UNIT 4: THE YOUNG PERSON'S GUIDE TO THE ORCHESTRA

Transcription

1 UNIT 4: THE YOUNG PERSON'S GUIDE TO THE ORCHESTRA LA ORQUESTA Y SU DISPOSICIÓN CLASIFICACIÓN DE LOS INSTRUMENTOS: 1

2 4.1. STRING INSTRUMENTS String instruments produce sound when they are bowed, plucked of struck. Following this criteria, they can be categorized as follows Bowed string instruments Plucked string instruments Struck string instruments Violin Viola Cello Double bass Guitar Harp Piano BOWED STRING INSTRUMENTS Bowed string instruments are played by a bow rubbing the strings. The bow rubbing the string causes vibration and the instrument emits as sound. They date back to the 17th century. Their size determinates what they sound like. The smallest of these instruments produce higher sounds and the largest ones, lower sounds. Pizzicato: it is a method of playing by plucking the strings with the fingers, rather than using the bow. This produces a very different sound from bowing, short and percussive rather than sustained 2

3 The violin: is the highest-pitched of these instruments The viola: is similar to the violin but it is a little larger and produces a deeper sound. The cello: This instrument is larger in size; cellists play sitting down. It sound is deep and warm. The double bass: This is de lower in sound and larger than the cello. It is played either standing up or sitting on a high stool. A famous family: Stradivarius. A Stradivarius is one of the violins, violas, cellos and other string instruments built by members of the Stradivari (Stradivarius) family, particularly Antonio Stradivari, during the 17th and 18th centuries. According to their reputation, the quality of their sound has defied attempts to explain or equal it, though this belief is disputed. The name "Stradivarius" has become a 3 superlative often associated with excellence; to be called "the Stradivari" of any field is to be deemed the finest there is. The fame of Stradivarius instruments is widespread, appearing in numerous works of fiction. Los Stradivarius Palatinos, custodiados en el Palacio Real de Madrid y pertenecientes a la colección de la Capilla Real, son un conjunto de cinco instrumentos de cuerda fabricados por Antonio Stradivari.1 La colección está compuesta por el llamado Cuarteto Real, Palatino o Coral, unos instrumentos decorados, y formado por dos violines, un violonchelo y una viola,23 más otro violonchelo no decorado. Propiedad del Patrimonio Nacional, con ellos se siguen ofreciendo conciertos de música de cámara. La colección, el conjunto más valioso de instrumentos antiguos conservados en Madrid, se exhibe en la Sala de Música de la Real Biblioteca del Palacio, en unos expositores diseñados por el violonchelista Juan Ruiz Casaux[cita requerida] y mejorados en los años 1980 Sunrise-1677 Hellier-1679 Cipriani-Potter-1683 Ole Bull-1687 King of Spain, cello Axelrod, viola-1695 King of Spain, viola- 1696; violin I-1709; violinii-1709 Greffuhle-1709(date altered) Rode

4 PLUCKED STRING INSTRUMENTS The strings on plucked string instruments vibrate when plucked with the fingers or with a plectrum The harp is a stringed musical instrument, it has a number of individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard, which are plucked with the fingers. Harps have been known since antiquity in Asia, Africa, and Europe, dating back at least as early as 3500 BC.. Harps are essentially triangular in shape, and are made primarily of wood. Harp strings are made of gut (often replaced in the modern day by nylon) or metal. The top end of each string is secured on the crossbar or neck of the instrument, where each will have a tuning peg or similar device to adjust the pitch of that string. The classical guitar (also called the Spanish guitar) is the member of the guitar family used in classical music. It is an acoustical wooden guitar with six strings, usually nylon, as opposed to the metal strings used in acoustic and electric guitars. The traditional classical guitar has 12 frets clear of the body and is held on the left leg so that the hand falls at the back of the soundhole. 4

