NEWS FOR THIS WEEK Trinity College London is a leading international examinations board with a difference.

Our reputation rests on our continuing ability to provide respected qualifications both in the English language and across a growing range of disciplines in the performing arts. Our exams and assessments are designed to help students and trainees progress; to mark an achievement at each stage of their development, and at all levels of competence, on a journey towards fulfillment of their own individual talents and abilities. Today we deliver 500,000 assessments each year worldwide. Our international network is growing and our educational role in the UK community is deepening. Through Trinity Guildhall we focus on the performing arts in music and drama, and now deliver an enhanced range of syllabuses and local services to teachers, tailored to allow flexible styles of learning and teaching. We emphasize overall performance rather than a prescriptive formula. With expert examiners and the backing of leading specialists and academics, the quality of our product and our enduring relationships and approachable style give Trinity College London the human touch, designed to encourage and motivate all students to achieve their personal, vocational and professional goals.

The earliest form of musical notation can be found in a cuneiform tablet that was created at Nippur, Iraq in about 2000 B.C. The tablet represents fragmentary instructions for performing music, that the music was composed in harmonies of thirds, and that it was written using a diatonic scale. Modern music notation originated in European classical music and is now used by musicians of many different genres throughout the world. The system uses a five-line staff. Pitch is shown by placement of notes on the staff and duration is shown with different note values and additional symbols such as dots and ties. Notation is read from left to right, which makes setting music for right-to-left scripts difficult. Guitar is considered as a European-invented instrument that first appeared during the medievel period. The form of the modern classical guitar is credited to Spanish guitar maker Antonio Torres circa 1850.

A pitch in music is best described as the frequency of the tone or note. It is determined by the amount of vibrations needed to produce the sound. Music theory is defined as a subject that discusses how music actually works by defining music's language, notion, and what kind of musical pattern a composer use when composing a piece. The violin was born in Italy during the 16th century. Andrea Amati (1511-1577), an Italian that lived during this time, was perhaps the inventor of the violin. This man was commissioned by the French king Charles IX to create these instruments. In the 16th century, violins looked very different -- they were covered with

ornate drawings and paintings. Very few violins from this era still exist today, and they are considered priceless artifacts. The violin was born in Italy during the 16th century. Andrea Amati (1511-1577), an Italian that lived during this time, was perhaps the inventor of the violin. This man was commissioned by the French king Charles IX to create these instruments. In the 16th century, violins looked very different -- they were covered with ornate drawings and paintings. Very few violins from this era still exist today, and they are considered priceless artifacts. The first drum sets were put together in the late 1800s sometime after the invention of the bass drum pedal. This invention made it possible for one person to play several percussion instruments (snare drum, bass drum, and cymbals) at one time. The set developed as it was used to accompany jazz musicians in New Orleans during the 1920s. The earliest form of musical notation can be found in a cuneiform tablet that was created at Nippur, Iraq in about 2000 B.C. The tablet represents fragmentary instructions for performing music, that the music was composed in harmonies of thirds, and that it was written using a diatonic scale.] A tablet from about 1250 B.C. shows a more developed form of notation. Modern music notation originated in European classical music and is now used by musicians of many different genres throughout the world. The system uses a five-line staff. Pitch is shown by placement of notes on the staff (sometimes modified by accidentals), and duration is shown with different note values and additional symbols such as dots and ties. Notation is read from left to right, which makes setting music for right-to-left scripts difficult. NEWS FOR THIS WEEK Keyboard instrument is a musical instrument on which different notes can be sounded by pressing a series of keys, push buttons, or parallel levers. In nearly all cases in Western music the keys correspond to consecutive notes in the chromatic scale, and they run from the bass at the left to the treble at the right. This large group of instruments has assumed great importance because the keyboard enables a performer to play many notes at once as well as in close succession. This versatility enables the modern pianist or organist to play, in transcription, any work of Western music, whether it involves chordal harmonies, independent contrapuntal parts, or only a single melody. The capabilities of keyboard instruments have influenced the composition of music for other media, because virtually every major composer from William Byrd (c. 15431623) to Igor Stravinsky (18821971) and beyond has been at least an accomplished keyboard performer, if not a renowned virtuoso. NEWS FOR THIS WEEK The term western music might refer to Classical music, music from the western world as opposed to the eastern world or music from cowboy movies. Classical music is an art music that appeared in the 10th century as a result of the western secular and liturgical music. European classical western music is different than the other non-European and popular genres because it uses a specific stuff notion system since the 16th century. The term classical music was not used until the beginning of the 19th century and it came to existence in order to establish the period from J.S Bach to Beethoven as a golden age. This genre of music is still widely performed in front of its specific audience.

When the term western music refers to the music of the western world, it is referred to European western music styles like folk, country, choral, rock and roll and many others. Symphony is a typical western music style that appeared in Italy. The ball room dances are also important part of the western music variety. This music includes polka, square dance and other dances which were treated as the dances for the elites. The western music seen as music used in the cowboy movies derived from the folk music. It is originally composed by the immigrants who settled in America and Canada. The term western music was connected to the term country music because the Billboard chart was using it for classification. Country music is a mix from folk and modern music from America and Canada. The term gained popularity in 1940 when the hillbilly music, a type of music from the rural, mountain areas in America was declared as degradation. Country music was very popular in the 1970s and although in the rest of the world its popularity has declined, it is still used in UK and Ireland. The music genres like hip hop, heavy metal, rock and roll, disco, funk, and nowadays the modern electronic music are all treated as western music styles when opposed to the music from the East. These genres appeared as a result of different social and political reasons. People form different ethnicity and social background created these genres to express their feelings or revolt against the society. For example hip-hop is a typical Afro-American music that appeared in the 1970s in New York in South Bronx among the Afro-American youngsters. Since than this music has become very popular, and excelled the boundaries of the Afro-American communities. Nowadays it is widely listened to by all people around the world. No matter if it is western music or music from the East, music is the best way to express peoples feelings, opinions and in the same time to bring people together no matter the colour, ethnicity or social background. Music does not recognise borders or political systems. Music is a good vibration of energy that travels around the globe.
blogspot/iRoZS en_US

NEWS FOR THIS WEEK Lester William Polsfuss (June 9, 1915 August 12, 2009) known as Les Paul was an American jazz and country guitarist, songwriter and inventor. He was a pioneer in the development of the solid-body electric guitar which "made the sound of rock and roll possible". He is credited with many recording innovations. His innovative talents extended into his playing style, including licks, trills, chording sequences, fretting techniques and timing, which set him apart from his contemporaries and inspired many guitarists of the present day. Paul's innovative guitar, "The Log", built after-hours in the Epiphone guitar factory in 1940, was one of the first solid-body electric guitars. NEWS FOR THIS WEEK

Music is entertaining most especially to children. Thus, even at the very young age they must be exposed to music. By doing so, kids

develop their sense of adventure and discovery. Children's music can be treated as therapy. Application of children's music can treat some physiological and psychosocial elements of illness. Studies have proven that children with developmental delays and learning disabilities like Down's syndrome respond to music. Thus, exposure to music can boost response and expression. Children's music treats developmental delays and learning disabilities by drawing out movements. The latter develops self-awareness which can easily be manifested. Aside from entertainment and therapy, children's music is also a special kind of education. It develops the cognitive skills of children. Exposure to music stimulates learning about colors, numbers, shapes and parts of the body. As a consequence, though may not be the primary goal, it increases the child's intelligence. Stimulation of cognitive abilities leads to multi-sensory development. The latter contributes to the ability of a child to retail information and be attentive to detail. As a result, the child becomes confident and clever. Children's music can also develop the child's social skills. Children's music can be so powerful that it can develop both the intrapersonal and interpersonal aspects of a child. It simultaneously augments functional abilities at the same time the expressive and creative capacities of a child.

NEWS FOR THIS WEEK

The Fte de la Musique, also known as World Music Day, is a music festival taking place on June 21. The idea was first broached in 1976 by American musician Joel Cohen, then employed by the national French radio station France Musique. Cohen proposed an all-night music celebration at the moment of the summer solstice. The idea was taken up by French Music and Dance director Maurice Fleuret for Minister of Culture Jack Lang in 1981 and first took place in 1982.Its purpose is to promote music in two ways:Amateur and professional musicians are encouraged to perform in the streets. The slogan Faites de la musique (Make music), a homophone of Fte de la Musique, is used to promote this goal. Many free concerts are organized, making all genres of music accessible to the public. Two of the caveats to being sanctioned by the official Fte de la Musique organization in Paris are that all concerts must be free to the public, and all performers donate their time for free. In 2011, the festival utilized online booking site Gigmaven to organize its performers. NEWS FOR THIS WEEK Western music might refer to Classical music, music from the western world as opposed to the eastern world or music from cowboy movies. Classical music is an art music that appeared in the 10th century as a result of the western secular and liturgical music. European classical western music is different than the other non-European and popular genres because it uses a specific stuff notion system since the 16th century. The term classical music was not used until the beginning of the 19th century and it came to existence in order to establish the period from J.S Bach to Beethoven as a golden age. This genre of music is still widely performed in front of its specific audience. When the term western music refers to the music of the western world, it is referred to European western music styles like folk, country, choral, rock and roll and many others. Symphony is a typical western music style that appeared in Italy. The term western music was connected to the term country music because the Billboard chart was using it for classification. Country music is a mix from folk and modern music from America and Canada. The term gained popularity in 1940 when the hillbilly music, a type of music from the rural, mountain areas in America was declared as degradation. Country music was very popular in the 1970s and although in the rest of the world its popularity has declined, it is still used in UK and Ireland. The music genres like hip hop, heavy metal, rock and roll, disco, funk, and nowadays the modern electronic music are all treated as western music styles when opposed to the music from the East. These genres appeared as a result of different social and political reasons. For example hip-hop is a typical Afro-American music that appeared in the 1970s in New York in South Bronx among the Afro-American youngsters. Since than this music has become very popular, and excelled the boundaries of the AfroAmerican communities. Nowadays it is widely listened to by all people around the world. No matter if it is western music or music from the East, music is the best way to express peoples feelings, opinions and in the same time to bring people together no matter the colour, ethnicity or social background. Music does not recognise borders or political systems. Music is a good vibration of energy that travels around the globe. Jazz is a musical tradition and style of music that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States from a confluence of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th century American popular music. Its West African pedigree is evident in its use of blue notes, improvisation, polyrhythm, syncopation, and the swung note. The word "jazz" (in early years also spelled

"jass") began as a West Coast slang term and was first used to refer to music in Chicago at about 1915. From its beginnings in the early 20th century jazz has spawned a variety of subgenres: New Orleans Dixieland dating from the early 1910s, big band-style swing from the 1930s and 1940s, bebop from the mid-1940s, a variety of Latin jazz fusions such as Afro-Cuban and , free jazz from the 1950s and 1960s, jazz fusion from the 1970s, acid jazz from the 1980s (which added funk and hip-hop influences), and nu jazz in the 1990s. As the music has spread around the world it has drawn on local, national, and regional musical cultures, its aesthetics being adapted to its varied eThe term NOTICE: NEWS FOR THIS WEEK This manuscript is Mozarts record of his compositions in the last seven years of his life, and thus is a uniquely important document. During this period, from Feb 1784 until December 1791, he composed many operas, several of his most beautiful piano sonatas and his last 3 great symphonies as well as several famous lesser works. Mozart organized the entries in the order in which they were completed on the left hand page he entered five compositions, each with its date, title and often its instrumentation

Musee Musical School of Music

News for This Week

22/08/2011

The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ,[1] is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country music, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes (reed chambers) or multiple holes. The pressure caused by blowing or drawing air into the reed chambers causes a reed or multiple reeds to vibrate up and down creating sound. Each chamber has multiple, variable-tuned brass or bronze reeds, which are secured at one end and loose on the other end, with the loose end vibrating and creating sound. Reeds are pre-tuned to individual tones, and each tone is determined according to the size of reed. Longer reeds make deep, low sounds and short reeds make higher-pitched sounds. On certain types of harmonica the pre-tuned reed can be changed (bending a note) to another note by redirecting air flow into the chamber. There are many types of harmonicas, including diatonic, chromatic, tremolo, orchestral, and bass versions. The high-energy beats of Western and African drums can reduce stress in younger people as they battle to make headway in the academic or professional world, says British music therapist Eleanor Richards. Lot of young people, who face stress in relationships and suffer from depression, tries to heal with music. Most of these youngsters are studying and at the same time are trying to be successful in their first job. They are prone to low spells, Richards said. Underlying the depression, there might be very angry feelings which get suppressed. Playing an instrument like an African drum or Western percussion instrument can release some of the anger and the negative energy, she explained. If a patient is passionate about music, the therapy works faster, she said. Richards, who teaches at Anglia Ruskin University in Britain and works with students at Cambridge University, was in New Delhi to address a session on the healing power of music at the International Ancient Arts Festival. The rhythms of the drums mean different things to different people and produce different reactions, she said. Her way of treating psychological maladies in youngsters with music is interactive. Drums are not the only instrument she uses in her therapy and she also works with the piano, cymbals, metal instruments and the zylophone. Noting music is being increasingly used to treat patients with severe mental disabilities, illnesses like AIDS (to address the patients emotional turmoil), autism and Alzheimers disease, The ancient gamelan instruments large wooden and metal contraptions use a mix of percussion beats, rhythm and melody and can make up an entire orchestra. She also said music was being used as a healing device in two special prison hospitals, housing criminals with serious records and also among young offenders. In Africa, there is wide belief that African drums heal relationships when played together and teach harmony and help one attune to the invisible world of mutual energy. How is it possible to be a composer - and that is all you can be - and to discover that you are slowly going deaf? That was the starting point for my research into Beethoven's life. Beethoven's triumph over his deafness - his ability to compose even though he could not hear his own music - is one of the great miracles of art.

Beethoven's relatively small output - just nine symphonies, five piano concertos, one violin concerto, sixteen string quartets, one opera....... - I would argue that piece for piece he has more devotees than Mozart, or indeed his other great contemporary, Haydn. Beethoven lived for fifty-six years and three months. His childhood was spent in his home town of Bonn; his entire adult life in the great musical city of Vienna. Beethoven had one great piece of good fortune often denied to composers: he was recognized as a prodigy from his earliest years. His first public recital took place in Cologne on 26 March 1778, when he was seven years old. His father, who arranged the concert, advertised the recital by "his little son of six years". It was almost certainly a deliberate falsification of Beethoven's age, so his father could proceed to earn money through his son - as Mozart's father had so successfully done. From that moment on, first in Bonn, and then later in Vienna, Beethoven's extraordinary virtuosity gained him easy entry to the highest and most aristocratic salons in the land.

MUSEE MUSICAL SCHOOL OF MUSIC NEWS FOR THIS WEEK 03/10/2011 The Symphonies The former British Prime Minister James Callaghan was asked late in his long life whether there was anything he regretted not achieving. He replied that he wished he could have written Beethovens nine symphonies. Beethovens customary to dismiss the first two symphonies they owe too much to Mozart, Beethoven had not yet found his style then say of the remaining seven that the odd numbers are important, the even ones less so. Beethoven was nearly 30 years of age before he completed his First Symphony. He clearly thought about it long and hard; he knew he would be judged on it. Sure enough, from the very first note, it is pure Beethoven. He begins it in a totally unconventional way three sets of rising chords. Hello? Im here. Already he is breaking the rules. He breaks them still further in the Second Symphony. He calls the third movement a Scherzo (literally, a Joke), the first time any movement of any symphony had been thus labelled. The normal title was Minuet, clearly an old-fashioned concept for Beethoven. The opening of the final movement, like a succession of coiled springs, must have stunned his first audience, and still brings us up short today. And so we come to the Third Symphony, the Eroica. It begins with two massive chords, a call to attention. Beethoven grabs you in bar one, and does not let you go. Already in the third bar the violins descend to a totally wrong note wrong key, wrong everything, it shouldnt be there but almost in the nature of a crime writer laying clues, it is resolved much later in the work.

Halfway through the first movement the first horn comes in a bar early. At rehearsal Ferdinand Ries, hearing this, called the player a dolt and told Beethoven he would deal with him afterwards; Beethoven, to Riess mortification, told him that was how it was meant to be. The first movement is the longest movement of any symphony to date. The second movement is a funeral march. When, years later, Beethoven was told Napoleon Bonaparte had died on St Helena and it was suggested he might like to compose a funeral march, Beethoven replied he already had. He was referring to this movement. Go to a performance of this Symphony, and in the middle of the third movement watch the three horn players grow visibly pale as their great solo passage looms then imagine what it must have been like to horn players in Beethovens day, playing natural horns with no valves, just their lips and right fist in the bell allowing them to change pitch. The huge fourth movement begins with a flourish, then resorts almost to a joke, single notes plucked on the strings, fragmented, varied, before the glorious main theme finally comes in. In performance, check that the first violins play the two unexpected grace notes at the beginning of the first bar. They are often dropped. Black mark to any conductor who discards them. This was the symphony Beethoven recognising its sheer size and quality originally intended dedicating to Napoleon, angrily scratching his name off the title page when Napoleon declared himself Emperor. The Eroica, written in 1803, was the single most important work Beethoven had composed to date. It revolutionised not just the symphony, but music itself, moving it into a new century. It is like a novel in the form of notes. Years later Beethoven was asked which of his symphonies was his favourite: Eh! Eh! the Eroica. And yes, it is my favourite of the nine. The Fourth has suffered from being wedged, as it were, between the monumental Third and the mighty Fifth. It is perhaps the least heard of the nine. So treat yourself, enjoy the gallop of the first movement, wonder at the harsh chords of descent into despair in the second movement, the syncopated rhythms of the third movement, and try to keep your hands and feet still in the impossibly lively fourth movement. The Fifth Symphony someone really said to me once: I know Beethoven. Didnt he write Beethovens Fifth? is the most famous symphony in the history of music, with the best known opening bars in all music. Yet try humming them and the bars that follow. Impossible. A motif rather than a theme, and so compressed and full of such energy that they are universally known. Used by the BBC to tap out of the theme of radio broadcasts to the Free French during the Second World War. Dot-dot-dot-dash. Morse code for V. V for Victory. For the first time in any symphony by any composer, the three-note theme is carried through the whole work. At the opening of the final movement, after a mysterious passage of ghostliness, an orchestral sound so rousing that at the first performance in Paris, an old soldier in uniform rose to his feet and cried out Vive lEmpereur! The Sixth, the Pastoral, Beethovens evocation of the countryside, and the only time Beethoven ever wrote down on paper exactly what it was he was trying to represent. Joyful feelings on being in the countryside. Bird calls, a running stream, a peasant dance, a storm, the shepherds hymn of thanks after the storm has passed.

Check out the second bassoon in the middle of the country dance section. Three isolated notes, then four. Repeated. Why? Because Beethoven had seen a bassoonist playing like that in a band in a tavern in one of the villages dotting the Vienna Woods, seeming to fall asleep between the notes, then waking up just in time to play them. And the country dance itself? Again, Beethoven had witnessed country folk swirling round to infectious rhythms, and he recreated them in this symphony. Beethoven loved nature: this is his homage to it. Those bird calls, by the way, represent the nightingale, the cuckoo, and (the one you always forget) the quail. You can be forgiven for getting it wrong. Beethoven himself wasnt so sure. Years later, walking along the brook with his helper Schindler, he pointed to the spot where he had sat and composed the Pastoral. He then pointed up to a tree and told Schindler that was where he had heard the yellowhammer, which inspired him to include it in the symphony. A yellowhammers song rises like a broken chord nothing remotely similar is in the symphony. True, there is some doubt over the translation of the word Beethoven used, but still no possible interpretation of it accords with what he actually composed! The Seventh, described by Wagner who used to play a piano version of it as the apotheosis of the dance, does not let up in its intensity. Another funeral march, and given that Beethoven composed this in 1812, I can never listen to it without imagining the dispirited and broken soldiers of Napoleons Grande Arme trudging home from Moscow in the snow. Beethoven conducted the first performance of this symphony, and an eye witness described him as crouching below the rostrum in the quiet passages, then leaping so high in the loud passages that his feet left the floor. If the Eighth, like the Fourth, suffers from being wedged between two mighty works, listen to Toscaninis 1939 recording of it, and you will hear in the build-up to the first movement climax music that catches fire. Marvel too at Beethovens audacity in the deliberate discords in the slow movement. The Ninth, the Choral. Greatest Symphony ever written. Voices and music. New. Revolutionary. A theme adopted by the European Union as its anthem. The piece chosen by Leonard Bernstein to conduct after the Berlin Wall came down in 1989, substituting the word Freiheit (freedom) for Freude (joy) in the final movement. (Beethoven would surely have approved.) A slow movement of such beauty time seems to stand still. And in an outrageously audacious passage, in the white heat of the final movement the music really does stand still, as Beethoven puts on the brake and literally stops everything. Whole chapters of books, whole books, have been written about this symphony. Just listen to it. By the way, Beethoven carried a book of Schillers poetry with him from his student days, always intending one day to set the poem An die Freude to music. The edition he carried contained the line: Bettler werden Frstenbrder [Beggars will become the Brothers of Princes]. In 1803 Schiller published a new edition of his poetry, substituting the line Beethoven used in his Ninth Symphony: Alle Menschen werden Brder [All Mankind Will Become Brothers]. The Nine. Interesting that Beethoven composed the first eight in around 13 years. There was then a gap of 12 years, before he composed the Ninth. He was working on sketches for the Tenth three years after that. It was not that after the Eighth he felt he had said it all, then changed his mind: he had had the idea for a Choral Symphony years before. Why the long gap between numbers Eight and Nine? More than likely just the sheer difficulty of raising an orchestra sufficiently accomplished to play his music (remember the disastrous concert on 22 December 1808 at which the Fifth and Sixth were premiered).

Beethovens Nine Symphonies. The most important such body of work in all music. This manuscrient. During this period, from February 1784 until December 1791, he composed many of his best-known works, iThis manuscript is Mozarts record of his compositions in the last seven years of his life, and thus is a uniquely important document. During this period, from February 1784 uperas, several of his most beautiful piano sonatas, and his NEWS FOR THIS WEEK Musee Musical School of Music News for This Week SE Johann Sebastian Bach was better known as a virtuoso organist than as a composer in his day. His sacred music, organ and choral works, and other instrumental music had an enthusiasm and seeming freedom that concealed immense rigor. Bach was born in Eisenach in 1685. He was taught to play the violin and harpsichord by his father, The six Brandenburg Concertos among many other secular works date from his Cthen years. Bach became Kantor of the Thomas School in Leipzig in May 1723 and held the post until his death. It was in May 1747, the composer was warmly received by King Frederick II of Prussia, for whom he wrote the gloriously abstruse Musical Offering (BWV 1079). It was in Leipzig that he composed the bulk of his religious and secular cantatas. Among Bachs last works was his 1749 Mass in B minor. Besieged by diabetes, he died on 28th July 1750. MUSEE Musee Musical School of Music News for This Week Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Composer 16/08/2011

Born in 1756 Salzburg, Austria Goes on European 1762- concert tour, 1765 performs for Queen Marie Antoinette of

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (born in Salzburg, Austria, on January 27, 1756 - died in Vienna, Austria, on December 5, 1791) was a great composer. Mozart wrote some of the most beautiful pieces ever written. Mozart's Early Life: Mozart's father, Leopold, was a musician. Wolfgang was a child prodigy; at the age of five he composed a minuet, and played both the harpsichord and the violin. He performed for the Viennese Royal court when he was six years old. From the age of 7 to 10, Wolfgang and his older sister toured Europe, playing for kings, emperors, and other royalty. Mozart wrote his first symphony at nine years old. A Life of Composing: During his short but very productive life, Mozart wrote over 600 pieces, including symphonies, sonatas, concertos, operas, dance music, and masses. Some of his most famous pieces are Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (A Little Night Music, 1787) and the operas Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro, 1786), Don Giovanni (1787) and Die Zauberflote (The Magic Flute, 1791).

France, and King George III of England. Becomes court and church 1779 organist for the Archbishop of Salzburg Moves to Vienna, marries 1781 Constanze Weber 1791 Dies in Vienna, at age 35

Mozart married Constanze Weber in 1781; they had six children but only two survived to become adults. Mozart's popularity with the public went up and down, and he had continuous financial problems. Mozart's Death: Mozart was only 35 years old when he died on December 5, 1791. He had been ill for some time, often with rheumatic fever. Because he was penniless when he died, Mozart was buried in a pauper's grave in Vienna, Austria. Musee Musical School of Music News for This Week The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist. It is played by compressing or expanding a bellows whilst pressing buttons or keys, causing valves, called pallets, to open, which allow air to flow across strips of brass or steel, called reeds, that vibrate to produce sound inside the body. The instrument is sometimes considered a one-man-band as it needs no accompanying instrument. The performer normally plays the melody on buttons or keys on the right-hand manual, and the accompaniment, consisting of bass and pre-set chord buttons, on the left-hand manual. The accordion is often used in folk music in Europe, North America and South America. It is commonly associated with busking. Some popular music acts also make use of the instrument. Additionally, the accordion is sometimes used in both solo and orchestra performances of classical music.

09/09/2011

Some accordions are bisonoric, meaning they produce different pitches depending on the direction of bellows movement. Others are unisonoric and produce the same pitch regardless of the direction of bellows movement. Some accordions use a chromatic button board for the right-hand manual

Others use a diatonic button board for the right-hand manual Yet others use a piano-style musical keyboard for the right-hand manual Additionally, different accordion craftsmen and technicians may tune the same registers in a slightly different manner, essentially "personalizing" the end result, such as an organ technician might voice a particular instrument

s Musee Musical School of Music ws for This Week 16/09/2011

New

The harp is a stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicular to the soundboard. All harps have a neck, resonator and strings. Some, known as frame harps, also have a forepillar; those lacking the forepillar are referred to as open harps. Depending on its size (which varies considerably), a harp may be played while held in the lap or while stood on the floor. Harp strings can be made of nylon (sometimes wound around copper), gut (more commonly used than nylon), wire, or silk. A person who plays the harp is called a harpist or a harper. Folk and Celtic musicians often use the term "harper," whereas classical/pedal musicians use "harpist."

he electric bass guitar (also called electric bass, or simply bass; pronounced / bes/, as in "base") is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb (either by plucking, slapping, popping, tapping, or thumping), or by using a pick. The bass guitar is similar in appearance and construction to an electric guitar, but with a larger body, a longer neck and scale length, and usually four strings tuned to the same pitches as those of the double bass, which also corresponds to one octave lower in pitch than the four lower strings of a guitar (E, A, D, and G).

The double bass or ontrabass is the largest and lowest-pitched in the modern symphony orchestra. It is a standard member o symphony orchestra and smaller string ensembles in Western used in other genres such as jazz, 1950s-style blues and rock a bluegrass, and tango.

The violin is a smallest and highest-pit viola and cello.

Musee Musical School of Music News for This Week Date: 23/09/2011 The cello is a bowed string instrument. A person who plays a cello is called a cellist. The cello is used as a solo instrument, in chamber music, and as a member of the string section of an orchestra. The violin is

a bowed string instrument with four strings usually tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest and highestpitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which also includes the viola and cello. Violin Musee Musical School of Music News for This Week Date: 23/09/2011

Brahms' Hungarian Dance NO.5 - This is the most famous of his twenty-one Hungarian Dances. The piece is based on Kler Bla's folk dance Brtfai Emlk, which Brahms mistakenly thought was a traditional folksong. Completed in 1869 and among Brahms' most popular works, the twenty-one (German: Hungarian DancesUngarische Tnze) are lively dance tunes based mostly on Hungarian themes. Brahms originally wrote these pieces for piano four-hands, and later arranged the first ten for solo piano. Only numbers 11, 14 and 16 are entirely original compositions. Brahms' Hungarian Dances have been arranged for a wide variety of instruments and ensembles, and they were influential in the development of ragtime. Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897), was a great German composer, virtuoso pianist, and one of the leading musicians of the Romantic period. He wrote for piano, chamber ensemble, symphony orchestra, and for voice and chorus. He was a traditionalist and an innovator, as well as an inspiration for subsequent composers. His output includes masterpieces of Beethovenian power, of subtle emotion, and of great beauty. The music of Johannes Brahms is one of humanity's greatest treasures. Musee Musical School of Music News for This Week Definition A musical instrument can be broadly defined as any device created or adapted for the purpose of making musical sounds. Once humans moved from making sounds with their bodiesfor example, by clappingto using objects to create music from sounds, musical instruments were born Archaeology 10/10/2011

Researchers have discovered archaeological evidence of musical instruments in many parts of the world. Some finds are 67,000 years old; however their status as musical instruments is often in dispute. In July 1995, Slovenian archaeologist Ivan Turk discovered a bone carving in the northwest region of Slovenia. The carving, named the Divje Babe flute, features four holes that Canadian musicologist Bob Fink determined could have been used to play four notes of a diatonic scale. Researchers estimate the flute's age to be between 43,400 and 67,000 years, making it the oldest known musical instrument and the only musical instrument associated with the Neanderthal culture. Archaeological evidence of musical instruments was discovered in excavations at the Royal Cemetery in the Sumerian city of Ur (see Lyres of Ur). These instruments include nine lyres, two harps, a silver double flute, sistra and cymbals. Archaeologists in the Jiahu site of central Henan province of China, has found flutes made of bones that dates back to 7,000 and 9,000 years old,[ and they represent some of the "earliest complete, playable, tightly-dated, multinote musical instruments" ever found. A cuneiform tablet from Nippur in Mesopotamia dated to 2000 BCE indicates the names of strings on the lyre and represents the earliest known example of music notation. MUSIC QUOTES Music is your own experience, your thoughts, your wisdom. If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn. ~Charlie Parker Without music, life would be a mistake. ~Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche

Music is what life sounds like. ~Eric Olson Music expresses feeling and thought, without language; it was below and before speech, and it is above and beyond all words. ~Robert G. Ingersoll Play the music, not the instrument. ~Author Unknown Music is the mediator between the spiritual and the sensual life. ~Ludwig van Beethoven Hotel California" is the title song from the Eagles' album of the same name and was released as a single in February 1977. It is one of the best-known songs of the album-oriented rock era. Writing credits for the song are shared by Don Felder, Don Henley and Glenn Frey. The Eagles' original recording of the song features Henley singing the lead vocals and concludes with an extended section of electric guitar interplay between Felder and Joe Walsh. "Hotel California" topped the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for one week in May 1977. Three months after its release, the single was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America representing 1,000,000 records shipped. The Eagles also won the 1977 Grammy Award for Record of the Year for "Hotel California" at the 20th Annual Grammy Awards in 1978.[1] In 2009, the song "Hotel California" was certified Platinum (Digital Sales Award) by the RIAA for sales of 1,000,000 digital downloads.[2] The song is rated highly in many rock music lists and polls. Rolling Stone magazine, for example, placed it as the 49th greatest song of all time.[3] It is also one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. The song's guitar solo is ranked 8th on

Guitar Magazine's Top 100 Guitar Solos and was voted the best solo of all time by readers of Guitarist magazine.[4] As one of the group's most popular and well-known songs, "Hotel California" has been a concert staple for the band since its release; performances of the song appear on the Eagles' 1980 live album simply called "Live", and, in an acoustic version, on the 1994 Hell Freezes Over reunion concert CD and video release. The "Hell Freezes Over" version is performed using eight guitars in total, and has a decidedly Spanish feel to it - with Don Felder playing a flamenco-inspired intro. During the band's Farewell 1 Tour-Live from Melbourne the song was performed in a manner closer to the original album version, but with a trumpet interlude in the beginning. The song is a playable track on the video game Guitar Hero World Tour.[5] Glenn Frey described the origins of the song: The song began as a demo tape, an instrumental by Don Felder. Hed been submitting tapes and song ideas to us since hed joined the band, always instrumentals, since he didnt sing. But this particular demo, unlike many of the others, had room for singing. It immediately got our attention. The first working title, the name we gave it, was Mexican Reggae'.[6] "Love Story" is a country pop song performed by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. The song was written by Swift and produced by Nathan Chapman, alongside Swift. It was released on September 12, 2008 by Big Machine Records, as the lead single from Swift's second studio album Fearless. The song was written about a love interest of Swift's who was not popular among Swift's family and friends. Because of the scenario, Swift related to the plot of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet (1597) and used it as a source of inspiration to compose the song. However, she replaced Romeo and Juliet's original tragic conclusion with a happy ending. It is a midtempo song with a dreamy tenor, while the melody continually builds up. The lyrics have Swift narrating from the perspective of Juliet Capulet. The song was a critical success with critics complimenting Swift's writing style and the song's plot. It was also a commercial success, selling over 6.5 million copies worldwide since January 2010, therefore establishing itself among of the best-selling singles of all time. In the United States, the song peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and sold over 5 million digital downloads, becoming Swift's bestselling single to date. It was also deemed one of the best-selling singles in the United States and was once the best-selling country single of all time. The single was certified quintuple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Internationally, "Love Story" became Swift's first and only number one single in Australia thus far and certified triple platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). The song's accompanying music video was directed by Trey Fanjoy, who directed all of Swift's prior videos. The video is a period piece that drew influences from Medieval, Renaissance, and Pride and Prejudice (1813) eras. It follows Swift and model Justin Gaston as they meet in a university campus and imagine themselves in a prior era. "Love Story" was promoted through numerous live performances. The song was included on Swift's first and second headlining tours, the Fearless Tour (200910) and the Speak Now

World Tour (2011), respectively; the song was used as the final performance on the latter. "Love Story" has been covered by several artists, including Joe McElderry and Forever the Sickest Kids. El Mariachi is a 1992 Mexican-American action film that is the debut of writer/director Robert Rodriguez. The Spanish language film was shot in the northern Mexican bordertown of Ciudad Acua with a mainly amateur cast. The US$7,000 production was originally intended for the Mexican home video market, but executives at Columbia Pictures liked the film so much that they bought the American distribution rights. Columbia eventually spent several times more than the 16 mm film's original budget on 35 mm transfers, promotion, marketing and distribution.[ The success of Rodriguez's directorial debut led him to create two further entries, Desperado (1995) and Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003), in what came to be known as the Mariachi Trilogy. Shout to the Lord" is a popular worship anthem, written by singer/songwriter Darlene Zschech in 1993, published by Hillsong Music Australia. It has also been covered by many other CCM artists including Kevin Jonas/Christ for the Nations, Carman, Don Moen, Rich Mullins, Matt Redman, Michael W. Smith, John Tesh and Diante do Trono (portuguese version "Aclame ao Senhor") It was the closing song on Idol Gives Back on 9 April 2008, sung by the remaining 8 contestants of American Idol and a gospel choir. The lyrics of the song were altered, changing the word "Jesus" to "Shepherd" in the first line. The song was performed again at the opening of the next show the following night, this time using the original lyrics. Due to strong download sales through iTunes Store, the studio version of the performance charted at number 43 in the Billboard Hot 100, based on digital download sales alone. Musee Musical School of Music News for This Week 04/11/2011

Gypsy jazz (also known as "Gypsy Swing") is an idiom often said to have been started by guitarist Jean "Django" Reinhardt in the 1930s. Because its origins are largely in France it is often called by the French name, "Jazz manouche," or alternatively, "manouche jazz," even in English language sources. Django was foremost among a group of Gypsy guitarists working in and around Paris in the 1930s through the 1950s, a group which also included the brothers Baro, Sarane, and Matelo Ferret and Reinhardt's brother Joseph "Nin-Nin" Reinhardt.Many of the musicians in this style worked in Paris in various popular Musette ensembles. The Musette style waltz remains an important component in the Gypsy jazz repertoire. Reinhardt was noted for combining a dark, chromatic Gypsy flavor with the swing articulation of the period. This combination is critical to this style of jazz. In addition to this his approach continues to form the basis for contemporary Gypsy jazz guitar. Reinhardt's most famous group, the Quintette du Hot Club de France, also brought fame to jazz violinist Stphane Grappelli. Yanni Live at the Acropolis, is the name of both an album and video by contemporary instrumental musician Yanni, recorded live at the Herodes Atticus Theatre, Athens, Greece, on September 25, 1993, and released in 1994. (see 1994 in music and 1994 in film). This album peaked at #1 on "Billboard's "Top New Age Albums" chart and at #5 on the "Billboard 200" chart in the same year.[2] The film spent 229 weeks on Billboard's "Top Music Video" charts and "Top VHS sales" charts,[3] and received an Emmy nomination in

1994 for "Outstanding Individual Achievement in Lighting Direction (Electronic) for a Drama Series, Variety Series, Miniseries or a Special".[4] In a three-year television deal with PBS, the live television special was one of the top fundraising subjects for PBS,[5] raising $13 million, with more than 750,000 home videos and more than 7 million albums sold worldwide.[6] It has been seen in 65 countries by half a billion people, has almost continuously remained on the charts since its release, and is the second best-selling music video of all time,[7][8] (behind Michael Jackson's video for Thriller with nine million units). The composition, Acroyali/Standing in Motion, from this album, was determined to have the "Mozart Effect", by the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine because it was similar to Mozart's K 448 in tempo, structure, melodic and harmonic consonance and predictability.[9][10] The corresponding concert tour of the year was "Yanni Live, The Symphony Concerts 1994 Musee Musical School of Music News for This Week 24/10/2011

Oscar Lopez (born 1954 in Santiago, Chile) is a Chilean-Canadian folk and nouveau flamenco guitarist. He has won many awards from the Latino community. Lopez moved to Canada in 1979 and settled in Calgary, Alberta. He began pursuing music as a career, becoming a popular draw on the Canadian folk festival circuit, and released his debut album, Hola, in 1989. Several of his albums have been nominated for Canada's Juno Awards, and 2000's Armando's Fire was his first Juno win, for Best Instrumental Album. He has recorded on the Narada label. He was also named instrumentalist of the year by the Prairie Music Awards. Classical Soul broke the Latin Charts during the first few weeks. Although he has continued recording, Lopez had not toured or performed in several years due to a battle with depression. As a result, Spirit of the West recorded a tribute song to Lopez, "Come Back Oscar", on their 2004 album Star Trails. On July 24, Lopez appeared on stage with Spirit of the West at the Calgary Folk Music Festival to perform the song. In 1997 Lopez began playing with James Keelaghan in a group known as The Compadres. In 1998, he co-produced the album, "Volcn: Tributo a Jos Jos", a tribute album dedicated to the iconic Mexican singer Jose Jose. Musee Musical School of Music News for This Week 11/11/2011

Frederic Chopin (1810-1849) Polish Romantic Era Composer

Frederic Chopin was born on March 1, 1810 in Poland. His father was French and his mother was Polish. In his future the music of both of these nations would influence his compositions. Some of his works for piano are called mazurkas and polonaises, which are polish dances. As a child he showed an intelligence that allowed him to absorb everything. As he grew older, so did his abilities of observation, drawing, and his uncommon ability to imitate what he observed. Frederic's first professional piano teacher was the respected Wojciech Zywny. He was devoted to the piano and his skills soon surpassed those of his teacher. At the age of seven, his public performances began to be compared to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart as a child, and to his contemporary, Ludwig van Beethoven. No other composer could play the piano like Chopin. His performances showed exceptional tenderness, happiness and boldness. Chopins love of Poland is captured in a small silver box filled with Polish earth which he carried with him when he left Poland at the age of 21. The silver box was buried with him when he died in Paris on October 17, 1849 at the age of 38.

Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times.[1] The central norms of this tradition became codified between 1550 and 1900, which is known as the common practice period. European music is largely distinguished from many other non-European and popular musical forms by its system of staff notation, in use since about the 16th century.[2] Western staff notation is used by composers to prescribe to the performer the pitch, speed, meter, individual rhythms and exact execution of a piece of music. This leaves less room for practices such as improvisation and ad libitum ornamentation, that are frequently heard in non-European art music and popular music.[3][4][5] The term "classical music" did not appear until the early 19th century, in an attempt to "canonize" the period from Johann Sebastian Bach to Beethoven as a golden age.[6] The earliest reference to "classical music" recorded by the Oxford English Dictionary is from about 1836.[1

Montage of great classical music composers. From left to right: Top row Antonio Vivaldi, Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frideric Handel, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven; second row Gioachino Rossini, Felix Mendelssohn, Frdric Chopin, Richard Wagner, Giuseppe Verdi; third row Johann Strauss II, Johannes Brahms, Georges Bizet, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Antonn Dvok; bottom row Edvard Grieg, Edward Elgar, Sergei Rachmaninoff, George Gershwin, Aram Khachaturian This article is about Western art music from 1000 AD to the present. Characteristics Given the extremely broad variety of forms, styles, genres, and historical periods generally perceived as being described by the term "classical music," it is difficult to list characteristics that can be attributed to all works of that type. Vague descriptions are plentiful, such as describing classical music as anything that "lasts a long time," a statement made rather moot when one considers contemporary composers who are described as classical; or music that has certain instruments like violins, which are also found in other genres. However, there are characteristics that classical music contains that few or no other genres of music contain.[8] [edit] Literature The most outstanding and particular characteristic of classical music is that the repertoire tends to be written down. Composers and performers alike are typically highly literate in understanding notation and the written quality of the music has, in addition to preserving the works, led to a high level of complexity within them.

