Medium of Music Essay Example For Students

Medium of Music Essay Duration is the length of sound in time. The varying length of sounds in time creates rhythm, and these variations are what make compositions interesting. In music, time is indicated by symbols we call notes. Intensity means the loudness and softness of a sound produced by the varying degrees of pressure applied to the instrument producing the sound. It evokes the emotional features in music as music moves from loud to soft and vice versa. Symbolic indications of intensity are often written in Italian likeliest (loudly), fortissimo (very loudly), piano (softly) and pianissimo (very botfly). Indications of softness and loudness are written as crescendo(becoming louder), decrescendo (decrease loudness) or diminuendo(becoming softer). Pianoforte is the longer name of piano, because it was an innovative instrument in the 17th century Italy that allowed the dynamics of softness (piano) and loudness (forte) to be reproduced by its mechanisms. The Musical Instruments The Western Orchestra has the following classification of instruments: Strings. The string section includes the violins, violas, violoncello (cello) and double bass (string bass). They produce sound because a string stretched across these instruments bodies vibrate. Vibrations are produced by horsehair stretched in a violins bow rubbing over these strings or by fingers plucking them. The string section is the nucleus of an orchestra. The Musical Instruments nucleus of an orchestra. Violin By dietitian Cello String Bass Woodwind. Woodwinds produce sound with musicians blowing air through them, directly across a hole or through a reed or reeds at the mouthpiece. Instruments in this section are made of tubes with holes which are closed or opened by the fingers r a set of keys to vary the pitch of tones. Examples are clarinets, oboes, English horns, bassoons and concentrations. Clarinet Oboe English horn Contrabass Bassoon Brass. Brass are instruments cylindrical tubes with bell-shaped ends molded from brass (an alloy of copper and zinc). Musicians blow in a special way into conical mouthpieces to produce tones. Examples are trumpets, trombones, French horns and the tubas. They provide style to climactic moments of an orchestral piece. Trumpet Trombone French horn Tuba Percussion. Percussion instruments are played by striking, scraping, shaking or scratching them using hands, sticks or other hard objects. Examples are timpani or kettledrums, xylophones, glockenspiel (or lyre) and vibraphone and family of drums (snare, bass, tomato etc), cymbals, chimes, triangles and gongs. They provide rhythmic accents of the percussion section. Timpani Xylophone Glockenspiel Snare drum Bass drum Tomato drum Cymbals Chimes Triangles Gongs Piano and guitar both belong to string and percussion sections : string section if they lay melody and percussion section if they play rhythm. Different Musical Ensemble Symphonic or Philharmonic Orchestra. It is a large music ensemble that may have over hundred members and have a complete set of string, woodwind, brass and percussions. Example is the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra (POP). Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra Slovakia Philharmonic Orchestra Chamber Orchestra. It is a music ensemble that may have members of about 30 to 50 instrumentalists also divided in orchestra section of instruments. Prague Chamber Orchestra String Quarter. It may have as few as 4 members only : 2 violins, viola and cello. Allegretto String Quarter Woodwind Quintet. It is composed of musicians playing flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon and French horn. Dorian Wind Quintet Jazz Band. It may have a pianist, drummer, string bassist. Jazz Band Combo. It may have 5 musicians who play lead guitar, bass guitar, rhythm guitar and drums and keyboard. Combo * Conductor The director of the orchestra. He has to know the every detail of the