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How Music Works, Part III: Dynamics, Timbre, and Instruments

How Music Works, Part III: Dynamics, Timbre, and Instruments. Chapter 5. Dynamics. Dynamics – loudness, softness Absolute ( amplitude, measured in decibels) Relative heavy metal band [PL 5-1] vs. solo flute [PL 5-2] Dynamic levels Dynamic range

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How Music Works, Part III: Dynamics, Timbre, and Instruments

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  1. How Music Works, Part III: Dynamics, Timbre, and Instruments Chapter 5

  2. Dynamics • Dynamics – loudness, softness • Absolute (amplitude, measured in decibels) • Relative • heavy metal band [PL 5-1] vs. solo flute [PL 5-2] • Dynamic levels • Dynamic range • Crescendo vs. decrescendo (Figs. 5.1, OMI #12) • Terraced dynamics (Fig 5.2, OMI #13)

  3. Timbre • The character or quality of a musical sound – what it “sounds like” • Steel band [PL 5-3] • Saxophone vs. flute timbres [OMI #14, Fig. 5.3] • Scientifically, timbre a product of relationship between fundamental pitch and its overtones (harmonics) • Didgeridoo duet [PL 5-4] • Mongolian khoomii [PL 5-5]

  4. Signature Sounds • Tenor saxophonists • John Coltrane [PL 5-6] • Lester Young [PL 5-7, starting at 0:14] • Vocalists • Beyoncé [Pl 5-8] • Bob Dylan [PL 5-9] • Louis Armstrong [PL 5-10] • In OMI #15, five “versions” of the same tone (two saxophonists, two male singers, two female singers) • How would you describe these different timbres? Distinguish one from the other?

  5. Language of Timbre • “…descriptive language associated with timbre in English and other Western languages tends to be rather impressionistic, consisting of a veritable grab-bag of different types of metaphors” (p. 63) • tone color (the master metaphor of timbre) • textures (gravelly, velvety, airy—not to be confused with musical textures) • human anatomy (nasal, guttural, throaty) • metaphysics (ethereal, heavenly, otherworldly) • emotions (cheery, somber, melancholy) • technological “spheres” (industrial, techno, space-age), • socioeconomic classes (rich, majestic) • food (creamy, sweet)

  6. Timbres of Various World Instruments (OMI #16, Table 5.1, p.63) TimeDescription • 0:00–0:06 Indonesian angklung • 0:07–0:18 Mexican guitarrón • 0:19–0:26 Ugandan madinda (amadinda “xylophone”) • 0:27–0:37 Native American powwow drum • 0:38–0:48 Javanese gong • 0:49–0:53 Japanese sho (mouth organ) • 0:54–0:59 West African axatse (rattle) • 1:00–1:07 Appalachian dulcimer • 1:08–1:19 Balinese suling (bamboo flute) • 1:20–1:24 Andean siku panpipes

  7. Music Instruments • Why not “musical instruments?” • Music instrument = any sound-generating medium used to produce tones in the making of music. • OMI #16 (sound illustrations of 10 world music instruments) • Instrumentation: the types of instruments (potentially including voices) and the number of each

  8. Music Instrument Classification • Ancient systems: China, India, etc. • ’Are’aresystem: ’au = “bamboo”; includes bamboo panpipes [PL 5-11] but also radios, electric guitars, etc. Why? • Hornbostel-Sachs Classification System (1914) • Chordophones (sound activation – vibration of string[s]) • Aerophones(air passing through tube/resonator vibrates) • Membranophones (stretched “membrane” vibrates) • Idiophones (“self-sounders”—body of instrument vibrates) • Electronophonesclass added much later

  9. Chordophones • Instruments in which the sound is activated by the vibration of a string or strings (chords) over a resonating chamber • Guitar • Violin • ’Ud [PL 5-12] • Vina [PL 5-13] • Rebab [PL 5-14] • Koto [PL 5-15] • Zheng [PL 5-16] • Piano?

  10. Aerophones • Sounds of aerophones emerge from vibrations created by the action of air passing through a tube or some other kind of resonator • Flute, clarinet, bassoon, and oboe • Trumpet, trombone, French horn, and tuba • Bamboo panpipes [PL 5-17] • Japanese shakuhachi flute [PL 5-18] • (end-blown, as opposed to side-blown) • Irish tinwhistle [PL 5-19] • Didgeridoo [PL 5-20] • Pipe organ (church organ)

  11. Membranophones • Instruments in which the vibration of a membrane (natural or synthetic) stretched tightly across a frame resonator produces the sound • Generally speaking, drums • Timpani (kettledrums) [PL 5-21] • Kanjira [PL 5-22] • Mrdangam [PL 5-23] • Kazoo?

  12. Idiophones • Instruments in which the vibration of the body of the instrument itself (rather than a string, air tube, or membrane) produces the sound. • Generally speaking, percussion instruments other than drums • Gamelan metallophones [PL 5-24] • Steel drum (pan) [PL 5-25] • Mbira dzavadzimu [PL 5-26 and OMI #17] • Combination membranophone/idiophones • Tambourine (OMI #18) • Drum set (Neal Peart drum solo, “YYZ”) [PL 5-27, 2:21-5:32]

  13. Electronophones • Electronophones • Extension of the Hornbostel-Sachs system (fifth category) • “Pure” (synthesizer) vs. “hybrid” (electric guitar) electronophones • Digital sampling vs. digital synthesis (OMI #19, #20) • Ray Charles “Hallelujah, I Love Her So”[PL 5-28] • D.R.A.M. “Cash Machine” [PL 5-29], based on sample of RC “Hallelujah” • Paul Lansky, “Notjustmoreidlechatter” (electroacoustic music) [PL 5-30] • Digital synthesis – synthesizers (The Who [PL 5-31], George Clinton [PL 5-32] • Sound generator vs. sound modifier • GAMES Model – Bakan et al. 1990 • Recording (Edison phonograph, 1877) • Multitrack recording, overdubbing • The Beatles, “A Day in the Life” (George Martin) [PL 5-33]

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