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Achant (fromFrenchchanter,[1] fromLatincantare, "to sing")[2] is the iterative speaking orsinging ofwords orsounds, often primarily on one or two mainpitches calledreciting tones. Chants may range from a simplemelody involving a limited set ofnotes to highly complex musical structures, often including a great deal ofrepetition of musical subphrases, such as GreatResponsories andOffertories ofGregorian chant. Chant may be considered speech, music, or a heightened or stylized form of speech. In theLate Middle Ages, some religious chant evolved into song (forming one of the roots of later Western music).[3]
Chanting (e.g.,mantra,sacred text, thename of God/Spirit, etc.) is a commonly usedspiritual practice. Likeprayer, chanting may be a component of either personal or group practice. Diverse spiritual traditions consider chant a route tospiritual development.
Some examples include chant inAfrican,Hawaiian,Native American,Assyrian and Australian Aboriginal cultures,Gregorian chant,Vedic chant,Quran reading,IslamicDhikr,Baháʼí chants, variousBuddhist chants, variousmantras,Jewish cantillation,Epicurean repetition of the Kyriai Doxai, and the chanting ofpsalms and prayers especially inRoman Catholic (seeGregorian chant orTaizé Community),Eastern Orthodox (seeByzantine chant orZnamenny chant, for examples),Lutheran, andAnglican churches (seeAnglican Chant).
Historical or mythological examples include chant inGermanic paganism.
Chant practices vary. In theTheravada tradition, chanting is usually done inPali, and mainly fromPāli Canon.Tibetan Buddhist chant involvesthroat singing, where multiple pitches are produced by each performer. The concept of chantingmantras is of particular significance in manyHindu traditions and other closely relatedIndian religions. India's bhakti devotional tradition centers onkirtan, which has a following in many countries and traditions such asAnanda Marga. TheHare Krishna movement is based especially on the chanting ofSanskritNames of God in theVaishnava tradition and is sung from theDan tien (or lower abdomen)—the locus of power inEastern traditions.[4]
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