- MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS AND VOICES –
I. DEFINITION.
A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified to make music. In fact, anything that produces sound can be used as a musical instrument. The term “musical instrument”, however, is generally reserved for items that have specific musical purposes.
II. THE ORGANOLOGY.
Is the study of musical instruments. Important aspects of organology include the analytical classification of instruments, the science of instruments, their historical development, and their musical and cultural uses.
III. CLASSIFICATION.
There are many different methods of classifying musical instruments. All methods take into account some combination of the physical properties of the instrument, how music is performed on the instrument, the range of the instrument, and the instrument’s place in an orchestra or other emsemble.
a) Traditional classification.
The most commonly used way of classifying the instruments is the following one:
• String instruments. Musical instruments that produce sound by means of vibrating strings. They are usually cathegorized according to the technique used to make the strings vibrate. The three most common techniques are:
- Plucking. They are plucked, either by a finger, or some type of plectrum.
- Bowing. The bow consists of a stick with many hairs stretched between its ends. Bowing the instrument strings produces a stick-slip phenomenon, which makes the string vibrate.
- Striking. The third common method of sound production in stringed instruments is to strike the string with a hammer.
• Wind instruments. Musical instruments in which sound is produced by vibrations of a column of air set in motion by the player blowing. Two main categories are
- Woodwind instruments (but not all of instruments under this classification are made of wood). Wind instruments with a reed.
- Brass instruments. Wind instruments where the air is set in motion directly by the lips.
• Percussion instruments. With this king of instruments the air vibrates thanks to a resonating surface that is put in motion hiting with a stick, the hands or a pedal. They are divided into:
- Those of definite pitch.
- Those of indefinite pitch.
b) Hornbostel-Sachs classification.
Erich von Hornbostel and Curt Sachs later took up the ancient scheme and published an extensive new sheme for classification in Zeitschrift für Ethnologie in 1914. Their scheme is widely used today, and is most often known as the Hornbostel-Sachs system.
The original system classified instruments into four main groups:
• Chordophones. Produce sound by vibrating string.
• Aerophones. Produce sound by vibrating columns of air.
• Idiophones. Produce sound by vibrating themselves.
• Membranophones. Produce sound by a vibrating membrane.
• Electrophones. Produce sound by electronic means.
Within each category are many subgroups.
c) Classification by musical range.
Western instruments are also often classified according to their musical range by comparison to other instruments within the same family. These terms are named after singing human voice classifications:
• Soprano instruments: flute, clarinet, recorder, violin, oboe.
• Alto instruments: viola, horn.
• Tenor instruments: trombone.
• Bass instruments: basson, bass clarinet, tuba.
Many instruments have their range as part of their name: soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone. When used within the name of an instrument, these terms are relative, describing the instrument’s range by comparison to other instruments of its family and not to the human voice range or instruments of other families.
IV. LIST OF MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS AND THEIR TRADITIONAL CLASSIFICATION.
Wind instruments:
Flutes and recordes: Single reed : Double reed:
• Flute
• Ocarina
• Organ pipe
• Pan pipes
• Recorder
• Nay
• Clarinet
• Saxophone
• Oboe
• Cromorne
• Dolzaina
• Bombarde
• Basson
Brass instruments:
• French Horn
• Roman Tuba
• Sackbut
• Serpent
• Trumpet
• Trombone
• Tuba
Free reed instruments:
• Accordion
• Harmonica
String instruments:
Plucking Bowing Striking
Guitar
Harp
Lyre
Lute
Vihuela
Sitar
Banjo
Harpsichord
Violin
Viola
Cello/Violoncello
Double Bass
Viola da gamba
Vielle
Rebab
Trumpet marine/tromba marina
Piano
Psaltery
Clavichord
Percussion instruments.
Of definite pitch: Of indefinite pitch:
• Carillon
• Glockenspiel
• Marimba
• Tubular bells
• Vibraphone
• Xylophone
• Bell
• Naqara
• Castanets
• Claves
• Crotales
• Cymbals
• Gong
• Guiro
• Maraca
• Triangle
• Bass drum
Electronics instruments.
• Electric guitar
• Electronic organ
• Electric piano
• Synthesizer
V. MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS IN HISTORY.
1. Ancient ages.
• Harp
• Lire
• Cithara
• Auloi
• Pan pipes
• Cornu
• Cymbals
• Crotales
2. Middle Ages and Renaissance.
• Lute
• Rebab
• Vielle
• Psaltery
• Trumpet marine/tromba marina
• Vihuela
• Organistrum
• Cromorne
• Naqara
• Bell
3. Barroque.
• Violin
• Viola da gamba
• Clavichord
• Harpsicord
• Oboe
• Flute
• Recorder
• Trumpet
• Organ pipes
4. Classical.
• Piano
• Violin
• Viola
• Cello/Violoncello
• Double Bass
• Clarinet
• Triangle
• French horn
• Trombone
• Trumpet
5. Romantic.
• Tuba
6. 20th Century.
• Electric guitar
• Electronic organ
• Electric piano
• Synthesizer
VI. INSTRUMENTALS ENSEMBLES.
• Quartet. An ensemble of four string instruments (two violins, viola and cello).
• Brass Band. This type of combination is found all over Europe and in countries settled by Europeans. The instruments of a Brass band are: cornets, flugelhorn, saxhorns, euphoniums, trombones, basses and percussion. Saxophones (not strictly a brass instrument) are to be included.
• Orchestra. An ensemble of woodwind, brass, string and percussion instruments in fairly standard proportions, used for accompanying opera and playing the Western concert repertory. In classical Greek Theater the orchestra was the area in front of the stage, where the chorus danced and sang during theatrical performances.
• Chamber orchestra. Small-sized orchestra, capable of playing in a room or small hall.
• String orchestra. An ensemble of violins, violes, violoncellos and double basses.
VII. VOICES.
a) Female.
SOPRANO Woman or girl. The highest voice.
TREBLE-BOY SOPRANO Boy. Same as the female soprano, but with a purer, clearer sound. Often found in cathedral and church choirs.
MEZZO-SOPRANO Woman. Between the soprano and alto in pich.
CONTRALTO/ALTO Woman. Second-highest in a four-part choir.
b) Male.
COUNTERTENOR
Man. Same as female alto but often with a purer, more penetrating sound.
TENOR
Man. Second-lowest in a four-part choir.
BARITONE
Man. Between the tenor and bass in pich.
BASSO/BASS
Man. Lowest voice of all.
VIII. VOCAL ENSEMBLES.
• Mixed voices. A term used in choral music to denote a combination of male and female voices, such as the standard choral combination of sopranos, altos, tenors and basses.
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BIBLIOGRAPHI:
? LATHAM A.: Dictionary of musicals Terms. Oxfort. 2004.
? HELSBY, G.: Meet the Instruments of the orchestra. Naxos Books. 2007.
? KENNEDY M. and KENNEDY J.: Concise Dictionary of Music. Oxford. 2007.
? Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
CLIL-COMENIUS
IES Enric Valor, PEGO.
MUSIC DEPARTMENT – Encarna Ruiz
Course 2007-8 |
