Thousands of years ago man discovered that by boring a hole in the side of an animal horn and forcing air through the opening, he could produce sounds that were useful in sending messages short distances. The sound was generated by the player’s either buzzing his lips into the small opening or by blowing across the opening as you would blow across the top of a Coke bottle. The horn then amplified the sound and made it loud enough to be heard some distance away. (More…)

dodoBass Guitar, Brass, Classical Music, Music Box, Musical Instruments, Trumpet3 Oct, 20082 Comments

The part for the trumpet is written on the stave immediately below that of the horns. Whether it is written for as it actually sounds or as a transposing instrument depends on the period of the music, the pitch of the trumpet and on the habit or preference of the composer.

The burnished physical appearance and the sound of this looped and narrow bore instrument are familiar and not likely to be confused with the shorter and wider cornet, because the cornet’s less noble tones are not often heard in the symphony orchestra (although Franck included it in his symphony). (More…)

dodoBrass, Classical Music, Trumpet14 Aug, 20085 Comments

The part for the tuba is written on the bass clef, under the stave carrying the part for the trombone. The tuba is not a transposing instrument, but should the part for the bass tuba go very low the sign 8va is used, obviating ledger lines and indicating that the music is to sound an octave lower than written. (More…)

dodoBrass, Classical Music, Electric Guitar, Guitar, Music Box, Music Equipments, Musical Instruments, Trumpet, Violin11 Aug, 20083 Comments

The piano is rarely used as an instrument of the orchestra, but when it is the part is written in the score between the percussion and strings. The piano is a percussion instrument since the strings are struck by hammers.

Today the piano is the heaviest of all musical instruments, the cabinet being uniformly sombre in colour and the several legs of muscular appearance on account of the weight they have to bear.Unlike any other instrument of the orchestra the name of the maker could sometimes be read by the audience because it used to be announced in large letters. (More…)

dodoClassical Music, Drums, Music Box, Music Equipments, Percussion Instruments, Piano26 Jul, 20084 Comments

An immense variety of harps have been played in different countries at different times. One of the most important is the triple harp, a high-headed frame type with three ranks of strings, the outer two providing the diatonic notes of the scale and the inner, the accidentals. This was known in the 4th century and was the first fully chromatic harp. Like the old Irish harp it had a clear, bell-like sound, the technique in this case being to strike rather than to pluck or pull the strings. It was played well into the 20th century in Wales and was known as the Welsh harp. The only known scoring for it was in Handel’s Esther. (More…)

dodoCD Player, Classical Music, Country Music, Folk Music, Hip Hop Music, Music Box, Music Equipments, Musical Instruments, Popular Music23 Jul, 20084 Comments

Viola players sit in a group left or right centre of the conductor. Their strings are tuned to C G D A. The upper two are plain gut, the others wound wire; some players prefer all wound strings.

The viola has a somewhat melancholy timbre which has been little exploited in either solo or orchestral music. By early tradition the viola was ‘of little importance in the musical establishment’ (Quantz, 1752) and viola players were ‘always taken from among the refuse of violinists’ (Berlioz). Fingering for the viola is the same as for the violin but because the instrument is larger it requires a stronger hand with a bigger stretch. The bow is also larger and heavier than that of the violin. (More…)

dodoClassical Music, Violin18 Jul, 20085 Comments