Literacy Transmission for the Tuba Playing Techniques of the Chinese Folk Song "Ga Da Mei Lin"

Abstract

By exploring the literacy transmission practices to perform Mongolian music on the tuba, this study aims to provide insight into part of the process of adapting a traditional folk song, Ga Da Mei Lin, of China, for tuba performance. It explores the ways Mongolian long-song techniques like breath control, glissando, and rhythmic flexibility are translated through the tuba by situating their study within an ethnomusicological framework that considers the integration of oral tradition and musical literacy. The study underscores the necessity of a dual approach of oral transmission and notation-based formal instruction in conservatory contexts to ensure both cultural authenticity and technical precision in the performance of Ga Da Mei Lin. These findings demonstrate how this hybrid pedagogical model enhances folk music teaching, contributes to the transmission of Mongolian cultural heritage, and facilitates the expressive potential of the tuba in conveying Mongolian folk aesthetics. This research demonstrates the multifaceted, inherent collaboration between folk and contemporary music, adding to both cross-cultural aspects of music education and modern brass performance practice.