Musee Musical School of Music

News for This Week

11/11/2011

Musee Musical School of Music News for This Week 11/11/2011

Instrumentation

Musee Musical School of Music News for This Week 18/11/2011

The Dublin Philharmonic Orchestra performs Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony. The instruments used in most classical music were largely invented before the mid-19th century (often much earlier), and codified in the 18th and 19th centuries. They consist of the instruments found in an orchestra, together with a few other solo instruments (such as the piano, harpsichord, and organ). The symphony orchestra is the most widely known medium for classical music. The orchestra includes members of the string, woodwind, brass, and percussion families. Electric instruments such as the electric guitar appear occasionally in the classical music of the 20th and 21st centuries. and popular musicians have experimented in recent decades with electronic instruments such as the synthesizer, electric and digital techniques such as the use of sampled or computer-generated sounds, and the sounds of instruments from other cultures such as the gamelan. None of the bass instruments existed until the Renaissance. In Medieval music, instruments are divided in two categories: loud instruments for use outdoors or in church, and quieter instruments for indoor use. The Baroque orchestra consisted of flutes, oboes, horns and violins, occasionally with trumpets and timpani.[9] Many instruments which are associated today with popular music used to have important roles in early classical music, such as bagpipes, vihuelas, hurdy-gurdies and some woodwind instruments. On the other hand, instruments such as the acoustic guitar, which used to be associated mainly with popular music, have gained prominence in classical music through the 19th and 20th centuries. While equal temperament became gradually accepted as the dominant musical temperament during the 19th century, different historical temperaments are often used for music from earlier periods. For

instance, music of the English Renaissance is often performed in mean tone temperament. Keyboards almost all share a common layout (often called the piano keyboard). [edit] Form Whereas the majority of popular styles lend themselves to the song form, classical music can also take on the form of the concerto, symphony, sonata, opera, dance music, suite, tude, symphonic poem, and others. Classical composers often aspire to imbue their music with a very complex relationship between its affective (emotional) content and the intellectual means by which it is achieved. Many of the most esteemed works of classical music make use of musical development, the process by which a musical idea or motif is repeated in different contexts or in altered form. The sonata form and fugue employ rigorous forms of musical development. [edit] Technical execution Along with a desire for composers to attain high technical achievement in writing their music, performers of classical music are faced with similar goals of technical mastery, as demonstrated by the proportionately high amount of schooling and private study most successful classical musicians have had when compared to "popular" genre musicians, and the large number of secondary schools, including conservatories, dedicated to the study of classical music. The only other genre in the Western world with comparable secondary education opportunities is jazz. [edit] Complexity Performance of classical music repertoire demands a significant level of technical mastery on the part of the musician; proficiency in sight-reading and ensemble playing, thorough understanding of tonal and harmonic principles, knowledge of performance practice, and a familiarity with the style/musical idiom inherent to a given period, composer or musical work are among the most essential of skills for the classically trained musician. Works of classical repertoire often exhibit artistic complexity through the use of thematic development, phrasing, harmonization, modulation (change of key), texture, and, of course, musical form itself. Largerscale compositional forms (such as that of the symphony, concerto, opera or oratorio, for example) usually represent a hierarchy of smaller units consisting of phrases, periods, sections, and movements. Musical analysis of a composition aims at achieving greater understanding of it, leading to more meaningful hearing and a greater appreciation of the composer's style. [edit] Society Classical music is often perceived as opulent or signifying some aspect of upper-level society. However, the traditional perception that only upper-class society has access to and appreciation for classical music, or even that classical music represents the upper-class society, may not be true, given that many working classical musicians fall somewhere in the middle-class income range in the United States,[10] and that classical concertgoers and CD buyers are not necessarily upper class. Even in the Classical era, Mozart's opere buffe such as Cos fan tutte were popular with the general public.

Classical music regularly features in pop culture, forming background music for movies, television programs and advertisements. As a result most people in the Western World regularly and often unknowingly listen to classical music; thus, it can be argued that the relatively low levels of recorded music sales may not be a good indicator of its actual popularity. In more recent times the association of certain classical pieces with major events has led to brief upsurges in interest in particular classical genres. A good example of this was the choice of Nessun dorma from Giacomo Puccini's opera Turandot as the theme tune for the 1990 FIFA World Cup, which led to a noticeable increase in popular interest in opera and in particular in tenor arias, which led to the huge sellout concerts by The Three Tenors. Such events are often cited as helping to drive increases in the audiences at many classical concerts that have been observed in recent times. [edit] History Periods of Western art music Early Medieval Renaissance Baroque (5001400) (14001600) (16001760)

Common practice Baroque Classical Romantic (16001760) (17501830) (18151910)

Modern and contemporary 20th century (19002000) Contemporary (1975present) 21st century (2000present)

Main article: History of music The major time divisions of classical music are the early music period, which includes Medieval (5001400) and Renaissance (14001600), the Common practice period, which includes the Baroque (16001750), Classical (17501830) and Romantic (18151910) periods, and the modern and contemporary period, which includes 20th century (19002000) and contemporary (1975current).

The dates are generalizations, since the periods overlapped and the categories are somewhat arbitrary. For example, the use of counterpoint and fugue, which is considered characteristic of the Baroque era, was continued by Haydn, who is classified as typical of the Classical period. Beethoven, who is often described as a founder of the Romantic period, and Brahms, who is classified as Romantic, also used counterpoint and fugue, but other characteristics of their music define their period. The prefix neo is used to describe a 20th century or contemporary composition written in the style of an earlier period, such as Classical or Romantic. Stravinsky's Pulcinella, for example, is a neoclassical composition because it is stylistically similar to works of the Classical period. [edit] Roots Main article: Ancient music The roots of Western classical music lie in early Christian liturgical music, and its influences date back to the Ancient Greeks. Development of individual tones and scales was done by ancient Greeks such as Aristoxenus and Pythagoras.[11] Pythagoras created a tuning system and helped to codify musical notation. Ancient Greek instruments such as the aulos (a reed instrument) and the lyre (a stringed instrument similar to a small harp) eventually led to the modern-day instruments of a classical orchestra.[12] The antecedent to the early period was the era of ancient music from before the fall of the Roman Empire (476 AD). Very little music survives from this time, most of it from Ancient Greece. [edit] Early Period

A musician plays the vielle in a fourteenth-century Medieval manuscript.

The chanson Belle, bonne, sage by Baude Cordier, an ars subtilior piece included in the Chantilly Codex.

Johannes Ockeghem, Kyrie "Au travail suis," excerpt. Main articles: Medieval music and Renaissance music See also: List of Medieval composers and List of Renaissance composers The Medieval period includes music from after the fall of Rome to about 1400. Monophonic chant, also called plainsong or Gregorian Chant, was the dominant form until about 1100.[13] Polyphonic (multi-voiced) music developed from monophonic chant throughout the late Middle Ages and into the Renaissance, including the more complex voicings of motets. The Renaissance period was from 1400 to 1600. It was characterized by greater use of instrumentation, multiple interweaving melodic lines, and the use of the first bass instruments. Social dancing became more widespread, so musical forms appropriate to accompanying dance began to standardize. It is in this time that the notation of music on a staff and other elements of musical notation began to take shape.[14] This invention made possible the separation of the composition of a piece of music from its transmission; without written music, transmission was oral, and subject to change every time it was transmitted. With a musical score, a work of music could be performed without the composer's presence.[13] The invention of the movable-type printing press in the 15th century had far-reaching consequences on the preservation and transmission of music.[15] Typical stringed instruments of the Early Period include the harp, lute, vielle, and psaltery, while wind instruments included the flute family (including recorder), shawm (an early member of the oboe family), trumpet, and the bagpipe. Simple pipe organs existed, but were largely confined to churches, although there were portable varieties.[16] Later in the period, early versions of keyboard instruments like the

clavichord and harpsichord began to appear. Stringed instruments such as the viol had emerged by the 16th century, as had a wider variety of brass and reed instruments. Printing enabled the standardization of descriptions and specifications of instruments, as well as instruction in their use.[17] [edit] Common Practice Period The Common Practice Period is when many of the ideas that make up western classical music took shape, standardized, or were codified. It began with the Baroque era, running from roughly 1600 to the middle of the 18th century. The Classical era followed, ending roughly around 1820. The Romantic era ran through the 19th century, ending about 1910. [edit] Baroque music

Baroque instruments including hurdy gurdy, harpsichord, bass viol, lute, violin, and baroque guitar. Main article: Baroque music See also: List of Baroque composers Musee Musical School of Music News for This Week 16/12/2011

Baroque music is characterized by the use of complex tonal counterpoint and the use of a basso continuo, a continuous bass line. Music became more complex in comparison with the songs of earlier periods. The beginnings of the sonata form took shape in the canzona, as did a more formalized notion of theme and variations. The tonalities of major and minor as means for managing dissonance and chromaticism in music took full shape.[ During the Baroque era, keyboard music played on the harpsichord and pipe organ became increasingly popular, and the violin family of stringed instruments took the form generally seen today. Vocalists began adding embellishments to melodies. Instrumental ensembles began to distinguish and standardize by size, giving rise to the early orchestra for larger ensembles, with chamber music being written for smaller groups of instruments where parts are played by individual instruments. The theories surrounding equal temperament began to be put in wider practice, especially as it enabled a wider range of chromatic possibilities in hard-to-tune keyboard instruments. Although Bach did not use equal temperament, as a modern piano is generally tuned, changes in the temperaments from the mean tone system, common at

the time, to various temperaments that made modulation between all keys musically acceptable, made possible Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier. [edit] Classical period music

Joseph Haydn (17321809) ca. 1770. Main article: Classical period (music) See also: List of Classical era composers The Classical period, from about 1750 to 1820, established many of the norms of composition, presentation, and style, and was also when the piano became the predominant keyboard instrument. The basic forces required for an orchestra became somewhat standardized (although they would grow as the potential of a wider array of instruments was developed in the following centuries). Chamber music grew to include ensembles with as many as 810 performers for serenades. Opera continued to develop, with regional styles in Italy, France, and German-speaking lands. The opera buffa, a form of comic opera, rose in popularity. The symphony came into its own as a musical form, and the concerto was developed as a vehicle for displays of virtuoso playing skill. Orchestras no longer required a harpsichord (which had been part of the traditional continuo in the Baroque style), and were often led by the lead violinist (now called the concertmaster).[21] Wind instruments became more refined in the Classical period. While double reeded instruments like the oboe and bassoon became somewhat standardized in the Baroque, the clarinet family of single reeds was not widely used until Mozart expanded its role in orchestral, chamber, and concerto settings. [edit] Romantic era music Main article: Romantic music See also: List of Romantic composers The music of the Romantic era, from roughly the second decade of the 19th century to the early 20th century, was characterized by increased attention to an extended melodic line, as well as expressive and

emotional elements, paralleling romanticism in other art forms. Musical forms began to break from the Classical era forms (even as those were being codified), with free-form pieces like nocturnes, fantasias, and preludes being written where accepted ideas about the exposition and development of themes were ignored or minimized.[22] The music became more chromatic, dissonant, and tonally colorful, with tensions (with respect to accepted norms of the older forms) about key signatures increasing.[23] The art song (or Lied) came to maturity in this era, as did the epic scales of grand opera, ultimately transcended by Richard Wagner's Ring cycle.[24] In the 19th century, musical institutions emerged from the control of wealthy patrons, as composers and musicians could construct lives independent of the nobility. Increasing interest in music by the growing middle classes throughout western Europe spurred the creation of organizations for the teaching, performance, and preservation of music. The piano, which achieved its modern construction in this era (in part due to industrial advances in metallurgy) became widely popular with the middle class, whose demands for the instrument spurred a large number of piano builders. Many symphony orchestras date their founding to this era.[23] Some musicians and composers were the stars of the day; some, like Franz Liszt and Niccol Paganini, fulfilled both roles.[25] The family of instruments used, especially in orchestras, grew. A wider array of percussion instruments began to appear. Brass instruments took on larger roles, as the introduction of rotary valves made it possible for them to play a wider range of notes. The size of the orchestra (typically around 40 in the Classical era) grew to be over 100.[23] Gustav Mahler's 1906 Symphony No. 8, for example, has been performed with over 150 instrumentalists and choirs of over 400. European cultural ideas and institutions began to follow colonial expansion into other parts of the world. There was also a rise, especially toward the end of the era, of nationalism in music (echoing, in some cases, political sentiments of the time), as composers such as Edvard Grieg, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, and Antonn Dvok echoed traditional music of their homelands in their compositions.[26][edit] 20th century, modern, and contemporary music

Igor Stravinsky and Pablo Picasso collaborated on Pulcinella in 1920. Main articles: 20th-century classical music, Contemporary classical music, and 21st-century classical music See also: List of 20th-century classical composers by birth date and List of 21st-century classical composers

Modernism (19051985) marked a period when many composers rejected certain values of the common practice period, such as traditional tonality, melody, instrumentation, and structure. Composers, academics, and musicians developed extensions of music theory and technique.[citation needed] 20th century classical music, encompassing a wide variety of post-Romantic styles composed through the year 1999, includes late Romantic, Modern and Postmodern styles of composition. The term "contemporary music" is sometimes used to describe music composed in the late 20th century through to the present day. [edit] Significance of written notation [edit] Modernist view of the significance of the score The modernist views hold that Classical music is considered primarily a written musical tradition, preserved in music notation, as opposed to being transmitted orally, by rote, or by recordings of particular performances. While there are differences between particular performances of a classical work, a piece of classical music is generally held to transcend any interpretation of it. The use of musical notation is an effective method for transmitting classical music, since the written music contains the technical instructions for performing the work. The written score, however, does not usually contain explicit instructions as to how to interpret the piece in terms of production or performance, apart from directions for dynamics, tempo and expression (to a certain extent). This is left to the discretion of the performers, who are guided by their personal experience and musical education, their knowledge of the work's idiom, their personal artistic tastes, and the accumulated body of historic performance practices. [edit] Criticism of the modernist view Some critics express the opinion that it is only from the mid 19th century, and especially in the 20th century, that the score began to hold such a high significance. Previously, improvisation, rhythmic flexibility, improvisatory deviation from the score and oral tradition of playing was integral to style of music. Yet in the 20th century, this oral tradition and passing on of stylistic features within classical music disappeared. Instead, musicians use the score to play music, yet even given the score, there is considerable controversy about how to perform the works. Some of this controversy relates to the fact that this scorecentric approach has led to performing styles that emphasize metrically strict block-rhythms (just as the music is notated in the score). Some quotes that highlight this criticism of modernist overvaluing of the score:

[...]one of the most stubborn modern misconceptions concerning baroque music is that a metronomic regularity was intended (Baroque Interpretation in Grove 5th edition by Robert Donington) Too many teachers, conditioned to 20th Century ideas, teach Bach and other Baroque music exactly the wrong way. This leads to what musicologist Sol Babitz calls "sewing machine Bach."[27] [...] tendency to look alike, sound alike and think alike. The conservatories are at fault and they have been at fault for many years now. Any sensitive musician going around the World has noted the same thing. The conservatories, from Moscow and Leningrad to Juilliard, Curtis and Indiana, are producing a standardized product. [...] clarity, undeviating rhythm, easy technique, "musicianship". I put the word musicianship in quotes, because as often as not, it is a false kind of musicianship a musicianship that sees the tree and not the forest, that takes care of the detail but ignores the big picture; a musicianship that is tied to the printed note rather than to emotional meaning of a piece.

The fact remains that there is a dreadful uniformity today and also an appalling lack of knowledge about the culture and performance traditions of the past. (Music Schools Turning out Robots?[27] by Harold C. Schonberg) [edit] Improvisation Improvisation once played an important role in classical music. A remnant of this improvisatory tradition in classical music can be heard in the cadenza, a passage found mostly in concertos and solo works, designed to allow skilled performers to exhibit their virtuoso skills on the instrument. Traditionally this was improvised by the performer; however, it is often written for (or occasionally by) the performer beforehand. Improvisation is also an important aspect in authentic performances of operas of Baroque era and of bel canto (especially operas of Vincenzo Bellini), and is best exemplified by the da capo aria, a form by which famous singers typically perform variations of the thematic matter of the aria in the recapitulation section ('B section' / the 'da capo' part). An example is Beverly Sills' complex, albeit prewritten, variation of Da tempeste il legno infranto from Hndel's Giulio Cesare. Its written transmission, along with the veneration bestowed on certain classical works, has led to the expectation that performers will play a work in a way that realizes in detail the original intentions of the composer. During the 19th century the details that composers put in their scores generally increased. Yet the opposite trend admiration of performers for new "interpretations" of the composer's work can be seen, and it is not unknown for a composer to praise a performer for achieving a better realization of the original intent than the composer was able to imagine. Thus, classical performers often achieve very high reputations for their musicianship, even if they do not compose themselves. Generally however, it is the composers who are remembered more than the performers. Another consequence of the primacy of the composer's written score is that this has led to the state, where today improvisation plays a relatively minor role in classical music, in sharp contrast to musicians who lived during the baroque, classical and romantic era. Improvisation in classical music performance was common during both the Baroque era and in the nineteenth, yet lessened strongly during the 2nd half of the 19th and in the 20th centuries. Recently the performance of such music by modern classical musicians has been enriched by a revival of the old improvisational practices. During the classical period, Mozart and Beethoven often improvised the cadenzas to their piano concertos (and thereby encouraged others to do so), but they also provided written cadenzas for use by other soloists. In opera, the practice of singing strictly by the score i.e. come scritto, is famously propagated by Maria Callas, who called this practice 'straitjacketing' and implied that it allows the intention of the composer to be understood better, especially during studying the music for the first time. Relationship to other music traditions Classical music has often incorporated elements or material from popular music of the composer's time. Examples include occasional music such as Brahms' use of student drinking songs in his Academic Festival Overture, genres exemplified by Kurt Weill's The Threepenny Opera, and the influence of jazz on early- and mid-20th century composers including Maurice Ravel, exemplified by the movement entitled "Blues" in his sonata for violin and piano.[28] Certain postmodern, minimalist and postminimalist classical composers acknowledge a debt to popular music.[29]

There are numerous examples of influence in the opposite direction, including popular songs based on classical music, the use to which Pachelbel's Canon has been put since the 1970s, and the musical crossover phenomenon, where classical musicians have achieved success in the popular music arena.[30] [edit] Folk music Composers of classical music have often made use of folk music (music created by musicians who are commonly not classically trained, often from a purely oral tradition). Some composers, like Dvok and Smetana,[31] have used folk themes to impart a nationalist flavor to their work, while others (like Bartk) have used specific themes lifted whole from their folk-music origins.[32] [edit] Commercialism Certain staples of classical music are often used commercially (either in advertising or in movie soundtracks). In television commercials, several passages have become clichd, particularly the opening of Richard Strauss' Also sprach Zarathustra (made famous in the film 2001: A Space Odyssey) and the opening section "O Fortuna" of Carl Orff's Carmina Burana; other examples include the Dies Irae from the Verdi Requiem, Edvard Grieg's In the Hall of the Mountain King from Peer Gynt, the opening bars of Beethoven's Symphony No. 5, Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries from Die Walkre, Rimsky-Korsakov's "Flight of the Bumblebee", and excerpts of Aaron Copland's Rodeo. Similarly, movies and television often revert to standard, clichd snatches of classical music to convey refinement or opulence: some of the most-often heard pieces in this category include Mozart's Eine kleine Nachtmusik, Vivaldi's Four Seasons, Mussorgsky's Night on Bald Mountain (as orchestrated by RimskyKorsakov), and Rossini's William Tell Overture. [edit] Education Main article: Music education Throughout history, parents have often made sure that their children receive classical music training from a young age. Some parents pursue music lessons for their children for social reasons or in an effort to instill a sense of self-discipline.[citation needed] Some believe that knowledge of important works of classical music is part of a good general education. During the 1990s, several research papers and popular books wrote on what came to be called the "Mozart effect": an observed temporary, small elevation of scores on certain tests as a result of listening to Mozart's works. The approach has been popularized in a book by Don Campbell, and is based on an experiment published in Nature suggesting that listening to Mozart temporarily boosted students' IQ by 8 to 9 points.[33] This popularized version of the theory was expressed succinctly by a New York Times music columnist: "researchers... have determined that listening to Mozart actually makes you smarter."[34] Promoters marketed CDs claimed to induce the effect. Florida passed a law requiring toddlers in state-run schools to listen to classical music every day, and in 1998 the governor of Georgia budgeted $105,000 per year to provide every child born in Georgia with a tape or CD of classical music. One of the co-authors of the original studies of the Mozart effect commented "I don't think it can hurt. I'm all for exposing children to wonderful cultural experiences. But I do think the money could be better spent on music education programs."[35]

Medieval History (Plainchant through Machaut) Musee Musical School of Music News for This Week 09/12/2011

Western classical music history is traditionally understood as beginning with plainchant the vocal religious practice of the Roman Catholic Church. Plainchant was transmitted by memory until the early 9th century, when the Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne arranged for it to be notated, and for standardized plainchant books to be distributed to churches and monasteries across Europe. Limited in pitch range and monophonic (i.e., composed of a single melody with no accompaniment), plainchant was sung largely by monks, nuns, and clerics rather than by professional singers. Plainchant was sung in the Divine Offices, eight daily prayer services using Old Testament texts, and in the Mass, a midmorning celebration of the life and death of Jesus Christ. In the 10th and 11th centuries, composers began setting sacred texts polyphonically (i.e., with more than one melody at the same time). Leonin wrote polyphonic settings of the texts sung on the most important occasions of the Christian year, such as Christmas and Easter. Some sections of Leonin's polyphony were sped up and rhythmicized; later composers added the words of devotional poems to Leonin's notes. This example uses the Alleluia pascha nostrum plainchant as its tenor; it was sung as part of Easter services at the spectacular Gothic cathedral Notre Dame of Paris. Musee Musical School of Music News for This Week 26/11/2011

Julian Pavone (USA) breaks the Guinness World Record as The Youngest Professional Drummer as of March 21, 2010 when he was 5 years 10 months and 3 days old. Previously, the record had been held by Tiger Onitsuka (Japan), who was 9 years 289 days old. Julian is considered a drumming prodigy. He began playing the drums while sitting on his father's lap at the age of three months. At 15 months-old, he was offered a contract to be a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers' drumline, making him the youngest member by 16 years! He is currently 7 years-old and plays a 22-piece custom drum set with 17 cymbals. He has appeared on more than 150 television and news shows. Julian has performed live on numerous radio stations around the world and for many concert venues. He has received numerous honors and awards, including "Maury's Most Talented Kid" of 2009, "The 2007 Rock and Roll Lifetime Achievement Award", and at age 3, was one of "Oprah's Most Talented Kids. He invented and received a patent for "Abracadabra" Stain Cover-up at age 4. His SECOND invention, "Julian's Drum Gloves" is patent pending. Julian is currently working on his sophomore CD with Michael J. Powell, a four-time Grammy Award inning producer who has also produced such legends as Aretha Franklin and Anita Baker. Musee Musical School of Music News for This Week NEWS TIP : Monster Guitarist Randall Padilla is the fastest guitarist in the world and currently under Guinness record 02/12/2011

Richard Jarnefelt is a professional pianist with un - comparable music repertoire. His achievement was certified and honored by Guinness World Record in 1999 when he played 3000 songs from memory. The former British Prime Minister James Callaghan was asked in his last days whether there was anything he regretted not achieving. He replied that he wished he could have written Beethovens 9 symphonies. His symphonies are famous and the odd numbered symphonies are v.famous and important.

ulian Pavone of USA is the youngest professional Drummer. He was 5yrs and 10 months old when he broke the record in 2010. He is considered as a drumming prodigy.

Twelve-string guitars. The twelve-string guitar usually has steel strings and is widely used in folk music, blues, and rock and roll. Rather than having only six strings, the 12string guitar has six courses made up of two strings each, like a mandolin or lute. When baking cakes, cookies, breads or pies, ensure that the oven is preheated to the correct temperature as the recipe demands. It is the simplest rule for getting perfect results. When baking, use the setting that gives both top and bottom heat. Musee Musical School of Music - News for This Week 10/01/2012

Top Five Classical Record Holders Music aficionados can argue for days over which pianist employs the best technique to play Chopin, which conductors interpretation of Mahler is truest, or which house has the most glorious acoustics without coming to a resolution. Some claims, thanks to the Guinness World Record Book keepers, are incontrovertible. Weve compiled our five favorite record holders: 1. Best-Selling Classical Album : When two Guinness Record HoldersLuciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo (who would go on to receive the longest amount of applause, 80 minutes, following his 1991 performance of Otello in Vienna)joined a third tenor, Jos Carreras, for a concert on the eve of the 1990 World Cup Final, the trio was destined to make history. The resulting album, The Three Tenors in Concert, still holds the record for the best-selling classical album with more than 12 million copies purchased. 2. Longest Career as a Professional Clarinetist : Stanley Drucker, the much beloved former principal clarinetist at the New York Philharmonic, had an illustrious career, premiering both Aaron Coplands and John Coriglianos concertos for the instrument. His tenure also garnered the notice of the Guinness officials who presented him with the record for the longest career as a professional clarinetist. Drucker performed for 62 years, seven months and one day (60 of those years were with the Philharmonic). Said the Phils chairman, Paul B. Guenther: Not only is he is a true treasure, but he is also a really nice guy. 3. Fastest Fingers: The flashy Hungarian pianist Balazs Havasi, is known for pushing limits. He has produced crossover albums with pop stars, spoken at TED conferences, and on November 29, 2009 attempted to set the world record for the fastest fingers on a keyboard. The nimble pianist was able to play a single note 498 times in one minute (thats faster than eight times per second) to capture the record for most key hits in 60 seconds. 4. Fastest Violinist: Eight notes per second is nothing for the classically trained crossover violinist David Garrett. The worlds fastest violin player raced through Rimsky-Korsakovs Flight of the Bumblebee at a blazing 13 notes per secondamazingly, the well-known tune is still recognizableduring a BBC program.

5. Most Pianists Playing One Piece at the Same Time: In 2006, the British pianist Stanislav Yovanovitch visited Harbin, a city on the Northeastern spur of China for its annual music festival. During his time there, he joined 1,000 fellow players in a mass rendition Schubert's March Militaire in the city square. The event set the world record for most pianists playing one piece at the same time. That concert was one of the items the city listed on its rsum to help it win an official recognition as Music City from the United Nations. Musee Musical School of Music News for This Week 17/01/2012

Western music originated as a form of American folk music. It was originally composed by and about the people who settled and worked throughout the Western United States and Western Canada. Directly related musically to old English, Scottish, and Irish folk ballads, Western music celebrates the life of the cowboy on the open ranges and prairies of Western North America.[ The Mexican music of the American Southwest also influenced the development of this genre. Western music was associated with country music only because of Billboard chart classification. For the artists that wrote and performed Western music, this association as a sub-genre of country music is erroneous. Western music shows no historical origination with the music that came from the southeastern parts of the United States Western music Stylistic origins Cultural origins Typical instruments Traditional American and immigrant music American West

Fiddle - Mandolin - GuitarBass fiddle - Steel Guitar Banjo - Harmonica - Piano Snare drum Western swing

Derivative forms Life

is an opportunity, benefit from it. Life is beauty, admire it. Life is a dream, realize it. Life is a challenge, meet it.

Life is a duty, complete it. Life is a game, play it. Life is a promise, fulfill it. Life is sorrow, overcome it. Life is a song, sing it. Life is a struggle, accept it. Life is a tragedy, confront it. Life is an adventure, dare it. Life is luck, make it. Life is too precious, do not destroy it. Life is life, fight for it.
Mother Teresa If music be the food of love, play on, Give me excess of it; that surfeiting, The appetite may sicken, and so die. William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night QUOTES "The guitar is a wonderful instrument, which is understood by few." Franz Schubert "The instrument most complete and richest in its harmonic and polyphonic possibilities." Manuel de Falla "I love the guitar for its harmony; it is my constant companion in all my travels." Nicolo Paganini "Nothing is more beautiful than a guitar, save perhaps two." Frederic Chopin A portable companion always ready to go where you go - a small friend weighing less than a fresh born infant to be shared with a few or many - just two of you in sweet meditation." Carl Sandburg Musee Musical School of Music

News for This Week Jazz, Blues, and World Music

31/01/2012

Much of the music that is popular today cannot really be classified as completely Western or NonWestern. Since colonial times, when European cultures came into contact with many Non-Western cultures, musicians on all sides have been experimenting with music that is a blend of "the best of both worlds." Many musical styles have been invented that mix Western and Non-Western traditions. Perhaps the oldest and most widely popular of these styles are the ones that join European and African musical traditions. These include various Latin (from Central and South America, some of which also include Native American influences) and Caribbean traditions, and from North America, many different kinds of jazz and blues. Most American popular musics also grew out of this blending of traditions. But the process of inventing new ways of fusing Western and Non-Western music continues today in countries all over the world. The term World Music is often used as a catch-all category referring to almost any music with widespread popularity that clearly does not sound like North American popular music. This includes older blended traditions such as rumba and samba, newer but well-established blended genres such as reggae and Afrobeat, and groups with unique experimental sounds borrowing from more than one tradition. Folk and traditional music from around the world is also sometimes included, but the most popular genres in this category tend to be those, such as Flamenco, Hungarian folk, and Celtic music, that are easy for Western-trained ears to understand. African-American traditions are so basic to popular music that they are generally not included in World music, but other North American traditions, such as Native American and Cajun traditions, sometimes are. Musee Musical School of Music News for This Week Tonal, Atonal, and Modal Music Western music has not remained static through the centuries, either. It has changed and evolved as composers experimented with new sounds, ideas, and even new or evolving instruments. Medieval European music, like many Non-Western traditions, was modal. This means that a piece of music was not in a particular key based on a major or minor scale. Instead, it was in a particular mode. A mode may look very much like a scale, since it lists the notes that are "allowed" in the piece of music and defines the tonic of the music. But a mode is usually also a collection of melodies, melodic phrases, or patterns that are found in that mode and not others (since the various modes are more different from each other than the various scales). Modes also may imply or suggest specific moods or they may be meant to have particular effects on the character of the listener. Different keys may also evoke different moods, but the main purpose of a key is to define the chords and harmonic progressions that will be expected from a piece of music. From the Renaissance to the present day, most Western music has tended to be tonal. Tonal music is music in which the progression of the melody and harmony gives the strong feeling that the piece has a note and chord that are its "home base", so to speak (the tonic of the key). Think of a very familiar tune, perhaps "Row, Row, Row your Boat" or "Happy Birthday to You". Imagine how frustrating it would be to end that tune without singing the last note or playing the final chord. If you did this, most people would be so dissatisfied that they might supply 24/01/2012

that last note for you. That note is the tonal center of the tune, and without it, there is a feeling that the song has not reached its proper resting place. In tonal music, just about any melody is allowed, as long as it fits into the harmonies as they wander away from and then head back to their home base. Most Western tonal music is based on major and minor scales, both of which easily give that strongly tonal feeling. Some other scales, such as blues scales, also work well within a tonal framework, but others, such as whole-tone scales, do not. Musee Musical School of Music News for This Week 01/02/2012

Most of the Western music that is popular today is tonal, but around the beginning of the twentieth century, composers of "Classical" or Art music began experimenting with methods of composing atonal music. "Atonal" literally means "not tonal". As the name implies, atonal music treats all notes and harmonies as equal and in fact tries to avoid melodies and harmonies that will make the piece sound tonal. One type of atonal music is twelve-tone music, which seeks to use each of the notes of the chromatic scale equally. Other pieces may even dispense with the idea that music has to consist of notes; compositions may be collections of sounds and silences. Since the music is not organized by the familiar rules of Western music, many people have trouble appreciating atonal music without some help or study. Music can be more or less tonal without becoming completely atonal, however. Music that does not stray at all from its key is called diatonic. Many Western children's songs, folk songs, and pop songs are in this category. But composers often add some notes or even whole sections of music that are from a different key, to make the music a little more complex and interesting. Music that goes even further, and freely uses all the notes of the chromatic scale, but still manages to have a tonal "home", is called chromatic. Music that has more than one tonal centre at the same time (Ives was particularly fond of this composition technique) is called polytonal. Musee Musical School of Music News for This Week Classical and Art Music Popular music is, by definition, music that appeals to many people. You don't have to know anything about music to like a pop tune - it's "catchy". Art music is a catch-all term for any music that is enjoyed by a smaller crowd. This can include the more challenging types of jazz and rock music, as well as Classical. Most people agree that the appreciation of art music requires some study, careful listening, or other extra effort. But it can be harder to agree on what exactly belongs in this category. This is at least partly because popular tastes do change. For example, most operas were written to be popular, middle-class entertainments, and artists such as Liszt and Paganini enjoyed rock-star-like fame and popularity in their day. Today, however, nineteenth century operas are no longer considered popular entertainment, and popular works that could technically be considered opera - except for the fact that they are written in popular musical styles - are instead grouped with musicals. As another example, ragtime was wildly popular during Scott Joplin's lifetime. It later fell out of favour and was known only to some jazz connoisseurs. Then in the 1970's it became popular again. 08/02/2012

Classical music is a confusing term with more than one meaning. In the visual arts, the term classical refers to ancient Greece and Rome. In the 1700's, Western Europeans became very interested in the ancient classical style, which was imitated by many artists, sculptors, and architects. Art historians call that period the neoclassical ("new classical"). Unfortunately, nobody really knows what the music of ancient times sounded like. So instead of being influenced by the sound of ancient Greek music, eighteenth-century composers were influenced by the ideals of classical art. The music of Mozart, Haydn, and the early works of Beethoven are in this style, which we call classical rather than neoclassical, because the original classical music of ancient Greece and Rome is lost. So the original classical music comes from one fairly short era. The other great composers of Western music lived during other periods: Bach and Handel were Baroque era composers, for example; Brahms and Wagner, Romantic; and Ravel and Debussy, Impressionist. But most people do not know which music is from which period. So all of the music of the great Western composers of the past (as well as modern art music that is part of the same tradition) is lumped together and called classical. The art music of other cultures is also often called classical; for example, people speak of the classical music of India. Top 10 Reasons Why the Piano is the Greatest Instrument! 1. The sound! 2. Of the available written music, most is written for the piano. 3. You can play many notes at the same time. (Try that on a tuba!) 4. Of the famous musicians, most were pianists. 5. Of performing musicians, more pianists have performed for U.S. presidents than any other instrumentalists. 6. Unlike the trombone, you cant ding it or dent it! (Only plink it or plunk it!) 7. You never have to take the piano to school for practice. (One is already there!) 8. Most western composers have used the piano to compose over any other instrument. 9. Most vocal soloists employ the use of the piano to accompany them. 10. Every string in the piano places 1000 lbs. of tension on the pianos structural frame. So, pound for pound, the piano can surely hold its own weight! Bonus reason: The piano is the only instrument that has another instrument already inside of it! (the harp) Top 10 Ways to Motivate a Music Student

1. Learn a song they know. I know this sounds obvious, but sometimes the obvious isn't so obvious. The fact is that people like to play songs with which they are familiar. It may not be the "correct" song for the sequence of learning that you have subscribed for the student, and it may not even be a song you like. But in the interest of turning the student onto playing the piano, sometimes we need to abandon our curriculum and our own musical tastes in order to better serve our students! 2. Play the song for them. I can hear the exclamation across the internet wires, "But they won't learn to read!" Maybe not, but if they are not motivated they will quit and then our chances of sharing music with them have just become zero. At least, for a short time, if we play for them they may still continue with their lessons and we will still at least have the opportunity to share with them the gift of music! 3. Let them hear a professional performance of their instrument. Take them to a concert. Bring a video tape to the lesson. Spend a lesson listening to a recording of a professional playing the instrument they are learning. Share with your student your love for the performance!

4. Create a performance opportunity. I prefer to call them "Events of Recognition". The piano student's education can be a lonely one. Unlike other instrumentalists, young pianists usually do not have many ensemble experiences in which to share their music. Eventually, if they become "good enough" they will be able to play with a band, or as the accompanist to a school choir or soloist. But, until then they practice and practice alone, being encouraged to grow each week by their teacher. How straining on their need for recognition! Provide an opportunity for your students to be recognized for their efforts. A yearly recital in which the quality of the performance is not as important as the student's desire to share her music An afternoon performance at a local nursing home (The residents are usually ecstatic about having young people and music "in the house". It's an awesome combination!) Or how about a piano club that meets at a local yogurt shop or cafe once a month? The possibilities are only limited by your imagination! 5. Listen to them. I don't mean musically, I mean as a person, as a young person that is motivated by his emotions. As a person who is trying to figure out what this world is all about. "People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care." Recognize their feelings. 6. Give out rewards. Not something I prefer to do, but none the less, something that at times does work. My reason for not handing out rewards is two-fold. First, I prefer to motivate intrinsically, to focus on how great it feels to set a goal and then accomplish it. And second, my experience has shown that students then have leverage on me. The "I'll produce when you give me something" syndrome. I want them to focus on themselves as the cause and effect for their experience in their lives, not on the external factors. 7. Validate them. Similar to number 5, let students know how you feel about them and how the music they make allows you to feel. It usually sounds like this, "Wow, Mark, when you play the piece that fast I feel like getting up an dancing. It feels so exciting to me!" (Substitute the appropriate emotions with the piece!). Be cautious to avoid

praising. Validation is much more powerful because it shares the emotion; it shares your emotional experience of their performance. Praise simply critiques the performance. ("That was good.") 8. Have them compose their own song. It's o.k. if they can't yet notate it. Do it for them, or better yet, let them create the notation that works for themselves. What a wonderful way to gain insight into how our present notational system was created. Overall, simply allow them the opportunity to express themselves through their instrument. 9. Participate in a role reversal lesson. Let them be you and you become them. It's amazing the insights I have gained by being my student's student. I have learned about their perception of me and my delivery. It's often not how I intended it to be and I then have the opportunity then change it. It's also a fun activity! 10. Review old songs. What a perfect opportunity to brush up on old repertoire! There are times in every student's education that are not times to learn more "new stuff". These are times for digestion and celebration. Times to sit back and simply feel good about our accomplishments. Usually they are times that are not taken often enough.

Let your kids explore music. The first year a child plays an instrument is an exploratory year. The goal of the music educator is not to quickly turn a child into a virtuoso, but to help instill a love of music. Try group lessons. We find that most kids do better in group lessons because they like the social interaction. Show up for lessons. Parents should try to attend a child's first few music lessons. Knowing what's going on in the class will allow you to better help your young music student at home. Help kids learn the basics.

Learning the fundamentals is very important. Violin students, for example, will need to learn to hold the bow correctly and develop proper posture. Stay connected. One of the most important things you can do as a parent is to stay in touch with your child's instructor. You may find that email is the easiest way to do this. Keep the instrument handy. Children can get really attached to their instrument. It's important for parents to leave the instrument out, rather than storing it away, so that the child can always have access to it. Don't make practice a chore. In the first year of study, don't force practice. Instead offer encouragement and show that you're interested in how your son or daughter is doing. When you're folding laundry or doing paperwork, for example, have your child perform a mini concert of songs he or she is learning.
Musee Musical School of Music News for This Week 15/02/2012

Music and Child Development

"The word is out: Researchers have discovered a way to make kids smarter. And savvy parents are signing their children up for private music lessons while school boards debate the role of music in the public school curriculum." These are the words of Joan Schmidt, member of the board of directors of the National School Boards Association, in support of music programs in our schools.

Statistics indicate that if your child participates in music, he or she is likely to earn higher grades and score better on standardized tests. Now there is powerful evidence of a cause and effect link between music instruction and intelligence.

A study conducted by psychologist Dr. Frances Rauscher of the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh and physicist Gordon Shaw of the University of California at Irvine produced startling results. Preschoolers who received piano instruction scored 34% higher than those who did not study piano in tests to measure spatial-temporal reasoning that function necessary to understand math, science and engineering. They also scored higher by the same margin than children who studied computer skills! There are dozens of recent scientific studies which indicate that music making is a key component of

academic and social success. These findings show that music training at a young age may actually change how your brain works. Brain imaging has shown that a region called the planum temporale (which is involved in auditory perception) in the left hemisphere of the brain is larger in musicians compared to non musicians. Researchers have found that the left side of the brain may be more developed in musicians, and therefore, adults with music training have better verbal memory than non-musicians. *Research shows that children who participate in the arts on a regular basis are: 4 times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement 3 times more likely to be elected to class office 4 times more likely to participate in a math and science fair 3 times more likely to win an award for school attendance 4 times more likely to win an award for writing an essay or poem *In addition, young arts participants as compared with their peers are likely to: Read for pleasure nearly twice as often Participate in youth groups nearly 4 times as frequently Perform community service nearly twice as often Musee Musical School of Music News for This Week 22 /02/2012

Practice Makes Perfect - Tips for getting the most out of your practice sessions 1. Try to set up a regular time to begin your practice each day. 2. Eliminate distractions. Make sure you have a place to yourself to practice without other activity swirling around you. 3. Don't miss a day - even if you only get in a few minutes of practice time. 4. Keep your practice sessions at a reasonable length. If you get bored, frustrated, or if your mind starts to wander, take a break. Try splitting up your practice time into 2 or more shorter sessions during the day. 5. Resist the temptation to try to "make up" for lost time by doing an extra long practice session after missing a day or more. You may strain muscles you are aiming to train, and put yourself further behind in the process. 7. Warm up at the beginning of your practice session with scales, arpeggios, technique exercises. Slowly waking up your muscles and your brain will make you more ready for the challenges of the pieces you will work on. 8. Zoom in on the hard parts of a piece. Figure out what specifically is hard about it. Is it the rhythm? The shifting to a new position? An awkward series of notes? Then take it apart and break it down by sections, measure by measure or note by note - whatever it takes to get it. And SLOW DOWN to a crawl if you have to until you get it correct. Then you can go back and gradually build it up to speed. 11. Look for recurring patterns in the music you are working on.

