Tuesday 6/27
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Objectives
1. Term Quiz 2. Instrumentation Review 3. Genres 4. Texture / Texture listening |
Assignments:
HOMEWORK DUE TOMORROW: Instrumentation/Texture Activity ( FOUND AT BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE) |
Term Quiz
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1. True or False : A Trumpet would have a different Timbre than a Trombone
2. True or False : An electric guitar would have a different timbre than an Acoustic Trombone 3. True or False : A Male voice would have a different timbre than a Female Voice 4. To the Left is a picture of Bob Dylan. What is the instrumentation of this performance? 5 . How many different Timbres are currently occurring? |
Instrumentation
Dictionary Definition: the particular instruments used in a piece of music; the manner in which a piece is arranged for instruments.
Easier Terms..: The combination of instruments/different sounds used in a certain song
***Timbre: is the quality of a musical note, sound, or tone that distinguishes different types of sound production, such as voices and musical instruments, string instruments, wind instruments, and percussion instruments.
What other Physical Characteristics of music and song does Instrumentation Effect
1. Musical Genre
2. Musical Texture
Genres List
Genres List
Genre
Webster: A musical genre is a conventional category that identifies some pieces of music as belonging to a shared tradition or set of conventions.
The most important part of this definition is that genre is defined/decided by characteristics of a piece.
Shared traditions/set of convention = set of rules/characteristics
These rules/characteristics could be a long list of things: Instrumentation, Content/Subject matter, Persona of the Artist, Cultural Context, Delivery of the melody, etc.
Example: Think of a typical country-pop song. Imagine the sound and imagine looking at the band on a stage
Automatically we assume certain characteristics about the piece...
Instrumentation: Acoustic guitars, Fiddles, Banjos, drums, upright bass
Delivery of Melody/Lyrics: Southern Accent, Country-style singing
Persona of Artist: Cowboy boots/Hat, torn jeans, plaid shirt
Maybe we could even assume something about Content/Subject Matter..
The most important part of this definition is that genre is defined/decided by characteristics of a piece.
Shared traditions/set of convention = set of rules/characteristics
These rules/characteristics could be a long list of things: Instrumentation, Content/Subject matter, Persona of the Artist, Cultural Context, Delivery of the melody, etc.
Example: Think of a typical country-pop song. Imagine the sound and imagine looking at the band on a stage
Automatically we assume certain characteristics about the piece...
Instrumentation: Acoustic guitars, Fiddles, Banjos, drums, upright bass
Delivery of Melody/Lyrics: Southern Accent, Country-style singing
Persona of Artist: Cowboy boots/Hat, torn jeans, plaid shirt
Maybe we could even assume something about Content/Subject Matter..
Texture
Webster: Musical texture refers to the number of layers, as well as the type of layers, used in a composition and how these layers are related. Texture may be monophonic, polyphonic or homophonic. Monophonic - Refers to a single melodic line.
Easy Terms: Describing how a song Sounds and Feels.
This is one concept we where we see parallels in real life. Texture is usually used in reference to the sense of touch or feel.
When using it in this context we can easily imagine/visualize texture using descriptive words
Rough
Slimey
Soft
Spungy
With these words, We can visualize running our hand over a certain material and imagine what it would feel like.
So how do we describe Musical Texture?
Thin VS. Thick
Examples of THIN texture
Vocals Only
Solo Trumpet
Solo Drum
Solo Cello
Solo Piano(........Thickening..............)
Vocals and Piano
Trumpet and Piano
Vibrophone and Piano
Cello and PIano
Piano and BassExamples of THICK texture
Rock Tune
Big Band Jazz
Funky Tune
Notes about Texture :
-Very Few songs stay the SAME TEXTURE throughout the song.
- a rule of thumb is , the more instruments/timbres happening at one time, the thicker the Texture
- Think about texture as if it were a room you walk into. There could be many conversations, a couple conversations, or just one person talking.
Examples of Texture Change
Texture can be used as a MUSICAL DEVICE or a TOOL within songs.
Stay Together for the Kids - Blink 182
Don't Forget Me
The Weekend - SNL
Easy Terms: Describing how a song Sounds and Feels.
This is one concept we where we see parallels in real life. Texture is usually used in reference to the sense of touch or feel.
When using it in this context we can easily imagine/visualize texture using descriptive words
Rough
Slimey
Soft
Spungy
With these words, We can visualize running our hand over a certain material and imagine what it would feel like.
So how do we describe Musical Texture?
Thin VS. Thick
Examples of THIN texture
Vocals Only
Solo Trumpet
Solo Drum
Solo Cello
Solo Piano(........Thickening..............)
Vocals and Piano
Trumpet and Piano
Vibrophone and Piano
Cello and PIano
Piano and BassExamples of THICK texture
Rock Tune
Big Band Jazz
Funky Tune
Notes about Texture :
-Very Few songs stay the SAME TEXTURE throughout the song.
- a rule of thumb is , the more instruments/timbres happening at one time, the thicker the Texture
- Think about texture as if it were a room you walk into. There could be many conversations, a couple conversations, or just one person talking.
Examples of Texture Change
Texture can be used as a MUSICAL DEVICE or a TOOL within songs.
Stay Together for the Kids - Blink 182
Don't Forget Me
The Weekend - SNL
Instrumentation/Texture Activity
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For This assignment, you will do a short survey of music you like, in order to see if there are any trends in the instrumentation/texture used in those examples. We have learned what instrumentation/texture are, and what they influence, now we will examine what kind of impact they has on your musical tastes.
Example: Song Artist: Don't Forget me , Red Hot Chilli Peppers Instrumentation: Drumset, Electric Guitar x2, Lead Vocals, Background Vocals, Bass, Genre: Rock Subject Matter: Depressing song - about a man who is lonely, feels alone in the world Similar to others by artist: Very Similar to other songs by RHCP |
Instructions:
1. Make a list of 5 of your favourite songs. These could be current, all time favourites etc. 5 songs that you dig listening to! 2. For each song give the following characteristics: - Instrumentation (list what your hear, use research to check) - Genre (use research to double check) - Brief description (a few words) of Subject Matter ; or , what the song is about 3. Examine your the characteristics for your songs and answer the following questions:
4. Put your songs in order according their textures. Put the Thickest texture at the top, and the thinnest at the bottom.
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