Music

"Music is REAL and RAW. It's the voices of people sharing your troubles and your joys."

―Sabine Wren^[1]

MazsCastleBand-BaseSeries4 — The band Shag Kava performing at Takodana Castle

Throughout the galaxy, beings created and listened to the art form known as music.

Bands were groups of musicians who performed music, often before audiences in social settings such as cantinas, or as private entertainment. Figrin D'an and the Modal Nodes was a Bith band, notable for performing the song "Mad About Me" in Chalmun's Spaceport Cantina^[2] and the Max Rebo Band performed songs including "Jedi Rocks" in the palace of Jabba the Hutt.^[3] Many bars and cantinas played music to entertain the patrons. This included Oga's Cantina on Batuu that had constant music played by reprogrammed RX-Series pilot droid R-3X.^[4]

An opera was a dramatic work set to music and including songs. Such works were performed in theaters called opera houses^[5] and attending operas was regarded as a cultured activity.^[6] During the last decades of the Galactic Republic, many politicians and other wealthy citizens of Coruscant often took in operatic performances at the Galaxies Opera House and Supreme Chancellor Palpatine maintained a private viewing box which had a premier view of the performance.^[7] Music schools, such as the Theed Conservatory on Naboo, taught students about music. Sabé, like her older brothers before her, attended the Theed Conservatory, before becoming a handmaiden to Queen Padmé Amidala, where she played the hallikset.^[8] Some repressive governments, such as the Galactic Empire, suppressed certain types of music, such as political protest songs like "Vader's Many Prosthetic Parts" by Hakko Drazlip and the Tootle Froots.^[9] The Empire also routinely raided and closed music venues due to violating artistic standards set by the Galactic Empire's Coalition for Progress.^[10]

During the High Republic era, the Nihil would broadcast music before and during attacks, both to stir up their own battle frenzy^[11] and to cause confusion among those they were attacking.^[12] One genre of music they preferred was known as wreckpunk. During one encounter with the Nihil, the crew of The Vessel played a song known as the margengai glide over a multi-frequency broadcast in order to disrupt communications between Nihil ships. The jaunty, fast song had been a popular dance tune for at least the previous few decades. Along with the margengai glide, Vessel pilot Leox Gyasi loved other music, such as Chandrilan opera. He traded music files with Joss and Pikka Adren after discovering that they were fans of the same simjo band.^[13]

Corellia was the origin of a type of music called Galan-Kalank, which arose from the songs of shipyard workers. It was popularized in the galaxy by the Atchapat Family Galan-Kalank Orchestra, who toured with portable instruments constructed from machine parts.^[14] Cal Kestis liked to listen to music like "Sugaan Essena" by the band The Agasar. Upon entering the Haxion Fight Pit arena on Ordo Eris, Cal Kestis recognized them playing the song.^[15] Sabine Wren enjoyed listening to music such as quenk jazz.^[1] Gonkrock was a type of loud and aggressive music enjoyed by Rieve. Prior to becoming a Hunter in the Grand Arena on Vespaara, she played in a gonkrock band named Corellia's Not Dead.^[16] Jatz was a type of music that was expectantly played at Suli's cantina.^[17] New Republic pilot Chass na Chadic had a collection of music, including glimmik, deva, Herglic rage-metal, and Warbat trance, which she enjoyed listening to during battles.^[18] Alderaan had a song, known as a lullaby, called Mirrorbright, which mentioned a moon despite Alderaan not having one. Music boxes, such as one that was kept in Leia Organa's keepsake chest, played music when opened. The grandmother of Carise Sindian used to sing the song when she was feeling nostalgic for her homeworld.^[19]

The song "Niamos!" was an popular song with remixes by 4 BBY.^[20]

Musical instruments

Musical instruments^[21] were devices used to play music by musicians.

String instruments

These instruments produced sound from vibrating strings. Musicians played them by strumming them with a bow or plucking them with their fingers or a plectrum.^[21] Examples include guitars and seven-string halliksets.

Varieties included guitars, drums, trumpet, flutes, water organs, jett organs, bird whistles, Kloo horns, the Growdi Harmonique^[22] and the Ghorman Valley Horn.^[23]

Percussion instruments

Percussion instruments were played by being struck or scraped with the hand or mallets.^[21] Examples include drums and drumheller harps.

Wind instruments

Wind instruments contained a tube-shaped resonator in which a air is set into vibration by the player blowing into a mouthpiece.^[21] Examples include trumpets, flutes, Kloo horns, bird whistles and Ghorman Valley horns.

Keyboard instruments

These instruments used a keyboard with a row of levers that were pressed by the fingers or the toes^[22]. Examples include water organs and red ball jett organs.

Hybrid instruments

Some musicians constructed hybrids of various instruments to play multiple parts of a piece of music simultaneously. Maybe because of their rarity, such instruments were often collected by rich individuals.^[21] Examples include the Growdi Harmonique played by Rappertunie and the Bontormian klesplong.