12. On piano, practice hands separately first.

13. Circle passages you can't figure out and ask your teacher to help you with that specific part at your next lesson.

14. Reward yourself after a good practice session! Have a snack you love, play basketball with your friends, watch a favorite TV show - whatever. 15. Make it musical. Knowing the notes isn't enough. To really make music, you must go beyond the

notes and make it beautiful. Don't wait until its note perfect to start doing this. Do it in each practice session.

Practice Makes Perfect - Tips for getting the most out of your practice sessions

1.

Try to set up a regular time to begin your practice each day.

2. Eliminate distractions. Make sure you have a place to yourself to practice without other activity swirling around you. 3. Don't miss a day - even if you only get in a few minutes of practice time. 4. Keep your practice sessions at a reasonable length. If you get bored, frustrated, or if your mind starts to wander, take a break. Try splitting up your practice time into 2 or more shorter sessions during the day. 5. Resist the temptation to try to "make up" for lost time by doing an extra long practice session after missing a day or more. You may strain muscles you are aiming to train, and put yourself further behind in the process. 7. Warm up at the beginning of your practice session with scales, arpeggios, technique exercises. Slowly waking up your muscles and your brain will make you more ready for the challenges of the pieces you will work on. 8. Zoom in on the hard parts of a piece. Figure out what specifically is hard about it. Is it the rhythm? The shifting to a new position? An awkward series of notes? Then take it apart and break it down by sections, measure by measure or note by note - whatever it takes to get it. And SLOW DOWN to a crawl if you have to until you get it correct. Then you can go back and gradually build it up to speed. 11. Look for recurring patterns in the music you are working on. 12. On piano, practice hands separately first. 13. Circle passages you can't figure out and ask your teacher to help you with that specific part at your next lesson. 14. Reward yourself after a good practice session! Have a snack you love, play basketball with your friends, watch a favorite TV show - whatever. 15. Make it musical. Knowing the notes isn't enough. To really make music, you must go beyond the notes and make it beautiful. Don't wait until its note perfect to start doing this. Do it in each practice session.

Play pieces that you enjoy playing or pieces that you know well! Never give up. The fingering, speed, and chords in some pieces may be frustrating and difficult, but push through it. If you get frustrated, step away from the piano for a few minutes until you are ready to play again. The more you practice, the better you will perform. Don't give up! If you do take piano lessons, remember this: You are very lucky; many parents want their child to learn piano, but not all can afford it.

You may like to accompany a singer on piano and perhaps form a rhythm section with other instruments. Learn to sight read music. This will allow you to play a large range of pieces without learning them from memory. If you're at a recital and your hands shake wildly, sit on your hands for a few minutes before you go out to play. It calms them down. Find the right teacher! Your relationship with your teacher can affect the way you feel about practicing, so arrange for a trial period of a few weeks to find out if there's a good fit. Parents, especially--pay attention! If you are shy, practice playing in front of your family and friends. They will enjoy it, and in time, so will you. Learning music theory is fun and is the best way to become a great musician, whether you want to play classical, jazz or pop. Always follow the fingering on the piece (although there are certain exceptions). While some of the finger positions may feel awkward at first, following them will help you play more smoothly, since you won't have to adjust your hand position because you cannot reach the next note. The exceptions on fingering are rare but important. Male and female hands have slightly different shapes with the length of the index and ring fingers being different. Also, if your hands are small, some stretches simply aren't possible. However, 95% of the time the printed fingering is right, so persevere and it will make sense. Hand and body posture are very important. Slouching gives a bad impression and having a bad hand posture will be counter-productive to your practice. Keep your wrists loose and your hands flexible. Keep your fingers at a natural curve, as if you were holding your hands at your side. This gives you more power in your finger strokes. Listen to your notes and tune your ears to the keys' pitches. This is needed on some advanced piano tests and will allow you to impress your friends by playing blindfolded! Do not keep your foot on the sustaining pedal; it blurs your chords together and makes them sound "muddy." It is better to play too slowly than to play too quickly when you are performing. Play evenly and with a great deal of care in your touch and you will sound professional. Keep a regular, steady rhythm while you are playing. Just playing rhythmically makes a piece sound a lot better. Consider buying a metronome to help with this. Play simple pieces by ear and make your own arrangements of them. This will help you to become less dependent on written music. When you are playing by ear, keep going! Do not start sections of the piece over again. If you miss a chord one time, you can practice so that you'll play it the next time. The main thing is to overcome repetition and hesitation and learn to play a piece through smoothly when you are performing it. In addition to studying traditional chord relationships (harmony), take a class in composition and listen to as much music as you can. Community colleges offer excellent instruction in music theory, history, and composition. Playing with other people in ensembles is also an excellent idea. Get used to the idea that some of the pianos you will be playing will not sound amazing or be in perfect tune. This is one of the hazards of being a piano player--you can't carry your favorite instrument with you. Try to make the best of things when you are playing an inferior instrument. A good pianist can usually make a bad piano sound reasonably good--although some pianos are in such bad condition that you should feel free to say that you cannot play that piano.

If you want to correctly use the sustain pedal, play a chord, press the pedal down, and then a split second AFTER you play your next chord, carefully lift up the sustain pedal and put it back down. Whenever you change chords or play notes from a different chord, "reset" the sustain pedal. Do NOT "bump" the pedal by changing it too fast. Always listen to yourself when you pedal. Your ears will tell you if the sound is blurred or not. For Intermediate/Advanced players: Try playing through that new piece using the chords written above the grand staff. Use your left hand to play octaves and your right hand to play the chord. Start off using the first inversion of every chord, then for a challenge, limit yourself to using only one octave and trying out different inversions of chords. Don't freak out when you can't play a measure (or two). Just take a short break. Give yourself some time to clam down before you attack the problem again. For players with some experience: Eventually, you will play faster pieces that are also long. If you keep pushing on the keys, you will tire out before you even finish the first page. To prevent this, lift your fingers up higher for louder notes and move your wrist so that it "follows the notes" - as the keys you press make higher and higher sounds, your wrist gets nearer and nearer to the right side of the piano when you're facing it. Do the opposite when the sounds made by the keys get lower and lower. However, if you overdo it, there'll be no point. Curve your fingers for a stronger tone and a better quality of music. Resist the temptation of playing flat fingered.

Playing the piano is a great skill to have in life and learning is great fun - although the first few weeks are quite an effort. Pianos can be very expensive, so if you can't afford to buy one, keyboards are an excellent, cheaper alternative. There are also some great crossovers such as digital grands from brands like Roland and Yamaha. If you can afford a piano, there are several criteria you should consider before buying yourself a piano. Before buying a piano, make certain you are willing to practice for thirty or more minutes each day. If you're not, then save yourself the expense of buying the piano and books or lessons. If you have the passion to learn, you can often borrow a piano from someone or get an old piano that someone is getting rid of. Arrange for music lessons with a teacher in your area. The classifieds or a referral from a friend are good places to start. Many schools and colleges offer piano lessons at a subsidized cost. Ask other piano students for feedback about their books or teachers. Make up your mind. If you do not want to take piano lessons you can learn by yourself. However, you do have your work cut out for you. Teaching yourself how to play well is a tremendous task, but it can be done. Specific computer games can also help if you want to have a bit of fun while you learn. There are some free games on the Internet that can help you with both reading music and playing piano, such as 'Jayde Musica', or 'Grand Staff Defender'. There are also electronic devices that can aide in your piano practicing. For example, the PianoMaestro is a strip of lights that rests on top of the black keys of your piano. The lights guide you on which notes to play, enabling you to progress faster and stay motivated Make certain your teacher or lesson book includes time spent learning all aspects of the piano, including chords and theory, as well as learning pieces by heart in the curriculum.

Practice daily for at least thirty minutes or more. Your fingers will "rust" if you do not play for even a week. However, you may find that a short break or holiday is alright, provided you practice diligently. At first, practicing might be a pain and you might get very frustrated. As your skills grow, you will become better and playing piano will become pure enjoyment. It's best to warm up at the beginning of every practice session with a relaxing finger exercise. This will stretch your fingers and hands and help you play with your hands relaxed. When you play, you should be able to see your finger bones move. Let your hand just hang and move only your fingers . Play cover versions of songs that you like so you can learn from the greats and how to play the piano more. Remember that it's worth the effort and will make you a much better piano player when your teacher asks you to learn a hard piece. While there are many ways to practice, here's a good one for beginners. First, try to sightread the piece without worrying if you make mistakes. Then practice each hand separately. Break the music into segments and learn the right hand part. Learn segment by segment, then connect them together. Keep practicing until you've mastered the right hand. Play through the entire piece. If you make a mistake, try to pick up from the beginning of that measure. Starting from the beginning each time you make a mistake will mean you learn the start of the song very well and perhaps never reach the end! Be patient, this process will enable you to get through the entire piece flawlessly. Once you've mastered the right hand, repeat the process with the left hand. Then, repeat the process again, this time for both hands. Take a new piece apart by learning one or two measures at a time, and going over it again and again. The next day, do the same thing with the next few measures, and then include the last measures and play them all together. By practicing this way, you can spend quality time listening to how they sound and making sure your fingers know where to go and when. Try not to repeat your mistakes. When you are learning a new piece, break it down into simple parts that you can practice without making a lot of mistakes. And play slowly. For example, practice each hand separately. After you have determined the fingering you are going to follow, play both hands together in short sections. Eventually put the sections together. Do not try to play at normal speed until you are secure in your fingering and notes. Then increase the speed gradually. Play the piece until you memorize it and you can play fluently. Improvise and think notes. "Thinking notes" means that you know every single note that you're playing. While that sounds easy, it can be very challenging. Play a piece that you have memorized and can play very well. Now, name every note that you played without looking at the piano. Then, take a melody you've heard on TV or somewhere else and try to play it using your ear. Learn to know all the notes that you're playing. While playing by ear is good, it's a lot better if you know every note that you play. The key to playing the piano well is discipline. Discipline yourself into practicing piano and doing your best. Listen to the music, and try to flow with the song. It'll sound better. Make sure you try to make no mistakes, and afterwards, you'll do well. Also, play the arpeggios, the chords, the scales, and all of the other basic things. Your fingers will be "warmed up" and ready for all of your songs. Play when ever you can, even if it's not your piano. Be like Paul McCartney; he can't walk by a piano with out a very strong urge to play it, the only time he does not play it is if he would get in trouble! Hope, believe, dream, and practice!

Study the physical instrument itself. Learn the names and functions of the guitar parts, and how they work together to make sounds. Learn how sound is emitted from the guitar, and how tension affects the strings. A half hour spent on this basic understanding will be repaid many times over throughout your learning and playing time.

each yourself as many different ways to play a chord as you can. For instance, there are 10 different fret hand positions for which to play the C chord. Obviously, go for a 'perfect' open C chord first, but the more ways you know to play a chord, the more flexibility you'll have in moving from one chord to another. This can also come in handy if you decide to try composing new music. Practice daily (5 out of 7 days minimum) for at least a half hour. If you want to learn quickly, you must force-feed your brain with guitar. This entails learning how to have a good ear for changes in sound/pitch/intonation, comfortably positioning your body (including leg, back, shoulder and arm positions), strum-hand coordination and technique, fret hand coordination and technique, and most importantly, fret hand muscle memory. Practice the chords and hand positions silently while watching TV or talking to a friend. Learning fret hand muscle memory is much more difficult than learning strum hand muscle memory (excluding finger picking). You don't have to use your other hand at all, just go over the different chords over and over. Television or a conversation will help you avoid looking down at your hands too much. However, when learning the chord positions you should study your fingers intently - make sure you get the chord position correct so that your muscle memory is correct. Over time, look at your fingers less often, but still check that you have achieved the correct position. Over time your confidence in your finger position for chords will grow and you will not have to look so often. Build calluses on your fingertips. This will be painful, and will make your fingers hurt. Once you develop calluses though, the pain you once felt will surprisingly disappear. The length of time this takes is up to you. The more you practice, the faster it will happen. There are several callus-building products you can buy as well. Learn barre chords along with open chords. Don't skip barre chords simply because they're difficult. As with developing calluses, the more you play the easier it will become. Barring a chord is almost entirely dependent upon the strength in your fret hand. Build up the muscles in your fret hand by repeatedly squeezing a tennis ball or similar object for 5 minutes, a few times a day. (Be careful though, this can lead to Repetitive Stress Syndrome) Allow yourself to become frustrated. It's inevitable. It's normal. That chord you've been trying to voice cleanly for the past few days, or even weeks, will in time sound clear and distinct. Keep working at it and before you know it, just strumming along, you'll try again to voice that chord perfectly and will do so. Practice. Practice. Practice. Practice makes perfect isn't just some old wives' tale. When practicing, strive for quality; if you practice sloppily you'll be making bad habits permanent. A better aphorism in fact might be, "Practice makes permanent." Also, just as weight-training athletes rotate their exercises, focusing on

one part of the body one day, it's possible to practice passages focusing on different aspects - tone, smoothness, speed, accuracy. By concentrating on different practice facets of the music separately, you can hone your skills and improve your overall playing! Play along with CD versions of songs you like. The CD player is a great tool for music learners because it is easy to rewind and repeat even very small pieces of a song. Start to play songs. There are two ways to read guitar music. One technique is called sheet music and the other one is called tab; Googling the topic and learning to read both is extremely valuable. Play more than one type of guitar. Start learning the bass, play the classical guitar, play the tenor guitar, play the electric guitar. You will get incorporated with the sounds of the different guitars. Enjoy your new guitar playing skills!

Study the physical instrument itself. Learn the names and functions of the guitar parts, and how they work together to make sounds. Learn how sound is emitted from the guitar, and how tension affects the strings. A half hour spent on this basic understanding will be repaid many times over throughout your learning and playing time.

Teach yourself as many different ways to play a chord as you can. For instance, there are 10 different fret hand positions for which to play the C chord. Obviously, go for a 'perfect' open C chord first, but the more ways you know to play a chord, the more flexibility you'll have in moving from one chord to another. This can also come in handy if you decide to try composing new music. Practice daily (5 out of 7 days minimum) for at least a half hour. If you want to learn quickly, you must force-feed your brain with guitar. This entails learning how to have a good ear for changes in sound/pitch/intonation, comfortably positioning your body (including leg, back, shoulder and arm positions), strum-hand coordination and technique, fret hand coordination and technique, and most importantly, fret hand muscle memory. Practice the chords and hand positions silently while watching TV or talking to a friend. Learning fret hand muscle memory is much more difficult than learning strum hand muscle memory (excluding finger picking). You don't have to use your other hand at all, just go over the different chords over and over. Television or a conversation will help you avoid looking down at your hands too much. However, when learning the chord positions you should study your fingers intently - make sure you get the chord position correct so that your muscle memory is correct. Over time, look at your fingers less often, but still check that you have achieved the correct position. Over time your confidence in your finger position for chords will grow and you will not have to look so often. Build calluses on your fingertips. This will be painful, and will make your fingers hurt. Once you develop calluses though, the pain you once felt will surprisingly disappear. The length of time this takes is up to you. The more you practice, the faster it will happen. There are several callus-building products you can buy as well.

Learn barre chords along with open chords. Don't skip barre chords simply because they're difficult. As with developing calluses, the more you play the easier it will become. Barring a chord is almost entirely dependent upon the strength in your fret hand. Build up the muscles in your fret hand by repeatedly squeezing a tennis ball or similar object for 5 minutes, a few times a day. (Be careful though, this can lead to Repetitive Stress Syndrome) Allow yourself to become frustrated. It's inevitable. It's normal. That chord you've been trying to voice cleanly for the past few days, or even weeks, will in time sound clear and distinct. Keep working at it and before you know it, just strumming along, you'll try again to voice that chord perfectly and will do so.

ractice. Practice. Practice makes perfect isn't just some old wives' tale. When practicing, strive for quality; if ice sloppily you'll be making bad habits permanent. A better aphorism in fact might be, "Practice makes " Also, just as weight-training athletes rotate their exercises, focusing on one part of the body one day, it's practice passages focusing on different aspects - tone, smoothness, speed, accuracy. By concentrating on nt practice facets of the music separately, you can hone your skills and improve your overall playing! 3. 12

Play along with CD versions of songs you like. The CD player is a great tool for music learners because it is easy to rewind and repeat even very small pieces of a song. Start to play songs. There are two ways to read guitar music. One technique is called sheet music and the other one is called tab; Googling the topic and learning to read both is extremely valuable. Play more than one type of guitar. Start learning the bass, play the classical guitar, play the tenor guitar, play the electric guitar. You will get incorporated with the sounds of the different guitars. Enjoy your new guitar playing skills!

Musee Musical School of Music News for This Week 15 /03/2012

As a guitar composer Giuliani was very fond of the theme and variations an extremely popular form in Vienna. He had a remarkable ability to weave a melody into a passage with musical effect while remaining true to the idiom of the instrument.

One example of this ability is to be found in his Variations on a theme of Handel, Op. 107. This popular theme, known as "The Harmonious Blacksmith", appears in the Aria from Handel's Suite no. 5 in E for harpsichord. Another example is Giuliani's Sei variazioni sull'aria "A Schisserl und a Reindl", op. 38, which is a set of variations on the Austrian Folkslied A Schisserl und a Reindl, is ll mein Kuchlg'schirr, used in the play Der Kaufmannsbude (1796), with music by Johann Baptist Henneberg (17681822) and text by Schikaneder; and in the play Der Marktschreyer (1799), with music by Franz Xaver Sssmayr (1766 1803) and text by Friedrich Karl Lippert.[5] (Beethoven used the same theme in his work op.105, number 3 for flute and piano.) His three-movement sonata Op. 15 is a clever, witty work and one of the most developed examples of the genre for guitar The several sets of extended Rossiniana reside at the pinnacle of nineteenth-century operatic pot pourri for guitar.

Giuliani's achievements as a composer were numerous. Giuliani's 150 compositions for guitar with opus number constitute the nucleus of the nineteenth-century guitar repertory. He composed extremely challenging pieces for solo guitar as well as works for orchestra and Guitar-Violin and Guitar-Flute duos.

Musee Musical School of Music News for This Week 08 /03/2012

Giuliani's achievements as a composer were numerous. Giuliani's 150 compositions for guitar with opus number constitute the nucleus of the nineteenth-century guitar repertory. He composed extremely challenging pieces for solo guitar as well as works for orchestra and Guitar-Violin and Guitar-Flute duos. Outstanding pieces by Giuliani include his three guitar concertos (op. 30-36 and 70); a series of six fantasias for guitar solo, op. 119-124, based on airs from Rossini operas and entitled the "Rossiniane"; several sonatas for violin and guitar and flute and guitar; a quintet, op. 65, for strings and guitar; some collections for voice and guitar, and a Grand Overture written in the Italian style. He also transcribed many symphonic works, both for solo guitar and guitar duo. One such transcription arranges the overture to The Barber of Seville by Rossini, for two guitars. There are further numerous didactic works, among which is a method for guitar that is used frequently by teachers to this day. Today, Giuliani's concertos and solo pieces are performed by professionals and still demonstrate the ability of the guitarist to play the piece, as well as Giuliani's natural ability as a composer for the classical guitar. Giuliani arranged many 19th century opera themes for the guitar, e.g. from the opera Semiramide by Gioachino Rossini. His work Le Rossiniane also includes numerous themes from the operas of Rossini.

Musee Musical School of Music News for This Week 29 /02/2012

Gioachino Antonio Rossini[1] (Giovacchino Antonio Rossini in the baptismal certificate)[2] (29 February 1792 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer who wrote 39 operas as well as sacred music, chamber music, songs, and some instrumental and piano pieces. His best-known operas include the Italian comedies Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville) and La Cenerentola and the French-language epics Mose et Pharaon and Guillaume Tell (William Tell). A tendency for inspired, song-like melodies is evident throughout his scores, which led to the nickname "The Italian Mozart." Until his retirement in 1829, Rossini had been the most popular opera composer in history. Gioachino Antonio Rossini was born into a family of musicians in Pesaro, a town on the Adriatic coast of Italy which was then part of the Papal States. Between 1815 and 1823 Rossini produced 20 operas. Of these Otello formed the climax to his reform of serious opera, and offers a suggestive contrast with the treatment of the same subject at a similar point of artistic development by the composer Giuseppe Verdi. st famous opera was produced on 20 February 1816, at the Teatro Argentina in Rome. In his compositions, Rossini plagiarized freely from himself, a common practice among deadline-pressed opera composers of the time. Few of his operas are without such admixtures, frankly introduced in the form of arias or overtures. In his compositions, Rossini plagiarized freely from himself, a common practice among deadline-pressed opera composers of the time. Few of his operas are without such admixtures, frankly introduced in the form of arias or overtures.

List of Western Classical Music Composers

Name

Famous Work Style

Era

Henry Purcell

My heart Secular and Baroque is inditing, sacred 1659 1695 Fantasia choral upon One music, English Note instrumental and keyboard music Antonio Vivaldi The Four Concertos, Baroque Seasons operas, 1678 1741 sacred Italian choral music and chamber music Johann St. Johns Sacred Sebastian Bach Passion choral, secular 1685 1750 vocal, German orchestral chamber music, Baroque

keyboard music, organ music George Frideric Water Handel Music 1685 1759 German/English Operas, Baroque oratorios, sacred vocal, secular vocal, orchestral, chamber and keyboard music

Franz Joseph Hadyn 1732 1809 Austrian

The Symphonies, Classical London keyboard Symphony and chamber music, operas, oratorios, choral music The Magic Operas, Classical Flute, Don symphonies, Giovanni concertos, choral music,

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 1756 1791 Austrian

chamber music, piano music, vocal music

Ludwig van Beethoven 1770 1827 German Pastoral Symphony, Fidelio Symphonies, Romantic concertos, choral music, piano music, string quartets, chamber music, songs, opera

Franz Schubert 1797 1828 Austrian Felix Mendelssohn 1809 1847 German

Beautiful Maid Songs, orchestral, Romantic of the Mill, chamber, piano, The Trout opera Quintet A Midsummer Orchestral music, Romantic Nights Dream, symphonies, The Hebrides chamber music, piano music, sacred choral music The Etudes Piano music, Romantic orchestral music, chamber music Songs, piano Romantic music, orchestral, chamber, opera and choral music

Frdric Chopin 1810 1849 Polish Robert Schumann 1810 1856 German Franz Liszt 1811 1886 Hungarian Richard Wagner

A Womans Love and Life, Scenes from Faust

The Hungarian Orchestral music, Romantic Rhapsodies, piano music, Faust choral music Symphonies The Flying Opera, orchestral Romantic

1813 1883 German Johannes Brahms 1833 1897 German Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky 1840 1893 Russian Antonin Dvorak 1841 1904 Czechoslovak Edward Elgar 1857 1934 English Claude Debussy 1862 1918 French Richard Strauss 1864 1949 German Sergei Rachmaninoff 1873 1943 Russian

Dutchman

music, songs

Hungarian Dance, Tragic Overture, German Requiem Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker

Orchestral, chamber music, piano music, choral music, songs Operas, ballets, choral music, symphonies, chamber music

Romantic

Turn of the 19th century

New World Symphony, The American Quartet

Orchestral music, Turn of the symphonies, 19th century operas, chamber music, choral music

Pomp and Orchestral, choral, Turn of the Circumstance, chamber, songs, 19th century Enigma piano, incidental Variations, The Apostles Clair de lune, Orchestral, ballet, Turn of the La Fille Aux piano, chamber 19th century Cheveux De music Lin, La Mer The Cavalier of Orchestral, opera, Turn of the the Rose, A choral music, 19th century Woman songs without a Shadow Rhapsody on a Orchestral, piano, Turn of the Theme of choral music 19th century Paganini for Piano and Orchestra, The

Bells

A woodwind instrument is a musical instrument which produces sound when the player blows air against a sharp edge or through a reed, causing the air within its resonator (usually a column of air) to vibrate.

Most of these instruments are made of wood but can be made of other materials, such as metals or plastics. Contents [hide]

1 Types of woodwind instruments o 1.1 Flutes o 1.2 Reed instruments 2 Modern symphony orchestra woodwinds 3 See also 4 References 5 External links

[edit] Types of woodwind instruments This article is in a list format that may be better presented using prose. You can help by converting this article to prose, if appropriate. Editing help is available. (March 2010) Main article: List of woodwind instruments Woodwind instruments can further be divided into two groups: flutes and reed instruments. [edit] Flutes Main article: Flute

Flutes produce sound when air is blown across an edge. There are two sub-families: o The open flute family, in which the player's lips form a stream of air which goes directly from the players lips to the edge, such as transverse flutes and end-blown flutes. Ancient flutes were made from tubular sections of plants such as grasses, reeds, and hollowed-out tree branches. Later, flutes were made of metals such as tin, copper, or bronze. Modern concert flutes are usually made of high-grade metal alloys, usually containing nickel, silver, copper, and/or gold. o The closed flute family, in which the musical instrument has a channel to form and direct the air stream over an edge. This family includes fipple-based devices such as whistles and the musical recorder family.

[edit] Reed instruments

Single-reed instruments use a reed, which is a thin-cut piece of cane or plastic that is held against the aperture of a mouthpiece with a ligature. When air is forced between the reed and the mouthpiece, the reed vibrates, creating the sound. Single reed instruments include the clarinet and saxophone families, and others like the duduk and the chalumeau.

Double-reed instruments, use two precisely cut, small pieces of cane joined together at the base. The finished, bound reed is inserted into the top of the instrument and vibrates as air is forced between the two pieces. There are two sub-families: o Exposed double-reed instruments, where the reed goes between the player's lips. In this family include Western classical instruments the oboe, cor anglais (also called English horn) and bassoon, and many types of shawms throughout the world. o Capped double-reed instruments, where the player just blows through a hole in a cap that covers the reed. This family includes the crumhorn and the cornamuse.

A piper playing the bagpipes

Bagpipes can have single and/or double reeds. These are functionally the same as capped reed instruments as the reeds are not in contact with player's lips. Free reed aerophone instruments that has its sound produced as air flows past a vibrating reed in a frame. Air pressure is typically generated by breath like a harmonica or with bellows such as an accordion.

[edit] Modern symphony orchestra woodwinds The modern symphony orchestra's woodwinds section typically includes: 1 piccolo, 3 flutes, 3 oboes, 1 English horn, 3 clarinets, 1 bass clarinet, 3 bassoons, and 1 contrabassoon. The section may also on occasion be expanded by the addition of a saxophone.[1]

Johann Sebastian Bach and Ludwig van Beethoven were two of the greatest composers in classical Western music. They were both Germans. Beethoven, a contemporary of Mozart, was born 20 years after the death of Bach. They're two of the "three Bs" of classical music - Bach, Beethoven and Brahms.

Bach lived in the Baroque period while Beethonven was a crucial figure in the transition from the Classical to the Romantic era. Beethoven was an admirer of Bach. He often played the preludes and fugues of Bach's WellTempered Clavier. Beethoven called Bach the "Urvater der Harmonie" ("Original father of harmony") and, in a pun on the literal meaning of Bach's name, "nicht Bach, sondern Meer" ("not a brook, but a sea"). oth composers struggled with disability; Bach became increasingly blind towards the end of his life while Beethoven began to lose his hearing when we was 26 and became completely deaf in the ensuing decade. urrently 4.13/55 Rating: 4.1/5 (8 votes)

Beethoven

urrently 3.86/5 Rating: 3.9/5 (7 votes)

Religion:

Christian (Lutheran)

Was attracted to the ideals of the Enlightenment.

Music teachers in early years:

His father taught him to play violin and harpsichord. One of his uncles taught him the organ. His eldest brother, Johann Christoph Bach instructed him on the clavichord.

His father; The court organist Gilles van den Eeden; Tobias Friedrich Pfeiffer (a family friend, taught piano); Family friend Franz Rovantini taught violin and viola. Court Organist Christian Gottlob Neefe taught him how to compose.

Date of birth:

21 March 1685

16 December 1770

Nationality:

German

German

Family Background:

Youngest child of Johann Ambrosius Bachand and Maria Elisabeth Lmmerhirt. His father was the director of the Stadtpfeifer or town musicians. All his uncles were musicians.

Second born child of Johann van Beethoven and Maria Magdalena Keverich. Beethoven's grandfather was a musician. He became the Kapellmeister (music director) at the court of the Elector of Cologne

Date of death:

28 July 1750

26 March 1827

Livelihood:

Court musician, organist, concertmaster, director of music

Gave piano lessons, Earned income from publication of his works and from public performances, he also depended on the generosity of patrons.

Music style:

Contrapuntal technique, an unrivalled control of harmonic and motivic organisation, and the adaptation of rhythms, forms and textures from abroad, particularly

Influenced by Haydn and Mozart in the early period. Middle period was characterized by many innovative compositions. Later work was characterized by their intellectual

from Italy and France.

depth, their formal innovations, and their intense, highly personal expression.

Children:

With Maria 7 (4 survived to adulthood); With Anna 13 children (6 survived to adulthood)

None

Spouse(s):

Maria Barbara Bach (1707-1720); Anna Magdalena Wilcke in 1721

Never married

Musee Musical School of Music News for the week 21/03/12

Bach lived in the Baroque period while Beethonven was a crucial figure in the transition from the Classical to the Romantic era. Beethoven was an admirer of Bach. He often played the preludes and fugues of Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier. Beethoven called Bach the "Urvater der Harmonie" ("Original father of harmony") and, in a pun on the literal meaning of Bach's name, "nicht Bach, sondern Meer" ("not a brook, but a sea"). Both composers struggled with disability; Bach became increasingly blind towards the end of his life while Beethoven began to lose his hearing when we was 26 and became completely deaf in the ensuing decade Bach Beethoven Religion: Music teachers in early years: Christian (Lutheran) His father taught him to play violin and harpsichord. One of his uncles taught him the organ. His eldest brother, Johann Christoph Bach instructed him on the clavichord. 21 March 1685 Date of birth: Nationality: Family Background: German Youngest child of Johann Ambrosius Bachand and Maria Elisabeth Lmmerhirt. His father was the director of the Stadtpfeifer or town musicians. All his uncles were musicians. Was attracted to the ideals of the Enlightenment. His father; The court organist Gilles van den Eeden; Tobias Friedrich Pfeiffer (a family friend, taught piano); Family friend Franz Rovantini taught violin and viola. Court Organist Christian Gottlob Neefe taught him how to compose. 16 December 1770 German Second born child of Johann van Beethoven and Maria Magdalena Keverich. Beethoven's grandfather was a musician. He became the Kapellmeister (music director) at the court of the Elector of Cologne

Date of death:

28 July 1750 Court musician, organist, concertmaster, director of music 26 March 1827 Gave piano lessons, Earned income from publication of his works and from public performances, he also depended on the generosity of patrons. Influenced by Haydn and Mozart in the early period. Middle period was characterized by many innovative compositions. Later work was characterized

Livelihood:

Music style:

Contrapuntal technique, an unrivalled control of harmonic and motivic organisation, and the adaptation of rhythms, forms and textures from abroad, particularly

from Italy and France. Children:

With Maria 7 (4 survived to adulthood); With Anna 13 children (6 survived to adulthood) None Maria Barbara Bach (1707-1720); Anna Magdalena Wilcke in 1721

by their intellectual depth, their formal innovations, and their intense, highly personal expression.

Spouse(s):

Never married

Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (4 March 1678 28 July 1741), nicknamed il Prete Rosso ("The Red Priest") because of his red hair, was an Italian Baroque composer, priest, and virtuoso violinist, born in Venice. Vivaldi is recognized as one of the greatest Baroque composers, and his influence during his lifetime was widespread over Europe. Vivaldi is known mainly for composing

instrumental concertos, especially for the violin, as well as sacred choral works and over 40 operas. His best known work is a series of violin concertos known as The Four Seasons. Many of his compositions were written for the female music ensemble of the Ospedale della Piet, a home for abandoned children where Vivaldi worked from 1703 to 1715 and from 1723 to 1740. Vivaldi also had some success with stagings of his operas in Venice, Mantua and Vienna. After meeting the Emperor Charles VI, Vivaldi moved to Vienna

hoping for preferment. The Emperor died soon after Vivaldi's arrival, and the composer died a pauper, without a steady source of income. Though Vivaldi's music was well received during his lifetime, it later declined in popularity until its vigorous revival in the first half of the 20th century. Today, Vivaldi ranks among the most popular and widely recorded Baroque composers.

Musee Musical School of Music News for the week 02/04/12

Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (4 March 1678 28 July 1741), nicknamed il Prete Rosso ("The Red Priest") because of his red hair, was an Italian Baroque composer, priest, and virtuoso violinist, born in Venice. Vivaldi is recognized as one of the greatest Baroque composers, and his influence during his lifetime was

widespread over Europe. Vivaldi is known mainly for composing instrumental concertos, especially for the violin, as well as sacred choral works and over 40 operas. His best known work is a series of violin concertos known as The Four Seasons. Many of his compositions were written for the female music ensemble of the Ospedale della Piet, a home for abandoned children where Vivaldi worked from 1703 to 1715 and from 1723 to 1740. Vivaldi also had some success with stagings of his operas in Venice, Mantua and Vienna. After meeting the Emperor Charles VI, Vivaldi moved to Vienna hoping for preferment. The Emperor died soon after Vivaldi's arrival, and the composer died a pauper, without a steady source of income. Though Vivaldi's music was well received during his lifetime, it later declined in popularity until its vigorous revival in the first half of the 20th century. Today, Vivaldi ranks among the most popular and widely recorded Baroque composers.

The church where Vivaldi was baptised: San Giovanni Battista in Bragora, Sestiere di Castello, Venice Antonio Lucio Vivaldi was born in Venice, the capital of the Republic of Venice in 1678. He was baptized immediately after his birth at his home by the midwife, which led to the belief that his life was somehow in danger. Though not known for certain, the immediate baptism was most likely due either to his poor health or to an earthquake that shook the city that day. In the trauma of the earthquake, Vivaldi's mother may have dedicated him to the priesthood.[1] Vivaldi's official church baptism (the rites that remained other than the baptism itself) did not take place until two months later.[2] Vivaldi's parents were Giovanni Battista Vivaldi and Camilla Calicchio, as recorded in the register of San Giovanni in Bragora.[3] Vivaldi had five siblings: Margarita Gabriela, Cecilia Maria, Bonaventura Tomaso, Zanetta Anna, and Francesco Gaetano.[4] Giovanni Battista, a barber before becoming a professional violinist, taught Antonio to play the violin, and then toured Venice playing the violin with his young son. He probably taught him at an early age, judging by Vivaldi's extensive musical knowledge at the age of 24 when he started working at the Ospedale della Piet.[5] Giovanni Battista was one of the founders of the Sovvegno dei musicisti di Santa Cecilia, an association of musicians.[6] The president of the Sovvegno was Giovanni Legrenzi, a composer of the early Baroque and maestro di cappella at St. Mark's Basilica. It is possible that Legrenzi gave the young Antonio his first lessons in composition. The Luxembourg scholar Walter Kolneder has discerned in the early liturgical work Laetatus sum (RV Anh 31, written in 1691 at the age of 13) the influence of Legrenzi's style. Vivaldi's father may have been a composer himself: in 1689, an opera titled La Fedelt sfortunata was composed by a Giovanni

Battista Rossi, and this was the name under which Vivaldi's father had joined the Sovvegno di Santa Cecilia:[7] "Rosso" is Italian for "Red", and would have referred to the colour of his hair, a family trait. Vivaldi's health was problematic. His symptoms, strettezza di petto ("tightness of the chest"), have been interpreted as a form of asthma.[2] This did not prevent him from learning to play the violin, composing or taking part in musical activities,[2] although it did stop him from playing wind instruments. In 1693, at the age of 15, he began studying to become a priest.[8] He was ordained in 1703, aged 25. He was soon nicknamed il Prete Rosso, "The Red Priest", because of his red hair.[9] Not long after his ordination, in 1704, he was given a reprieve from celebrating the Holy Mass because of his ill health. Vivaldi only said Mass as a priest a few times. He appears to have withdrawn from priestly duties, but he remained a priest.[citation
needed]

[edit] At the Conservatorio dell'Ospedale della Piet In September 1703, Vivaldi became maestro di violino (master of violin) at an orphanage called the Pio Ospedale della Piet (Devout Hospital of Mercy) in Venice.[10] While Vivaldi is most famous as a composer, he was regarded as an exceptional technical violinist as well. The German architect Johann Friedrich Armand von Uffenbach referred to Vivaldi as "the famous composer and violinist" and said that "Vivaldi played a solo accompaniment excellently, and at the conclusion he added a free fantasy [an improvised cadenza] which absolutely astounded me, for it is hardly possible that anyone has ever played, or ever will play, in such a fashion."[11] Vivaldi was only 25 when he started working at the Ospedale della Piet. Over the next thirty years he composed most of his major works while working there.[12] There were four similar institutions in Venice; their purpose was to give shelter and education to children who were abandoned or orphaned, or whose families could not support them. They were financed by funds provided by the Republic.[13] The boys learned a trade and had to leave when they reached 15. The girls received a musical education, and the most talented stayed and became members of the Ospedale's renowned orchestra and choir. Shortly after Vivaldi's appointment, the orphans began to gain appreciation and esteem abroad, too. Vivaldi wrote concertos, cantatas and sacred vocal music for them.[14] These sacred works, which number over 60, are varied: they included solo motets and large-scale choral works for soloists, double chorus, and orchestra.[15] In 1704, the position of teacher of viola all'inglese was added to his duties as violin instructor.[16] The position of maestro di coro, which was at one time filled by Vivaldi, required a lot of time and work. He had to compose an oratorio or concerto at every feast and teach the orphans both music theory and how to play certain instruments.[17] His relationship with the board of directors of the Ospedale was often strained. The board had to take a vote every year on whether to keep a teacher. The vote on Vivaldi was seldom unanimous, and went 7 to 6 against him in 1709.[18] After a year as a freelance musician, he was recalled by the Ospedale with a unanimous vote in 1711; clearly during his year's absence the board realized the importance of his role.[18] He became responsible for all of the musical activity of the institution[19] when he was promoted to maestro di' concerti (music director) in 1716.[20] In 1705, the first collection (Connor Cassara) of his works was published by Giuseppe Sala:[21] his Opus 1 is a collection of 12 sonatas for two violins and basso continuo, in a conventional style.[16] In 1709, a second collection of 12 sonatas for violin and basso continuo appeared, his Opus 2.[22] A real breakthrough as a

composer came with his first collection of 12 concerti for one, two, and four violins with strings, L'estro armonico Opus 3, which was published in Amsterdam in 1711 by Estienne Roger,[23] dedicated to Grand Prince Ferdinand of Tuscany. The prince sponsored many musicians including Alessandro Scarlatti and Georg Frideric Handel. He was a musician himself, and Vivaldi probably met him in Venice.[24] L'estro armonico was a resounding success all over Europe. It was followed in 1714 by La stravaganza Opus 4, a collection of concerti for solo violin and strings,[25] dedicated to an old violin student of Vivaldi's, the Venetian noble Vettor Dolfin.[26] In February 1711, Vivaldi and his father traveled to Brescia, where his setting of the Stabat Mater (RV 621) was played as part of a religious festival. The work seems to have been written in haste: the string parts are simple, the music of the first three movements is repeated in the next three, and not all the text is set. Nevertheless, perhaps in part because of the forced essentiality of the music, the work is one of his early masterpieces. Despite his frequent travels from 1718, the Piet paid him 2 sequins to write two concerti a month for the orchestra and to rehearse with them at least five times when in Venice. The Piet's records show that he was paid for 140 concerti between 1723 and 1733. [edit] Opera impresario

First edition of Juditha triumphans[27] In early 18th century Venice, opera was the most popular musical entertainment. It proved most profitable for Vivaldi. There were several theaters competing for the public's attention. Vivaldi started his career as an opera composer as a sideline: his first opera, Ottone in villa (RV 729) was performed not in Venice, but at the Garzerie Theater in Vicenza in 1713.[28] The following year, Vivaldi became the impresario of the Teatro Sant'Angelo in Venice, where his opera Orlando finto pazzo (RV 727) was performed. The work was not to the public's taste, and it closed after a couple of weeks, being replaced with a repeat of a different work already given the previous year.[24] In 1715, he presented Nerone fatto Cesare (RV 724, now lost), with music by seven different composers, of which he was the leader. The opera contained eleven arias, and was a success. In the late season, Vivaldi

planned to put on an opera composed entirely by him, Arsilda regina di Ponto (RV 700), but the state censor blocked the performance. The main character, Arsilda, falls in love with another woman, Lisea, who is pretending to be a man.[24] Vivaldi got the censor to accept the opera the following year, and it was a resounding success. At this period, the Piet commissioned several liturgical works. The most important were two oratorios. Moyses Deus Pharaonis, (RV 643) is lost. The second, Juditha triumphans (RV 644), celebrates the victory of the Republic of Venice against the Turks and the recapture of the island of Corf. Composed in 1716, it is one of his sacred masterpieces. All eleven singing parts were performed by girls of the Piet, both the female and male roles. Many of the arias include parts for solo instrumentsrecorders, oboes, clarinets[citation needed], violas d'amore, and mandolinsthat showcased the range of talents of the girls.[29] Also in 1716, Vivaldi wrote and produced two more operas, L'incoronazione di Dario (RV 719) and La costanza trionfante degli amori e degli odi (RV 706). The latter was so popular that it performed two years later, re-edited and retitled Artabano re dei Parti (RV 701, now lost). It was also performed in Prague in 1732. In the following years, Vivaldi wrote several operas that were performed all over Italy. His progressive operatic style caused him some trouble with more conservative musicians, like Benedetto Marcello, a magistrate and amateur musician who wrote a pamphlet denouncing him and his operas. The pamphlet, Il teatro alla moda, attacks Vivaldi without mentioning him directly. The cover drawing shows a boat (the Sant'Angelo), on the left end of which stands a little angel wearing a priest's hat and playing the violin. The Marcello family claimed ownership of the Teatro Sant'Angelo, and a long legal battle had been fought with the management for its restitution, without success. The obscure writing under the picture mentions non-existent places and names: ALDIVIVA is an anagram of A. Vivaldi. In a letter written by Vivaldi to his patron Marchese Bentivoglio in 1737, he makes reference to his "94 operas". Only around 50 operas by Vivaldi have been discovered, and no other documentation of the remaining operas exists. Although Vivaldi may have exaggerated, in his dual role of composer and impresario it is plausible that he may either have written or been responsible for the production of as many as 94 operas during a career which by then had spanned almost 25 years.[30] While Vivaldi certainly composed many operas in his time, he never reached the prominence of other great composers like Alessandro Scarlatti, Johann Adolph Hasse, Leonardo Leo, and Baldassare Galuppi, as evidenced by his inability to keep a production running for any extended period of time in any major opera house.[31] His most successful operas were La constanza trionfante and Farnace which garnered six revivals each.[31] [edit] Mantua and The Four Seasons

Caricature by P.L.Ghezzi, Rome (1723) "La primavera" (Spring) Movement 1: Allegro from The Four Seasons

A 2000 live performance by Wichita State University Chamber Players.

