台灣原住民族中的賽德克族與太魯閣族，雖然已各自成為政治上的獨立族群， 但這兩個族群在語言及文化等諸多面向上的高度同質性，卻不斷引發爭辯，形成族群辨識上的糾葛與矛盾現況。針對上述的文化研究議題，筆者在本論文中提出另一種學術探討的可能性，即是針對族群音樂進行分析、進而比較其文化脈絡的共相與殊相性，以期能提供族群辨識上具有意義的參考資料。此一試圖以音樂來辨識賽德克族與太魯閣族之文化異同的學術嚐試，乃是奠基於筆者針對這兩個族群所進行的音樂普查結果：筆者於2005－07年間，藉由實際的田野調查蒐集到賽德克族與太魯閣族影音資料共164筆，並完成上述資料的歌詞記音、意譯、大意解說以及歌曲採譜工作。研究資料蒐集完成後，筆者進一步從事音樂資料的「分類－分析－歸納」工作。在分類上，分別從歌詞與旋律的角度切入，整理出各族群的「歌曲類型」與「曲調類型」；至於音樂分析，由於涉及整個族群音樂資料的比較分析，不同於單一曲目的分析，因此結合Jean-Jacques Nattiez音樂符號學、Heinrich Schenker分析法以及John Blacking功能主義等不同分析概念，共同析理出此兩個族群各自的音樂基本語彙；最後，則歸納出其族群音樂的「內在功能結構」（function）。在本論文的最後階段，筆者從Blacking的功能主義角度，來詮釋族群音樂內在功能結構的意義。這兩個文化群體之間的血緣及文化關係有如兄弟之親，表現在其音樂皆建構於「re, mi, sol, la」四音組織之上的事實；然而隨著長期的分化與遷徙，其各自的音樂系統逐漸形成「大同小異」的分歧現象─此現象具現於本論文之「內在功能結構」的分析結果：賽德克族為「la-mi-sol-mi」，而太魯閣族則是「sol-mi-la-mi」。這些基本音型潛藏於族群歌唱行為背後，支配其各自的曲調結構。這樣的研究結果，印證了John Blacking的結論：「一個特定族群的音樂風格是其各個文化面向的象徵性表達」。

The Seediq and Truku tribes of Taiwanese Aborigines, in spite of being politically independent, are of high homogeneity in terms of languages and cultures, which constantly results in dispute on tribal identification. This thesis provides an academic research to deal with this issue, that is, to activate a systematic analysis on the music of both tribes and furthermore, comparing their musical homogeneity and differentiality for the purpose of offering meaningful data of ethnic identification.This thesis is based on the information gathered from field investigation took in 2005-07 by the author. The results include 164 video and audio recordings and the task of phonetic transcription, translation and interpretation of the texts, and musical transcription has also been finished.After the completion of data collection, the process of "Categorizing- Analyzing- Summarizing" is undertaken. In the step of categorizing, the "Song Types" and "Melody Types" of the entire repertoire are distinguished from the aspect of lyrics and melodies. In Analyzing step, various theoretical approaches are induced- including the theories of music semiotics proposed by Jean-Jacques Nattiez, Schenkerian Analysis formed by Heinrich Schenker, and John Blacking's functionalistic analytical approach-in order to analyze the fundamental vocabularies of tribal music. Then, in the step of summarizing, the function, meaning, the inner functional structures of respective tribal music, are summarized.In the final stage of this thesis, the author interprets the meaning of inner functional structures of music of each tribe from the functionalistic angle of Blacking. The fact that these two tribes are closely linked to each other in blood and in culture is based on the evidence of both tribal music systems being constructed on the tetrachord "re, mi, sol, la". However, as the result of long-term separation, minor discrepancies gradually emerge, which corresponds to the analytical result of function : "la-mi-sol-mi" for Seediq tribe and "sol-mi-la-mi" for Truku tribe. These fundamental music structures do exist and dominate the musical behavior and melodic structures of respective tribal music system. Ultimately, the result of this research confirms the academic conclusion proposed by John Blacking as "The music style of a specific tribe is the symbolic representation of its own cultural aspects".