a G up to A. The Red River Jig is a special piece of fiddle music
that is played and danced in two sections. When the fiddle plays the
high section, the dancer does a fancy jig step. Many Metis jiggers could
perform up to fifty fancy steps.
The survival of traditional Metis style fiddle music depends solely
on the dedication and commitment of the older generations of Metis
fiddlers to continue to play the oral traditional tunes and style and to
teach the younger generations, and other fiddlers who are eager to learn
Metis style fiddling. Traditional Metis dancing can survive only as long
as the tunes can be remembered in the fiddle. The Metis Resource Centre
is committed to cultural preservation of the Traditional Music and Dance
of the Metis, and is adding to the collections of oral Metis style
fiddlers on audio tape, whether home taped or published, also video
taped Metis fiddlers and dancers. Workshops on "Introduction to
Metis style Fiddle music" are being held at the Metis Resource
Centre on Wednesday evenings during the fall and over the winter under
the instruction of Metis fiddler Tommy Knott who had been fiddling for
50 years.
Article by: Audreen Hourie Cultural and Historical Researcher for: MCHRC
Traditional
musical instruments of the Metis include the fiddle, the concertina, the
harmonica, the hand drum, the mouth harp, and finger instruments such as
bones or spoons. The main instrument is the fiddle and in the early
days, fiddles were hard to obtain and expensive. The Metis simply made
their own from maple wood and birch bark. Unlike other forms of music,
traditional Metis style fiddle music is not contained in a bar structure
and this creates a bounce to the tune that is unique to North America
and can still be heard across Northwestern Canada and the United States.