Problems listening to this file? See media help. In 1717 or 1718, Vivaldi was offered a new prestigious position as Maestro di Cappella of the court of prince Philip of Hesse-Darmstadt, governor of Mantua.[32] He moved there for three years and produced several operas, among which was Tito Manlio (RV 738). In 1721, he was in Milan, where he presented the pastoral drama La Silvia (RV 734, 9 arias survive). He visited Milan again the following year with the oratorio L'adorazione delli tre re magi al bambino Ges (RV 645, also lost). In 1722 he moved to Rome, where he introduced his operas' new style. The new pope Benedict XIII invited Vivaldi to play for him. In 1725, Vivaldi returned to Venice, where he produced four operas in the same year. During this period Vivaldi wrote the Four Seasons, four violin concertos depicting scenes appropriate for each season. Three of the concerti are of original conception, while the first, "Spring", borrows motifs from a Sinfonia in the first act of his contemporaneous opera "Il Giustino". The inspiration for the concertos was probably the countryside around Mantua. They were a revolution in musical conception: in them Vivaldi represented flowing creeks, singing birds (of different species, each specifically characterized), barking dogs, buzzing mosquitoes, crying shepherds, storms, drunken dancers, silent nights, hunting parties from both the hunters' and the prey's point of view, frozen landscapes, ice-skating children, and warming winter

fires. Each concerto is associated with a sonnet, possibly by Vivaldi, describing the scenes depicted in the music. They were published as the first four concertos in a collection of twelve, Il cimento dell'armonia e dell'inventione, Opus 8, published in Amsterdam by Le Cne in 1725. During his time in Mantua, Vivaldi became acquainted with an aspiring young singer Anna Tessieri Gir who was to become his student, protge, and favorite prima donna.[33] Anna, along with her older halfsister Paolina, became part of Vivaldi's entourage and regularly accompanied him on his many travels. There was speculation about the nature of Vivaldi's and Giro's relationship, but no evidence to indicate anything beyond friendship and professional collaboration. Although Vivaldi's relationship with Anna Gir was questioned, he adamantly denied any romantic relationship in a letter to his patron Bentivoglio dated 16 November 1737.[34] Later life and death During the height of his career, Vivaldi received commissions from European nobility and royalty. The wedding cantata Gloria e Imeneo (RV 687) was written for the marriage of Louis XV. Vivaldi's Opus 9, La Cetra, was dedicated to Emperor Charles VI. In 1728, Vivaldi met the emperor while he was visiting Trieste to oversee the construction of a new port. Charles admired the music of the Red Priest so much that he is said to have spoken more with the composer during their one meeting than he spoke to his ministers in over two years. He gave Vivaldi the title of knight, a gold medal and an invitation to Vienna. Vivaldi gave Charles a manuscript copy of La Cetra, a set of concerti almost completely different from the set of the same title published as Opus 9. The printing was probably delayed, forcing Vivaldi to gather an improvised collection for the emperor.

Frontispiece of Il teatro alla moda Accompanied by his father, Vivaldi traveled to Vienna and Prague in 1730, where his opera Farnace (RV 711) was presented.[35] Some of his later operas were created in collaboration with two of Italy's major writers of the time. L'Olimpiade and Catone in Utica were written by Pietro Metastasio, the major

representative of the Arcadian movement and court poet in Vienna. La Griselda was rewritten by the young Carlo Goldoni from an earlier libretto by Apostolo Zeno. Like many composers of the time, the final years of Vivaldi's life found him in financial difficulties. His compositions were no longer held in such high esteem as they once were in Venice; changing musical tastes quickly made them outmoded. In response, Vivaldi chose to sell off sizeable numbers of his manuscripts at paltry prices to finance his migration to Vienna.[36] The reasons for Vivaldi's departure from Venice are unclear, but it seems likely that, after the success of his meeting with Emperor Charles VI, he wished to take up the position of a composer in the imperial court. On his way to Vienna, Vivaldi may have stopped in Graz to see Anna Gir.[37] It is also likely that Vivaldi went to Vienna to stage operas, especially since he took up residence near the Krntnertortheater. Shortly after Vivaldi's arrival in Vienna, Charles VI died, a stroke of bad luck that left the composer without royal protection or a steady source of income. Vivaldi died a pauper[38][39] not long after the emperor, on the night between 27 and 28 July 1741 at the age of 63,[40] of "internal infection", in a house owned by the widow of a Viennese saddlemaker. On 28 July he was buried in a simple grave at the Hospital Burial Ground in Vienna. Vivaldi's funeral took place at St. Stephen's Cathedral, where the young Joseph Haydn was then a choir boy. The cost of his funeral included a Kleingelut (pauper's peal of bells).[41] He was buried next to Karlskirche, in an area now part of the site of the Technical Institute. The house Vivaldi lived in while in Vienna was torn down; the Hotel Sacher is built on part of the site. Memorial plaques have been placed at both locations as well as a Vivaldi "star" in the Viennese Musikmeile and a monument at the Rooseveltplatz. Only three portraits of Vivaldi are known to survive: an engraving, an ink sketch and an oil painting. The engraving, by Francois Morellon La Cave, was made in 1725 and shows Vivaldi holding a sheet of music. The ink sketch was done by Ghezzi in 1723 and shows only Vivaldi's head and shoulders in profile. The oil painting found in the Liceo Musicale of Bologna gives us possibly the most accurate picture and shows Vivaldi's red hair under his blond wig.[42] Style and influence Vivaldi's music was innovative. He brightened the formal and rhythmic structure of the concerto, in which he looked for harmonic contrasts and innovative melodies and themes; many of his compositions are flamboyantly, almost playfully, exuberant. Johann Sebastian Bach was deeply influenced by Vivaldi's concertos and arias (recalled in his St John Passion, St Matthew Passion, and cantatas). Bach transcribed six of Vivaldi's concerti for solo keyboard, three for organ, and one for four harpsichords, strings, and basso continuo (BWV 1065) based upon the concerto for four violins, two violas, cello, and basso continuo (RV 580). Posthumous reputation During his lifetime, Vivaldi's popularity quickly made him famous in other countries, including France where musical taste was less dictated by fashion than elsewhere.[citation needed] This popularity dwindled. After the Baroque period, Vivaldi's published concerti were relatively unknown, and largely ignored, even

after Felix Mendelssohn rekindled interest in Bach. Even Vivaldi's most famous work, The Four Seasons, was unknown in its original edition. In the early 20th century, Fritz Kreisler's Vivaldi-styled concerto (which he passed off as an original Vivaldi work) helped revive Vivaldi's reputation. This spurred the French scholar Marc Pincherle to begin an academic study of Vivaldi's oeuvre. Many Vivaldi manuscripts were rediscovered, and were acquired by the National University of Turin Library with generous sponsorship of Turinese businessmen Roberto Foa and Filippo Giordano, in memory of their sons. This led to renewed interest in Vivaldi by, among others, Mario Rinaldi, Alfredo Casella, Ezra Pound, Olga Rudge, Desmond Chute, Arturo Toscanini, Arnold Schering, and Louis Kaufman. These figures were instrumental in the Vivaldi revival of the 20th century. In 1926, in a monastery in Piedmont, researchers discovered 14 folios of Vivaldi's work, previously thought lost during the Napoleonic wars. Some volumes in the numbered set were missing; these turned up in the collections of the descendants of the Grand Duke Durazzo who had acquired the monastery complex in the 18th century. The volumes contained 300 concertos, 19 operas and over 100 vocal-instrumental works.[43] The resurrection of Vivaldi's unpublished works in the 20th century is mostly due to the efforts of Alfredo Casella, who in 1939 organised the historic Vivaldi Week, in which the rediscovered Gloria (RV 589) and l'Olimpiade were first revived. Since World War II, Vivaldi's compositions have enjoyed wide success. In 1947, the Venetian businessman Antonio Fanna founded the Istituto Italiano Antonio Vivaldi, with the composer Gian Francesco Malipiero as its artistic director, having the purpose of promoting Vivaldi's music and publishing new editions of his works. Historically informed performances seem to have increased Vivaldi's fame further. Unlike many of his contemporaries, whose music is rarely heard outside an academic or special-interest context, Vivaldi is popular among modern audiences. Recent rediscoveries of works by Vivaldi include two psalm settings of Nisi Dominus (RV 803, in eight movements) and Dixit Dominus (RV 807, in eleven movements), identified in 2003 and 2005, respectively, by the Australian scholar Janice Stockigt. Vivaldi scholar Michael Talbot called RV 807 "arguably the best nonoperatic work from Vivaldi's pen to come to light since... the 1920s".[44] Vivaldi's lost 1730 opera Argippo (RV 697) was re-discovered in 2006 by harpsichordist and conductor Ondej Macek, whose Hofmusici orchestra performed the work at Prague Castle on 3 May 2008, its first performance since 1730. A movie titled Vivaldi, a Prince in Venice was completed in 2005 as an Italian-French co-production under the direction of Jean-Louis Guillermou, featuring Stefano Dionisi in the title role and Michel Serrault as the bishop of Venice. In 2005, ABC Radio National commissioned a radio play about Vivaldi, which was written by Sean Riley. The radio play, called "The Angel and the Red Priest", was later adapted into a stage version and performed at the Adelaide Festival of the Arts.[45] The music of Vivaldi, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, and Corelli, has been included in the theories of Alfred Tomatis on the effects of music on human behaviour and used in music therapy. Works Main articles: List of compositions by Antonio Vivaldi and List of operas by Vivaldi

A Vivaldi work is identified by RV number, which refers to its place in the "Ryom-Verzeichnis" or "Rpertoire des oeuvres d'Antonio Vivaldi", a catalog created in the 20th century by musicologist Peter Ryom. Le quattro stagioni (The Four Seasons) of 1723 is his most famous work. It is part of Il cimento dell'armonia e dell'inventione ("The Contest between Harmony and Invention"). It depicts moods and scenes from each of the four seasons. This work has been described as an outstanding instance of pre-19th Century program music.[46] Vivaldi wrote more than 500 other concertos. About 350 of these are for solo instrument and strings, of which 230 are for violin, the others being for bassoon, cello, oboe, flute, viola d'amore, recorder, lute, or mandolin. About 40 are for two instruments and strings, and about 30 are for three or more instruments and strings. As well as about 46 operas, Vivaldi composed a large body of sacred choral music. Other works include sinfonias, about 90 sonatas, and chamber music. Some sonatas for flute, published as Il Pastor Fido, have been erroneously attributed to Vivaldi, but were composed by Nicolas Chdeville. Vivaldi's Gloria (a collection of choral pieces for SATB) is a very well known and widely praised piece. However due to the research of Richard Vendome, it has become apparent that Vivaldi wrote this piece while director of music at a girl's dance school, implying he intended for this to be sung by females including upon the tenor and bass parts. While controversial, Vendome has proved it possible with his own 'SPAV' choir, dedicated to the works of Vivaldi and his students, in which females sing bass and tenor, along with soprano and alto, all at pitch. They are based in Oxford, England. The Four Seasons (Vivaldi) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search The Four Seasons (Italian: Le quattro stagioni) is a set of four violin concertos by Antonio Vivaldi. Composed in 1723, The Four Seasons is Vivaldi's best-known work, and is among the most popular pieces of Baroque music. The texture of each concerto is varied, each resembling its respective season. For example, "Winter" is peppered with silvery pizzicato notes from the high strings, calling to mind icy rain, whereas "Summer" evokes a thunderstorm in its final movement, which is why the movement is often dubbed "Storm." The concertos were first published in 1725 as part of a set of twelve concerti, Vivaldi's Op. 8, entitled Il cimento dell'armonia e dell'inventione (The Contest between Harmony and Invention). The first four concertos were designated Le quattro stagioni, each being named after a season. Each one is in three movements, with a slow movement between two faster ones. At the time of writing The Four Seasons, the modern solo form of the concerto had not yet been defined (typically a solo instrument and accompanying orchestra). Vivaldi's original arrangement for solo violin with string quartet and basso continuo helped to define the form. Sonnets and allusions

Wikisource has original text related to this article: The Four Seasons Sonnets The four concertos were written to accompany four sonnets. Though it is not known who wrote these sonnets, there is a theory that Vivaldi wrote them himself, given that each sonnet is broken down into three sections, neatly corresponding to a movement in the concerto. Whoever wrote the sonnets, The Four Seasons may be classified as program music, music that intends to evoke something extra-musical.[1] In addition to these sonnets, Vivaldi provided instructions such as "The barking dog" (in the second movement of "Spring"), "Languor caused by the heat" (in the first movement of "Summer"), and "the drunkards have fallen asleep" (in the second movement of "Autumn"). The Four Seasons is used in the 1981 film The Four Seasons along with other Vivaldi concertos for flute.

Musee Musical School of Music News for the week AGUSTIN BARRIOS MANGORE (1885 - 1944) Agustn Po Barrios was born in southern Paraguay on 5 May 1885, and died on 7 August 1944, in San Salvador, El Salvador. To many, Barrios was the greatest of all guitarist/composers. In view of this, it is curious that his music lay undiscovered and unappreciated for over three decades after his death. In the mid-1970s comprehensive editions of his music appeared, making it possible for guitarists of a younger generation to study his music, augmenting and complementing more traditional repertoire. The revival began in 1977 with a release by John Williams of an entire recording of music by Barrios, bringing overdue recognition to this forgotten Latin American guitarist. Today Barrios music is frequently performed by major concert artists and is appreciated by audiences worldwide. As a young man, Barrios never studied in a formal music conservatory, and completed only two years of high school. He made his living from performing, and had no other professional skills in any other pursuit except playing the guitar and composing music. The exigencies of life as a performer brought constant travel and he never really settled down in one particular country. He spent extended periods of time in Brazil (19151919), Uruguay (19121915, 19191927) and El Salvador (19391944). In none of these places did he establish a conservatory, nor did he pursue the systematic publication of his music. He escaped from Latin America only once in 1934, when he visited Europe, staying just fifteen months, but his lifelong goal of reaching the United States never came to fruition. Undoubtedly one of Barrios mostperformed compositions, La Catedral was written in 1921. Many years later he added the exquisite Preludio, providing a complete work that is an example of his finest writing. Barrios performed this work quite often throughout his career, probably more than any other of his compositions, a reflection of its popularity with the concert public. The Preludio, subtitled Saudade (Nostalgia) was written in Havana in 21/03/12

1938, when Barrios was suffering from a decline in health complicated by a lack of money and the inevitable stress to his marital life that these difficult conditions created. In the Preludio he pours out his heart, yearning for the joy and comfort of former times. He performed La Catedral with the prelude for the first time in San Salvador on 25 July 1938. Barrios greatly admired Beethoven and early in his career transcribed the well-known Minuet in D, which he included regularly in his concerts. He also performed minuets by Fernando Sor. This affinity he felt with the nineteenth-century masters no doubt served as inspiration for his six minuets. Barrios discovered the music of the great Spanish guitarist and composer Francisco Trrega (18521909) around 1917, and grew to admire him greatly. Recognizing the importance of the Spanish masters work in the development of the guitar, Barrios declared: Without Trrega, we would not be. He regularly performed Trregas music in his concerts and recorded Capricho Arabe on two different occasions. In 1939 in Guatemala, Barrios composed a set of six variations on Trregas ever popular student work Lgrima, creating a sophisticated virtuoso display of the theme, using arpeggios, appoggiaturas, tremolo, melodic harmonics, and other devices. Variations on a Theme of Trrega is one of his most mature compositions, reflecting a lifetime of devotion to and a thorough mastery of the instrument he loved.

Musee Musical School of Music News for the week 10/04/12

Mantua and The Four Seasons In 1717 or 1718, Vivaldi was offered a new prestigious position as Maestro di Cappella of the court of prince Philip of Hesse-Darmstadt, governor of Mantua.[32] He moved there for three years and produced several operas, among which was Tito Manlio . In 1721, he was in Milan, where he presented the pastoral drama La Silvia. He visited Milan again the following year with the oratorio L'adorazione delli tre re magi al bambino Ges .In 1722 he moved to Rome, where he introduced his operas' new style. The new pope Benedict XIII invited Vivaldi to play for him. In 1725, Vivaldi returned to Venice, where he produced four operas in the same year.During this period Vivaldi wrote the Four Seasons, four violin concertos depicting scenes appropriate for each season. Three of the concerti are of original conception, while the first, "Spring", borrows motifs from a Sinfonia in the first act of his contemporaneous opera "Il Giustino". The inspiration for the concertos was probably the countryside around Mantua. They were a revolution in musical conception: in them Vivaldi represented flowing creeks, singing birds , barking dogs, buzzing mosquitoes, crying shepherds, storms, drunken dancers, silent nights, hunting parties from both the hunters' and the prey's point of view, frozen landscapes, ice-skating children, and warming winter fires. Each concerto is associated with a sonnet, possibly by Vivaldi, describing the scenes depicted in the music.

Musee Musical School of Music News for the week Haydn, (Franz) Joseph

17/04/12

Born: Rohrau, Austria, 31 March 1732

Died: 31 May 1809

Contemporary and friend of Mozart. He wrote 104 symphonies, arguably creating the form as we understand it today. The last 12 of these are known as the London symphonies, being written on the occasion of two visits to London in the 1790s, and are very good. Haydn is also credited with the development of the string quartet into a form capable of real feeling and subtlety. One shouldnt assume that Haydns pioneering role in the development of the symphony and the string quartet means that his pieces have been superseded by subsequent composers works. Indeed, one of the many ways in which his music seems impressive is the self-assurance with which a relatively limited palette is explored.

Mahler, Gustav

Born: Kaliste (Bohemia), 7 July 1860 Died: Vienna, 18 May 1911

Much of Mahlers early career was dominated by his job as conductor of the Vienna Opera. He wrote much of his music while on summer holiday. Ive recently started to know some of his work. The second and fifth symphonies are brilliant, and the fourth symphony is also pretty good. The first symphony seems a little light, though the third movement sounds surprisingly like the theme from the Godfather movies, and thus rather menacing. The sixth symphony is also one that I have come to know, and I can also thoroughly recommend it. The Naxos label have a cheap recording of this with Antoni Wit and the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, which is very good. The Penguin guide also recommends this recording. Its a double CD. The fourth symphony I listened to first was again on DG, but with Karajan conducting. I cant remember the orchestras. This I also liked almost instantly. Deryk Barker has written a very extensive Mahler page of reviews and information about the man and his work.

Mendelssohn, (Jacob Ludwig) Felix

Born: Hamburg, 3 February 1809 Died: Leipzig, 4 November 1847

Another composer who was famous as something of a child prodigy, Mendelssohn didnt manage to achieve the fame of composers such as Mozart or Beethoven. He wrote five symphonies (the last of which, the Reformation symphony, I particularly recommend), a famous violin concerto and some famous theme music for A Midsummer Nights Dream (the Wedding March from this is often used at real weddings). Mendelssohn also wrote a number of religious works, including the St. Paul oratorio. Scarlatti, (Giuseppe) Domenico

Born: Naples, 26 October 1685 Died: Madrid, 23 July 1757

A Baroque composer most famous for his harpsichord sonatas. The majority of these were composed in Spain where Scarlatti had employment with a royal Spanish woman (a princess who later became queen I believe). His sonatas dont seem to have the purity of development that one finds in Bach, but they do conjure up images of beautiful, elegant dance in a way that Bach does not. I find it very easy to imagine the rhythms and gracefulness of the music in some Baroque court. Bach, Handel and Scarlatti were all born in the same year, but though Bach and Handel knew of each other, it was only Handel and Scarlatti that managed to meet. On the occasion, it is said that they held an informal competition, and while Handel was held to be the better organist, Scarlatti was judged the better harpsichordist. Schubert, Franz Peter

Born: Vienna, 31 January 1797 Died: Vienna, 19 November 1828

Famous song composer. :-) But seriously, Schubert also wrote a number of symphonies (the socalled Great is in fact very good, if not great), piano sonatas, chamber music in general, including the famous Trout Quintet, operas (26 of them!), masses and much else. He was probably even more prolific than Mozart. Schubert died just a year after Beethoven, and it was thought quite tragic that Vienna should lose two great composers so close upon each others heels. Tomoko Yamamoto has a published a page celebrating the two-hundredth anniversary of Schuberts birth. Bart Berman has some notes on Schubert, with particular reference to some of his piano music.

Schumann, Robert Alexander

Born: Zwickau (Germany), 8 June 1810

Died: Endenich (Germany), 29 July 1856

A contemporary, friend and mentor of Brahms, Schumann wrote a great deal of music, including a piano concerto (one of the strangest phenomena of music publishing today is the way in which his piano concerto is almost invariably coupled with Griegs), four symphonies, song cyles, and a variety of chamber music. A correspondent writes to claim that his third symphony (the Rhenish) is known as the Queen of Symphonies (with Beethoven's ninth being the King). I certainly recommend this symphony, but it, like much of Schumanns music that I have heard, does not strike me as having the intensity of Brahms. Rather, I think the melancholy on display in the Fantasiestcke (a work for solo piano) is among the most affecting things he wrote. Schumann was committed to a mental asylum after throwing himself into a river, and died soon afterwards. Schumanns attempted suicide led Brahms to write his first piano concerto. Schumann earlier caused himself a debilitating injury to his hand while using a mechanical device supposed to improve his finger strength and reach for piano playing Roberts wife Clara was an internationally famous concert pianist (and also a minor composer).

Musee Musical School of Music News for the week Shostakovich, Dimitri

24/04/12

Born: St. Petersburg, 25 September 1906 Died: Moscow, 9 August 1975

All of his music that I have heard is full of feeling, though the feeling expressed is often bitterness, sadness, or sardonic "humors". Stravinsky apparently said of Shostakovich that he was one of the

most frightened men he had ever met and this feeling of fear is something one can often hear in Shostakovichs music. This is not to imply that all of his work is irredeemably grim. The second movement of the second string quartet is beautifully sad and sweet, for example. Significant works include his fifth and tenth symphonies, the eighth quartet, the two cello concerti and the 24 preludes and fugues. Shostakovich had a strong musical education. He entered the St. Petersburg Conservatory at a young age and was taught there by Glazunov, among others. His first symphony was his graduation piece (composed in 1925), and was well received. He supported himself and his mother in this period by playing the piano at silent movie screenings. In later works, Shostakovich made frequent use of a D-Eflat-C-B theme. Written using the German notation this reads D-S-C-H, his initials (given another Romanization of his name; Dimitri SCHostakovich). There are a large number of other music pages and resources on the Web devoted to Shostakovich, so Ive collected them together into a Shostakovich links page.

Musee Musical School of Music News for the week 19/06/2012

Sibelius, Jean

Born: Hmeenlinna (Finland), 8 December 1865 Died: Jrvenp, 20 September 1957

Finlands most famous composer. He wrote seven symphonies, a violin concerto and a number of suites for orchestra. I have listened to all of the symphonies, and like them all. The easiest to get to know is definitely the second (which was an international hit pretty much as soon as it was performed), but the third is also very appealing. The Karelia suite and the Finlandia tone poem are also very good. The former is quite famous, and I think it may have been a TV theme at some point, though I couldnt say what to. Interestingly, Sibeliuss last published works came out in the 1920s. That means that he was alive for about 30 years and not producing anything he considered worthy of publishing. Apparently, he spent much of that period working on an eighth symphony. He sent some material to a publisher at one point, saying that the final work would be eight times as long, and that he thought it was the best stuff hed ever done. However, he grew increasingly self-critical, eventually asked for the material back from the publisher and burnt it. Having recently travelled to Finland to attend a conference (Sibelius is on the 100 Mark banknote), I cant claim that the Finnish landscape is an obvious inspiration for Sibelius and his music. However, I was there in summer (and it was warmer there than in Britain), and at a stretch I can imagine that seeing everything blanketed in snow might well lead one to music like Sibeliuss. Perhaps. Or perhaps music says a lot more about ones inward feelings than it does about the topography of ones country.

Tchaikovsky, Piotr Ilyitch

Born: Votkinsk, 7 May 1840 Died: St. Petersburg, 6 November 1893

Tchaikovsky is probably most famous for ballet music (The Nutcracker Suite, Swan Lake and the like) and the 1812 Overture. However, his work in the standard forms is definitely worth a listen. I have heard the violin concerto and the Pathtique symphony live, and these are both great works. The first piano concerto with its initial crashing chords is also very famous. There is still some controversy over the nature of Tchaikovskys death. It happened very suddenly without much warning, and it has been speculated that Tchaikovsky committed suicide.

Musee Musical School of Music News for the week 04/05/12

Bagpipes are a class of musical instrument, aerophones, using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. Though the Scottish Great Highland Bagpipe and Irish uilleann pipes have the greatest international visibility, bagpipes have been for centuries played throughout large parts of Europe, the Caucasus, around the Persian Gulf and in Northern Africa. The term "bagpipe" is equally correct in the singular or plural, although in the English language, pipers most commonly talk of "the pipes", "a set of pipes", or "a stand of pipes".A set of bagpipes minimally consists of an air supply, a bag, a chanter, and usually a drone. Most bagpipes also have additional drones in various combinations, held in place in stocksconnectors that fasten the various pipes to the bag. The most common method of supplying air to the bag is by blowing into a blowpipe, or blowstick. In some pipes the player must cover the tip of the blowpipe with his tongue while inhaling, but modern blowpipes have a non-return valve that eliminates this need. The bag is an airtight reservoir that can hold air and regulate its flow while the player keeps the bag inflated by blowing into it or pumping with bellows, enabling the player to maintain continuous sound for some time. The chanter is the melody pipe, played by two hands. A chanter can be bored internally so that the inside walls are parallel for its full length, or it can be bored in the shape of a cone. Additionally, the reed can be a single or a double reed. The chanter is usually open-ended; thus, there is no easy way for the player to stop the pipe from sounding. This means that most bagpipes share a legato sound where there are no rests in the music. Primarily because of this inability to stop playing, grace notes are used to break up notes and to create the illusion of articulation and accents. Most bagpipes have at least one drone: a pipe which is generally not fingered, but rather produces a constant harmonising note throughout play. A drone is most commonly a cylindrical tube with a single reed, although drones with double reeds exist. The drone is generally designed in two or more parts, with a sliding joint so that the pitch of the drone can be manipulated. Depending on the type of pipes, the drones may lie over the shoulder, across the arm opposite the bag, or may run parallel to the chanter.

Musee Musical School of Music News for the week 09/05/12

Note that as music evolved, composers increasingly began to exercise their freedom and creativity, to the extent that at times they even broke away from these styles. Orchestral vs. Chamber Music WCM works can be broadly differentiated as either being Orchestral or as Chamber Music. Orchestral works are those performed by a full orchestra, comprising dozens of different instruments being played by dozens of performers. Several performers may play the same instrument. Chamber Music comprises of works performed by a small group of performers, each playing a different instrument. The reason for this terminology is historical the occasion and purpose behind the two genres was different. Orchestral works were performed for the public; chamber music was meant to be performed as an accompaniment inside homes of royal families who financed and supported music composers. For obvious reasons, Cham-

ber Music is also referred to as Ensemble. Additional Genres may be defined as Instrumental for solo instruments, Choral for group of singers (choir). What follows below is a generic description of several Styles that lie within these genres. Concerto The Solo Concerto is an orchestral work composed in three movements, performed by the full orchestra and a solo instrument. Typically, concertos are written for the piano, violin, cello or the flute. The interplay between the solo instrument and the orchestra is the defining element of the Concerto this is the closest in WCM to the jugalbandi in Indian Classical. The Concerto has also survived centuries of musical evolution and remains popular to this day, with many accomplished solo instrumentalists showcasing their virtuoso skills while performing in this genre. Conventional concertos have the first movement in Sonata Form, the second may be sonata or freeflowing, while the finale is typically a Rondo or simply a Theme with Variations.

Concerto The Solo Concerto is an orchestral work composed in three movements, performed by the full orchestra and a solo instrument. Typically, concertos are written for the piano, violin, cello or the flute. The interplay between the solo instrument and the orchestra is the defining element of the Concerto this is the closest in WCM to the jugalbandi in Indian Classical. The Concerto has also survived centuries of musical evolution and remains popular to this day, with many accomplished solo instrumentalists showcasing their virtuoso skills while performing in this genre. Conventional concertos have the first movement in Sonata Form, the second may be sonata or freeflowing, while the finale is typically a Rondo or simply a Theme with Variations. Symphony A Symphony is an orchestral work, typically composed in four or five movements. Like the concerto, symphonies have been a mainstay of WCM for a very long time and have been very popular. A typical symphony conforms to the following structure: 1. Opening movement is fast-paced, with a solid thematic character. This movement is usually in the Sonata Form. 2. Second movement is slow, sometimes melancholy or solemn. This movement may use the Sonata, Rondo, or a simple Theme with Variations form.

3. Third movement is a Minuet or Scherzo, moderately paced. A minuet is meant to accompany dance, the Scherzo replaced it in later eras, with much faster tempo. Both follow the Ternary Form (ABA). 4. The Fourth movement is the Finale, which is again a fast-paced movement in Sonata or Rondo form. Many symphonies reverse the 2nd and 3rd movements. Beethoven evolved the form further by even introducing the choir in the famous Ode to Joy finale of his 9th Symphony. Here is a sample, conducted by Herbert von Karajan, in the 1977 New Years Eve concert of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra: You can sense the incredible power of the full orchestra. If any person is not moved by this spectacular music, there is a soul missing. Sonata A Sonata is a work for one or two instruments, composed in three or four movements, very similar in Form to the Symphony (discussed above). You might say that a Sonata is a Chamber Music version of the Orchestral Symphony. Most sonatas were written for the Piano (solo) or the Violin (often accompanied by the Piano). For a typical WCM lover, about 7080% of time is consumed by Concertos, Sonatas, and Symphonies, all of which employ the Sonata Form as their basic foundation. So if youve not spent time understanding Sonata Form, please do so, by reading the previous post again. Opera The Opera is full-fledged theater a drama performed by actors whore singers, accompanied by a full orchestra, involving a storyline, costumes, sets, etc. It is one of the most endearing and popular genres of WCM with a rich history of evolution. Opera means work in Italian (opus = work), possibly referring to the labor involved for the performers in singing, acting, and dancing. The text of the drama is the libretto, while the songs are the aria. This is the Queen of Night aria from Mozarts Magic Flute: Singing in an Opera is a difficult skill, since the human voices had to be heard without electronic amplification over and above the full blast of the orchestra. Different male and female voices are classified into bass/tenor/contralto/soprano/etc. according to their voice types. The music of an opera is sufficiently a work of art in itself, that can be enjoyed and appreciated without the theater. The instrumental work performed by the orchestra before the curtains open is the Overture. Trios, Quartets, Quintets As their name implies, these are works for a set of three, four, or five instruments. These works comprise a vast majority of Chamber Music, and are a delight in themselves. Chamber Music is more nuanced and intimate than Orchestral Music, and needs a finer ear and appreciation. They might seem deceptively simple at first, as they dont overwhelm the ear like Orchestral works, but actually, theyre complex and serious, requiring greater mind listening. The most popular among these is the String Quartet, which is performed with two violins, one viola, and one cello.

There are other works in Chamber Music that are performed by trios, quartets, etc. but are termed differently, like Divertimento, Serenade, or Nachtmusik. For example, Mozarts Divertimento in D Major, KV 136 is a mini-symphony for the string quartet, one of my most beloved works. Heres the first movement, conducted by Yehudi Menuhin: Rhapsody A Rhapsody is a single movement work that is free-flowing and doesnt follow any form or structure. It typically has contrasting shades of mood and tonality. Here is George Gershwin with his Rhapsody In Blue, which straddles the Western Classical and Jazz genres: Genres & Styles in Western Classical Music After looking at some of the Forms used in WCM, let us look at some of the popular Genres or Styles that make up the world of WCM. Note that as music evolved, composers increasingly began to exercise their freedom and creativity, to the extent that at times they even broke away from these styles. Orchestral vs. Chamber Music WCM works can be broadly differentiated as either being Orchestral or as Chamber Music. Orchestral works are those performed by a full orchestra, comprising dozens of different instruments being played by dozens of performers. Several performers may play the same instrument. Chamber Music comprises of works performed by a small group of performers, each playing a different instrument. The reason for this terminology is historical the occasion and purpose behind the two genres was different. Orchestral works were performed for the public; chamber music was meant to be performed as an accompaniment inside homes of royal families who financed and supported music composers. For obvious reasons, Chamber Music is also referred to as Ensemble. Additional Genres may be defined as Instrumental for solo instruments, Choral for group of singers (choir). What follows below is a generic description of several Styles that lie within these genres. Concerto The Solo Concerto is an orchestral work composed in three movements, performed by the full orchestra and a solo instrument. Typically, concertos are written for the piano, violin, cello or the flute. The interplay between the solo instrument and the orchestra is the defining element of the Concerto this is the closest in WCM to the jugalbandi in Indian Classical. The Concerto has also survived centuries of musical evolution and remains popular to this day, with many accomplished solo instrumentalists showcasing their virtuoso skills while performing in this genre. Here is Sergei Rachmaninoff himself playing his Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Philadelphia Orchestra: This was recorded in 1929, so theres no live video. If this music seems familiar to you, it was used in David Leans 1945 film Brief Encounter, Billy Wilders 1955 The Seven Year Itch starring Marilyn Monroe with the famous skirt shot, and also in Clint Eastwoods 2010 film Hereafter. See how classical music is timeless? Conventional concertos have the first movement in Sonata Form, the second may be sonata or freeflowing, while the finale is typically a Rondo or simply a Theme with Variations.

Musee Musical School of Music News for the week Symphony A Symphony is an orchestral work, typically composed in four or five movements. Like the concerto, symphonies have been a mainstay of WCM for a very long time and have been very popular. A typical symphony conforms to the following structure: 1. Opening movement is fast-paced, with a solid thematic character. This movement is usually in the Sonata Form. 2. Second movement is slow, sometimes melancholy or solemn. This movement may use the Sonata, Rondo, or a simple Theme with Variations form. 17/05/12

3. Third movement is a Minuet or Scherzo, moderately paced. A minuet is meant to accompany dance, the Scherzo replaced it in later eras, with much faster tempo. Both follow the Ternary Form (ABA). 4. The Fourth movement is the Finale, which is again a fast-paced movement in Sonata or Rondo form. Many symphonies reverse the 2nd and 3rd movements. Beethoven evolved the form further by even introducing the choir in the famous Ode to Joy finale of his 9th Symphony. Sonata A Sonata is a work for one or two instruments, composed in three or four movements, very similar in Form to the Symphony (discussed above). You might say that a Sonata is a Chamber Music version of the Orchestral Symphony. Most sonatas were written for the Piano (solo) or the Violin (often accompanied by the Piano). For a typical WCM lover, about 7080% of time is consumed by Concertos, Sonatas, and Symphonies, all of which employ the Sonata Form as their basic foundation.

Sonata A Sonata is a work for one or two instruments, composed in three or four movements, very similar in Form to the Symphony (discussed above). You might say that a Sonata is a Chamber Music version of the Orchestral Symphony. Most sonatas were written for the Piano (solo) or the Violin (often accompanied by the Piano). For a typical WCM lover, about 7080% of time is consumed by Concertos, Sonatas, and Symphonies, all of which employ the Sonata Form as their basic foundation. So if youve not spent time understanding Sonata Form, please do so, by reading the previous post again.

Musee Musical School of Music

News for the week Opera

23/05/12

The Opera is full-fledged theater a drama performed by actors whore singers, accompanied by a full orchestra, involving a storyline, costumes, sets, etc. It is one of the most endearing and popular genres of WCM with a rich history of evolution. Opera means work in Italian (opus = work), possibly referring to the labor involved for the performers in singing, acting, and dancing. The text of the drama is the libretto, while the songs are the aria. Singing in an Opera is a difficult skill, since the human voices had to be heard without electronic amplification over and above the full blast of the orchestra. Different male and female voices are classified into bass/tenor/contralto/soprano/etc. according to their voice types. The music of an opera is sufficiently a work of art in itself that can be enjoyed and appreciated without the theater. The instrumental work performed by the orchestra before the curtains open is the Overture. Trios, Quartets, Quintets As their name implies, these are works for a set of three, four, or five instruments. These works comprise a vast majority of Chamber Music, and are a delight in them. Chamber Music is more nuanced and intimate than Orchestral Music, and needs a finer ear and appreciation. They might seem deceptively simple at first, as they dont overwhelm the ear like Orchestral works, but actually, theyre complex and serious, requiring greater mind listening. The most popular among these is the String Quartet, which is performed with two violins, one viola, and one cello. There are other works in Chamber Music that are performed by trios, quartets, etc. but are termed differently, like Divertimento, Serenade, or Nachtmusik. For example, Mozarts Divertimento in D Major, KV 136 is a mini-symphony for the string quartet, one of my most beloved works. Heres the first movement, conducted by Yehudi Menuhin: RhapsodyA Rhapsody is a single movement work that is free-flowing and doesnt follow any form or structure. It typically has contrasting shades of mood and tonality. MUSEE MUSICAL SCHOOL OF MUSIC TIP FOR THE WEEK 27/05/12

Improving Your Piano Sight Reading Abilities

When you are ready to learn a new piece of music for the piano, do you find that you spend days or even weeks carefully reviewing each note? Does the frustration of this process make you long to simply give up on the piano completely and give up on your desires of creating lovely music? Do you watch other people play the piano and wish that you could read the music as quickly and easily as they do? With the tips offered here, you can enjoy those same skills. All you need is the desire to learn and implement these tips.

1. Practice sight reading! Just as with any other skill, the more you practice, the better you will get. Also, when you focus so much on memorizing the music that you will perform for other people, your skills at sight reading new tunes can fade. To keep your sight reading skills high, make it a point to also play new and fresh pieces. Taking the time to sight read new piano sheet music just for fun and for the sight reading practice will help your skills at sight reading to rapidly expand and grow. 2. It doesn't have to be perfect! When sight reading music, it's okay to cut yourself some slack. You will miss a few notes, or play a dynamic or tie slightly off. It's okay and natural for this to happen when sight reading. The main thing is to keep going. Don't stop to correct yourself. Corrections are for serious practice. The main idea is simply to keep going and get a good feel for that point. 3. Focus on rhythms! When you are able to see a rhythm and quickly understand that, your sight reading skills will greatly improve. In order to quickly understand what the rhythms should sound like, you may need to focus more on that particular element. If you are practicing and find that you are facing a section where you really don't know the rhythm, it's okay to take a moment to consider what it is about that section that is causing problems for you. Look at the core note values, see if you can identify common rhythmic figures. Another tip that can help you improve your sight reading is to focus on sight reading pieces that are within the same time signature. Once you are really comfortable with a basic 4/4-time, then you can move on to 3/4, 6/8 and other time signatures. 4. Work on the clefs individually! If notes rather than rhythm is presenting a challenge, it's important that you take the time to work on each clef by itself. Once you are comfortable with each clef, you can combine the two to enjoy the beautiful melody. If you are struggling more with the bass clef then give your right hand a break. Play on reading just the notes of the left hand, even ignoring the rhythm if you need to.. 5. Work on one key signature at a time! Many less advanced piano players find it hard to determine which notes should be flat or sharp. When you focus on a single key signature for an extended period of time, it will be easier for you to identify which notes should be sharpened or flattened. You will find that your hands will begin to take on a life of their own as they fly across the black and white keys completely naturally. Combine this tip with scale exercises and you will find that your sight reading skills will improve even more quickly.