5 STRUCK STRING INSTRUMENTS The strings on these instruments vibrate when struck by a mechanism that causes them to produce sound inside the soundbox. It is a musical instrument played using a keyboard. It is widely employed in classical and jazz music for solo and ensemble performances, accompaniment, and for composing and rehearsal. Although the piano is not portable and often expensive, its versatility and ubiquity have made it one of the world's most familiar musical instruments. An acoustic piano usually has a protective wooden case surrounding the soundboard and metal strings, and a row of 88 black and white keys (52 white, 36 black). The strings are sounded when the keys are pressed, and silenced when the keys are released. The note can be sustained, even when the keys are released, by the use of pedals. The world piano is a shortened form of pianoforte, the Italian term for the instrument, which in turn derives from gravicembalo col piano e forte and fortepiano. The Italian musical terms piano and forte indicate "soft" and "loud" respectively, in this context referring to the variations in volume produced 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 strings, and the louder the sound of the note produced. 5

6 4.2. AEROPHONES: WOODWIND INSTRUMENTS OR AEROPHONES In woodwind instruments, also called aerophones, the sound is produced by making the column of air inside a tube vibrate. These instruments can be made of Wood or metal. The flute: this instrument consists of a metal tube formed of three pieces tan can be dismantled. It has 16 holes, with their corresponding keys, and a lip plate of embouchure hole on wich the lisps rest. It is held horizontaly and plays high-pitched sounds. The piccolo is a small, higherpitched flute. It consists of two parts and can be made of wood or metal The clarinet: This instrument consists of a cylindrical tube with keys and a mouthpiece with a single reed. It sound is sweet and high 6

7 The saxophone: this is a metallic instrument made of copper or brass. It consists of a conical tube, a bell, a mouthpiece with a single reed. There are saxophones of different size and pitch. The oboe: it consist of a slightly conical tube, approximately 60 centimetres, that ends in a small bell. The cor anglais: Also known as the English horn, it is an instrument the is similar to the oboe. 7

8 The bassoon. This instrument has a double reed and it consists of a conical tube that is bent in the middle in order to reduce its dimensions. It produces low, deep sounds METAL WIND INSTRUMENTS OF METAL AEROPHONES Each instrument has a mouthpiece, a tube and a bell. Sound is produced when the lips vibrate on the mouthpiece; the vibration is amplified by the tube. The differences in pitch are due to the length of the tube, the pressure applied by the lips and the forcé of the airflow. The French horn: Today s French horn is made from two tubes of metal that are coiled up around themselves. One produces deep, low notes and the other, brilliant, high notes. 8

9 The trumpet: it has the highest register of all the metal wind family, and is one othe earliest of such instruments. The first trumpets were short and straight. In the 19th century a valve system was invented. Trumpets form part of many different types of orchestras and are common in military music and jazz. The tuba: is a very large and low-pitched instrument. You need good lung capacity to be able to play it. It has a concial tube that widens towards the bell. It was invented in the 19th century. The trombone: This instrument consists of a folded tube ending in a bell and another tube called slide that slides inside the main tube. The slide has seven different positions and each of them corresponds to musical notes. 9

10 4.3. PERCUSSION INSTRUMENTS Percussion instruments are those that are strcuk, shaken or rasped to produce sound. They can be categorised according to the material they are made of and the type of sound they make Untuned percussion Tuned percussion Wooden idiophones Metal idiophones Membranophones Clapper, triangle, tambourine, timbrel, zills, jingle blees, cymbals, bass drum, hand drume, snare drum, carillón, claves, castanets, woodblock, güiro, temple blocks, vibraphone, kettledrums, bongos, tubular bells. 10

11 4.4. INSTRUMENTS IN MODERN MUSIC In addition to a soloist and backing singers, modern music groups usually have a flexible instrumental ensemble including: a main guitar, a rhythmic guitar, an electric bass, a drum kit and an electronic keyboard. Synthesizers and electronic instruments are often added to the ensemble. The electric guitar: Most electric guitars have six strings, a fingerboard with frets and two or three pickups. Pickups are electronic devices that convert string vibrations into electronic impulses. Acoustic-electric guitars have a sound box. The absence of a sound box in solid-body electric guitars means that they can produce much longer notes than any other type of guitar. The bass guitar: An electric guitar invented by Leo Fender. It has a body and four tuned strings pitched one octave lower than those of a normal guitar. Some models have frets. 11

12 The drum kit: The drum kit is a group of percussion instruments played by one person. It is played using drum sticks and brushes. Its instruments can also be found individually in bands and orchestras. 12

13 AUDICIONES: Para este tema te recomiendo que elabores una tabla para cada instrumento de la siguiente forma: 13

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