Quality Issues in the Densmore Collection



  • transcriptions in general are limited

  • Densmore's transcriptions in Western notation

  • Quality questions:

    • Dakota rhythm questionable (Pantaleoni, 1987)

    • accuracy of Ojibwa transcriptions (Tom Vennum, 1975)

    • secular and social music under-represented (Theisz, 1996)


  • Caveat emptor: provide information that allows users to make their own decisions

  • N.B. Distorted or biased materials can still prove useful for certain applications.
    E.g. melodic arch ...