RICHARD WAGNER: Born Leipzig 22 May 1813 Died Venice 13 February 1883

Though his life spanned the greater part of the 19th century, the contoversy surrounding his persona persisted well into the 20th century. He created discord as much by his music as by his personal life. A towering artistic genius he saw the cultural elite of his day polarized into Wagnerites and anti-Wagnerites. He was beloved by Lizst but belittled by Berlioz; and while Baudelaire and Nietzsche found him enthralling, Wilde thought him boring. To his detractors, he was an arrogant profligate, anarchist, racist, megalomaniac, adulterer, antiSemite... arguably a frightfully despicable man. But there was also a spiritual quality to the man who was drawn to philosophy - indeed for almost the entirety of his life, he pondered the ultimate questions of existence and constantly sought redemption - which he found perhaps partially, if not totally, in his music. To this day, more than a century after his death, Richard Wagner still provokes debate and argument. More books have been written about him than perhaps any other composer, yet modern day purveyors of controversy are compelled to delve ever deeper into his life and art, partly because of a sustained fascination with the man and partly because of his posthumous link with Nazism (he was Hitler's artist-hero and Bayreuth - Wagner's musical shrine to his art - Hitler's haven at the height of the war), but unarguably because of the beauty and power of his music.

The fact remains that Wagner is a giant among composers.

He alone was composer / dramatist / librettist / set designer of every one of his works. His sweeping music has not ceased to win the hearts and minds of many, and of his thirteen principal operatic works, ten remain staples of the contemporary repertory. His titanic efforts culminated in the great tetralogy "Der Ring des Nibelungen". Employing elements of Nordic and Germanic mythology, it is a powerful allegory of life, its conflicts, triumphs and tragedies. It took twenty-five years to complete. It is a great work of art indeed, unparalleled in history, and as close to approaching the ideal of "Gesamtkunstwerk" as any artist even today can ever get.

Meaning of F.R.I.E.N.D.S.H.I.P
"F" is for Fun............That friends share when they are together. "R" is for Reliability....A true friend is someone that you can always rely on. "I" is for Interest.......Someone who is genuinely interested in you, your fears, joys, and life. "E" is for Energy.........They pick you up when you are down, and give you the energy to go on and believe in yourself. "N" is for Nothing........Nothing is ever too much, no matter what time it is, night or day. "D" is for Distance.......Although the miles may separate you, a true friend is never far away. "S" is for Secrets........Your feelings and personal/private thoughts that you can only share with a friend.

"H" is for Happiness......The way I feel when we are together. "I" is for Inseparable....Through good times and bad, tears and laughter. A friend will always be there for you jst frnds like u .. "P" is for Perfect........The friendship that you and I share. You make normal days into special days. Turn my tears of sorrow into tears of laughter. My world is a brighter place due to the friendship and love that we share.

Attribution: http://www.citehr.com/125408-meaning-f-r-i-e-n-d-s-h-i-p.html#ixzz1yDMMKAnw alternate defination :F=Firm R=Reliable I=Indefinite E=Empathy N=No-demand D=deep S=Sincere H=Honest I=Iternal P=Passionate -bondage.

Attribution: http://www.citehr.com/125408-meaning-f-r-i-e-n-d-s-h-i-p.html#ixzz1yDMdAGEy AM NOT YOUR FRIEND IF..... you have to think before you speak to me!

I AM NOT YOUR FRIEND IF..... my presence ever makes you feel uncomfortable!

I AM NOT YOUR FRIEND IF..... you have to thank me for everything i do for you!

I AM NOT YOUR FRIEND IF..... you have to say sorry for everything that you don't do!

I AM NOT YOUR FRIEND IF..... you have to ask me for favors!

I AM NOT YOUR FRIEND IF..... you think i would not be curious to know your new philosophy of life!

I AM NOT YOUR FRIEND IF..... you go by what i say and do not understand what i don't say!

I AM NOT YOUR FRIEND IF..... you think that listening to your dreams would put me to sleep!

I AM NOT YOUR FRIEND IF..... you think that seeing you in pain, would not bring a tear to me!

I AM NOT YOUR FRIEND IF..... you think I do not remember the first time we met!

I AM NOT YOUR FRIEND IF..... you don't see the thousand ways I try to make you happy!

Attribution: http://www.citehr.com/125408-meaning-f-r-i-e-n-d-s-h-i-p.html#ixzz1yDMiK4DI

MUSIC QUOTES
The piano keys are black and white but they sound like a million colors in your mind Maria Cristina Mena When you play, never mind who listens to you. Robert Schumann

 The notes I handle no better than many pianists. But the pauses between the notes - ah, that is where the art resides. Play always as if in the presence of a master. Robert Schumann The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul. ~Johann Sebastian Bach

Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent. ~Victor Hugo Music is the mediator between the spiritual and the sensual life. ~Ludwig van Beethoven

Music is the wine which inspires one to new generative processes, and I am Bacchus who presses out this glorious wine for mankind and makes them spiritually drunken. ~Ludwig van Beethoven Music is an outburst of the soul. ~Frederick Delius Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent. ~Victor Hugo

Music is the medicine of the breaking heart. ~Leigh Hunt

No other acoustic instrument can match the piano's expressive range, and no electric instrument can match its mystery.

Kenneth Miller quotes

[The piano is] able to communicate the subtlest universal truths by means of wood, metal and vibrating air. Kenneth Miller quotes Life is like a piano... what you get out of it depends on how you play it. Similar Quotes Life is like a piano... what you get out of it depends on how you play it. Similar Quotes

o Music cleanses the understanding; inspires it, and lifts it into a realm which it would not reach if it were left to itself. ~Henry Ward Beecher

Music can noble hints impart, Engender fury, kindle love, With unsuspected eloquence can move, And manage all the man with secret art. ~Joseph Addison There's music in the sighing of a reed; There's music in the gushing of a rill; There's music in all things, if men had ears: Their earth is but an echo of the spheres. ~Lord Byron

There is in souls a sympathy with sounds: And as the mind is pitched the ear is pleased With melting airs, or martial, brisk or grave; Some chord in unison with what we hear Is touched within us, and the heart replies. ~William Cowper

MUSEE MUSICAL SCHOOL OF MUSIC NEWS FOR THE WEEK

Harmony

05/07/12

IV-V-I progression in C

Harmony is the study of vertical sonorities in music. Vertical sonority refers to considering the relationships between pitches that occur together; usually this means at the same time, although harmony can also be implied by a melody that outlines a harmonic structure. The relationship between two pitches is referred to as an interval. A larger structure involving more than two pitches is called a chord. In common practice and popular music, harmonies are generally tertian. This means that the interval of which the chords are composed is a third. Therefore, a root-position triad (with the root note in the lowest voice) consists of the root note, a note a third above, and a note a third above that (a fifth above the root). Seventh chords add a third above the top note of a triad (a seventh above the root). There are some notable exceptions. In 20th century classical music, many alternative types of harmonic structure were explored. One way to analyze harmony in common practice music is through a Roman numeral system; in popular music and jazz a system of chord symbols is used; and in post-tonal music, a variety of approaches are used, most frequently set theory. The perception of pitch within harmony depends on a number of factors including the interaction of frequencies within the harmony and the roughness produced by the fast beating of nearby partials. Pitch perception is also affected by familiarity of the listener with the music, and cultural associations.[citation needed] "Harmony" as used by music theorists can refer to any kind of simultaneity without a value judgement, in contrast with a more common usage of "in harmony" or "harmonious", which in technical language might be described as consonance.[citation needed]

Music theory is the study of how music works. It examines the language and notation of music. It seeks to identify patterns and structures in composers' techniques across or within genres, styles, or historical periods. In a grand sense, music theory distils and analyzes the fundamental parameters or elements of music rhythm, harmony (harmonic function), melody, structure, form, texture, etc. Broadly, music theory may include any statement, belief, or conception of or about music.[1] A person who studies these properties is known as a music theorist. Some have applied acoustics, human physiology, and psychology to the explanation of how and why music is perceived. Fundamentals of music

Music has many different fundamentals or elements. These include but are not limited to: pitch, beat or pulse, rhythm, melody, harmony, texture, allocation of voices, timbre or color, expressive qualities (dynamics and articulation), and form or structure. In addition to these "fundamentals" there are other important concepts employed in music both in Western and non-Western cultures including "Scales and/or Modes" and "Consonance vs. Dissonance."
Pitch Main article: Pitch (music)

Middle C (261.626 Hz)

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Pitch is a subjective sensation, reflecting generally the lowness (slower wave frequency) or highness (faster wave frequency) of a sound. Most people appear to possess relative pitch, which means they perceive each note relative to some reference pitch, or as some interval from the previous pitch. Significantly fewer people demonstrate absolute pitch (or perfect pitch), the ability to identify certain pitches without comparison to another pitch. Human perception of pitch can be comprehensively fooled to create auditory illusions. Despite these perceptual oddities, perceived pitch is nearly always closely connected with the fundamental frequency of a note, with a lesser connection to sound pressure level, harmonic content (complexity) of the sound, and to the immediately preceding history of notes heard.[2] In general, the higher the frequency of vibration, the higher the perceived pitch is, and lower the frequency, the lower the pitch. [3] However, even for tones of equal intensity, perceived pitch and measured frequency do not stand in a simple linear relationship. [4] At and below about 1,000 Hz, the perceived loudness of a tone gets lower as sound frequency decreases, but above approximately 2,000 Hz, the perceived loudness increases as the sound's frequency gets higher. [5] This is due to the ear's natural sensitivity to higher pitched sound, as well as the ear's particular sensitivity to sound around the 2000 4000 Hz area, the frequency range most of the human voice occupies.[6] In Western music, there have long been several competing pitch standards defining tuning systems. Most made a particular key sonorous, with increasingly remote ones more and more problematic; the underlying problem is related to the physics of vibrations. In addition, fixing notes to standard frequencies (required for instrument makers) has varied as well. "Concert A" was set at 435 Hz by France in 1859 while in England, concert A varied between 439 and 452 Hz. A frequency of 440 Hz was recommended as the standard in 1939, and in 1955 the International Organization for Standardization affirmed the choice.[7] A440 is now widely, though not exclusively, used as the A above middle C. The difference in frequency between two pitches is called an interval. The most basic interval is the unison, which is simply two of the same pitch, followed by the slightly more complex octave, which indicates either a doubling or halving of the fundamental frequency. Scales and modes - Main articles: Musical scale and Musical mode

Pattern of whole and half steps in the Ionian mode or major scale on C

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Notes can be arranged into different scales and modes. Western music theory generally divides the octave into a series of 12 notes that might be included in a piece of music. This series of twelve notes is called a chromatic scale. In the chromatic scale, the interval between adjacent notes is called a half-step or semitone. Patterns of half and whole steps (2 half steps, or a tone) can make up a scale in that octave. The scales most commonly encountered are the seven toned major, the harmonic minor, the melodic minor, and the natural minor. Other examples of scales are the octatonic scale, and the pentatonic or five-toned scale, which is common in but not limited to folk music. There are scales that do not follow the chromatic 12-note pattern, for example in classical Ottoman, Persian, Indian and Arabic music. Arabic and Persian classical traditions often make use of quarter-tones, half the size of a semitone, as the name suggests. In music written using the system of major-minor tonality, the key of a piece determines the scale used. (One way of showing how various keys relate to one another may be seen in the circle of fifths.) Transposing a piece from C major to D

major will make all the notes two semitones (or one full step) higher. Even in modern equal temperament, changing the key can change the feel of a piece of music, because it changes the relationship of the composition's pitches to the pitch range of the instruments that play the piece. This often affects the music's timbre, as well as having technical implications for the performers.[citation needed] However, performing a piece in one key rather than another may go unrecognized by the casual listener, since changing the key does not change the relationship of the individual pitches to each other. Consonance and dissonance - Main article: Consonance and dissonance Consonance can be roughly defined as harmonies whose tones complement and increase each others' resonance, and dissonance as those that create more complex acoustical interactions (called 'beats'). A simplistic example is that of "pleasant" sounds versus "unpleasant" ones. Another manner of thinking about the relationship regards stability; dissonant harmonies are sometimes considered to be unstable and to "want to move" or "resolve" toward consonance. However, this is not to say that dissonance is undesirable. A composition made entirely of consonant harmonies may be pleasing to the ear and yet boring because there are no instabilities to be resolved.[citation needed] Melody is often organized so as to interact with changing harmonies (sometimes called a chord progression) that accompany it, setting up consonance and dissonance. The art of melody writing depends heavily upon the choices of tones for their nonharmonic or harmonic character.[vague] RhythmMain article: Rhythm

Metric levels: beat level shown in middle with division levels above and multiple levels below. Rhythm is the arrangement of sounds and silences in time. Meter animates time in regular pulse groupings, called measures or bars. The time signature or meter signature specifies how many beats are in a measure, and which value of written note is counted and felt as a single beat. Through increased stress and attack (and subtle variations in duration), particular tones may be accented. There are conventions in most musical traditions for a regular and hierarchical accentuation of beats to reinforce the meter. Syncopated rhythms are rhythms that accent unexpected parts of the beat. Playing simultaneous rhythms in more than one time signature is called polymeter. See also polyrhythm. In recent years, rhythm and meter have become an important area of research among music scholars. Recent work in these areas includes books by Bengt-Olov Palmqvist, Fred Lerdahl and Ray Jackendoff, and Jonathan Kramer. Chord Main article: Chord (music) This section requires expansion. (March 2012) Melody Main article: Melody

"Pop Goes the Weasel" melody[8]

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A melody is a series of tones sounding in succession. The tones of a melody are typically created with respect to pitch systems such as scales or modes. The rhythm of a melody is often based on the intonation of language, the physical rhythms of dance, or simply periodic pulsation.[citation needed] Melody is typically divided into phrases within a larger overarching structure. The elements of a melody are pitch, duration, dynamics, and timbre. [edit] Harmony Main article: Harmony

IV-V-I progression in C

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Harmony is the study of vertical sonorities in music. Vertical sonority refers to considering the relationships between pitches that occur together; usually this means at the same time, although harmony can also be implied by a melody that outlines a harmonic structure. The relationship between two pitches is referred to as an interval. A larger structure involving more than two pitches is called a chord. In common practice and popular music, harmonies are generally tertian. This means that the interval of which the chords are composed is a third. Therefore, a root-position triad (with the root note in the lowest voice) consists of the root note, a note a third above, and a note a third above that (a fifth above the root). Seventh chords add a third above the top note of a triad (a seventh above the root). There are some notable exceptions. In 20th century classical music, many alternative types of harmonic structure were explored. One way to analyze harmony in common practice music is through a Roman numeral system; in popular music and jazz a system of chord symbols is used; and in post-tonal music, a variety of approaches are used, most frequently set theory. The perception of pitch within harmony depends on a number of factors including the interaction of frequencies within the harmony and the roughness produced by the fast beating of nearby partials. Pitch perception is also affected by familiarity of the listener with the music, and cultural associations.[citation needed] "Harmony" as used by music theorists can refer to any kind of simultaneity without a value judgement, in contrast with a more common usage of "in harmony" or "harmonious", which in technical language might be described as consonance.[citation
needed]

Monophony is the texture of a melody heard only by itself. If a melody is accompanied by chords, the texture is homophony. In homophony, the melody is usually but not always voiced in the highest notes. A third texture, called polyphony, consists of several simultaneous melodies of equal importance.[citation needed] [edit] Texture Main article: Musical texture

Introduction to Sousa's "Washington Post March," m. 1-7 Play (helpinfo) features octave doubling (Benward & Saker 2003, 133) and a homorhythmic texture. Musical texture is the overall sound of a piece of music commonly described according to the number of and relationship between parts or lines of music: monophony, heterophony, polyphony, homophony, or monody. The perceived texture of a piece may also be affected by the timbre of the instruments, the number of instruments used, and the distance between each musical line, among other things. [edit] Timbre Main article: Timbre Timbre, sometimes called "color", or "tone color" is the quality or sound of a voice or instrument. [9] The quality of timbre varies widely from instrument to instrument, or from voice to voice. The timbre of some instruments can be changed by applying certain techniques while playing. For example, the timbre of a trumpet changes when a mute is inserted into the bell, or a voice can change its timbre by the way a performer manipulates the vocal apparatus, (e.g. the vocal cords, mouth and diaphragm). Generally, there is no common musical notation that speaks specifically to a change in timbre, (as "pianissimo" would indicate "very soft" for a change in dynamics). [edit] Expressive qualities Expressive qualities are those elements in music that create change in music that are not related to pitch, rhythm or timbre. They include dynamics and articulation. [edit] Dynamics Main article: Dynamics (music)

In music, the term "dynamics" normally refers to the softness or loudness of a sound or note: e.g. pianissimo or fortissimo. Until recently, most dynamics in written form were done so in Italian, but recently are sometimes written or translated into English. Another sense of the word refers to any aspect of the execution of events in a given piece; either stylistic (staccato, legato etc.) or functional (velocity) are also known as dynamics. The term is also applied to the written or printed musical notation used to indicate dynamics. [edit] Articulation Main article: Articulation (music)

Examples of articulations. From left to right: staccato, staccatissimo, martellato, marcato, tenuto. Articulation is the manner in which the performer applies their technique to execute the sounds or notes for example, staccato or legato. Articulation is often described rather than quantified, therefore there is room to interpret how to execute precisely each articulation. For example, staccato is often referred to as "separated" or "detached" rather than having a defined, or numbered amount by which the separation or detachment is to take place. Often the manner in which a performer decides to execute a given articulation is done so by the context of the piece or phrase. Also, the type or style of

articulation will depend on the instrument and musical period, e.g. the classical period, but there is a generally recognized set of articulations that most all instruments (and voices) have in common. They are, in order of long to short: legato ("smooth, connected"); tenuto ("pressed", "lengthened but detached"); marcato (heavily accented and detached); staccato ("separated", "detached"); "martel" (or "rooftop accent" or "teepee accent") for its written shape (short and hard). Any of these may be combined to create certain "in-between" articulations. For example, portato is the combination of tenuto and staccato. Some instruments have unique methods by which to produce sounds, such as spicatto for strings, where the bow bounces off the string. [edit] Form or structure Main article: Musical form Form is a facet of music theory that explores the concept of musical syntax, on a local and global level. The syntax is often explained in terms of phrases and periods (for the local level) or sections or genre (for the global scale). Examples of common forms of Western music include the fugue, the invention, sonata-allegro, canon, strophic, theme and variations, and rondo. Popular Music often makes use of strophic form many times in conjunction with Twelve bar blues. [edit] Theories of harmonization [edit] Four-part writing Main article: Four-part harmony

Four-voice texture in the Genevan psalter: Old 124th.[10]

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Four-part chorale writing is used to teach and analyze the basic conventions of "Common-Practice Period music", the time period lasting from approximately 1650 to 1900.[11] In the German musicology tradition referred to as functional harmony.[citation needed] Johann Sebastian Bach's four-voice chorales written for liturgical purposes serve as a model for students. These chorales exhibit a fusion of linear and vertical thinking.[citation needed] In analysis, the harmonic function and rhythm are analyzed as well as the shape and implications of each of the four lines. Students are then instructed to compose chorales, often using given melodies (as Bach would have done), over a given bass line, or to compose within a chord progression, following rules of voice leading.[citation needed] Though traditionally conceived as a vocal exercise for Soprano, Alto, Tenor, and Bass, other common four-part writings could consist of a brass quartet (two Trumpets, French Horn, and Trombone) or a string quartet (including violin I, violin II, viola and cello). There are seven chords used in four-part writing that are based upon each note of the scale. The chords are usually given Roman Numerals I, II, III, IV, V, VI and VII to refer to triadic (three-note) chords based on each successive note of the major or minor scale the piece is in. Chords may be analyzed in two ways. Case-sensitive harmonic analysis would state that majormode chords (I, IV, V7, etc.), including augmented (for example, VII+), would be notated with upper-case Roman numerals, and minor-mode chords, including diminished (ii, iii, vi, and the diminished vii chord, viio), would be notated with lower-case Roman numerals. When a scale degree other than the root of the chord is in the bass, the chord is said to be in inversion, and this is indicated by numbers written above the roman numeral. With triads a 6 indicates first inversion, and 6 4 indicates second inversion. With seventh chords, 6 5 indicates first inversion, 4 3 indicates second inversion, and 4 2 indicates third inversion. ( I6, IV4/3,V 4/2 , etc.) Schenkerian harmonic analysis, patterned after the theories of Heinrich Schenker, would state that the mode does not matter in the final analysis, and thus all harmonies are notated in upper-case.

The skill in harmonizing a Bach chorale lies in being able to begin a phrase in one key and to modulate to another key either at the end of the first phrase, the beginning of the next one, or perhaps by the end of the second phrase. Each chorale often has the ability to modulate to various tonally related areas: the relative major (III) or minor (vi), the Dominant (V) or its relative minor (iii), the Sub-Dominant (IV) or its relative minor (ii). Other chromatic chords may be used, like the diminished seventh (made up of minor thirds piled on top of each other) or the Secondary dominant (the Dominant's Dominant a kind of major version of chord II). Certain standard cadences are observed, most notably II b7 V7 I. The standard collection of J. S. Bach's chorales was edited by Albert Riemenschneider and this collection is readily available, e.g. here. [edit] Music perception and cognition Further information: Music cognition, Fred Lerdahl, and Ray Jackendoff [edit] Serial composition and set theory Further information: serialism, set theory (music), Arnold Schoenberg, Milton Babbitt, David Lewin, and Allen Forte

Tone row from Alban Berg's Lyric Suite, mov. I.

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[edit] Musical semiotics Further information: music semiology and Jean-Jacques Nattiez [edit] Music subjects The recorder is a woodwind musical instrument of the family known as fipple flutes or internal duct fluteswhistle-like instruments which include the tin whistle. The recorder is end-blown and the mouth of the instrument is constricted by a wooden plug, known as a block or fipple.[1] It is distinguished from other members of the family by having holes for seven fingers (the lower one or two often doubled to facilitate the production of semitones) and one for the thumb of the uppermost hand. The bore of the recorder is tapered slightly, being widest at the mouthpiece end and narrowest towards the foot on Baroque recorders, or flared almost like a trumpet at the bottom on Renaissance instruments. Recorders can be made out of wood, plastic or ivory.[2]

[edit] Notation Main articles: Musical notation and Sheet music

Tibetan musical score from the 19th century. Musical notation is the symbolic representation of music (not to be confused with audio recording). Historically, and in the narrow sense, this is achieved with graphic symbols. Computer file formats have become important as well.[12] Spoken language and hand signs are also used to symbolically represent music, primarily in teaching. In standard Western music notation, music is represented graphically by notes placed on a staff or staves with the vertical axis roughly corresponding to pitch and the horizontal axis roughly corresponding to time. Note head shapes, stems, flags, and ties are used to indicate duration. Additional symbols represent key, tempo, dynamics, accents, rests, etc. [edit] Mathematics Main article: Music and mathematics

This section reads like a news release and needs to be rewritten.

In music history mathematics were the foundation of the first understanding of tones, intervals, and scales developed by the Greeks between 530 and 500 BC. This discovery was based upon shortening a harps string by a half, creating an octave. Further, separating the same string into two-thirds or four equal parts produced intervals known as fifths and fourths, respectively.[citation needed] Guerino Mazzola, together with a group of collaborators including contributions by two of his students, presented a theory with a basis in algebraic geometry and topos theory originally put forth in his 1990 book Geometrie der Tne and updated in the 2002 book The Topos of Music.[13][14][15] Dmitri Tymoczko has put forward a theory suggesting that relationships between notes exist in multi-dimensional geometric forms, or orbifolds. Mazzola and Tymoczko have participated in debate regarding their theories documented in a series of commentaries available at their respective web sites. [16][17] Tymoczko discovered his theory when writing down all possible two note chords in columns on a sheet of paper. After doing so Tymoczko observed the possibility that a pattern existed, Suddenly Tymoczko realized that if he cut two triangles from the piece of paper, turned one of the triangles upside down, and reconnected the two triangles where the chords overlapped, the two-note chords on one edge of the resulting strip of paper would be the reversed versions of those on the opposite edge. If he then twisted the paper and attached the two edges, the chords would line up. "Thats when I got a tingly feeling in my fingers," he says. [cite this quote] Two-note chords, the minimalist form of a chord (as a chord is any combination any number of notes played simultaneously) is represented graphically by a Mobius strip, a two-dimensional surface embedded in a three-dimensional space. As the chords are composed of increasing numbers of notes, the geometric form they take on becomes increasingly sophisticated. Three-note chords are represented by twisted three-dimensional shapes, and four-note chords, four-dimensional shapes. These principles on tonal relationships apply to every genre of music and have been unintentionally practiced by theorists and composers since medieval times.[citation needed] The significance of this finding is rooted in teaching and applying music theory. The simplistic relationships of tones as geometric shapes allow students of music to understand the composition of complex musical scores. In doing so, students can apply the relationships used in preeminent examples of melodic composition more easily into their own writing. Tymoczko explains this simplicity as being The "amazing and mysterious" thing about music Three singers can go from a pleasing C -major chord to the complementary and more plaintive A-minor chord by moving just one note: changing from CEG to CEA. Someone playing Hey Jude on the piano can move his or her fingers very little while moving from one sonorous chord to another. Miraculously, the chords that sound good together and the ones that produce efficient voice leading are the same. [cite this
quote]

It was this idea that lead Tymoczko to the study of mathematical music theory and explains his discovery of representations of these relationships. Tymoczko has used these tools to facilitate his own composition and in an analysis of Western music in his book A Geometry of Music: Harmony and Counterpoint in the Extended Common Practice.[18] Main articles: Musical analysis, Schenkerian analysis, and Transformational theory

Bass prolongation: IIVVI

Play (helpinfo) as elaboration of IVI

Analysis is the effort to describe and explain music. Analysis at once is a catch-all term describing the process of describing any portion of the music, as well as a specific field of formal analysis or the field of stylistic analysis. Formal analysis attempts to answer questions of hierarchy and form, and stylistic analysis attempts to describe the style of the piece. These two distinct sub-fields often coincide. Analysis of harmonic structures is typically presented through a roman numeral analysis. However, over the years, as music and the theory of music have both grown, a multitude of methods of analyzing music have presented themselves. Two very popular methods, Schenkerian analysis and Neo-Riemannian analysis, have dominated much of the field. Schenkerian analysis attempts to "reduce" music through layers of foreground, middleground, and, eventually and importantly, the background. Neo-Riemannian (or Transformational) analysis began as an extension of Hugo Riemann's theories of music, and then expanding Riemann's concepts of pitch and transformation into a mathematically rich language of analysis. While both theories originated as methods of analysis for tonal music, both have been extended to use in non-tonal music as well. Main article: Ear training Aural skills the ability to identify musical patterns by ear, as opposed to by the reading of notation form a key part of a musician's craft and are usually taught alongside music theory. Most aural skills courses train the perception of relative pitch (the ability to determine pitch in an established context) and rhythm. Sight-singing the ability to sing unfamiliar music

perfect pitch describes the ability to recognise a particular audio frequency as a given musical note without any prior reference.
without assistance is generally an important component of aural skills courses. Absolute pitch or

MUSEE MUSICAL SCHOOL OF MUSIC NEWS FOR THE WEEK 13/07/12

The recorder is a woodwind musical instrument of the family known as fipple flutes or internal duct fluteswhistle-like instruments which include the tin whistle. The recorder is end-blown and the mouth of the instrument is constricted by a wooden plug, known as a block or fipple.[1] It is distinguished from other members of the family by having holes for seven fingers (the lower one or two often doubled to facilitate the production of semitones) and one for the thumb of the uppermost hand. The bore of the recorder is tapered slightly, being widest at the mouthpiece end and narrowest towards the foot on Baroque recorders, or flared almost like a trumpet at the bottom on Renaissance instruments. Recorders can be made out of wood, plastic or ivory.[2] How the instrument is played The recorder is held outwards from the player's lips (rather than to the side, like the "transverse" flute). The player's breath is compressed into a linear airstream by a channel cut into the wooden "block" or fipple (A), in the mouthpiece of the instrument, so as to travel along this channeled duct (B) called the "windway".[7] Exiting from the windway, the breath is directed against a hard edge (C), called the "labium" or "ramp", which causes the column of air within the resonator tube to oscillate at the desired frequency, determined by the bore length or open tone hole used.[7] The length of the air column (and the pitch of the note

produced) is modified by finger holes in the front and thumb hole at the back of the instrument. Sheet music for recorder is nearly always notated in 'concert key,' meaning that a written "C" in the score actually sounds as a "C." This implies that the player must learn two different sets of similar fingerings, one for the C recorders and another for the F recorders.However, many sizes of recorder do transpose at the octave.

. Music lessons connect young people with the sheer joy o music. The joy of playing a musical instrument can last a life time. Music lessons can help children to build confidence and self esteem. For children who may be struggling even at an early age with academics or with social adjustment, music provides an avenue for success and socialization with other fledgling musicians. In a world where they may feel bombarded by violent or highly competitive activities, children are likely to find that music lessons provide skills that can be used to build their own calm, peaceful and enjoyable leisure activity. Music lesson truly belong to children and this sense of ownership can

encourage young people to develop both personal discipline and responsibility.

MUSEE MUSICAL SCHOOL OF MUSIC NEWS FOR THE WEEK The Mozart Effect: How Music Makes You Smarter
Have you ever noticed how your favorite music can make you feel better? Well, new research studies now show how music can make you smarter too! Scientists at Stanford University, in California, have recently revealed a molecular basis for the "Mozart Effect", but not other music. Dr. Rauscher and her colleague H. Li, a geneticist, have discovered that rats, like humans, perform better on learning and memory tests after listening to a specific Mozart's sonata. Recently, a new book called The Mozart Effect by Don Campbell, has condensed the world's research on all the beneficial effects of certain types of music. Some of the hundreds of benefits are:

24/07/12

Improves test scores Cuts learning time Calms hyperactive children and adults Reduces errors Improves creativity and clarity Heals the body faster Integrates both sides of the brain for more efficient learning Raises IQ scores 9 points (research done at University of California, Irvine)

In 1996, the College Entrance Exam Board Service conducted a study on all students taking their SAT exams. Students who sang or played a musical instrument scored 51 points higher on the verbal portion of the test and an average of 39 points higher on math. Major corporations such as Shell, IBM, and Dupont, along with hundreds of schools and universities use music, such as certain Baroque pieces, to cut learning time in half and increase retention of the new materials. According to the research outlined in the book, musical pieces, such as those of Mozart, can relieve stress, improve communication and increase efficiency. Creativity scores soar when listening to Mozart.

In my teacher and parent training seminars, I have been using music for years as a strategy to reduce learning time and increase students' memory of the material. Music activates the whole brain and makes you feel more energetic. In the work place, music "raises performance levels and productivity by reducing stress and tension, masking irritating sounds and contributing to a sense of privacy, says Campbell, author of The Mozart Effect. Mr. Campbell has compelling new evidence to show how music, used properly, has calmed students with such problems as ADHD and even helped autistic children. He says "43 of the world's largest industrial companies provide music to their employees." Dupont used a music listening program in one department that cut its training time in half and doubled the number of people trained. Another corporation using music found that clerical errors decreased by one third. Dr. Georgi Lozanov, the renowned Bulgarian psychologist, developed a methodology for teaching foreign languages that used baroque music with a beat pattern of about 60 beats per minute. Students learned in a fraction of the normal time. In a single day, one half of the normal vocabulary and phrases for the term (up to 1000 words or phrases) were learned. In addition, an added benefit was that the students had an average of 92% retention of what they had learned! Dr.Lozanov has proven conclusively that by using certain Baroque pieces, foreign languages can be mastered with 85-100% effectiveness in 30 days, when the usual time is 2 years. Students learning with the Baroque Music were able to recall their second language with nearly 100% accuracy even after they had not studied it for four years! For many years, with thousands of students, The Center for New Discoveries in Learning has been evaluating the use of music both in the classroom and while students study. We have found that students using Mozart and certain Baroque pieces (recorded at about 60 beats per minute) felt calmer, could study longer and had a higher rate of retention as well as earning better grades according to their teachers. These special music pieces, recorded at just the right tempo, activate the left and right brain for the maximum learning/retention effect. The music activates the right brain and the words your child is reading or saying aloud activates the left brain. This increases the learning potential a minimum of five times according to the research. When your body hears the even, one beat per second of Baroque music, your heart rate and pulse relax to the beat. When you are in this relaxed, but alert state, your mind is able to concentrate more easily. Music corresponds to and affects our physiological conditions. During heavy mental work, our pulse and blood pressure rises, and it's usually more difficult to concentrate in this state. The Baroque and Mozart music pieces on the Mozart Effect learning tapes and compact disks have been especially selected for their beat pattern, reduce your blood pressure and pulse rate and increases your ability to learn at the same time. Listen to these tapes when you study, work or drive in the car to receive the tremendous benefits. This is the music of such composers as Mozart, Vivaldi, Pachabel, Handel and Bach. I use these tapes every day and find them found them to be extraordinarily effective. Recent News Reports on How Music Improves the Brain and Heals the Body A recent news article reported that researchers have discovered direct evidence that music stimulates different regions of the brain responsible for memory, motor control, timing and language. For the first time, researchers also have located specific areas of mental activity linked to emotional responses to music. At McGill University in Montreal, neuroscientist Anne Blood, who conducted the study said, "You can activate different parts of the brain, depending on what music you listen to. So music can stimulate parts of the brain that are underactive in neurological diseases or a variety of emotional disorders. Over time, we could retrain the brain in these disorders." Harvard University Medical School neurobiologist, Mark Jude Tramo, says that "Undeniably, there is a biology of music. There is no question that there is specialization within the human brain for the processing of music. Music is biologically part of human life, just as music is aesthetically part of human life."

Based on all the available research, we most highly recommend the Music for the Mozart Effect 3 volume program to achieve the best results in learning, health and creativity. The tapes are called Music for the Mozart Effect*, Volumes I, II and III. Volume I is called Strengthen The Mind, Music for Intelligence & Learning (best used for studying). The suggested uses for how to listen are included with the CD's or tapes; Volume II - Heal The Body (best used for reducing stress, tension and accelerating healing); Volume III - Unlock the Creative Spirit - Music for Creativity & Imagination (best used during times you want to accelerate your creativity).

How to study music theory

The first thing musicians should learn about music theory is notation: the staff, clefs, note names, rhythms, rests, intervals, meter and time signatures, key signatures, and dynamics. The next things musicians should learn are scales and chords (harmony). The next things to learn are melody, phrases, and musical forms. If you have you learned all of the above then you will have a firm grasp of music theory.

Posted by Komponist Labels: learn music theory, music, music theory

Polychords

Polychords are chords constructed from two or more separate chords. Composers and improvisers use polychords as a resource for rich and complex sounds in their music. Polychords frequently occur in jazz and modern classical music.

Examples of Polychords:

C Major/E-flat Major:

D Major/B-flat minor:

C Augmented/G7 Augmented:

C Major/F-sharp Major Polychord - "Petrushka Chord": Stravinsky in his ballet Petrushka.

This chord was used by composer Igor

Polychord Video:

Posted by Komponist Labels: chord, music, music theory, petrushka, petrushka chord, polychord, stravinsky, video

Basic Piano Chords

The chords every piano and keyboard player should know are the basic Major, minor, Augmented, and diminished chords, and seventh chords. These are the most common chords and are relatively easy to play.

These chords are shown with the root note C. Other root notes are possible by transposing these chords. For example, a C Major chord (C, E, G) can be transposed to D. This will result in a D Major chord (D, F-sharp, A).

These chords are constructed from musical intervals. Each chord has: 1. A Root note 2. A note a Major third (M3) or minor third (m3) above the Root 3. A note a Perfect fifth (P5), Augmented fifth (A5), or diminished fifth above the Root

And seventh chords also have a note a Major seventh (M7), minor seventh (m7), or diminished seventh (d7) above the Root.

The basic chords:

Major - Root, M3, P5 minor - Root, m3, P5 Augmented (Aug) - Root, M3, A5 diminished (dim) - Root, m3, d5 The seventh chords:

7 - Root, M3, P5, m7 M7 - Root, M3, P5, M7 m7 - Root, m3, P5, m7 dim7 - Root, m3, d5, d7 half dim7 - Root, m3, d5, m7

Example:

If we choose a Major chord for example we begin by picking a Root note. We could pick any of the 12 notes but in this case we will choose G. The next note we need is a Major third (M3) above the Root, which in this case would be the note B. The final note we need is a Perfect fifth above the root, which in this case would be the note D. Now we have all three notes of our Major chord: G, B, and D.

For reference here is a diagram of the keyboard with the note names on it:

Now that you know these chords you might want to learn about chord inversion, chord symbols, or extended chords. Posted by Komponist Labels: augmented, basic chords, chord, diminished, keyboard, major, minor, music, music theory, piano, piano chords, seventh In music, Transposition occurs when we take a group of notes and move that group up or down by a certain interval. For example, if we take a C Major chord (the notes C, E, and G) and transpose them up by a Major second we then have a D Major chord (the, notes D, F-sharp, and A).

The step by step process by which we transposed a C Major chord up by a Major second to become a D Major chord is as follows: 1. C Major chord: notes C, E, and G

2. Move the first note of the C Major chord, C, up by a Major second. We now have the note D.

3. Move the second note of the C Major chord, E, up by a Major second. We now have the note F-sharp.

4. Move the third note of the C Major chord, G, up by a Major second. We now have the note A.

5. The results of transposing C, E, and G up by a Major second becomes: D, F-sharp, and A, which is a D Major chord As you can see all you need to do to transpose something is move each individual note in the group of notes by the same musical interval. With this method transposing becomes a simple process and we can then transpose any any note, chord, or scale.

Transposition Exercises - Try transposing each of the following:

Transpose the note E-flat down by a Major Second. Transpose a D7 chord (D, F-sharp, A, C) up by a minor third. Transpose a C Major scale (C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C) up by a Perfect fifth.

A Few Words About Transposing Instruments: Transposing instruments are instruments that automatically transpose when playing - the actual pitches they play are different from what is written in the music. For example, the B-flat Trumpet transposes down by a Major second. For a B-flat Trumpet the written note C would actually come out as B-flat.

Key signature

A key signature is the set of sharps or flats that is written at the beginning of a piece of music to indicate the key of the piece. The key signature may be "null" (no sharps or flats), or it can be from one to seven flats, or from one to seven sharps; it cannot be a mixture of sharps and flats. The key signature is always written immediately after the clef but before the time signature. Here are the most complicated examples. Any possible key signature will be a "subset" of one of these examples, with some of the sharps or flats removed from the right. So any key signature you see will have the sharps or flats in this order and in these positions on the stave:

The key signature says which notes are always altered, and therefore exactly which notes make up the scale of the key of the piece. o The key signature is really a short-hand method to save writing lots of accidentals (sharps or flats) throughout a piece.

However, there are scope differences between an accidental and the change to a note specified in a key signature: An accidental only applies to the note it specifies, at that octave, for that bar or measure. A change to a note in a key signature applies to every occurence of that note on the stave, at any octave, until the end of the piece, or the key signature is changed. In this example, the key signature is one sharp. The sharp is on the F line, so all Fs played in this piece should be sharpened (although there aren't any Fs in this very short piece!).

hear it!
In this example, the note G above the number 1 is sharp, because the key signature specifies that all Gs are sharp (although it is specified at the octave above). The note C above the number 2 is also sharp, because the key signature says all Cs are sharp. The note D above the number 3 is specified as sharp in the key signature, but the accidental overrides it, making it a D natural. The note C above the number 4 is a C natural for the same reasons. The note D above the number 5 is a D sharp, because the key signature specifies all Ds to be sharp, and the previous D natural only applied for that one bar or measure.

A key signature can also appear at other places in a piece of music where the key of the music changes. When the key of a piece of music changes (that is, a real change to that new key for a period of time, not just a few notes or part of a modulation), a new key signature is written. o In old scores, the old key signature is always cancelled before the new one is written. This is normally done at the end of a line, after a single barline, so that the new line starts with the new key signature. o Nowadays, this is unusual, the new key signature is just written after a double barline. o However, there are cases when a cancellation is still normally written: 1. When changing from a major key to the minor key of the same key note, or vice versa 2. When changing to a key with no sharps or flats (i.e. C major or A minor There are only a limited number of keys that a piece can be in, therefore there are a limited number of key signatures. There is a great deal of pattern about the relationships between keys, the pattern of sharps or flats that they have, and the way that they are written on the stave in a key signature. The order (left to right) in which the sharps or flats are written is governed by their "commonness". This key signature indicates the key, which gives a piece its feeling of "home". In both examples above, the pieces start and finish on the key note. The number of sharps or flats indicates that the key is one of two possibilities: a major or its relative minor. Keys signatures with a small number of sharps and flats tend to be the most common. There are several reasons for this: it is easier to play a piece with a small number of sharps or flats (this is true on most instruments, and certainly keyboard instruments) it may be easier for some composers to think in a very familiar key the tuning of some instruments means that simple keys are more in tune than keys with many sharps or flats

MUSEE MUSICAL SCHOOL OF MUSIC NEWS FOR THE WEEK 11/09/12

Accidentals

Accidentals are small changes to the normal pitch of a note The normal pitch will be the one given by the key signature An accidental is placed immediately in front of the note, occupying the same space or line as the note It has effect for that note, and for any other occurrences of the same note at the same pitch in the same bar If a note which has an accidental applying to it is tied across a bar line, the note to which it is tied is the next bar does not need another accidental written, it applies anyway. An accidental on one note does not apply to the same note in another octave, or on another stave, but it does (strictly speaking) apply to the same note in the same bar in a different part. However, for practical purposes, an accidental is normally repeated if it is in a different part. Accidentals are cancelled within a bar by using another accidental to indicate the pitch required. So if a note is sharpened by the key signature and appears twice in a bar, and the first is made a natural by an accidental, the second must be preceded by a sharp sign if it is to be at the pitch indicated by the key signature. The signs used for accidentals come from altered forms of letter - see History of notation. All the accidentals are shown in the following table: Name Sharp Flat Double sharp Double flat Natural Effect Raises the pitch by one semitone Lowers the pitch by one semitone Raises the pitch by two semitones Lowers the pitch by two semitones Cancels the effect of one of the above Pic.

