The Droplet of Glimmering

The Droplet of Glimmering is a devotional form of music originally devised by the dwarf Dumat Singerings. The form guides musicians during improvised performances. A chanter recites nonsensical words and sounds while the music is played on a belbez and a vagush. The musical voices bring melody with harmony. The melody has long phrases throughout the form. It is performed using the gost scale. Throughout, when possible, performers are to glide from note to note, alternate tension and repose and play legato.

• The chanter always does the main melody, should evoke tears and plays arpeggios.
• The belbez always does the main melody and should be spirited.
• The vagush always does harmony and should be passionate.
• The Droplet of Glimmering has a well-defined multi-passage structure: an introduction, a first theme, an exposition of the first theme, a lengthy bridge-passage, a lengthy second theme, an exposition of the second theme, a lengthy bridge-passage and a synthesis of previous passages.
• The introduction slows and broadens, and it is to be moderately loud. The chanter's voice ranges from the low register to the middle register, the belbez stays in the pure low register and the vagush ranges from the wispy low register to the liquid middle register. Only one pitch is ever played at a time in this passage. The passage is performed in the thoth rhythm.
• The first theme is at a walking pace, and it is to be loud. The chanter's voice stays in the middle register, the belbez stays in the heavy high register and the vagush ranges from the liquid middle register to the wavering high register. This passage is richly layered with full chords making use of the available range. The passage is performed in free rhythm.
• The first exposition is extremely fast, and it is to be loud. The chanter's voice stays in the high register, the belbez stays in the pure low register and the vagush ranges from the liquid middle register to the wavering high register. This passage typically has some sparse chords. The passage is performed in the ucat rhythm.
• The first bridge-passage is moderately paced, and it is to fade into silence. The chanter's voice stays in the high register, the belbez covers its entire range from the pure low register to the heavy high register and the vagush covers its entire range from the wispy low register to the wavering high register. Only one pitch is ever played at a time in this passage. The passage is performed in the roder rhythm.
• The second theme is moderately paced, and it is to be soft. The chanter's voice covers its entire range, the belbez stays in the heavy high register and the vagush covers its entire range from the wispy low register to the wavering high register. Only one pitch is ever played at a time in this passage. The passage is performed in the ibruk rhythm.
• The second exposition is moderately paced, and it is to start loud then be immediately soft. The chanter's voice ranges from the low register to the middle register, the belbez stays in the heavy high register and the vagush ranges from the wispy low register to the liquid middle register. This passage is richly layered with full chords making use of the available range. The passage is performed in the libash rhythm.
• The second bridge-passage is slow, and it is to be moderately soft. The chanter's voice covers its entire range, the belbez covers its entire range from the pure low register to the heavy high register and the vagush covers its entire range from the wispy low register to the wavering high register. Chords are packed close together in dense clusters in this passage. The passage is performed in the nel rhythm.
• The synthesis is fast, and it is to become softer and softer. The chanter's voice covers its entire range, the belbez covers its entire range from the pure low register to the heavy high register and the vagush ranges from the liquid middle register to the wavering high register. This passage is richly layered with full chords making use of the available range. The passage is performed in the enir rhythm.
• Scales are constructed from twenty-four notes spaced evenly throughout the octave. The tonic note is a fixed tone passed from teacher to student. After a scale is constructed, the root note of chords are named. The names are feb (spoken fe) and berim (be).
• The gost hexatonic scale is thought of as two disjoint chords spanning two perfect fourths. These chords are named gatal and mabdug.
• The gatal trichord is the 1st, the 6th and the 11th degrees of the quartertone octave scale.
• The mabdug tetrachord is the 15th, the 18th, the 22nd and the 25th (completing the octave) degrees of the quartertone octave scale.
• The thoth rhythm is a single line with sixteen beats divided into eight bars in a 2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2 pattern. The beats are named thatthil (spoken tha) and gostang (go). The beat is stressed as follows:
• | x x | x - | - x | - x | x - | - x | x - | x x |
• where x is a beat, - is silent and | indicates a bar.
• The ucat rhythm is made from three patterns: the uvel (considered the primary), the ermis and the ibruk. The patterns are to be played over the same period of time, concluding together regardless of beat number.
• The uvel rhythm is a single line with thirty-two beats divided into six bars in a 3-4-8-5-6-6 pattern. The beat is stressed as follows:
• | x - x | X - x x | x - X x x - - - | - x x - - | - x - x - - | x - - - - - |
• where X marks an accented beat, x is a beat, - is silent and | indicates a bar.
• The ermis rhythm is a single line with sixteen beats divided into eight bars in a 2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2 pattern. The beat is stressed as follows:
• | x - | x - | - x | x x | x - | x - | - x | - x |
• where x is a beat, - is silent and | indicates a bar.
• The ibruk rhythm is a single line with thirty-two beats divided into four bars in a 5-8-10-9 pattern. The beat is stressed as follows:
• | - - - - x | - - x x x X - x | x - X - x x x - - - | X x - x - - x - x |
• where X marks an accented beat, x is a beat, - is silent and | indicates a bar.
• The roder rhythm is a single line with thirty-two beats divided into four bars in a 8-8-8-8 pattern. The beat is stressed as follows:
• | x x - x - x X - | x X x x - x - - | x x - X - x - - | - X x x - - x - |
• where X marks an accented beat, x is a beat, - is silent and | indicates a bar.
• The libash rhythm is a single line with two beats. The beats are named lakish (spoken la) and asdos (as). The beat is stressed as follows:
• | x - |
• where x is a beat, - is silent and | indicates a bar.
• The nel rhythm is a single line with thirty-two beats divided into four bars in a 8-8-8-8 pattern. The beats are named biban (spoken bi), ugog (ug), ish (ish), robek (ro), olmul (ol), nokzam (no), emuth (em) and fer (fe). The beat is stressed as follows:
• | - x - - x x - X | x X x - - x - - | x x - X x - x x | X x - - x x x x |
• where X marks an accented beat, x is a beat, - is silent and | indicates a bar.
• The enir rhythm is made from two patterns: the libash and the ibruk. The patterns are to be played over the same period of time, concluding together regardless of beat number.

Events

• In midautumn of 167, The Droplet of Glimmering was created by the dwarf Dumat Singerings in Entrancepaddled