A nigun (, 'tune' or 'melody'; pl. nigunim) or niggun (pl. niggunim) is a form of

Ashkenazi Jewish Ashkenazi Jews ( ; also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim) form a distinct subgroup of the Jewish diaspora, that Ethnogenesis, emerged in the Holy Roman Empire around the end of the first millennium Common era, CE. They traditionally spe ...

vocal music Vocal music is a type of singing performed by one or more singers, either with instrumental accompaniment, or without instrumental accompaniment (a cappella), in which singing provides the main focus of the piece. Music which employs singing but ...

sung in group settings. ''Nigunim'' are

melodic A melody (), also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones that the listener perceives as a single entity. In its most literal sense, a melody is a combination of pitch and rhythm, while more figuratively, the term c ...

tunes, often using repetitive non-lexical vocables such as "bim-bim-bam", "lai-lai-lai", "yai-yai-yai", or "ai-ai-ai" rather than with formal lyrics. Sometimes, a ''nigun'' is expressed as a mystical musical form of

Jewish prayer Jewish prayer (, ; plural ; , plural ; Yinglish: davening from Yiddish 'pray') is the prayer recitation that forms part of the observance of Rabbinic Judaism. These prayers, often with instructions and commentary, are found in the ' ...

glossolalia Speaking in tongues, also known as glossolalia, is an activity or practice in which people utter words or speech-like sounds, often thought by believers to be languages unknown to the speaker. One definition used by linguists is the fluid voc ...

. Hebrew Biblical verses or quotes from other classical Jewish texts are sometimes sung repetitively to form a ''nigun''. Some ''nigunim'' are sung as prayers of

lament A lament or lamentation is a passionate expression of grief, often in music, poetry, or song form. The grief is most often born of regret, or mourning. Laments can also be expressed in a verbal manner in which participants lament about something ...

, while others may be joyous or victorious in theme.

Musar Movement Nigunim

The Musar movement has also used ''nigunim'', based on the realization of how music affects the inner (i.e., spiritual) life. In the 19th century, the Musar movement developed its own distinctive nigun chanting traditions. In the 21st century, ''nigunim'' may be used at the start and end of Musar study sessions, potentially fostering an emotional Musar experience.

Citations

General and cited references

* Pinson, DovBer, ''Inner Rhythms: The Kabbalah of Music'', Jason Aronson, Inc. 2000. Excellent chapters on the history of Jewish music, the various types and uses of Hasidic nigunim, etc. * Stern, Shmuel, ''Shirat HaLev'' (Trans ''The Song of the Heart'') Translated by Gita Levi.

External links

CMusic
- Lyrics & Reviews for Chasidus Music {{Musar movement Hasidic Judaism Hebrew words and phrases Jewish music genres Jewish music Jewish prayer and ritual texts Musar movement

Musar Movement Nigunim

See also

Citations

General and cited references

External links