The paper aims at showing how the musical thinking of Forest Nenets differs from those structural patterns that correspond to European music. Experiments and interviews with the informants were used for that purpose. The author's background for the perception of folk music comes from old Estonian runic tunes. When he analyzed Forest Nenets music by using this experience, he would come to the conclusions that would be considered wrong by the representatives of the Nenets culture. For the Nenets singer-composer it is rather important what he wants to say and not how he is going to shape it into a song.