In the example below, the note marked 1 is a natural because it is tied from a note with an accidental. The notes marked 2 and 3 are flats, because the effect of the naturals in the previous bar is "cancelled" when going over the

bar line.

Key

The word key in music has two separate meanings; the first meaning is concrete and easily understandable, the second is abstract and difficult to explain: 1. The lever that is pressed by the fingers to make a sound on a keyboard instrument is called a key. 2. A set of note pitches which are used by a piece of music and which form a scale defines a keynote and therefore the key of the piece of music. In the second meaning above, the word key is used in the same sense as it is used in the English words keystone and keynote: o A keystone, being the middle stone of an arch, figuratively means a central principle o The phrase keynote speech seems to have become popular in recent years, meaning a speech that spells out the main or dominant principle of a group or party o The key of a piece of music is something on which the piece is based. o When a piece of music is heard, the keynote is felt to be the "home" frequency or pitch, that is the pitch of the note on which the piece should finish. The key of a piece of music is given by its key signature o This says what accidentals are in the piece by default A piece of music will nearly always contain the keynote in its first and last chords There are at least two, and sometimes three, hierarchical levels of key in a piece of music of any length or complexity: 0. The key of the piece, sometimes quoted as part of the title For example, "Sonata in C major" 1. The key of a movement or section A sonata in C major may have a section in A minor 2. The key of the music at any point in time A few bars in the A minor section might be in E major

How do you know what the key of a piece of music is? When an experienced musician looks at a piece of "traditional" music, he/she can immediately recognise the key of the piece, and bring to mind the "feel" of that key, i.e. the accidentals in the scale and the feel of the scale under the fingers (depending on the instrument he/she plays). This is really no different from a non-musician looking at the word "blue" and bringing to mind the colour that it represents, and the emotions that it envokes. So how is it done? Different people will have slightly different techniques, but it will generally work like this:
1. The key signature. The are only 15 different key signatures, and, of these, several are very unusual, and a few are very common indeed, so a musician will know all the possible key signatures and what they mean. However, this does not give the definite answer to "what is the key of the piece"; more information is needed.

2. The start and end of the piece. As a general rule, a piece will always start and end in the key of the piece. If the music is chordal or homophonic, it should be easy to look at the notes in the first chord and the last chord. In particular, the bass note of the last chord of the piece will always be the root note of the key of the piece. 3. A more general view of the notes that make up the scale of the piece. This is more useful when the piece is polyphonic, or not chordal, perhaps a single melody line. You cannot then rely on the note at the start or end of the piece, you must look in more general terms at the scale used at the beginning and the end. Bear in mind that a piece can modulate, that it, change its key in the middle. So for example, if you see a piece of music which consists of just a tune, and it has a key signature of one sharp, then the key could be G major or E minor. Say the first note is B and the last note is G; both of these appear in the triads of both keys, so that does not help. So look at the first few and last few notes. Are the Ds sharp or not? If they are, the key is E minor. If they are not, the key is G major.

Scale

The musical word scale is used in the same sense as in "a scale of charges" or to "scale a ladder" (nothing to do with the scales of a fish!). The normal meaning of the word scale is as follows: o A scale is any set of notes which either all ascend or all descend in small steps, and all the notes belong to a single key. o A ladder is in fact a very good analogy; the lines and spaces of the stave are the rungs, and to climb it, you have to step on each rung in turn: o A key defines a scale, and a scale defines a key; both define what notes belong to the key and therefore what the key signature is. o Since there are two main types of key, there are two types of scale: 1. Major scale 2. Minor scale - and there are two types of minor scale, the harmonic and melodic versions. There is one exception to all this, which is the chromatic scale - this is a scale including every note, in other words, proceeding upwards or downwards by semitones More basic questions remain, however, such as: o How is a scale made up? o What are the gaps between notes in a scale? o Why does Western music use the notes that it does? o Why are some notes on a piano white and some black?

Stave
This is a good starting point for beginners!

Stave is the name for the five parallel, equally-spaced, horizontal lines which hold one or more parts of music:

o o

An alternative name, still used in some countries, is staff, with staves as the plural (see alternative names for different names used in different countries) At the far left of a stave, there should always be a vertical line with either small brackets as on the stave above, or with a brace which spans multiple staves (see example to the right) to group two or more staves together.

Multiple staves that are held together with a bracket or brace are often just called a "line", but this term can be confusing, so the term "system" is preferred, although this is not in very common usage. For example, if a choir leader or conductor refers to the "second line", it is not necessarily clear whether he/she is referring to the second stave or the second system (counting from the top of the page). The stave represents two aspects of music at once, but neither is represented absolutely or strictly: o Time is represented on a stave horizontally: Music on a single stave or system is read starting from the left and moving towards the right. When you reach the right-hand end of the stave or system, you go immediately to the left hand of the stave or system below, just as you do when reading a book. Horizontal distance is not "to scale" or consistent. It cannot be compared exactly between two different pieces of music, or even necessarily between different places in the same piece of music. In one piece of music, two inches/centimetres measured horizontally on the stave might represent 5 seconds, in another piece, two inches/centimetres might represent half a second. o Frequency or pitch is represented on a stave vertically, and notes are placed on the stave to indicate their note pitch: A high note is placed higher on the stave than a low note. A note is higher than another if it has faster vibrations - see the explanation of frequency or pitch The representation of frequency or pitch on the stave is not absolute: a note at one particular vertical position on one stave might not sound the same pitch as an identically-positioned note on another stave. However, the stave becomes an absolute indicator of frequency or pitch by the placement of a clef at the beginning of each stave. For example:

A note is drawn on a stave either straddling one of the five lines, or within one of the four spaces, for example:

o o

The "head" of a note (a filled or hollow circle) should be the same size as the gap between two lines. Notes can also be positioned on the stave outside the five existing lines, on extensions called ledger-lines, for example:

or: or: The stave can be viewed simply as a "place-holder" so that the vertical position of dots on the page can be correctly viewed. On a single stave, the pitch of each note is indicated by the vertical position of it on the page. This would be difficult to judge without a simple graphical method for judging the relative positions of these notes.

In order to write all the music that is required to sound at once, more than one stave is often needed. This may be because there are many parts, or because the range of the music is too wide to be held on one stave, or both of these may be true. The following examples give some of the possibilities of multiple staves making up each system.

Here, the brace at the far left brackets together all the staves which form a line or system of music. Two staves like this are usually used for piano music, when the top stave is normally for notes played with the right hand, and the bottom stave is normally for notes played by the left hand.

Organ music requires three staves, two for the hands, as for piano music, and an extra one added at the bottom for notes played on the pedals. A brace is often used on the staves for the hands.

For a whole orchestra, the conductor reads from a full score, but each member of the orchestra has a part which only gives their own line. In a full score, the different instruments are arranged into their families, so that all the strings are bracketed together, all the woodwind, and all the brass. Then, if there is more than one part for a particular instrument, as in this example for flutes, oboes and trumpets, they may be written on one stave or two.

When a four-part choir sings, they often read from four lines of music, with parts for Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Bass, with the words written underneath each line. Usually, each member of the choir has a full copy, and reads only their own line. In this example, the tenors sing an octave lower than written (see clef). Choirs with a different makeup, e.g. a male-voice choir, would have different numbers of staves according to how many parts are being sung, and different clefs according to the different voices.

A four-part choir can also sing from "short-score":

Here, Soprano (S) and Alto (A) share the top stave, and Tenor (T) and Bass (B) share the bottom. For more details, see the details of parts.

Clef

A clef is a sign at the beginning of a stave which gives the starting point for finding the note pitch of notes on the stave. There are two common clefs (the first two below), and a number of other less common ones:

1. The treble clef is an old-fashioned letter "G", and it curls round the second line of the stave, indicating that a note on this line has the note name "G". This is the "G" above middle "C", in the centre of the woman's singing voice.

2. The bass clef is an old-fashioned letter "F", and it has the two dots either side of the fourth line, indicating that a note on this line has the note name "F", the "F" below middle "C", in the centre of a man's singing voice.

3. The C clef is simply a brace which straddles the line which is middle "C". It is often called the alto clef and is nowadays only used by specific alto instruments such as the Viola.

4. The C clef is occasionally seen in different positions. This simply indicates that middle "C" is the line the brace centres on. This example is often called the tenor clef and is sometimes used by a 'Cello when playing in the upper part of its register.

5. Confusingly, this one is also called a tenor clef, but is only used for tenor voices. It is the same as the treble clef, but is read an octave down. The little "8" at the bottom of the tail is in fact often omitted, so that it looks exactly like a treble clef, but tenors knows that they should sing an octave down.

The clef always precedes the key signature, if there is one.

Frequently Asked Question: Why do we bother with different clefs - they are just confusing! Answer: It's because different voices and different instruments have different ranges, in other words, they can play different pitches of notes. The notes for a flute part could not be written on a stave with the same clef and the notes for a double bass.

MUSEE MUSICAL SCHOOL OF MUSIC STUDY FOR THE WEEK 25/09/12

Note lengths

Each note has a duration which is specified by its appearance when it is written down.This duration is not an absolute one (it does
not define how many seconds it should last), but is relative to the speed of the beats
o

o o

The duration will always be closely related to the speed of the beats such as: a whole number of beats a simple fraction like a half or a quarter of a beat an additive combination of the above two You do not get a note which lasts for 7/16 of a beat or 1.46 of a beat As will be seen below, the notation tends to limit the possible durations that can be written, but in traditional music, this is not a problem

The most basic note is a circular shape which sits on a five-line stave: o In printed music, it is sometimes more of an oval than a circle o It is of a size so that when it sits between two lines of a stave, it just touches both lines o This is usually called the head of the note The pitch of a note is given by its vertical position on the stave The duration of a note is given by its appearance: o whether the circle is hollow or filled in o whether the circle has a stem or not o whether the stem has a curly tail or a straight beam o how many tails or beams the stem has o (rarely) whether the circle has one or two lines each side o Whether it is followed by one or more dots. o Whether it is tied to the next note (of the same pitch). Although the horizontal dimension of a stave represents the passing of time, this representation is not meant to be accurate or to scale, so the horizontal distance between different notes on a stave should not be used to judge the length of a note. o It can sometimes be a useful guide, but it is not to be relied upon There are eight different durations of basic note which have a specific name o The relative durations are all powers of two, i.e. the length is doubled or halved to get the next durations The names of the different lengths of notes are listed here with at least two examples on a stave:

Semibreve or Whole note - Hollow circle Minim or Half note - Semibreve with a stem Crotchet or Quarter note - Minim with filled circle Quaver or Eighth note - Crotchet with one beam or tail Semiquaver or Sixteenth note - Crotchet with two beams or tails Demisemiquaver or Thirty-second note - Crotchet with three beams or tails Hemidemisemiquaver or Sixty-fourth note - Crotchet with four beams or tails Breve or Double whole note - Semibreve with one or two vertical lines each side

The following table also gives a duration which is the number of seconds that one note would last relative to a semibreve of 64 time units (e.g. seconds). English note name USA note name Example Duration

Semibreve

Whole note

64

Minim

Half note

32

Crotchet

Quarter note

16

Quaver

Eighth note

Semiquaver

Sixteenth note

Demisemiquaver

Thirty-second note

Hemidemisemiquaver

Sixty-fourth note

Breve

Double whole note

128

In a normal piece of music, the basic time unit is the beat, as specified by the time signature. The beat is normally a reasonable counting speed, somewhere between 40 and 200 per minute (in other words, from less than one per second to more than 2 per second) - see metronome markings. The time signature also specifies what length of note the beat is (usually crotchet or quaver, but sometimes minim) so this then governs the relative lengths of all other notes in the piece. In the example below, the metronome marking says that there 120 beats per minute (two per second). The time signature says there are three beats per bar, and that those beats are crotchets.

(sound)

In practise, a musician does not work out the length of each notes in seconds. He/she would establish the speed of the beats and the numbers of beats in a bar in their head (by counting "1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3 ..." evenly, with a slight emphasise on each "1") at approximately the correct speed, each count taking about half a second in this case. He/she would then look at the music, and judge where each beat occurs, by looking at the length of each note in turn from left to right, and then fit the notes into that counted rhythm. In the example below, I have written the beats numbers under where each beat falls. When learning rhythms and note lengths, it is common to count the beats, and say "and" where there is a half-beat division. So the rhythm of the first bar could be said as "1, 2 and 3", bearing in mind that the "and" has to be tucked in exactly half-way between the 2 and 3 so that the speed of the beats does not change.

Note pitch
There are three basic ways of indicating the frequency or pitch of a note: 1. Specifying the frequency in terms of the number of vibrations per second is the most precise method of the three, but it is not used in music notation. o All standard musical instruments are designed to be able to play the set of notes described in the other two methods discussed below; they are not designed to play a specific frequency given by a number of vibrations per second. o The reasons for this are historical of course; notes and scales developed before much was known about the physical characteristics of sound. Prior to the existence of electronic equipment, it was not really possible to measure a frequency with any accuracy. o The only time the frequency might be encountered is when tuning instruments; a standard has been established for socalled "concert pitch" for "A" = 440Hz. This possible method is a "modern" innovation (i.e. the last 100 years or so!). 2. Notes are named using the letters of the alphabet from "A" to "G", with the cycle of seven names repeating. o The use of these particular letters is not significant, just as with other uses for letters of the alphabet, such as the use of "A" to "F" as hexadecimal characters, or the use of "A" onwards as grades for exam marks. o However, as with these examples, the order of the letters and the fact that they are consecutive, is significant. This method, on the face of it, does not give any real information, except relative pitches.

3. The position in which a note is written on a stave is a guide to its pitch: In this example, each note has a higher frequency or pitch than the previous one (reading from left to right). But this only indicates relative pitches, not exact ones. A method is required to indicate where the stave lies, and a clef is the thing that does this. There are a number of features which apply to both note names and use of a stave, which means that the two methods are very closely linked:

There are modifiers called accidentals, which, when applied to a note, change its pitch by a small amount. A set of consecutive notes with these names, and without accidentals is found in two places: 1. On a stave, without any modifiers 2. On the white notes of a piano. The diagram below brings these two together by showing notes written on a stave with a treble clef at the start, immediately below the notes that they relate to on a piano keyboard:

It can be seen from this diagram that the note "A" is always found between the second and third of a group of three black notes.

Some people like to teach or learn the names of the notes that lie on the lines or in the spaces of the two most common clefs. There are a number of mnemonics for the letters. These are only useful for someone who has learnt to play notes by name on an instrument; it is far better to learn the reasons behind the naming conventions.
o

When a stave has a treble clef at the start, the note names are as follows:

Every Good Boy Deserves Food/Favour (FACE does not need a mnemonic!)
o

When a stave has a bass clef at the start, the note names are as follows:

Good Boys Deserve Favour/Food Always A Cow Eats Grass

MUSEE MUSICAL SCHOOL OF MUSIC NEWS FOR THE WEEK 18/09/12

Time signature

A time signature is a set of two numbers (or sometimes an abbreviation for them) which is given at the beginning of a piece of music to indicate the number of beats in a bar and the type of these beats.

A new time signature can also appear at other places in the music where the number of beats per bar or the type of beats changes, in which case the new time signature applies from that point onwards. A time signature is always written on a stave, with the upper number (the number of beats per bar) occupying the top two

spaces, and the lower number (indicating the type of the beats) in the bottom two spaces: Although they appear as one number above the other, the numbers do not represent a fraction; the two numbers just have different meanings. When it appears at the beginning of a piece, the time signature is written after the clef, and immediately after the key signature

(if there is one): When it appears in the middle of a piece, it always appears at the beginning of a new bar, immediately after the bar line. o If the change happens to be at the beginning of a new line, the new time signature is normally written at the end of the previous line as well as the beginning of the new line. The top number is simply the number of beats in each bar; the bottom number indicates the length of each beat in terms of its note length, as follows: o 2 = minim (half-note - see alternative names) o 4 = crotchet (quarter-note) o 8 = quaver (eighth-note) These are simply representations of the note lengths; the numbers have no particular significance in themselves. Those people who are used to the name quarter note for crotchet may find it helpful to think of the 4 at the bottom as a representation of a fraction, but only as an aide-memoire - it is not really a fraction. The numbers are normally written in an old fashioned font in which the figure 2 and 3 are very curly. The 4 printed is almost always a rather strange one, see the examples here. The time signature not only gives the number and type of beats, but also implies the sub-division of the bar. This in turn implies that some beats in the bar are stronger than others. It also implies the grouping of notes and rests. Time signatures can be categorised as follows: According to the sub-division of the beat: Simple time - this is when the beat can be subdivided into halves Compound time - this is when the beat can be subdivided into thirds - the time signature is written as if the subdivision is the main beat, but in fact the main beat is three times slower According to the number of beats per bar: Duple time - two beats per bar - the first is strong, the second weak ("left, right, left, right") Triple time - three beats per bar - the first strong, the second and third weak ("Oom pah pah") Quadruple time - four beats per bar - the first strong, the third less strong, and second and fourth weak ("Simple Simon met a pie man") Combining these two types of categorisations, the following possibilities emerge: Simple duple 2/2 = 2 minims per bar ("Alla Breve" - see below) 2/4 = 2 crotchets per bar 1. Simple triple ("Waltz time") 3/2 = 3 minims per bar 3/4 = 3 crochets per bar 3/8 = 3 quavers per bar 2. Simple quadruple 4/2 = 4 minims per bar (see "Alla breve" below) 4/4 = 4 crotchets per bar ("Common time" - see below)
o

1.

2.

0.

 4/8 = 4 quavers per bar 3. Compound duple 6/4 = 2 beats per bar, each of 3 crotchets - unusual nowadays 6/8 = 2 beats per bar, each of 3 quavers - quite common today 4. Compound triple 9/4 = 3 beats per bar, each of 3 crotchets - very rare 9/8 = 3 beats per bar, each of 3 quavers - occasionally seen 5. Compound quadruple 12/4 = 4 beats per bar, each of 3 crotchets - very rare 12/8 = 4 beats per bar, each of 3 quavers - very rare Abbreviations: o 4/4 is known as "Common time". It is often seen as 4/4, but it can be written on the stave as a large C. There are four

crotchets in every bar. 2/2 is known as "Alla breve" (although strictly "Alla breve" is 4/2) and is sometimes written as a large C with a vertical

line through it. There are two minims in every bar. Other combinations are possible, but unusual: o 5/4 - 5 crotchet beats per bar o 7/4 - 7 crotchet beats per bar o Almost any other combination of numbers you could imagine... It is even possible to have two time signatures specified, one after each other at the beginning of the piece. This normally means that the two time signatures specified apply to alternate bars, but this is very unusual, and only seen in 20th century music. Some music is written without a time signature at all. For example, plainsong, sung by monks for hundreds of years, is without any strict rhythm, and although it may have accents, they do not come regularly, so it is not possible to specify a time signature.

Beat
There are two slightly different meanings of the word "beat" in music, but the second is essentially a special case of the first:

1. Beat is the most fundamental concept of rhythm: o A beat is a pulse that occurs at regular intervals, i.e. with equal time intervals between the pulses, which is heard (and often felt) by humans. o A regular beat can have an emotional effect on a person: for example, it can be exciting, relaxing or irritating. o There are probably many reasons why our brains "tune in" to a regular pulse: Our heartbeat is (normally) regular When we walk or run, our feet land in a regular rhythm (in order to maintain balance) To be able to judge time properly, we have to be able to accurately subdivide it, e.g. count seconds o These regular intervals could be any perceptible interval, but experience shows that useful pulse speeds are those which can be counted and felt, which are similar to the speed of walking, or the speed of a heartbeat, i.e. between around 40 a minute and 200 a minute (over 3 per second). o In general, a slow beat will be about 70 or less, which can be compared to a leisurely walking speed or a heartbeat in relaxation; a fast beat will be from 120 upwards, which can be compared to a fast walk or run or a fast-beating heart; generally speaking, a slow beat is relaxing and a fast beat is exciting. o The beat may have a definite frequency or pitch, or it may not. o Even if a beat is regular, it may not be exactly the same each beat each time: the volume may change in some pattern the pitch may change in some pattern the tone may change in some pattern any combination of any of the above may change o When a beat is combined with patterns of accents, and other patterns of changes in pitch, volume etc., then you have the beginnings of rhythm. 2. Within the context of a piece of music, the word beat has a special meaning. It is the consistent pulse of the music, as in the previous meaning (above), but the special meaning also includes the duration of the beat and the way the beats are grouped. o The note length of the beat is specified by the time signature. o The time signature also specifies how many of these beats there are in a bar. o The speed of this beat is specified by any direction words and/or metronome marking. o The first beat in each bar is generally felt as stronger than the other beats in the bar. This might be literally by a stronger beat perhaps by a drum, or it might be implied by the harmonic or melodic shape of the music. Within a bar of four or more beats, there will almost certainly be a sub-division, which means that another beat in the bar will be felt as being stronger than the others, but not as strong as the first. This pattern of strong, less strong and weaker beats is normally governed by the time signature.

MUSEE MUSICAL SCHOOL OF MUSIC NEWS FOR THE WEEK 11/09/12

Bar or measure

Music is normally divided into equal time-lengths called bars (or, in some countries, measures - see alternative names), each consisting of the same number of beats. The time signature gives the number of beats in a bar and the type of beats, so it tells you how long each bar is (in terms of the number and type of notes and/or rests in a single part in that bar). Bars dividers, called bar-lines, are indicated in a score by a vertical line from the top to the bottom of the stave. A double bar-

line is written at the end of a piece: . The double bar-line is sometimes written with the second line thicker than the first; this is normally used at the very end of a piece, and two equal lines are used at the end of sections. Bars give an intuitive division of a piece of music into manageable chunks; the strongest accents come on the beat immediately following a bar line, so it is relatively easy to count bars, and it should be easy to count the beats within each bar. The number of bars in a section of music is often regular; four bars often make a short phrase, eight bars and sixteen bars are often the section sizes next largest. These numbers feel "natural"; a section of 17 or 19 bars often feels "wrong". This is because

of a hierarchical structure of beats strengths that we naturally feel; there is a strong accent on the beat at the beginning of every fourth bar, an even stronger one at the beginning of every eighth bar, and so on.

Interval

An interval is a description of the gap between two notes, for example: o It is a description of the pitch interval or difference in frequency, and is nothing to do with an interval of time. This is perhaps confusing, because the most common use of the word interval in English refers to a time interval (particularly the gap between two halves of a show or play). Scientists and mathematicians are probably more used to the more general use of the word interval meaning any sort of gap between two things. o The most common reason for discussing the interval between two notes is when they sound together or when they follow each other, as in the example above. However, it is valid to ask about the interval between any two notes. o An interval can be described in pure physical terms as the difference in frequency, which is just a question of subtraction. The more common meaning of the word is the musical description which relates to the way the notes are described in notation rather than to the frequencies of the notes. o Intervals can be described as diatonic or chromatic. o Intervals are a useful concept in the discussion of the degrees of a scale, the notes within triads and chords, for transposition and for harmony analysis. o Intervals are also often used in sight-reading, especially for singing. To be able to specify the interval between two notes, you first need to know the exact note pitch of each: o This can either be in the form of the notation, as in the example above, or the note names (in this case, F and B) o You also need any pitch modifiers for each, again either from the notation or from a description, i.e. the key signature and any accidentals o So for the example above you need to know that the two notes in question are F and B and, despite the key signature containing a B flat, the B is in fact a natural. It might also help to know the key of the music from which the two notes are extracted, but this is certainly not necessary (see below for details on why it might be useful). Knowing what notes are found in a scale is necessary.

An interval specification consists of a gap ordinal preceded by an adjective qualifier (these are my descriptive terms, and are not in general use) o The gap ordinal is a count of the number of note names between the two notes, but the count is done inclusively. So for example, the gap ordinal between C and E is a third (C, D, E is 3 notes); between A and B is a second; and in the example above, F to B is a fourth (F, G, A, B is 4 notes). This inclusive counting tend to confuse people. It certainly takes some getting used to, because it is not like normal subtraction (you have to add one), but it is consistent with the concepts used in scales. People also get confused that we are talking about the number of note names rather than the number of semitones. Actually, we are talking about the notes of a scale, but in any standard scale, there is only one occurence of each note name, so this is the same thing. This ordinal can be written in words or more commonly as a number, 2nd, 3rd, 4th etc. o The adjective qualifier can be one of five things: perfect, major, minor, diminished or augmented (theoretically, it is possible to have double-diminished and double-augmented, but these are never used in practise) An interval of a 2nd, 3rd, 6th or 7th must be one of: major, minor, augmented or diminished An interval of a 4th or 5th must be one of: perfect, augmented or diminished A major interval appears in the major scale of which the bottom note of the two is the key-note. A minor interval is one less semitone than its equivalent major interval. Note that a minor interval does not necessarily appear in the minor scale of which the bottom note of the two is the key-note. A perfect interval appears in the major and minor scales of which the bottom note of the two is the key-note. A diminished interval is one semitone less than its equivalent minor or perfect interval. An augmented interval is one semitone more than its equivalent major or perfect interval. The relationship between these is given by the following table: -2 -1 0 +1

Diminished Perfect Augmented Diminished Minor Major Augmented

Some examples will help at this point:

Examples will follow when I have time!

An augmented 4th will sound the same as a diminished 5th, but will be described and notated differently, so is a different interval. Knowing the notes that make up the key of the music from which the notes are taken may help to quickly identify the interval. You can count the number of semitones in an interval. In the following table, if the first column is the number of semitones in an interval, the other columns give the possible intervals it might be: 1 2 Minor 2nd Major 2nd Diminished 3rd Minor 3rd Major 3rd Augmented 3rd . . Diminished 4th Perfect 4th Augmented 4th Diminished 5th . Perfect 5th Diminished 6th

3 Augmented 2nd 4 5 6 7 . . . .

8 9 10 11

. . . .

. . . .

. . . .

Augmented 5th . . .

Minor 6th Major 6th Augmented 6th . Diminished 7th Minor 7th Major 7th

For completeness, we might add a row at the top for zero semitones being a diminished 2nd and a row at the bottom for 12 semitones being an augmented 7th, as well as a perfect octave, but these are not commonly used.
Compound intervals are those greater than an octave. If they are reduced by taking off one or more octaves, they can be treated as normal. The following simple tune (of my invention) has all the most common intervals in the key of C major contained within it. Learning it may help you to recognise intervals within a major scale, and might help you to identify intervals by ear:

The following may help you to know what particular common intervals sound like, which might help with sight-singing. If you know any more that I don't have here, please tell me.

The song or piece given has the specified interval between the first and second notes (unless otherwise stated).
o o

Minor 2nd (semitone) I'm dreaming of a White Christmas (the whole of this phrase is minor 2nd intervals) Major 2nd (tone) Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer - up and down Happy birthday to you - 2nd and 3rd notes on "-py birth" and down again on "day" Minor 3rd Greensleeves (Alas! my love) After the ball is over - up and down Star Spangled Banner (Oh! say can you see - USA National Anthem) - down Major 3rd Blue Danube - the first ascending interval While Shepherds watched their flocks by night Perfect 4th Away in a manger Amazing Grace how sweet the sound Augmented 4th/Diminished 5th Mar-i-a, I just met a girl called Maria (from West Side Story) The Simp-sons - main theme of cartoon signature tune Perfect 5th Dear Lord and Father of mankind Twinkle, Twinkle little star - between two twinkles Minor 6th Hearts and Flowers (tear-jerker tune played at silent movies) The Entertainer (otherwise known as the theme from The Sting) - the first big jump up between the 3rd and 4th notes Major 6th Dashing though the snow (verse from Jingle Bells) Oliver (from the show Oliver) - up and down Chick, chick, chick, chick, chicken (lay a little egg for me) - up and down several times

o o o

Minor 7th The theme from the original Star Trek (actually has the words "Beyond the rim of the starlight") Major 7th Climax of the theme from Superman Octave Somewhere (over the rainbow - from The Wizard of Oz)

Rhythm

Rhythm in music is dependent on the fact that humans recognise a beat occurring at a regular interval. Rhythm in music is more than just a beat, however; it is the way that sounds with differing lengths (or gaps between them) and accents can combine to produce patterns in time which contain a beat. o These sounds do not have to be particularly musical; rhythms can be made by striking almost anything, as long as there can be difference in accent. o Differences in accent can mean different sounds or just different loudness (i.e. amplitudes) of sounds It is common to speak of a particular rhythm, referring to a pattern of note lengths which occurs in a piece of music. o It is important to understand that the rhythm is defined by the pattern; the overall speed of it could vary from performance to performance, but the rhythm would still be the same. o The speed or tempo of a piece of music is indicated by a metronome marking and/or a direction word or phrase; its rhythm is specified by various note lengths creating beats within bars. Modern songs often include syncopation in their rhythm

MUSEE MUSICAL SCHOOL OF MUSIC NEWS FOR THE WEEK Beat

There are two slightly different meanings of the word "beat" in music, but the second is essentially a special case of the first: Beat is the most fundamental concept of rhythm:
o o o

20/08/12

A beat is a pulse that occurs at regular intervals, i.e. with equal time intervals between the pulses, which is heard (and often felt) by humans. A regular beat can have an emotional effect on a person: for example, it can be exciting, relaxing or irritating. There are probably many reasons why our brains "tune in" to a regular pulse: Our heartbeat is (normally) regular When we walk or run, our feet land in a regular rhythm (in order to maintain balance) To be able to judge time properly, we have to be able to accurately subdivide it, e.g. count seconds These regular intervals could be any perceptible interval, but experience shows that useful pulse speeds are those which can be counted and felt, which are similar to the speed of walking, or the speed of a heartbeat, i.e. between around 40 a minute and 200 a minute (over 3 per second). In general, a slow beat will be about 70 or less, which can be compared to a leisurely walking speed or a heartbeat in relaxation; a fast beat will be from 120 upwards, which can be compared to a fast walk or run or a fast-beating heart; generally speaking, a slow beat is relaxing and a fast beat is exciting. The beat may have a definite frequency or pitch, or it may not.

Even if a beat is regular, it may not be exactly the same each beat each time: the volume may change in some pattern the pitch may change in some pattern the tone may change in some pattern any combination of any of the above may change When a beat is combined with patterns of accents, and other patterns of changes in pitch, volume etc., then you have the beginnings of rhythm.

Within the context of a piece of music, the word beat has a special meaning. It is the consistent pulse of the music, as in the previous meaning (above), but the special meaning also includes the duration of the beat and the way the beats are grouped.
o o o o

The note length of the beat is specified by the time signature. The time signature also specifies how many of these beats there are in a bar. The speed of this beat is specified by any direction words and/or metronome marking. The first beat in each bar is generally felt as stronger than the other beats in the bar. This might be literally by a stronger beat perhaps by a drum, or it might be implied by the harmonic or melodic shape of the music. Within a bar of four or more beats, there will almost certainly be a sub-division, which means that another beat in the bar will be felt as being stronger than the others, but not as strong as the first. This pattern of strong, less strong and weaker beats is normally governed by the time signature.

SLUR

A slur is a curved line drawn across any set of consecutive notes in the same part. The slur starts and ends with a particular note, and can include a minimum of two notes. o The curved line groups the set of notes together. o The notes at either end, and any in between the two in the same part, are said to be slurred. o This marking fulfils a number of different functions (see below) and only one of them is strictly called a slur, but the curved line tends to be referred to as a slur, even if it is not actually fulfilling that role. o The curved line can look identical to a tie, and should not be confused with it. A slur is a generic device with several different meanings: 1. The most common is an indication of phrasing, and means that the notes slurred together should be played smoothly, without any breaks (legato).

This can apply to a whole phrase, for example 4 or 8 bars, or a few notes or just two notes. In any case it tends to indicate that there is to be a very slight break at the end of the phrase. In vocal music, or music for a wind instrument, this could indicate where a breath is to be taken On instruments where a breath is not required, a slight break at the end of a phrase (as if a breath is taken) adds to the feeling of structure of the piece. Hierarchical levels of phrasing are possible, in other words, sub-phrases within a phrase.

2. In vocal music, notes slurred together are all to be sung to the same syllable that is written above or below the first slurred note.

3. In music for wind instruments, notes slurred together should be played without any tonguing, which give a very smooth effect. This is simply a slightly more specific indication of legato. In music for stringed instruments, notes slurred together are to be played with one bow, that is, with one bowing movement, up or down, without a change of direction. This is also a form of indication of legato.

Dear Parent/Student, This is to bring it to your notice that we have made The Theory of Music, mandatory in our musee musical school of music. The reason is that you should know the importance of theory of music. The Theory of Music will make you a better performer, you will have greater understanding of your music, you will be able to come up with creative musical ideas and you will have more options as a musician. The classes will be in batches of 10 students in each group. The fee would be very nominal, which is Rs.250/- p/m i.e. Rs.750/- p/q for the classes twice 1hr each monthly. Kindly start enrolling yourself/for your child as early as possible. Kindly contact the administrator for further details. Hannah. Administrator

Dear Parent/Student, This is to bring it to your notice that we have made The Theory of Music, mandatory in our musee musical school of music. The reason is that you should know the importance of theory of music. The Theory of Music will make you a better performer, you will have greater understanding of your music, you will be able to come up with creative

musical ideas and you will have more options as a musician. The classes will be in batches of 10 students in each group. The fee would be very nominal, which is Rs.250/- p/m i.e. Rs.750/- p/q for the classes twice 1hr each monthly. Kindly start enrolling yourself/for your child as early as possible. Kindly contact the administrator for further details. Hannah. Administrator

MUSEE MUSICAL SCHOOL OF MUSIC

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

LONDON: Playing the piano can have positive effects on the region of the brain that governs memory and navigation, a new study has found. Researchers at University College London and Newcastle University, who studied the structural changes within the brains of professional piano tuners, found that listening to two notes played simultaneously makes the brain adapt.

These correlated with the number of years tuners had been doing this job, the 'BBC News' reported. Researchers used magnetic resonance imaging to compare the brains of 19 professional piano tuners who play two notes simultaneously to make them pitch-perfect, and 19 other people. They found highly specific changes in both the grey matter - the nerve cells where information processing takes place - and the white matter - the nerve connections - within the brains of the piano tuners.

QUOTES
A good teacher is like a candle - it consumes itself to light the way for others. ~Mustafa Kemal Atatrk, The task of the excellent teacher is to stimulate "apparently ordinary" people to unusual effort. The tough problem is not in identifying winners: it is in making winners out of ordinary people. ~K. Patricia Cross translated from Turkish

"Ideal teachers are those who use themselves as bridges over which they invite their students to cross, then having facilitated their crossing, joyfully collapse, encouraging them to create bridges of their own." -- Nikos Kazantzakis Teaching music is not my main purpose. I want to make good citizens. If children hear fine music from the day of their birth and learn to play it, they develop sensitivity, discipline and endurance. They get a beautiful heart. Shinichi Suzuki quotes

"Your role as a leader is even more important than you might imagine. You have the power to help people become winners." --Ken Blanchard "It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge." -- Albert Einstein

MUSEE MUSICAL SCHOOL OF MUSIC

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK
Ten top tips for practicing

Always have a practice plan and decide what you want to achieve in each practice time 2. Sometimes, begin with the 'difficult bits' rather than starting at the beginning of a piece 3. Check your posture the way you stand or sit and the way you hold your instrument using a mirror 4. Practise small sections of music slowly and thoroughly before you speed them up. Remember what you cant play slowly, you cant play fast! 5. If you make a mistake, correct it immediately. Dont simply go back to the beginning for another run up 6. Be aware of the pulse of the music - it's dangerously easy to slow up for tricky bits! 7. Practise the whole performance experience play your exam pieces to friends and family so you experience a few nerves and learn how to cope with them 8. Listen to your tuning and always aim for a beautiful tone quality 9. Try practising your scales to a different rhythm or, for a change, start at the top note, descend and finish at the top again 10. Enjoy what you play vary the styles of pieces that you practise to avoid getting bored

1.

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

Ten top tips for Practical exam success

1. Arrive in the waiting room at least 10 minutes before your exam is due to start. Last-minute panics do not help the playing or singing 2. Use the time before your exam to get your music and instrument ready you can warm up silently by moving your fingers or blowing though your instrument 3. Feeling nervous before an exam is natural. Try smiling as you go into the exam room it will help you relax 4. Make sure you are comfortable before you begin. If the stool or music stand is the wrong height, dont be afraid to adjust it or ask for help 5. Its fine to ask the examiner if you can warm up by playing a scale or a few bars of a piece 6. You can choose to do your exam in any order. Just let the examiner know 7. Try to keep going in the exam even if you make a mistake it probably wont be as disastrous as you think 8. Don't worry about pauses between your pieces the examiner will be writing and will tell you when to start your next piece 9. Your examiner may stop you during a piece if he or she has heard enough to make a judgement 10. Remember the examiner is on your side and is looking forward to hearing you perform

Ten top tips for Theory exam success

1. Arrive about 10 minutes before the exam is due to start so that you have a chance to get settled 2. Make sure you have pens, pencils, a ruler, a rubber and a pencil sharpener 3. Feel free to highlight any of the exam paper which you feel is important 4. You will be given a blank piece of manuscript paper (for rough working). If you can draw a keyboard onto it, this may help with any interval questions 5. Dont feel that you have to work the paper question by question. Do the parts you know first and then go back to the more difficult bits this may help with any exam nerves 6. Keep an eye on the time so that you know how long you have left. If you have done some past papers you will have a good idea how long to allow yourself on each question 7. Dont worry if you make a mistake - you can rub or cross it out and write the correct answer next to it 8. Try to be as neat as you can - if your work is untidy you might make a mistake that could lose you marks 9. Dont look around and worry about what everyone else is doing - concentrate on your own paper 10. Check your work once you have completed the paper. You may leave the exam room any time after 40 minutes if you have finished, but make sure you have done everything as well as you can Good luck!

Top tips for students

For many students the end of the year not only spells the prospect of music exams but perhaps also performing at an end of term Christmas concert. If pre-performance nerves are already starting to show, it may help to focus on mental preparation as well as practising your pieces. Pre-performance nerves are extremely common, even among professional performers. Most of us will have experienced a dry mouth, sweaty hands, the shakes or even butterflies in the stomach none of which are obviously helpful as a musician. If controlled effectively, however, these feelings and sense of alertness can actually help to give a performance the edge.

Here are our top tips for students to help you cope with performance anxiety and turn feelings of nervousness to your advantage.

1. Keep fit! In the run-up to a performance, eating and resting properly are essential. If a performer is tired and run down they will start to doubt their abilities, and this leads to increased nervousness before and during the performance.

2. Failing to prepare is preparing to fail All performers should know the venue location and what they are playing well in advance of a performance. Ideally try to have a dress rehearsal. This is not always possible, so we recommend that performers prepare themselves in plenty of time for their performance in order to stay calm and control their nerves on the night.

3. Visualise success This is something that top athletes do before taking part in competitions and is a powerful way to focus the mind! Before starting their daily practice, you could spend a couple of minutes visualising yourself giving a confident and successful performance emotions that you can then replicate on the stage or during an exam.

4. Practise performing in front of friends and family Playing in front of an audience is a very different experience to practising in private. Once you're comfortable with your repertoire, ask family or friends to listen. Even a small and supportive audience is enough to make most people feel a little on edge, and is good preparation for the real thing.

5. Controlled breathing A common symptom of nervousness is a quickening of the breathing. One of the best ways to calm down is to get control of your breathing.

Why not try practising some breathing exercises; breathing in through the nose gently to the count of five and then breathing out through the mouth? Focus on counting your breaths and continue doing this until you feel calm and in control.

6. Smile When you walk into the exam room or onto the stage, smile at the audience. This may sound easier said than done, but youll be amazed at how much better this can make you feel. The act of smiling, even if you dont really feel like it, encourages the release of endorphins (the bodys feel-good chemicals). These endorphins improve your state of mind and help you to relax.

7. Concentrate on the music Make sure you dont forget why you started playing or singing in the first place! Before a performance, remind yourself that you are about to share pieces that you (hopefully!) enjoyed learning and playing, and focus on communicating this enjoyment to the audience.

