The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #126906   Message #2825892
Posted By: Artful Codger
30-Jan-10 - 05:57 PM
Thread Name: thought about yodeling
Subject: RE: thought about yodeling
I've listened, but I still favor other theories, such as the yips, whoops and calls cowboys made to intimidate cattle while herding them. Older, more authentic cowboy songs sometimes include short calls like this—think "whoopi-ti-yi-o" and "hi-oo".

There has never been a lack of animal imitation--of animals of all types, not just fowl--but we can't conclude that there is a causal link between imitating bird calls and yodeling. I suspect that yodeling in general mostly derived simply from vocal experimentation. You can either minimize the break or accentuate it. And a great challenge for the latter is to rapidly alternate across the break with specific musical intervals. Certain syllables make this easier then others--hence, yodeling.

The problem here is that we can only conjecture. No archaological evidence is of the least use. Even written accounts would be apocryphal. "And Moses went upon the mountain, and there God spake to him in the voice of a blackbird. And Moses was awed and humbled. He returned to the people and imparted to them the will of God, in these holy words: Iodele Iu!"

Anyway, you can't raise the topic of yodeling (or banjos, bagpipes or ukuleles) without expecting a fair bit of joking. Deservedly or not, it comes with the territory.