The Links

O Susanna and The Flower Drum Song are two pieces that represent distinct musical styles.  O Susanna is a typical American folk song, while the Feng Yeng Flower Drum Song comes from traditional Chinese folk music. But despite their differences, the two pieces have indisputable similarities such as their basis in the major pentatonic scale, their conjunct melodic contour, and the repetitive form of the pieces.

Both pieces use the major pentatonic scale for the melodies.  The beginning of O Susanna is an ascending line that directly corresponds with the notes of the scale.  The Flower Drum song is also using the pentatonic scale as it only uses five notes throughout the song, leaving out the subdominant and the leading tone.  The pentatonic scale is one of the defining characteristics of both Chinese music and American folk music.  This exemplifies a clear musical link between two differing musical cultures.

The use of conjunct melodic lines also signifies a link between the folk music of these extremely different cultures.  The largest interval jump in the Feng Yeng Flower Drum Song is a major 6th. The largest interval jump in O Susanna is a major 3rd.  In both pieces, an easy to follow, singable melody is highlighted by the lack of disjunct phrases.  This is a stylistic feature of folk music because it has to be passed down orally in a culture, so it must be easy to remember and easily sung.  These two pieces clearly follow this idea, showcasing a connection between the two cultures and pieces.

Finally, the repetitive strophic form of the pieces ties them together musically.  Both O Susanna and The Flower Drum Song are in AAA strophic form because they have a single melodic section that is repeated with different lyrics throughout the song.  O Susanna differs slightly in that it has a chorus that interjects the verses, which the Flower Drum Song repeats the exact same verse three times in a row with no refrain.  The form of these pieces is again a stylistic component that makes them folk music.  The form allows for the songs to be easily remembered and passed to new generations, helping to build a cultural music identity.