8. Dont worry about mistakes Everyone, but everyone, makes mistakes. They are a normal part of live performance and nobody really minds hearing the odd slip in a concert especially if it is played with flair! It is much more important to enjoy the performance and make it involving and exciting, than it is to get hung up on trying to be perfect.

Interlude (meaning "between play") may refer to:

a short play (theatre) or, in general, any representation between parts of a larger stage production Entr'acte, a piece of music performed between acts of a theatrical production, or a short play-within-a-play within a larger theatrical work Morality play, a modern critical term describing Medieval and early Tudor theatrical entertainments that were known as "Interludes" a section in a movement of a musical piece, see: Bridge (music) or Break (music) a piece of music composed of one or more movements, to be inserted between sections of another composition: see also intermezzo, and for the Baroque era: sinfonia

MUSEE MUSICAL SCHOOL OF MUSIC STUDY FOR THIS WEEK 21/11/2012

Counterpoint a. Melodic material that is added above or below an existing melody. b. The technique of combining two or more melodic lines in such a way that they establish a harmonic relationship while retaining their linear individuality. c. A composition or piece that incorporates or consists of contrapuntal writing.

Counterpoint 1. (Music, other) the technique involving the simultaneous sounding of two or more parts or melodies 2. (Music, other) a melody or part combined with another melody or part See also descant 3. (Music, other) the musical texture resulting from the simultaneous sounding of two or more melodies or parts counterpoint - a musical form involving the simultaneous sound of two or more melodies concerted music, polyphonic music, polyphony - music arranged in parts for several voices or instruments inversion - (counterpoint) a variation of a melody or part in which ascending intervals are replaced by descending intervals and vice versa Counterpoint

Extract from Fugue no. 17 in A-flat major, BWV 862, from book 1 of The Well-Tempered Clavier by Bach, who is widely regarded as the greatest practitioner of counterpoint.

In music, counterpoint is the relationship between voices that are harmonically interdependent (polyphony), but independent in rhythm and contour. It has been most commonly identified in classical music, developing strongly during the Renaissance and in much of the common practice period, especially in Baroque music. The term originates from the Latin punctus contra punctum meaning "point against point".

General principles In its most general aspect, counterpoint involves the writing of musical lines that sound very different and move independently from each other but sound harmonious when played simultaneously. In each era, contrapuntally organized music writing has been subject to rules, sometimes strict. By definition, chords occur when multiple notes sound simultaneously; however, harmonic, "vertical" features are considered secondary and almost incidental when counterpoint is the predominant textural element. Counterpoint focuses on melodic interaction only secondarily on the harmonies produced by that interaction. In the words of John Rahn: It is hard to write a beautiful song. It is harder to write several individually beautiful songs that, when sung simultaneously, sound as a more beautiful polyphonic whole. The internal structures that create each of the voices separately must contribute to the emergent structure of the polyphony, which in turn must reinforce and comment on the structures of the individual voices. The way that is accomplished in detail is...'counterpoint'.

The relationship and separation of harmony and counterpoint has developed over time. During the Medieval period, modes strictly defined harmonic changes and composers of that period had to fit the different voices of their compositions into these modes.[2][not in citation given] By the Baroque period, however, harmony could extend to any key as long as simultaneous voices were in the same key.[3][unreliable source?] This retained until the modern period, where polytonality and atonality were introduced; Glenn Gould's String Quartet in F minor, Opus 1, for example, is a fugue with nearly full atonality.[4][not in citation
given]

There is a clear distinction between polyphony and counterpoint. Counterpoint generally refers to different motifs used against each other, and cycled through in each voice (of which there are at least two) of the piece, whereas polyphony

means simply two or more independent melodies played simultaneously. For example, Giga from J. S. Bach's Partita no. 1, BWV 825, includes a voice that stretches several octaves, and supplementary voice, with much narrower intervals. These are two independent voices played both throughout the piece, which makes the movement polyphonic, but not contrapunctal, since there is no motif shared by the voices, and their relation is theoretically incidental.[5][not in citation given] Development Some examples of related compositional genres include: the round (familiar in folk traditions), the canon, and perhaps the most complex contrapuntal convention: the fugue. Species counterpoint Species counterpoint generally offers less freedom to the composer than other types of counterpoint, and is therefore a socalled strict counterpoint. Species counterpoint was developed as a pedagogical tool, in which a student progresses through several "species" of increasing complexity, with a very simple part that does not change known as the cantus firmus (Latin for "fixed melody"). The student gradually attains the ability to write free counterpoint. (that is, less rigorously constrained counterpoint, usually without a cantus firmus) according to the rules at the given time. [6] The idea is at least as old as 1532, when Giovanni Maria Lanfranco described a similar concept in his Scintille di musica (Brescia, 1533). The 16th century Venetian theorist Zarlino elaborated on the idea in his influential Le institutioni harmoniche, and it was first presented in a codified form in 1619 by Lodovico Zacconi in his Prattica di musica. Zacconi, unlike later theorists, included a few extra contrapuntal techniques as species, for example invertible counterpoint. In 1725 Johann Joseph Fux published Gradus ad Parnassum (Steps to Parnassus), in which he described five species: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Note against note; Two notes against one; Four (extended by others to include three, or six, etc.) notes against one; Notes offset against each other (as suspensions); All the first four species together, as "florid" counterpoint.

A succession of later theorists imitated Fux's seminal work quite closely, but often with some small and idiosyncratic modifications in the rules. A good example is Luigi Cherubini.[7]

Considerations for all species The following rules apply to melodic writing in each species, for each part: 1. The final must be approached by step. If the final is approached from below, the leading tone must be raised, except 2. in the case of the Phrygian mode. Thus, in the Dorian mode on D, a C is necessary at the cadence. Permitted melodic intervals are the perfect fourth, fifth, and octave, as well as the major and minor second, major and minor third, and ascending minor sixth. When the ascending minor sixth is used it must be immediately followed by motion downwards. If writing two skips in the same directionsomething which must be done only rarelythe second must be smaller than the first, and the interval between the first and the third note may not be dissonant. If writing a skip in one direction, it is best to proceed after the skip with motion in the other direction. The interval of a tritone in three notes is to be avoided (for example, an ascending melodic motion F - A - B natural), as is the interval of a seventh in three notes.

3. 4. 5.

And, in all species, the following rules apply concerning the combination of the parts: 1. The counterpoint must begin and end on a perfect consonance. 2. Contrary motion should predominate.

3. 4. 5. 6.

Perfect consonances must be approached by oblique or contrary motion Imperfect consonances may be approached by any type of motion The interval of a tenth should not be exceeded between two adjacent parts, unless by necessity. Build from the bass, upward.

First species In first species counterpoint, each note in every added part (parts being also referred to as lines or voices) sounds against one note in the cantus firmus. Notes in all parts are sounded simultaneously, and move against each other simultaneously. In the present context, a "step" is a melodic interval of a half or whole step. A "skip" is an interval of a third or fourth. (See Steps and skips.) An interval of a fifth or larger is referred to as a "leap". A few further rules given by Fux, by study of the Palestrina style, and usually given in the works of later counterpoint pedagogues,[citation needed] are as follows. 1. Begin and end on either the unison, octave, or fifth, unless the added part is underneath, in which case begin and end only on unison or octave. 2. Use no unisons except at the beginning or end. 3. Avoid parallel fifths or octaves between any two parts; and avoid "hidden" parallel fifths or octaves: that is, movement by similar motion to a perfect fifth or octave, unless one part (sometimes restricted to the higher of the parts) moves by step. 4. Avoid moving in parallel fourths. (In practice Palestrina and others frequently allowed themselves such progressions, especially if they do not involve the lowest of the parts.) 5. Avoid moving in parallel thirds or sixths for very long. 6. Attempt to keep any two adjacent parts within a tenth of each other, unless an exceptionally pleasing line can be written by moving outside of that range. 7. Avoid having any two parts move in the same direction by skip. 8. Attempt to have as much contrary motion as possible. 9. Avoid dissonant intervals between any two parts: major or minor 2nd, major or minor 7th, any augmented or diminished interval, and perfect fourth (in many contexts). In the following example in two parts, the cantus firmus is the lower part. (The same cantus firmus is used for later examples also. Each is in the Dorian mode.)

Second species In second species counterpoint, two notes in each of the added parts work against each longer note in the given part. Additional considerations in second species counterpoint are as follows, and are in addition to the considerations for first species: 1. It is permissible to begin on an upbeat, leaving a half-rest in the added voice. 2. The accented beat must have only consonance (perfect or imperfect). The unaccented beat may have dissonance, but only as a passing tone, i.e. it must be approached and left by step in the same direction.

3. Avoid the interval of the unison except at the beginning or end of the example, except that it may occur on the unaccented portion of the bar. 4. Use caution with successive accented perfect fifths or octaves. They must not be used as part of a sequential pattern.

Third species In third species counterpoint, four (or three, etc.) notes move against each longer note in the given part.

Fourth species In fourth species counterpoint, some notes are sustained or suspended in an added part while notes move against them in the given part, often creating a dissonance on the beat, followed by the suspended note then changing (and "catching up") to create a subsequent consonance with the note in the given part as it continues to sound. As before, fourth species counterpoint is said to be expanded when the added-part notes vary in length among themselves. The technique requires chains of notes sustained across the boundaries determined by beat, and so creates syncopation.

Fifth species (florid counterpoint) In fifth species counterpoint, sometimes called florid counterpoint, the other four species of counterpoint are combined within the added parts. In the example, the first and second bars are second species, the third bar is third species, the fourth and fifth bars are third and embellished fourth species, and the final bar is first species.

Contrapuntal derivations Since the Renaissance period in European music, much music which is considered contrapuntal has been written in imitative counterpoint. In imitative counterpoint, two or more voices enter at different times, and (especially when entering) each voice repeats some version of the same melodic element. The fantasia, the ricercar, and later, the canon and fugue (the

contrapuntal form par excellence) all feature imitative counterpoint, which also frequently appears in choral works such as motets and madrigals. Imitative counterpoint has spawned a number of devices that composers have turned to in order to give their works both mathematical rigor and expressive range.[citation needed] Some of these devices include:

Melodic inversion The inverse of a given fragment of melody is the fragment turned upside down so if the original fragment has a rising major third (see interval), the inverted fragment has a falling major (or perhaps minor) third, etc. (Compare, in twelve tone technique, the inversion of the tone row, which is the so-called prime series turned upside down.) (Note: in invertible counterpoint, including double and triple counterpoint, the term inversion is used in a different sense altogether. At least one pair of parts is switched, so that the one that was higher becomes lower. See Inversion in counterpoint; it is not a kind of imitation, but a rearrangement of the parts.)

Retrograde whereby an imitative voice sounds the melody backwards in relation the leading voice.

Retrograde inversion where the imitative voice sounds the melody backwards and upside-down at once.

Augmentation when in one of the parts in imitative counterpoint the note values are extended in duration compared to the rate at which they were sounded when introduced.

Diminution when in one of the parts in imitative counterpoint the note values are reduced in duration compared to the rate at which they were sounded when introduced.

Linear counterpoint

Linear counterpoint from Stravinsky's Octet[8] accidentals, including F.

Play (helpinfo). Note the C major ostinato and frequent dissonances and

Linear counterpoint is "a purely horizontal technique in which the integrity of the individual melodic lines is not sacrificed to harmonic considerations. The voice parts move freely, irrespective of the effects their combined motions may create." [8] In other words, either "the domination of the horizontal (linear) aspects over the vertical" [9] is featured or the "harmonic control of lines is rejected."[10] Associated with neoclassicism,[9] the first work to use the technique is Stravinsky's Octet (1923),[8] inspired by Bach and Palestrina. However, according to Knud Jeppesen: "Bach's and Palestrina's points of departure are antipodal. Palestrina

starts out from lines and arrives at chords; Bach's music grows out of an ideally harmonic background, against which the voices develop with a bold independence that is often breath-taking."[8] According to Cunningham, linear harmony is "a frequent approach in the 20th-century...[in which lines] are combined with almost careless abandon in the hopes that new 'chords' and 'progressions,'...will result." It is possible with "any kind of line, diatonic or duodecuple."[10] A notable example of linear counterpoint in the 20th century is Glenn Gould's String Quartet in F minor, Opus 1.[11][not in citation given] Dissonant counterpoint Dissonant counterpoint was originally theorized by Charles Seeger as "at first purely a school-room discipline," consisting of species counterpoint but with all the traditional rules reversed. First species counterpoint is required to be all dissonances, establishing "dissonance, rather than consonance, as the rule," and consonances are "resolved" through a skip, not step. He wrote that "the effect of this discipline" was "one of purification." Other aspects of composition, such as rhythm, could be "dissonated" by applying the same principle (Charles Seeger, "On Dissonant Counterpoint," Modern Music 7, no. 4 (June July 1930): 25-26). Seeger was not the first to employ dissonant counterpoint, but was the first to theorize and promote it. Other composers who have used dissonant counterpoint, if not in the exact manner prescribed by Charles Seeger, include Ruth CrawfordSeeger, Carl Ruggles, Henry Cowell, Henry Brant, Dane Rudhyar, Lou Harrison, Fartein Valen, and Arnold Schoenberg.[12] Contrapuntal radio Glenn Gould used what he considered a kind of counterpoint in his three radio documentaries: The Idea of North, The Latecomers, and The Quiet in the Land (see The Solitude Trilogy). Gould called this method "contrapuntal radio." It involves the voices of two or more people simultaneously speaking (or playing against each other), entering and leaving the work as in a fugue.[citation needed]

Piano
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search For other uses of "Piano", see Piano (disambiguation). Pianoforte redirects here. For earlier versions of the instrument see Fortepiano. For the 1984 drama film see Pianoforte (film)

Piano

A grand piano (left) and an upright piano (right)

Keyboard instrument

HornbostelSachs classification

314.122-4-8 (Simple chordophone with keyboard sounded by hammers)

Inventor(s)

Bartolomeo Cristofori

Developed

Early 18th century Playing range

The piano is a musical instrument played mainly by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal. Although not portable and often expensive, the piano's versatility and ubiquity have made it one of the world's most familiar musical instruments. Pressing a key on the piano's keyboard causes a felt-covered hammer to strike steel strings. The hammers rebound, allowing the strings to continue vibrating at their resonant frequency.[1] These vibrations are transmitted through a bridge to a sounding board that more efficiently couples the acoustic energy to the air. The sound would otherwise be no louder than that directly produced by the strings. When the key is released, a damper stops the string's vibration. See the article on Piano key frequencies for a picture of the piano keyboard and the location of middle-C. In the Hornbostel-Sachs system of instrument classification, pianos are considered chordophones. The word piano is a shortened form of pianoforte (PF), the Italian word for the instrument (which in turn derives from the previous terms gravicembalo col piano e forte and fortepiano). The musical terms piano and forte mean "quiet" and "loud,"

and in this context refers to variations in loudness the instrument produces in response to a pianist's touch on the keys: the greater the velocity of a key press, the greater the force of the hammer hitting the string(s), and the louder the note produced.

Contents
[hide]

1 History o 1.1 History and musical performance 2 Modern piano o 2.1 Physics o 2.2 Types 2.2.1 Grand 2.2.2 Upright (vertical) 2.2.3 Other types o 2.3 Keyboard o 2.4 Pedals 2.4.1 Standard pedals 2.4.2 Unusual pedals o 2.5 Construction o 2.6 Care and maintenance o 2.7 Tuning 3 Role 4 See also 5 Notes 6 References 7 Further reading 8 External links

[edit] History
See also: Fortepiano and Bartolomeo Cristofori

Grand piano by Louis Bas of Villeneuve-ls-Avignon, France, 1781. Earliest French grand piano known to survive; includes an inverted wrestplank and action derived from the work of Bartolomeo Cristofori (ca. 1700) with ornately decorated soundboard.

Early piano replica by the modern builder Paul McNulty, after Walter & Sohn, 1805

The piano was founded on earlier technological innovations. The first string instruments with struck strings were the hammered dulcimers.[2] During the Middle Ages, there were several attempts at creating stringed keyboard instruments with struck strings.[3] By the 17th century, the mechanisms of keyboard instruments such as the clavichord and the harpsichord were well known. In a clavichord the strings are struck by tangents, while in a harpsichord they are plucked by quills. Centuries of work on the mechanism of the harpsichord in particular had shown the most effective ways to construct the case, soundboard, bridge, and keyboard. The invention of the modern piano is credited to Bartolomeo Cristofori (16551731) of Padua, Italy, who was employed by Ferdinando de' Medici, Grand Prince of Tuscany, as the Keeper of the Instruments. He was an expert harpsichord maker, and was well acquainted with the body of knowledge on stringed keyboard instruments. It is not known exactly when Cristofori first built a piano. An inventory made by his employers, the Medici family, indicates the existence of a piano by the year 1700; another document of doubtful authenticity indicates a date of 1698. The three Cristofori pianos that survive today date from the 1720s.[4][5] While the clavichord allowed expressive control of volume and sustain, it was too quiet for large performances. The harpsichord produced a sufficiently loud sound, but had little expressive control over each note. The piano was likely formed as an attempt to combine loudness with control, avoiding the trade-offs of available instruments. Cristofori's great success was solving, with no prior example, the fundamental mechanical problem of piano design: the hammer must strike the string, but not remain in contact with it (as a tangent remains in contact with a clavichord string) because this would dampen the sound. Moreover, the hammer must return to its rest position without bouncing violently, and it must be possible to repeat a note rapidly. Cristofori's piano action was a model for the many different approaches to piano actions that followed. Cristofori's early instruments were made with thin strings, and were much quieter than the modern pianobut compared to the clavichord (the only previous keyboard instrument capable of dynamic nuance via the keyboard) they were much louder and had more sustain. Cristofori's new instrument remained relatively unknown until an Italian writer, Scipione Maffei, wrote an enthusiastic article about it (1711), including a diagram of the mechanism. This article was widely distributed, and most of the next generation of piano builders started their work due to reading it. One of these builders was Gottfried Silbermann, better known as an organ builder. Silbermann's pianos were virtually direct copies of Cristofori's, with one important addition: Silbermann invented the forerunner of the modern damper pedal, which lifts all the dampers from the strings simultaneously. Silbermann showed Johann Sebastian Bach one of his early instruments in the 1730s, but Bach did not like it at that time, claiming that the higher notes were too soft to allow a full dynamic range. Although this earned him some animosity from Silbermann, the criticism was apparently heeded. Bach did approve of a later instrument he saw in 1747, and even served as an agent in selling Silbermann's pianos.[6]

Piano-making flourished during the late 18th century in the Viennese school, which included Johann Andreas Stein (who worked in Augsburg, Germany) and the Viennese makers Nannette Streicher (daughter of Stein) and Anton Walter. Viennesestyle pianos were built with wood frames, two strings per note, and had leather-covered hammers. Some of these Viennese pianos had the opposite coloring of modern-day pianos; the natural keys were black and the accidental keys white.[7] It was for such instruments that Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed his concertos and sonatas, and replicas of them are built today for use in authentic-instrument performance of his music. The pianos of Mozart's day had a softer, more ethereal tone than today's pianos or English pianos, with less sustaining power. The term fortepiano is nowadays often used to distinguish the 18thcentury instrument from later pianos.
Comparison of piano sound 19th century piano sound

Frdric Chopin's tude Op. 25, No. 12, on an Erard piano made in 1851

Modern piano sound

The same piece, on a modern piano

Problems listening to these files? See media help.

For more details on this topic, see Innovations in the piano.

In the period lasting from about 1790 to 1860, the Mozart-era piano underwent tremendous changes that led to the modern form of the instrument. This revolution was in response to a preference by composers and pianists for a more powerful, sustained piano sound, and made possible by the ongoing Industrial Revolution with resources such as high-quality piano wire for strings, and precision casting for the production of iron frames. Over time, the tonal range of the piano was also increased from the five octaves of Mozart's day to the 7 or more octaves found on modern pianos.

Broadwood square action (click for page with legend)

Early technological progress owed much to the firm of Broadwood. John Broadwood joined with another Scot, Robert Stodart, and a Dutchman, Americus Backers, to design a piano in the harpsichord casethe origin of the "grand". They achieved this in about 1777. They quickly gained a reputation for the splendour and powerful tone of their instruments, with Broadwood constructing ones that were progressively larger, louder, and more robustly constructed. They sent pianos to both Joseph Haydn and Ludwig van Beethoven, and were the first firm to build pianos with a range of more than five octaves: five octaves and a fifth during the 1790s, six octaves by 1810 (Beethoven used the extra notes in his later works), and seven octaves by 1820. The Viennese makers similarly followed these trends; however the two schools used different piano actions: Broadwoods were more robust, Viennese instruments were more sensitive.

Erard square action (click for page with legend)

By the 1820s, the center of innovation had shifted to Paris, where the Pleyel firm manufactured pianos used by Frdric Chopin and the rard firm manufactured those used by Franz Liszt. In 1821, Sbastien rard invented the double escapement action, which incorporated a repetition lever (also called the balancier) that permitted repeating a note even if the key had not yet risen to its maximum vertical position. This facilitated rapid playing of repeated notes, a musical device pioneered by Liszt. When the invention became public, as revised by Henri Herz, the double escapement action gradually became standard in grand pianos, and is still incorporated into all grand pianos currently produced. Other improvements of the mechanism included the use of felt hammer coverings instead of layered leather or cotton. Felt, which was first introduced by Henri Pape in 1826, was a more consistent material, permitting wider dynamic ranges as hammer weights and string tension increased. The sostenuto pedal (see below), invented in 1844 by Jean Louis Boisselot and copied by the Steinway firm in 1874, allowed a wider range of effects. One innovation that helped create the sound of the modern piano was the use of a strong iron frame. Also called the "plate", the iron frame sits atop the soundboard, and serves as the primary bulwark against the force of string tension. The increased structural integrity of the iron frame allowed the use of thicker, tenser, and more numerous strings. In a modern grand the total string tension can exceed 20 tons. The single piece cast iron frame was patented in 1825 in Boston by Alpheus Babcock, combining the metal hitch pin plate (1821, claimed by Broadwood on behalf of Samuel Herv) and resisting bars (Thom and Allen, 1820, but also claimed by Broadwood and rard). Babcock later worked for the Chickering & Mackays firm who patented the first full iron frame for grand pianos in 1843. Composite forged metal frames were preferred by many European makers until the American system was fully adopted by the early 20th century. Other important advances included changes to the way the piano was strung, such as the use of a "choir" of three strings rather than two for all but the lowest notes, and the implementation of an over-strung scale in which the strings are placed in two separate planes, each with its own bridge height. (This is also called "cross-stringing". Whereas earlier instruments' bass strings were a mere continuation of a single string plane, over-stringing placed the bass bridge behind and to the treble side of the tenor bridge area. This crossed the strings, with the bass strings in the higher plane.) This permitted a much narrower cabinet at the "nose" end of the piano, and optimized the transition from unwound tenor strings to the iron or copper-wrapped bass strings. Over-stringing was invented by Jean-Henri Pape during the 1820s, and first patented for use in grand pianos in the United States by Henry Steinway, Jr. in 1859.

Duplex scaling of an 1883 Steinway Model 'A'. From lower left to upper right: main sounding length of strings, treble bridge, duplex string length, duplex bar (nickel-plated bar parallel to bridge), hitchpins, plate strut with bearing bolt, plate hole.

Some piano makers developed schemes to enhance the tone of each note. Julius Blthner developed Aliquot stringing in 1893 as well as Pascal-Joseph Taskin (1788), and Collard & Collard (1821). Each used more distinctly ringing, undamped vibrations to modify tone, except the Blthner Aliquot stringing, which uses an additional fourth string in the upper two treble sections. While the hitchpins of these separately suspended Aliquot strings are raised slightly above the level of the usual trichoir strings, they are not struck by the hammers but rather are damped by attachments of the usual dampers. Some piano makers developed schemes to enhance the tone of each note. Eager to copy these effects, Theodore Steinway invented duplex scaling, which used short lengths of non-speaking wire bridged by the aliquot throughout much of upper range of the piano, always in locations that caused them to vibrate in conformity with their respective overtonestypically in doubled octaves and twelfths Some early pianos had shapes and designs that are no longer in use. The square piano (not truly square, but rectangular) was cross strung at an extremely acute angle above the hammers, with the keyboard set along the long side. This design is attributed to Gottfried Silbermann or Christian Ernst Friderici on the continent, and Johannes Zumpe or Harman Vietor in England, and it was improved by changes first introduced by Guillaume-Lebrecht Petzold in France and Alpheus Babcock in the United States. Square pianos were built in great numbers through the 1840s in Europe and the 1890s in America, and saw the most visible change of any type of piano: the iron-framed, over-strung squares manufactured by Steinway & Sons were more than two-and-a-half times the size of Zumpe's wood-framed instruments from a century before. Their overwhelming popularity was due to inexpensive construction and price, although their tone and performance were limited by narrow soundboards, simple actions and string spacing that made proper hammer alignment difficult.

The mechanism in upright pianos is perpendicular to the keys.

The tall, vertically strung upright grand was arranged like a grand set on end, with the soundboard and bridges above the keys, and tuning pins below them. The term was later revived by many manufacturers for advertising purposes. Giraffe, pyramid and lyre pianos were arranged in a somewhat similar fashion in evocatively shaped cases. The very tall cabinet piano was introduced about 1805 and was built through the 1840s. It had strings arranged vertically on a continuous frame with bridges extended nearly to the floor, behind the keyboard and very large sticker action. The short cottage upright or pianino with vertical stringing, made popular by Robert Wornum around 1815, was built into the 20th century. They are informally called birdcage pianos because of their prominent damper mechanism. Pianinos were distinguished from the oblique, or diagonally strung upright made popular in France by Roller & Blanchet during the late 1820s. The tiny spinet upright was manufactured from the mid-1930s until recent times. The low position of the hammers required the use of a "drop action" to preserve a reasonable keyboard height. Modern upright and grand pianos attained their present forms by the end of the 19th century. Improvements have been made in manufacturing processes, and many individual details of the instrument continue to receive attention.
[edit] History and musical performance Main article: Piano history and musical performance

Thelonious Monk at Minton's Playhouse, New York City, 1947

Much of the most widely admired piano repertoire in classical music, for example, that of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven, was composed for a type of instrument (the fortepiano) that is rather different from modern instruments this music is normally performed on today. Even the music of the Romantic movement, including Liszt, Chopin, Robert Schumann, Felix Mendelssohn and Johannes Brahms, was written for pianos substantially different from modern pianos. Starting in Beethoven's later career, the fortepiano evolved into the modern piano as we know it today. Modern pianos were in wide use by the late 19th century. They featured an octave range larger than the earlier fortepiano instrument, adding around 30 more keys to the instrument. The mechanical action structure of the upright piano was invented in London, England in 1826 by Robert Wornum, and upright models became the most popular model, also amplifying the sound.[8] Mass production in factories made them more affordable for a larger number of people. They appeared in music halls and pubs during the 19th century, providing entertainment through a piano soloist, or in combination with a small band. Pianists began accompanying singers or dancers performing on stage, or patrons dancing on a dance floor. During the 19th century, American musicians playing for working-class audiences in small pubs and bars, particularly African-American composers, developed new musical genres based on the modern piano. Ragtime music, popularized by composers such as Scott Joplin, reached a broader audience by 1900. The popularity of ragtime music was quickly succeeded by Jazz piano. New techniques and rhythms were invented for the piano, including ostinato for boogie woogie, and Shearing voicing. George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue broke new musical ground by combining American jazz piano with symphonic sounds. Comping, a technique for accompanying jazz vocalists on piano, was exemplified by Duke Ellington's technique. Honky tonk music, featuring yet another style of piano rhythm, became popular during the same era. Bebop techniques grew out of jazz, with leading composers such as Thelonious Monk and Bud Powell. In the late 20th century, Bill Evans composed pieces combining classical techniques with his jazz experimentations. Herbie Hancock was one of the first jazz pianists to find mainstream popularity working with newer urban music techniques. Pianos have also been used in rock and roll by entertainers such as Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Elton John, and Billy Joel to name just a few. Modernist styles of music have also appealed to composers writing for the modern grand piano, including John Cage and Philip Glass.

[edit] Modern piano

A schematic depiction of the construction of a pianoforte

frame (1) lid, front part (2) capo bar (3) damper (4) lid, back part (5) damper mechanism (6) sostenuto rail (7) pedal mechanism, rods (8, 9, 10) pedals: right (sustain/damper), middle (sostenuto), left (soft/una-corda) (11) bridge (12) hitch pin (13) frame (14) sound board (15) string (16)

Physics

A pianist playing Prelude and Fugue No. 23 in B major (BWV 868) from Bach's The Well-Tempered Clavier on a grand piano

When the key is struck, a chain reaction occurs to produce the sound. First, the key raises the wippen, which forces the jack against the hammer roller (or "knuckle"). The hammer roller then lifts the lever carrying the hammer. The key also raises the damper; and immediately after the hammer strikes the wire it falls back, allowing the wire to resonate. When the key is released the damper falls back onto the strings, stopping the wire from vibrating.[9] The vibrating piano strings themselves are not very loud, but their vibrations are transmitted to a large soundboard that moves air and thus converts the energy to sound. The irregular shape and off-center placement of the bridge ensures that the soundboard vibrates strongly at all frequencies.[10] (See Piano action for a diagram and detailed description of piano parts.) There are three factors that influence the pitch of a vibrating wire.

Length: All other factors the same, the shorter the wire, the higher the pitch. Mass per unit length: All other factors the same, the thinner the wire, the higher the pitch. Tension: All other factors the same, the tighter the wire, the higher the pitch.

A vibrating wire subdivides itself into many parts vibrating at the same time. Each part produces a pitch of its own, called a partial. A vibrating string has one fundamental and a series of partials. The most pure combination of two pitches is when one is double the frequency of the other.[11] For a repeating wave, the velocity, v, equals the wavelength, , times the frequency, f.
v = f

On the piano string, waves reflect from both ends. The superposition of reflecting waves results in a standing wave pattern, but only for wavelengths = 2L, L, L/2, = 2L/n, where L is the length of the string. Therefore the only frequencies produced on a single string are f = nv/(2L). Timbre is largely determined by the content of these harmonics. Different instruments have different harmonic content for the same pitch. A real string vibrates at harmonics that are not perfect multiples of the fundamental. This results in a little inharmonicity, which gives richness to the tone but causes significant tuning challenges throughout the compass of the instrument.[10] Striking the piano key with greater force increases the amplitude of the waves and therefore the volume. From pianissimo (pp) to fortissimo (ff) the hammer velocity changes by almost a factor of a hundred. The hammer contact time with the string shortens from 4 ms at pp to less than 2 ms at ff.[10] If two wires adjusted to the same pitch are struck at the same time, the sound produced by one reinforces the other, and a louder combined sound of shorter duration is produced. If one wire vibrates out of synchronization with the other, they subtract from each other and produce a softer tone of longer duration.[12]
[edit] Types

Modern pianos have two basic configurations (with subcategories): the grand piano and the upright piano.

[edit] Grand

Steinway grand piano in the White House

August Frster upright piano

In grand pianos, the frame and strings are horizontal, with the strings extending away from the keyboard. The action lies beneath the strings, and uses gravity as its means of return to a state of rest. There are many sizes of grand piano. A rough generalization distinguishes the concert grand (between 2.2 and 3 metres long, about 710 feet) from the parlor grand or boudoir grand (1.7 to 2.2 metres long, about 67 feet) and the smaller baby grand (around 1.5 metres (5 feet)). All else being equal, longer pianos with longer strings have larger, richer sound and lower inharmonicity of the strings. Inharmonicity is the degree to which the frequencies of overtones (known as partials or harmonics) sound sharp relative to whole multiples of the fundamental frequency. This results from the piano's considerable string stiffness; as a struck string decays its harmonics vibrate, not from their termination, but from a point very slightly toward the center (or more flexible part) of the string. The higher the partial, the further sharp it runs. Pianos with shorter and thicker string (i.e. small pianos with short string scales) have more inharmonicity. The greater the inharmonicity, the more the ear perceives it as harshness of tone. Inharmonicity requires that octaves be stretched, or tuned to a lower octave's corresponding sharp overtone rather than to a theoretically correct octave. If octaves are not stretched, single octaves sound in tune, but doubleand notably tripleoctaves are unacceptably narrow. Stretching a small piano's octaves to match its inherent inharmonicity level creates an imbalance among all the instrument's intervallic relationships, not just its octaves. In a concert grand, however, the octave "stretch" retains harmonic balance, even when aligning treble notes to a harmonic produced from three octaves below. This lets close and widespread octaves sound pure, and produces virtually beatless perfect fifths. This gives the concert grand a brilliant,

singing and sustaining tone qualityone of the principal reasons that full-size grands are used in the concert hall. Smaller grands satisfy the space and cost needs of domestic use.
[edit] Upright (vertical)

Upright pianos, also called vertical pianos, are more compact because the frame and strings are vertical. The hammers move horizontally, and return to their resting position via springs, which are susceptible to degradation. Upright pianos with unusually tall frames and long strings are sometimes called upright grand pianos. Some authors classify modern pianos according to their height and to modifications of the action that are necessary to accommodate the height.

Studio pianos are around 42 to 45 inches tall. This is the shortest cabinet that can accommodate a full-sized action located above the keyboard. Console pianos have a compact action (shorter hammers), and are a few inches shorter than studio models. The top of a spinet model barely rises above the keyboard. The action is located below, operated by vertical wires that are attached to the backs of the keys. Anything taller than a studio piano is called an upright.

[edit] Other types

Player piano from 1920 (Steinway)

The toy piano was introduced in the 19th century. In 1863, Henri Fourneaux invented the player piano, which plays itself from a piano roll. A machine perforates a performance recording into rolls of paper, and the player piano replays the performance using pneumatic devices. Modern equivalents of the player piano include the Bsendorfer CEUS and the Yamaha disklavier, using solenoids and MIDI rather than pneumatics and rolls. A silent piano is an acoustic piano having an option to silence the strings by means of an interposing hammer bar. They are designed for private silent practice. Edward Ryley invented the transposing piano in 1801. It has a lever under the keyboard as to move the keyboard relative to the strings so a pianist can play in a familiar key while the music sounds in a different key. The prepared piano, present in some contemporary art music, is a piano with objects placed inside it to alter its sound, or has had its mechanism changed in some other way. The scores for music for prepared piano specify the modifications, for example instructing the pianist to insert pieces of rubber, paper, metal screws, or washers in between the strings. These either mute the strings or alter their timbre. A harpsichord-like sound can be produced by placing or dangling small metal buttons in front of the hammer. In 1954 a German company exhibited a wire-less piano at the Spring Fair in Frankfurt, Germany that sold for $238 dollars. The wires were replaced by metal bars of different alloys that replicated the standard wires when played.[13] Electric pianos use electromagnetic pickups to amplify the sound of the strings. Playing a note loudly causes the electric signal to clip, and the player can incorporate the distortion into his or her expressive range. Digital pianos use digital sampling technology to reproduce the sound of each piano note. Digital pianos can be sophisticated, with features including working pedals, weighted keys, multiple voices, and MIDI interfaces. However, when one depresses

the damper pedal (see below) on such an instrument, there are no strings to vibrate sympathetically. The synthesis software of some higher end digital pianos, such as the Yamaha Clavinova series, or the Kawai MP8 series, incorporates physical models of sympathetic vibration. With the advent of powerful desktop computers, highly realistic pianos have become available as affordable software modules. Some of these modules use multi-gigabyte piano sample sets with as many as 90 recordings, each lasting many seconds, for each of the 88 (some have 81) keys under different conditions. Additional samples emulate sympathetic resonance, key release, the drop of the dampers, and simulations of piano techniques like re-pedaling to augment these conditions. Some other software modules, such as Modartt's 2006 Pianoteq, use no samples whatsoever and are a pure synthesis of all aspects of the physicalities that go into the creation of a real piano's sound. Today, piano manufactures take advantage of innovative pianos that play themselves via a CD or MP3 player. Similar in concept to a player piano, the PianoDisc or iQ systems allow pianos to "play themselves" when the software interprets a certain file format. Such additions are quite expensive, often doubling the cost of a piano. These pianos are available in both upright and grand.
[edit] Keyboard Further information: Musical keyboard "Piano keys" redirects here. For the runway threshold markings, see Runway#Runway markings.

Keyboard of a grand piano

Almost every modern piano has 52 white keys and 36 black keys for a total of 88 keys (seven octaves plus a minor third, from A0 to C8). Many older pianos only have 85 keys (seven octaves from A0 to A7). The highest-quality piano manufacturers extend the range further in one or both directions. Some Bsendorfer pianos, for example, extend the normal range down to F0, with one other model going as far as a bottom C0, making a full eight octave range. These extra keys are sometimes hidden under a small hinged lid that can cover the keys to prevent visual disorientation for pianists unfamiliar with the extra keys. On others, the colors of the extra white keys are reversed (black instead of white). The extra keys are added primarily for increased resonance from the associated strings; that is, they vibrate sympathetically with other strings whenever the damper pedal is depressed and thus give a fuller tone. Only a very small number of works composed for piano actually use these notes. More recently, the Stuart and Sons company has also manufactured extendedrange pianos, with the first 102 key piano. On their instruments, the frequency range extends from C0 to F8, which is the widest practical range for the acoustic piano. The extra keys are the same as the other keys in appearance. Small studio upright acoustical pianos with only 65 keys have been manufactured for use by roving pianists. Known as gig pianos and still containing a cast iron harp (frame), these are comparatively lightweight and can be easily transported to and from engagements by only two people. As their harp is longer than that of a spinet or console piano, they have a stronger bass sound that to some pianists is well worth the trade-off in range that a reduced key-set offers.

The toy piano manufacturer Schoenhut started manufacturing both grands and uprights with only 44 or 49 keys, and shorter distance between the keyboard and the pedals. These pianos are true pianos with action and strings. The pianos were introduced to their product line in response to numerous requests in favor of it. Pianos have been built with alternative keyboard systems, e.g., the Jank keyboard.

Pedals [edit] Standard pedals Main article: Piano pedals

MUSEE MUSICAL SCHOOL OF MUSIC STUDY FOR THE WEEK 08/10/2012 PEDALS

Pianos have had pedals, or some close equivalent, since the earliest days. (In the 18th century, some pianos used levers pressed upward by the player's knee instead of pedals.) Most grand pianos in the US have three pedals: the soft pedal (una corda), sostenuto, and sustain pedal (from left to right, respectively), while in Europe, the standard is two pedals: the soft pedal and the sustain pedal. Most modern upright pianos also have three pedals: soft pedal, practice pedal and sustain pedal, though older or cheaper models may lack the practice pedal. In Europe the standard for upright pianos is two pedals: the soft and the sustain pedals. The sustain pedal (or, damper pedal) is often simply called "the pedal", since it is the most frequently used. It is placed as the rightmost pedal in the group. It lifts the dampers from all keys, sustaining all played notes. In addition, it alters the overall tone by allowing all strings, including those not directly played, to reverberate. The soft pedal or una corda pedal is placed leftmost in the row of pedals. In grand pianos it shifts the entire action/keyboard assembly to the right (a very few instruments have shifted left) so that the hammers hit two of the three strings for each note. In the earliest pianos whose unisons were bichords rather than trichords, the action shifted so that hammers hit a single string, hence the name una corda, or 'one string'. The effect is to soften the note as well as change the tone. In uprights this action is not possible; instead the pedal moves the hammers closer to the strings, allowing the hammers to strike with less kinetic energy. This produces a slightly softer sound, but no change in timbre. On grand pianos, the middle pedal is a sostenuto pedal. This pedal keeps raised any damper already raised at the moment the pedal is depressed. This makes it possible to sustain selected notes (by depressing the sostenuto pedal before those notes are released) while the player's hands are free to play additional notes (which aren't sustained). This can be useful for musical passages with pedal points and other otherwise tricky or impossible situations. On many upright pianos, the middle pedal is called the "practice" or celeste pedal. This drops a piece of felt between the hammers and strings, greatly muting the sounds. This pedal can be shifted while depressed, into a "locking" position. There are also non-standard variants. On some pianos (grands and verticals), the middle pedal can be a bass sustain pedal: that is, when it is depressed, the dampers lift off the strings only in the bass section. Players use this pedal to sustain a single bass note or chord over many measures, while playing the melody in the treble section. On the Stuart and Sons piano as well as the largest Fazioli piano, there is a fourth pedal to the left of the principal three. This fourth pedal works in the same way as the soft pedal of an upright piano, moving the hammers closer to the strings.
[edit] Unusual pedals

An upright pedal piano by Challen

The rare transposing piano (such as owned by Irving Berlin) has a middle pedal that functions as a clutch that disengages the keyboard from the mechanism, so the player can move the keyboard to the left or right with a lever. This shifts the entire piano action so the pianist can play music written in one key so that it sounds in a different key. Some piano companies have included extra pedals other than the standard two or three. Some companies have offered pianos with four pedals (Crown and Schubert Piano Co.). Fazioli currently offers a fourth pedal that provides a second soft pedal, that works by bringing the keys closer to the strings.

