Understanding Musical Instruments: Timbre and Expressive Qualities
Classified in Music
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Every musical instrument has its own timbre. It is very important for a composer to know about the timbres and expressive qualities of them.
The timbre depends on many factors: the material it is made, its shape, its size...
DEPENDING ON HOW THEY PRODUCE SOUND.
1. String, these produce sound by the vibration of a taut string.
2. Wind, we make sound by blowing air into them. This vibrates the air inside a tube. -WOODWIND -BRASS
3. Percussion, we make sound by striking or shaking the instrument.
(strike them- drum, crash them together- cymbals, shake them- maracas, scrape them- guiro).
4. Electronic, these use electricity to make the instrument sound. They need an amplifier.
1.1 BOWED STRING; we obtain sound by rubbing the strings with a bow. (peg box, neck, strings, bridge, soundboard, tailpiece).
1.2 PLUCKED STRING; we obtain sound by touching the strings with our fingers or a plectrum.
1.3 STRUCK STRING; we obtain sound by striking the strings.
WOODWIND
2.1 FLUTES; the air vibrates when it hits a hole with a sharp edge.
2.2 SINGLE-REED; vibrating air produces sound when it hits a reed or strip of cane in the mouthpiece. (clarinet, saxophone).
2.3 DOUBLE-REED; air is pushed through two reeds to vibrate and produce sound. (oboe, bassoon).
BRASS
These are made with metal. The tube of the instrument is folded or coiled around itself to make it more functional. (mouthpiece, pistons-valves, bell) (slide).
3.1 PITCHED PERCUSSION; these instruments can produce sounds with a specific pitch or note.
3.2 UNPITCHED PERCUSSION; these instruments do not produce specific pitches.
SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, the placement of the instruments on stage is to find a balance of timbres and sounds. We group the instruments in their families, with the louder ones farther from the audience. There is also a contrast between the high-pitched instruments (on the left) and the low-pitched instruments (on the right).
-String, ...sometimes other instruments appear as soloists like the piano, harp, or guitar.
-Woodwind, transverse flute, oboe, clarinets, bassoon.
-Brass, trumpet, French horn, trombone, tuba.
-Percussion, timpani, xylophone, chimes, bass, drums, cymbals...
ORCHESTRA CONDUCTOR, is very important. He coordinates and directs all the instrumentalists. He knows how the musical score should sound and makes his/her instrument...
He has a lot of musical culture and knows about the technical possibilities of each instrument. Her mission is also to control the pitch of the entire group, indicate when to start to play, mark the tempo, indicate the character of the music...
The right hand moves the baton, and the left hand indicates the differences in the expression of the song.
CHAMBER MUSIC ENSEMBLES, these are types of smaller groups of instruments with fewer musicians. Their names depend on the number of instruments (duet, trio, quartet, quintet, chamber orchestra..).
The string quartet formed by.................was very important in the development of music history.
OTHER ENSEMBLES,
-Band; instrumental ensemble composed of wind and percussion instruments.
-Rock band; composed of the electric guitar, bass guitar, and drum set. Sometimes there are keyboards.
-Others; trumpet and drum band, rondalla, plucked string orchestra, military band .....