Wing and Son of New York offered a five-pedal piano from approximately 1893 through the 1920s. There is no mention of the company past the 1930s. Labeled left to right the pedals are Mandolin, Orchestra, Expression, Soft, and Forte (Sustain). The Mandolin pedal produces a sound similar to a tremolo feel by bouncing a set of small hammers against the strings, enabling the piano to mimic a mandolin, guitar, banjo, zither and harp. The Orchestra (Orch) pedal used a similar approach, lowering a set of metal-tipped felt strips in between the hammers and the strings. This extended the life of the hammers when the Orch pedal was used, a good idea for practicing, and created an echo-like sound that mimicked playing in an orchestral hall.[15][16] The pedalier piano, or pedal piano, is a rare type of piano that includes a pedalboard so players can user their feet to play bass register notes, as on a organ. There are two types of pedal piano. On one, the pedal board is an integral part of the instrument, using the same strings and mechanism as the manual keyboard. The other, rarer type, consists of two independent pianos (each with separate mechanics and strings) placed one above the otherone for the hands and one for the feet. This was developed primarily as a practice instrument for organists, though there is a small repertoire written specifically for the instrument.
[edit] Construction

Many parts of a piano are made of materials selected for strength and longevity. This is especially true of the outer rim. It is most commonly made of hardwood, typically maple or beech, and its massiveness serves as an essentially immobile object from which the flexible soundboard can best vibrate. According to Harold A. Conklin,[17] the purpose of a sturdy rim is so that, "...the vibrational energy will stay as much as possible in the soundboard instead of dissipating uselessly in the case parts, which are inefficient radiators of sound." While many companies make hardwood rims are made by laminating thin (hence flexible) strips of hardwood plywood, bending them to the desired shape immediately after the application of glue, high end manufacturers like Bsendorfer use a solid piece of wood. Bsendorfer, the Austrian manufacturer of high quality pianos, constructs their rim from spruce, the very same wood that the soundboard is made from. Their idea is to concertedly involve the cabinet in the projection and coloration of sound. The loss of energy into the Bsendorfer case alters the instrument's tone, giving it perhaps less power but a complex and unusually resonant sound.

This view of the underside of a 182 cm (6 foot) grand piano shows, in order of distance from viewer: softwood braces, tapered soundboard ribs, soundboard. The metal rod at lower right is a humidity control device.

Theodore Steinway developed the bent plywood rim in 1880 to save manufacturing time and costs. The thick wooden posts on the underside (grands) or back (uprights) of the piano stabilize the rim structure, and are made of softwood for stability. The requirement of structural strength, fulfilled by stout hardwood and thick metal, makes a piano heavy. Even a small upright can weigh 136 kg (300 lb), and the Steinway concert grand (Model D) weighs 480 kg (990 lb). The largest piano built, the Fazioli F308, weighs 691 kg (1520 lb). The pinblock, which holds the tuning pins in place, is another area where toughness is important. It is made of hardwood, (typically hard maple or beech), and is laminated for strength, stability and longevity. Piano strings (also called piano wire), which must endure years of extreme tension and hard blows, are made of high carbon steel. They are manufactured to vary as little as possible in diameter, since all deviations from uniformity introduce tonal distortion. The bass strings of a piano are made of a steel core wrapped with copper wire, to increase their mass whilst retaining flexibility. If all strings throughout the piano's compass were individual (monochord), the massive bass strings would overpower the upper ranges. Makers compensate for this with the use of double (bichord) strings in the tenor and triple (trichord) strings throughout the treble.

Cast iron plate of a grand piano

The plate (harp), or metal frame, of a piano is usually made of cast iron. It is advantageous for the plate to be very massive. Since the strings vibrate from the plate at both ends, vibrations absorbed by the plate result in energy loss to the desired (efficient) sound transmission channel, namely the bridge and the soundboard. While some manufacturers use cast steel in their plates, most prefer cast iron. Cast iron is easy to cast and machine, has flexibility sufficient for piano use, is much more resistant to deformation than steel, and is especially tolerant of compression. Plate casting is an art, since dimensions are crucial and the iron shrinks about one percent during cooling. Including an extremely large piece of metal in a piano is potentially an aesthetic handicap. Piano makers overcome this by polishing, painting, and decorating the plate. Plates often include the manufacturer's ornamental medallion. In an effort to make pianos lighter, Alcoa worked with Winter and Company piano manufacturers to make pianos using an aluminum plate during the 1940s. Aluminum piano plates were not widely accepted, and were discontinued. The numerous grand parts and upright parts of a piano action are generally hardwood, e.g., maple, beech, or hornbeam. However, since WWII, makers have used some plastics. Early plastics were incorporated into some pianos in the late 1940s and 1950s, but proved disastrous because they lost strength after a few decades of use. Starting in 1961, the New York branch of the Steinway firm incorporated Teflon, a synthetic material developed by DuPont, for some parts of its Permafree grand action in place of cloth bushings, but abandoned the experiment in 1982 due to excessive friction and a "clicking" that developed over time. Teflon is "humidity stable" whereas the wood adjacent to the Teflon swells and shrinks with humidity changes, causing problems. More recently, the Kawai firm built pianos with action parts made of more modern materials such as carbon fiber reinforced plastic, and the piano parts manufacturer Wessell, Nickel and Gross has launched a new line of carefully engineered composite parts. Thus far these parts have performed reasonably, but it will take decades to know if they equal the longevity of wood.

Strings of a grand piano

In all but the poorest pianos the soundboard is made of solid spruce (that is, spruce boards glued together along the side grain). Spruce's high ratio of strength to weight minimizes acoustic impedance while offering strength sufficient to withstand the downward force of the strings. The best piano makers use quarter-sawn, defect-free spruce of close annular grain, carefully seasoning it over a long period before fabricating the soundboards. This is the identical material that is used in quality acoustic guitar soundboards. Cheap pianos often have plywood soundboards. In the early years of piano construction, keys were commonly made from sugar pine. Today they are likely to be made of spruce or basswood. Spruce is typically used in high-quality pianos. The black keys were traditionally made from ebony and the white keys were covered with strips of ivory, but since ivory-yielding species are now endangered and protected by treaty, plastics are now almost exclusively used. Also, ivory tends to chip more easily than plastic. Legal ivory can still be obtained in limited quantities. The Yamaha firm invented a plastic called "Ivorite" that they claim mimics the look and feel of ivory; it has since been imitated by other makers.
[edit] Care and maintenance Main articles: Piano maintenance and Piano tuning

The piano at the social center in the 19th century (Moritz von Schwind, 1868). The man at the piano is Franz Schubert.

Pianos need regular tuning to keep them on pitch, which is usually the internationally recognized standard concert pitch of A4 = 440 Hz. The hammers of pianos are voiced to compensate for gradual hardening, and other parts also need periodic regulation. Aged and worn pianos can be rebuilt or reconditioned. Often, by replacing a great number of their parts, they can perform as well as new pianos. Older pianos are often more settled and produce a warmer tone.[citation needed] Piano moving should be done by trained piano movers using adequate manpower and the correct equipment for any particular piano's size and weight.[citation needed] Pianos are heavy yet delicate instruments. Over the years, professional piano movers have developed special techniques for transporting both grands and uprights, which prevent damage to the case and to the piano's mechanics.
[edit] Tuning Main article: Piano tuning

A piano tuner

The relationship between two pitches, called an interval, is the ratio of their absolute frequencies. Two different intervals are perceived as the same when the pairs of pitches involved share the same frequency ratio. The easiest intervals to identify, and the easiest intervals to tune, are those that are just, meaning they have a simple whole-number ratio. The term temperament

refers to a tuning system that tempers the just intervals (usually the perfect fifth, which has the ratio 3:2) to satisfy another mathematical property; in equal temperament, a fifth is tempered by narrowing it slightly, achieved by flattening its upper pitch slightly, or raising its lower pitch slightly. A temperament system is also known as a set of bearings. Tempering an interval causes it to beat, which is a fluctuation in perceived sound intensity due to interference between close (but unequal) pitches. The rate of beating is equal to the frequency differences of any harmonics that are present for both pitches and that coincide or nearly coincide. Piano tuning is the act of adjusting the tensions of the piano's strings, thereby aligning the intervals among their tones so that the instrument is in tune. The meaning of the term in tune in the context of piano tuning is not simply a particular fixed set of pitches. Fine piano tuning carefully assesses the interaction among all notes of the chromatic scale, different for every piano, and thus requires slightly different pitches from any theoretical standard. Pianos are usually tuned to a modified version of the system called equal temperament (see Piano key frequencies for the theoretical piano tuning). In all systems of tuning, each pitch is derived from its relationship to a chosen fixed pitch, usually A440.[18]

History of the Piano

The story of the piano begins in Padua, Italy in 1709, in the shop of a harpsichord maker named Bartolomeo di Francesco Cristofori (1655-1731). Many other stringed and keyboard instruments preceded the piano and led to the development of the instrument as we know it today. Mankinds knowledge that a taut, vibrating string can produce sound goes back to prehistoric times. In the ancient world, strings were attached and stretched over bows, gourds, and boxes to amplify the sound; they were fastened by ties, pegs and pins; and they were plucked, bowed or struck to produce sounds. Eventually, a family of stringed instruments with a keyboard evolved in Europe in the 14th century. The earliest of these was a dulcimer, a closed, shallow box over which stretched wires were struck with two wooden hammers. The dulcimer led to the development of the clavichord, which also appeared in the 14th century. These were followed by the spinet, virginal, clavecin, gravicembalo, and finally, the harpsichord in the 15th century. The harpsichord, however, was limited to one, unvarying volume. Its softness and loudness could not be varied while playing. Therefore, performing artists could not convey the same degree of musical expression as that of most other instruments. The artistic desire for more controlled expression led directly to the invention of the piano, on which the artist could alter the loudness and tone with the force of ones fingers. The harpsichord was a particularly important development leading to the invention of the piano. Its ability to project sound more loudly than its predecessors, and refinements in the action (or touch) inspired many more musicians to compose for the keyboard and thus, to perform keyboard works. First exhibited in Florence in 1709, Cristoforis new instrument was named gravicembalo col piano e forte (roughly soft and loud keyboard instrument). Eventually, it was shortened to fortepiano or pianoforte, and finally just piano. His earliest surviving instrument dates from 1720 and is on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Despite many improvements during the past 300 years, it is truly astonishing to observe how similar Cristoforis instruments are to the modern piano of today.

New Technology in Pianos

We are living in perhaps the most exciting time in history to buy, own or play that eternal instrument, the piano. Whether your goal is to purchase something as small as software that can record what you play, a newly designed player piano, a digital instrument or a classic acoustic model, there have never been as many choices for the consumer.
Player Pianos

Also called reproducing pianos, this class of instrument represents a modern update on the paper-roll player pianos you remember from old movies, and theyve grown enormously in popularity over the last decade. These are not digital instruments theyre real, acoustic pianos with hammers and strings that can be played normally but they can also play themselves using sophisticated electronic technology. Instead of punched paper, they take their cues fro m floppy disks, specially formatted CDs or internal memory systems. Several manufacturers offer vast libraries of pre-recorded titles for their systemsmusic in every genre from pop to the classicsrecorded by some of the worlds top pianists. These sophisticated systems capture every nuance of the original performances and play them back with startling accuracy providing something thats actually much better than CD fidelity, because the performances are live. Thanks to these new systems, many people who dont play the piano are enjoying live piano music any time of the night or day. Whether theyre accompanying dinners for two or entertaining a houseful of partygoers, these high tech pianos take center stage. For people who do play the piano, these systems can be used to record their own piano performances, interface with computers, aid in music education, assist with composing and many other applications. In short, these modern marvels are not your grandfathers player pianos!
Digital Pianos

To the uninitiated, digital pianos may appear related to the inexpensive toy keyboards than can be purchased over the counter at electronics stores. But thats like comparing a go-kart with a fancy touring sedan. The digital pianos produced by many of todays top piano companies produce sophisticated, sampled piano sounds taken from their own top models. Whats more, they offer other instrument voices sometimes by the hundreds with striking realism. Because digital pianos are software-driven, they also open up exciting new ways for beginners to make music. For example, some keyboards feature lights over the keys to help you play a favorite tune, or learning programs that combine the music with an on-screen display. Digital pianos help home musicians get more out of the Internet as well, and they can be connected not only to a computer, but to other instruments for arranging and orchestration. With memory storage setups such as Flash ROM, users can download and store new music. There are also a number of digital pianos that offer a variety of unique functionssuch as providing you with a lot of different preset and combo sounds, ones that can give you a layering effect to your playing. Some of these instruments also include a Karaoke/Video output for the next time you want to put a little life in your party.
Software

There is probably no more exciting area of growth in the piano industry than that of software technology. Science fiction writers of the past would be impressed by todays advancements like software that converts music files to sheet music downloads and unzips music files and Karaoke files from the Internet or even lets musicians print entire musical scores and analyze their harmonies and chord names. Todays software will even let users shop for, purchase and print sheet music over the Internet, if you cant find the score in a store. Kurt Vonnegut, who wrote Player Piano in the 50s, would not believe the new software that currently exists for these instruments. For example, there is now software for the piano that will allow it to load hours of pre-recorded music, with no

discs or CDs to change; everything from jazz to the classics. Should you be looking for music by a specific pianist, you will be able to find it: everyone from Floyd Cramer to Peter Nero is represented, and can keep your piano (or your get-together) humming. But software is not just for the player piano. For the budding composer, there is also new technology galore. For instance, the first ensemble piano that features CD-R technology is now available. This piano has the capability of CD-R meaning you can put a disc in this piano, record a CD of a song you have written or played, and, immediately play the disc back in your boom box or PC. And not just keyboard sounds; vocals, too, can be burned, enabling any budding songwriter to produce a 16 track studio-quality demo. Synthesizers are still very popular among jazz and rock musicians. Among the newest is a synth that offers multiple oscillator technologies and has real-time control over pitch, time and format. There are also synthesizers that give players the ability to control audio with the same flexibility as any music file, all due to new technology. This new software can take on all sorts of new musical and recording functions.
The Traditional Piano

And what of traditional concert pianos? Have they been lost in the technological shuffle? Far from it. With countless artists from Bruce Hornsby to Michael Feinstein using them, the acoustic piano is still very much in demand. While the basic design of the acoustic piano is remarkably simila to the first models from around 1700, manufacturers are including innovations at a rapid pace. Some of the updates draw on materials science, to find special woods or newly available materials that make a piano more durable and tonally stable. Some use engineering know-how to strengthen the piano and keep its sound deep and rich for years. And 300 years of experience with the mechanics of a pianos action has resulted in keyboards that feel great and stay in tune better. Concert grands are used by numerous conductors, composers and songwritersand are more available and affordable than ever. And although concert grands are the choice of performers, there are many high quality baby grands that are designed to meet the needs of the home owners and players of all levels. Whether you are looking for a compact instrument or a larger one renowned for its lower register and power whether you want a piano than can keep up with the loudest orchestra, one that re-creates a classic style from the past, or an instrument made of a particular kind of wood you should have no trouble finding the traditional piano that suits your needs.

Its very clear in 2004, that whether you want to play, record, mix, have a player piano entertain you, or sit down and practice Brahms or Bach, there probably has never been a period in which the piano has been available in so many different and useful forms. Whatever your musical needs, there is a piano (and perhaps software) out there waiting for you. History of the Piano

It is said that legendary pianists Rubinstein and Horowitz hated practicing. Rubinstein simply didnt like practicing for hou rs on end, while Horowitz supposedly feared that practicing on pianos other than his own would negatively affect his touch. Their solution? A healthy dose of mental practice. Though many of us may never be legends, mental practice is something that all musicians can absolutely benefit from, regardless of skill level. Youre right. Its not the same, but from studies of athletes, we know that successful individuals tend to engage in more systematic and extensive mental rehearsals than less successful individuals. Yes, I acknowledge that there are some differences between athletes and musicians but not as many as you would think when it comes to the mental aspect of performance. Furthermore, researchers are finding more neurological and physiological evidence to support what top athletes such as basketball great Larry Bird, Olympic diver Greg Louganis, and golfer Tiger Woods have known for years that mental practice produces real changes and tangible improvements in performance. In one study, participants who mentally practiced a 5-finger sequence on an imaginary piano for two hours a day had the same neurological changes (and reduction in mistakes) as the participants who physically practiced the same passage on an actual piano. Some have suggested that mental practice activates the same brain regions as physical practice, and may even lead to the same changes in neural structure and synaptic connectivity. In other words, there is growing evidence that mental practice (if done correctly), can absolutely make a difference in your playing.
My Experience with Mental Practice

I remember when I was 4 or 5, my Mom would put me down for a nap before performances, and tell me to lie quietly in my room mentally going over my performance note by note. I thought this was silly at the time, but it kind of stuck, and just became part of what I did. I found out years later that this mental practice habit contributed to my developing a reputation in college for not practicing because I spent so little time at the practice rooms. Mostly, the reputation was true I practiced maybe a couple hours a day at most and usually even less on the weekends. I heard that another violinist in my studio asked our teacher how I was able to play as well as I did despite practicing so little. She told him that most of my practicing took place in my head, so I didn t need to spend as much time in the practice room. I dont know how she knew this, but she was right. Off and on throughout the day, whether I was walking to class, eating, or just sitting around, I would often find myself inside my head, hearing whatever I was working on, seeing and feeling my fingers play the notes, trying out different fingerings or bowings, experimenting with shifts and finger pressures, correcting mistakes, all in my head. At the end of the day, Id spend an hour or two going over the things I had already spent all day working on, and that would be the end of it. In all honesty, I really should have practiced more, so I cant endorse the idea of trying to get away with practicing only a n hour or two a day (though you may wish to read this article on how to practice more efficiently). I also cant promise that you will sound like a Rubinstein or Horowitz if you engage in more mental rehearsal, but I do know that if you dont engage in mental practice, you are totally missing out on a tremendous tool for improving your playing.
Keys to Effective Mental Practice

The psychological literature on mental rehearsal suggests that there are two important keys to keep in mind when engaging in mental rehearsal that it be systematic and vivid. In other words, mental practice is not the same as daydreaming, in the same way that practicing on autopilot is not very helpful. To be effective, it must be structured just as actual practice, with selfevaluation, problem solving, and correction of mistakes.
Some Guidelines on Mental Rehearsal

Here are some ideas on how to get started.

1. Calm down Close your eyes. Focus only on your breathing for a minute. Breathe in slowly and fully through your nose, then breathe slowly out through your mouth. Then do a total body scan for tension: check your head and facial muscles, your jaw, neck, shoulders, arms, wrists, hands, back, hips, quads, hamstrings, calves, ankles, even toes. Let any tension you find just melt away. 2. Expand your focus It can be anything your instrument, the stand in your practice room, a specific wall. See it in your head. At first, it may not have much detail, or you may have trouble bringing it into focus. Thats ok, your goal is to take something small, make it more vivid, and begin to expand that vividness into the rest of your imagined environment. Youll get better with practice. 3. Warm up Imagine yourself playing scales or warming up with something easy. Can you hear yourself? Exactly the way it sounds? What do you feel? Can you feel your fingers, your arms, shoulders, lungs, throat, etc.? See how vividly you can mentally recall the kinesthetic elements involved in playing your instrument. 4. Imagine See, feel, and hear yourself starting to play. Concentrate on the motions that produce the sounds and effects you want as you go through the music, note by note, phrase by phrase in your head. Keep playing until you make a mistake or feel the need to correct the way something sounded. 5. TiVo it When you hear or see yourself play something that doesnt sound like you want it to, immediately hit the pause button on your mental TiVo. Rewind to a place before the mistake. Start from that point, moving slowly forward, at a speed you can control. Repeat this process several times, just as you would in real practice, until youre doing it correctly up to speed. Dont just keep rewinding and trying it again mindlessly make sure you hit pause, think about why the mistake happened, hit play, try it again, and then move on when youre satisfied you got it down and know why the mistake happened in the first place. 6. Keep it real Its important to make the experience as vivid and real as you can feel the instrument under your fingers, hands, lips. Really hear the sound, the textures, the volume. See the room around you and the instrument you are playing.
Additional Suggestions

When you use this technique, break it up into shorter segments, like phrases or shorter sections of the piece. You dont always have to play straight through. Try visualizing yourself in different locations, wearing different clothes, and in different conditions. When you feel youve gotten the hang of mental practice, try testing yourself. Record yourself performing an excerpt, review and rate your performance, then run through a series of mental rehearsals of that excerpt taking notes about what you notice. Then perform again, review and rate your performance, and make note of what has changed. Once you make systematic mental practice a part of your everyday practice routine, I am certain youll soon wonder how you ever did without it.

Practice Suggestions Practice: 1. Slowly

You can play just about anything you want to at some tempo. It is important to practice as slowly as necessary to play something consistently without error. This may be 1/2 speed, 1/4 speed or slower. If the tempo is too slow to

sustain your breath long enough on a wind instrument, simply finger the notes and hear them in your head. Surprisingly, once something is learned, speed can often be increased rapidly and you don't have to move upward through every marking on the metronome. However, if something is played too fast with errors, those errors may become "learned" and have to be unlearned and corrected later!
2. With a metronome

A metronome is an essential tool for a musician. Some things it can help with: It will show any tendency to rush or fall behind the tempo and/or to play with unsteady time. It can be an excellent record of progress. As days or weeks go by, evidence of progress can be seen as the tempo increases. Generally, the ability to play something faster indicates more security with the particular skill. It can give different perspectives of time by orienting the click on different beats of the measure. For example, in 4/4 time, practice with the click on every beat, just on 1 and 3, just on 2 and 4, just on 1 or some other beat of the measure. What is easy to play in time one way may be difficult another way. Once you become comfortable with it, a metronome can become a "security blanket" because its time is steady and you can trust it. Therefore, it is also important to practice without the metronome and to feel the pulse just as strongly in your mind as if it were being played.
3. For perfection

As imperfect human beings, we must strive for perfection. Part of this is gaining more consistency or the ability to play something correctly every time! We will never be perfect but it is essential to know what it feels like to play certain things perfectly. Towards this end, there is nothing like sheer repetition and that implies playing something as many times as are necessary to achieve perfection! Also, once something is learned it is important to trust in the fact that you have learned it and never doubt that you can do it!
4. With a daily routine

Naturally, it would be good to spend as many hours practicing as possible and that is definitely necessary at one or more points in a musician's growth. However, as important or even more important is having a regular routine that is adhered to. Practicing an hour a day without fail would be far preferable to practicing seven hours one day and none on the other six. Also, a routine must involve an amount of time and a schedule that is realistic and can be fulfilled. Your routine might involve one or two hours a day in one block of time. Or it might be divided up in two or three parts spread throughout the day. You should budget your time and discipline yourself to stick with that schedule. If you have alloted ten minutes to something, when that time is up you should move on. It is important to not neglect portions of your routine that are important to you even if it means cutting short the time you spend on something. On occasion, when inspired and presented with a large block of time, you may wish to spend several hours and find that time very productive. The other side of that coin is the time when you probably should have stayed in bed and will simply not accomplish much in that session. You should be careful not to overuse this rationale though!
5. Something in all keys

Music is written and played in all major and minor keys. Therefore, your long-term goal should be to be able to play whatever you want in any key. On a daily basis, part of your routine should involve playing things like scales, chords, piano voicings, jazz cliches, II-V-I patterns, etc. in all keys. You are probably relatively secure with half or more of the keys so concentrate on those keys that are intimidating to you. Playing some things may be extremely awkward feeling in some keys at first. However, ultimately it is a matter of familiarity and the more you play something the easier it will become. Remember to set your metronome to a tempo at which you can play something perfectly in all keys and proceed from that point.

6. Several things in one key

Another good thing to do is to take a "key du jour" (key of the day) or possibly spend a week or more and play everything you know or want to know in that key. This will help your awareness of things like function and how shapes move through the scale or key. Try to understand the nature of a chord progression in the key of "X" so that you can reproduce it in any key. Look at a melodic cliche or pattern and see where it starts in the scale or chord and how it moves, i.e. 3-1-3-5-7-9-8-7-6-5. Analyze chord voicings so that you can reproduce them in other keys. Play all of the jazz scales from the same note and observe their similarities and differences.
7. Etudes, technical studies

For any instrument, there are traditional etudes and technical studies that deal with important issues of playing the instrument. Many jazz players find it worthwhile to incorporate some of these into their practice routines. Studying the instrument with a good teacher can help you become acquainted with some of the best things to practice.
8. Classical literature

Playing the classical literature can teach you a great deal about harmony, melody, articulation or phrasing, rhythm or time and musical interpretation involving shading and dynamics. Also, one learns a lot about the sound of the instrument and good tone production even though a concept quite different from jazz may be required.
9. Chords and scales -

All musical motion is either stepwise through some scale or in leaps through some chordal structure. So, to some extent, if you learn all your chords and scales, you can play music! This is, of course, an oversimplification but holds a lot of truth. Therefore, it is a priority to be able to play all your chords and scales in all keys.
10. Jazz patterns, clichs

There are many familiar "words" in the jazz vocabulary which actually allow us to turn on the radio or put on a recording and to be able to recognize it as jazz. Many cliches are played by all jazz players and some musicians have cliches that make it possible to recognize them individually. We can glean these cliches from recordings or from published books of transcribed solos. Ultimately, each of us chooses the patterns and chiches of our liking and, in that way, we become our own players. Favorite chiches should be a part of daily practice because they give us more to draw on when we have to improvise a solo at sight over an unfamiliar chord progression.
11. Voicings, chord progressions

The piano is a basic tool for all musicians and should be used to internalize typical idiomatic jazz sounds. A horn player can only arppegiate a chord one note at a time and must use the piano to get the complete picture of the various harmonic colors. Most good horn players can sit down at the piano and play really good sounding jazz voicings. This has helped them to hear not only the harmony but guide tone motion and resolutions as chords change.
12. Learning tunes by ear

Books which contain hundreds of tunes are a valuable resource but should be used like a dictionary. In other words, when we're not sure of a melody note or chord change, we can look it up. Many young musicians are far too dependent on fake books and never really learn tunes well. Try learning the melody and chord progression to a tune from a recording by a good singer or a player who is faithful to the subtle details of the melody. Because of the lyrics, a singer is generally going to sing all of the melody notes as they normally appear. However, some singers may stylize the melody so drastically that it is hardly recognizable. The same is true of an instrumentalist who may want to only allude to the melody in an obscure manner. One advantage of learning a tune by ear is that you don't have to memorize it! Once you figure it out, it is learned. And the process does good things for your ability to hear melody and harmony which is an indispensible attribute for a musician!

13. Away from the instrument

It has been said that a musical instrument is a loudspeaker on the soul. Whether or not this is true, it is definitely true that the instrument can not do anything for you. It has to be directed by you, your kinetic system and your inner ear. Since there are many times when it isn't practical to actually play the instrument, it can be useful to practice "thinking" and "visualizing" things we want to learn. Fingering can be practiced without the instrument. Chords and scales can be "played" in your mind and visualized as though they were written on a musical staff. Chords, scales and specific voicings can be sung and this will help form a stronger image of them in your mind. You may find that the next time you go to the instrument, things that you have practiced this way are easier!
14. Day dreaming about playing -

So much concerned with playing this music demands that you have a strong sense of how you want to sound. It may help strengthen your musical conviction to imagine yourself playing with great players and to hear yourself sounding great! Try to imagine specific notes and see them written on the staff as though you were the composer of the composition you hear in your head. Carry the memory of this daydream with you to your next music making session and try to reflect it. and directors are very important for anybody who is trying to become a better musician, but teachers cannot make you a better musician; they can only tell you how to improve. The actual improvement, you have to do yourself, and mostly on your own time. Your private (or group) lesson time is the time that you show your teacher how you are doing at the moment, and the teacher will tell you what you need to work on next, and how to work on it. You don't really have time to practice or improve during your lesson, only to get the insight into how to improve. Your group rehearsal times (band, orchestra, choir) are mainly for the improvement of the group and for practicing playing together. Again, there is no time for you to actually work on learning the music or on becoming a better singer or player. Performances (individual or group) are for letting everyone enjoy the progress you have made. You should enjoy them, too, and not have to be worried about the technical details of the music. None of these times are ideal for actually making progress, so even if you show up for every lesson, rehearsal, and performance, you will have no time to improve! Individual music practice is absolutely necessary if you want to become a better musician. Your teacher should give you guidelines on how often and how long to practice as well as what to practice. If you do not have a private teacher or if the guidelines are vague, you will find some useful tips here. Don't be afraid to ask your teacher or director for suggestions or clarifications. If you do not have a private teacher due to money or time constraints, consider getting lessons for a short time (for example over one summer) when you will have plenty of time to practice between lessons. Or see if you can find a teacher who is willing to give you lessons less often than usual. It is important not just to practice, but to practice well. You can practice daily and still make very slow progress if you are not practicing well. To make the most progress with the least effort, your individual practice time should include the following.
The Ideal Individual Practice

Set goals Set practice times Warm up Work on it Sight-reading Cool down Evaluate

Set Goals
Your practice should have long-term, medium-term, and short-term goals. What are your long-term goals as a musician? Are there particular pieces of music you'd like to be able to play? A group that you'd like to join or form? Knowing what you want to do will help you decide what you need to work on and help you set your

medium- and short-term goals. If you have a private teacher, she will automatically set your goals for you, based on your present strengths and weaknesses. But if being able to improvise jazz or rock solos, or joining the local youth symphony, or being able to play or sing high notes are important personal goals, make sure your teacher knows it! She may be able to give you a warm-up that will help improve and expand your high register or give you practice materials that will help you make the symphony auditions. And don't be afraid to ask what her goals for you are and why. It may help your practice time to know where you are headed. Your long-term goals will help set your medium-term goals. What do you need to do be able to do to make first chair or to start your own rock band? Improve your range, your reading ability, your tone quality, your tuning, your bowing or fingering technique? What method books would be most helpful? What less-difficult pieces will prepare you to play the pieces you can't play yet? If it's difficult for you to decide what you need to work on, ask your teacher, your director, or another musician you respect for advice. Your medium-term goals, plus any performances or lessons coming up soon, will determine your goals for this practice session. You must be prepared for lessons, rehearsals, and concerts; and your director and teacher have chosen materials that will help you become a better musician. If you do not have any lesson materials to work on, and your ensemble music is easy for you, then find materials that challenge you in the areas that you need to be challenged. Stay focussed on what you want to accomplish right now, today, and on how that will help you get where you want to be.

MUSEE MUSICAL SCHOOL OF MUSIC STUDY FOR WEEK

Set Practice Times

Your teacher or director should tell you how often and how long your individual practice times should be. If not, keep in mind two general rules: practicing often is more important than having lengthy practices, and the better you are, the more you have to practice to improve. Practicing every day is ideal. Skipping a day occasionally won't hurt, and may even be necessary to rest your muscles and keep you fresh and excited about playing. But you should know that after skipping a day, you will usually start out the next day further behind than you were on the day before you skipped. Skipping a day often (say, more than once a week) will make it dificult for you to make progress, because you will keep losing the progress you have already made. If you don't have time, just doing your warm-ups or cool-downs is better than skipping a day. Young musicians and other beginners do not need long practices to make progress. A ten-yearold beginning trumpet player, for example, may only need practices of fifteen or twenty minutes; any more than that will probably just strain the playing muscles. But the better you get, the longer your practices will have to be if you want to keep progressing. A sixteen-yearold pianist who has been playing for more than ten years may need to practice more than an hour a day to make further progress. Professionals practice several hours a day. At the higher levels, you will have a private teacher who will help you determine how much to practice. If you have been practicing hard and have shown your interest and determination to become a good player and cannot afford a teacher to take you to the next level, please talk to your director or contact a local music program about finding scholarship money for lessons.

Warm Up
Singing and playing musical instruments are physical activities, and warming up is just as important to the musician as it is to the athlete. Don't play the hard stuff cold; you won't be playing to the best of your ability, and will be wasting time and energy, not to mention making yourself frustrated. Warm-ups may feel like a waste of time, but you can turn them into some of the most productive minutes of your practice. If your teacher or director has given you specific warm-up exercises, do them. If not, ask for some, find some on your own, or consider doing scales as warm-ups. Scales too boring? Do the hard ones (how are your D flat major and C sharp melodic minor scales?), or do jazz scales. If you ever want to do solo or improv work, you've got to have your scales down cold. And remember, warm-ups are supposed to be easy. You're getting your body and mind back into the playing "groove", which takes a few minutes. Want to have a great practice? When you're working on the hard stuff, it can be difficult to remember to play with your best tone quality and musicianship. It's a lot easier on the easy stuff. Sure it's only scales, arpeggios, or long tones, but try playing or singing them with the best tone quality, best technique, and best musicality you have. This will make warming up a little more interesting, but the big payoff comes later; you will play with a better tone quality and musicianship later in your practice, even when you are too busy to think of such things because the music is so hard.

Work on It
Once you are warmed up, get out the hard stuff and work on it. Some tips for improving as fast as possible:

Don't practice it wrong! Don't play wrong notes, leave notes out, or play wrong rhythms. This just teaches you to play it wrong. If it's too difficult to play right, slow it down enough that you can play all the notes in rhythm, correctly, no matter how slow this is. When you can play it correctly slowly, start speeding it up, but never practice it at a speed that you can't handle. Don't just play through your music. Skip the easy parts; they're easy! Find the hard parts, slow them down, and practice them until you can play them right at the right tempo. If there's something you just can't play at all (a high note, for example), make it part of your warm-up. Find an exercise that makes it easier to get to that note (or to double-tongue, or to do that giant slur) and do it every day the easy way. Eventually it will start showing up in the harder music, too.

Sight-Reading
The ability to play most of the music that is put in front of you, mostly correctly, the first time you see it, is one of the most useful skills a musician can have. Like any other musical skill, the ability to sight-read well doesn't just happen, it is developed by practicing it specifically. Try to have on hand a wide variety of music, from any source, that is a little easier for you than the "hard stuff" you are practicing. Set aside a short time during most practice sessions to read through a section of unfamiliar music, playing it straight through, without stopping, slowing, or repeating beats, getting as much as possible right the first time (including articulations, dynamics, and musical phrasing, as well as notes and rhythms). After completing the sight-reading, you may want to do a little work on specific places that made you "stumble", so that it is more likely you will be able to sightread a similar spot smoothly. If large portions are too difficult for you to sight-read, begin with something easier, even something very easy if necessary. Over a period of months, try to work up to reading more complex passages. If you are at all unsure that you are playing the music correctly when you sight-read, ask your teacher to work on sight-reading with you, or tape your sight-reading sessions and study the tapes to see what you are doing right and wrong.

Cool Down
While you were practicing the hard parts of your music, you may have become tense or frustrated, or forgotten to sing or play musically or with good tone quality or technique. End your practice time by playing or singing something you like that is easy for you. Relax and "perform" it for yourself, playing with your very best technique and musicianship. During this part of your practices, develop a "repertoire" of music that you feel very comfortable and confident playing or singing. Then you'll always have something ready if people ask for a performance.

Evaluate
To help set goals for future practice sessions, evaluate each session informally. What progress did you make on the difficult stuff during this session? What is still giving you trouble, and what could you do to address (in your warm-ups, practice, or lessons) that specific trouble? What should you work on in your next practice time? If you honestly believe a particular piece is ready for your next rehearsal or lesson, you can move it to your "cool down", and wait to get more feedback on it from others. When you are singing or playing something that is difficult for you, you are so involved that it is difficult to listen objectively, too. If it is difficult for you to evaluate how well you are playing a piece, consider recording yourself, at least occasionally, so that you get a chance to sit back and listen to yourself. Don't be hypercritical, but be objective: this is good; that is what needs work. Again, if a teacher is not available to help, play whenever possible for your director or other musicians and listen for useful feedback

MUSEE MUSICAL SCHOOL OF MUSIC THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK It is said that legendary pianists Rubinstein and Horowitz hated practicing. Rubinstein simply didnt like practicing for hou rs on end, while Horowitz supposedly feared that practicing on pianos other than his own would negatively affect his touch. Their solution? A healthy dose of mental practice.
Some Guidelines on Mental Rehearsal. Here are some ideas on how to get started.

1. Calm down Close your eyes. Focus only on your breathing for a minute. Breathe in slowly and fully through your nose, then breathe slowly out through your mouth. Then do a total body scan for tension: check your head and facial muscles, your jaw, neck, shoulders, arms, wrists, hands, back, hips, quads, hamstrings, calves, ankles, even toes. Let any tension you find just melt away. 2. Expand your focus It can be anything your instrument, the stand in your practice room, a specific wall. See it in your head. At first, it may not have much detail, or you may have trouble bringing it into focus. Thats ok, your goal is to take something small, make it more vivid, and begin to expand that vividness into the rest of your imagined environment. Youll get better with practice. 3. Warm up Imagine yourself playing scales or warming up with something easy. Can you hear yourself? Exactly the way it sounds? What do you feel? Can you feel your fingers, your arms, shoulders, lungs, throat, etc.? See how vividly you can mentally recall the kinesthetic elements involved in playing your instrument. 4. Imagine See, feel, and hear yourself starting to play. Concentrate on the motions that produce the sounds and effects you want as you go through the music, note by note, phrase by phrase in your head. Keep playing until you make a mistake or feel the need to correct the way something sounded.

5. TiVo it When you hear or see yourself play something that doesnt sound like you want it to, immediately hit the pause button on your mental TiVo. Rewind to a place before the mistake. Start from that point, moving slowly forward, at a speed you can control. Repeat this process several times, just as you would in real practice, until youre doing it correctly up to speed. Dont just keep rewinding and trying it again mindlessly make sure you hit pause, think about why the mistake happened, hit play, try it again, and then move on when youre satisfied you got it down and know why the mistake happened in the first place. 6. Keep it real Its important to make the experience as vivid and real as you can feel the instrument under your fingers, hands, lips. Really hear the sound, the textures, the volume. See the room around you and the instrument you are playing.
Additional Suggestions

When you use this technique, break it up into shorter segments, like phrases or shorter sections of the piece. You dont always have to play straight through.Try visualizing yourself in different locations, wearing different clothes, and in different conditions.When you feel youve gotten the hang of mental practice, try testing yourself. Record yourself performing an excerpt, review and rate your performance, then run through a series of mental rehearsals of that excerpt taking notes about what you notice. Then perform again, review and rate your performance, and make note of what has changed.Once you make systematic mental practice a part of your everyday practice routine, I am certain youll soon wonder how you ever did without it. Wonder how you ever did without it.

MUSEE MUSICAL SCHOOL OF MUSIC STUDY FOR THE WEEK 24/10/2012

The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highestpitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which also includes the viola, cello, and double bass. The violin is sometimes informally called a fiddle, regardless of the type of music played on it. The word violin comes from the Medieval Latin word vitula, meaning stringed instrument. A person who makes or repairs violins is called a luthier, or simply a violin maker. The parts of a violin are usually made from different types of wood (although electric violins may not be made of wood at all, since their sound may not be dependent on specific acoustic characteristics of the instrument's construction), and it is usually strung with gut, nylon or other synthetic, or steel strings. Someone who plays the violin is called a violinist or a fiddler. The violinist produces sound by drawing a bow across one or more strings (which may be stopped by the fingers of the other hand to produce a full range of pitches), by plucking the strings (with either hand), or by a variety of other techniques. The violin is played by musicians in a wide variety of musical genres, including Baroque music, classical, jazz, folk music, rock and roll, and Soft rock. The violin has come to be played in many non-Western music cultures all over the world. The earliest stringed instruments were mostly plucked (e.g. the Greek lyre). Bowed instruments may have originated in the equestrian cultures of Central Asia, an example being the Kobyz (Kazakh: ) or kylkobyz is an ancient Turkic, Kazakh string instrument or Mongolian instrument Morin huur: Turkic and Mongolian horsemen from Inner Asia were probably the worlds earliest fiddlers. Their two-stringed upright fiddles were strung with horsehair strings, played with horsehair bows, and

often feature a carved horses head at the end of the neck. The violins, violas, and cellos we play today, and whose bows are still strung with horsehair, are a legacy of the nomads.[3] It is believed that these instruments eventually spread to China, India, the Byzantine Empire and the Middle East, where they developed into instruments such as the erhu in China, the rebab in the Middle East, the lyra in the Byzantine Empire and the esraj in India. The violin in its present form emerged in early 16th-Century Northern Italy, where the port towns of Venice and Genoa maintained extensive ties to central Asia through the trade routes of the silk road. The modern European violin evolved from various bowed stringed instruments from the Middle East and the Byzantine Empire. It is most likely that the first makers of violins borrowed from three types of current instruments.

MUSEE MUSICAL SCHOOL OF MUSIC THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

SIGHT-READING

The ability to play most of the music that is put in front of you, mostly correctly, the first time you see it, is one of the most useful skills a musician can have. Like any other musical skill, the ability to sight-read well doesn't just happen, it is developed by practicing it specifically. Try to have on hand a wide variety of music, from any source, that is a little easier for you than the "hard stuff" you are practicing. Set aside a short time during most practice sessions to read through a section of unfamiliar music, playing it straight through, without stopping,

slowing, or repeating beats, getting as much as possible right the first time (including articulations, dynamics, and musical phrasing, as well as notes and rhythms). After completing the sight-reading, you may want to do a little work on specific places that made you "stumble", so that it is more likely you will be able to sight-read a similar spot smoothly. If large portions are too difficult for you to sight-read, begin with something easier, even something very easy if necessary. Over a period of months, try to work up to reading more complex passages. If you are at all unsure that you are playing the music correctly when you sight-read, ask your teacher to work on sight-reading with you, or tape your sight-reading sessions and study the tapes to see what you are doing right and wrong.