06 - Instruments of the Orchestra

Knowing the three rules of music gives us the ability to analyze music more deeply while still enjoying the pleasure that listening to or creating music can yield. Now, after laying out some of the basic aspect of music as well as some of the physics of tone, we’ll launch into a discussion of the various instruments we have in this world. We’ll start with the instruments of the orchestra.

05 - Dynamics, Timbre, and Organizing the Primary Elements in Music

Dynamics is the term used to refer to the amount of loudness in music. In printed music the markings for dynamics are indicated by symbols that are abbreviations for Italian words. The illustration (below) shows the range of dynamics, the markings that are used and the Italian words that they represent.

Sometimes the word volume is used for dynamics. Technically speaking, however, the correct term is dynamics.

Beyond the basic dynamic levels, the sound may gradually change in the process of singing or playing a song or other musical work. When a singer gradually gets louder it is referred to as a crescendo. When a singer becomes gradually softer (decreases) the result is called a decrescendo. Again, these are musical terms using the Italian language.

04 - The Primary Elements of Music - Harmony (Part 2 of 2)

Harmony --- 

In the third class session I presented the time-keeping aspects of music, rhythm, and the components that make up rhythm -- beat, meter and tempo. In that session I didn't talk about melody, another one of the primary elements of music. However, on Monday I'll begin with melody and continue on to the subject of harmony. As we do we’ll cover more terms. Those terms include:
   1. Harmony
   2. Chords
   3. Major and minor
   4. Consonance and dissonance
   5. Cadence
   6. Texture

When you hear two sounds (pitches) at the same time, it is called harmony. When a couple of crickets of different sizes are “doing their thing” at the same time you hear harmony. It may not be the best harmony but it is, no less, harmony. In fact, when the harmony sounds stable or pleasing to our ears it is called consonant. When the sounds tend to be harsh or clash it is called dissonant.

03 - The Primary Elements of Music: Rhythm and Melody (Part 1 of 2)

Rhythm --- 

Rhythm is an essential element of music. In the third meeting of the class we observed how rhythm is measured and used in music.

Rhythm is the term musicians use to talk about the flow of music through time. Since all music moves through time it contains rhythm. The rhythm may be regular or irregular but we tend to enjoy it best when it’s regular.

Though rhythm is the term to denote the flow (movement) of music through time, it is composed of several aspects. Let’s look at those aspects now.

02 - Why Learn About Music - Defining the Rules of Music

Music in Our World --- 

The class will be exposed to the music of John Williams on Wednesday as I make the point regarding the importance of music in our world. That which will be heard in class is very familiar to most of us. It is the “Main Title Theme” from Star Wars. Williams is primarily known for the compositions used in movies such as Star Wars, Indiana Jones, ET, Super Man, Hook, Jurassic Park, Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan, War Horse and the first three of the Harry Potter movies. Not only did he compose for Hollywood but he also conducted the Boston Pops Orchestra from 1980 to 1993. He is probably the most popular and successful American orchestral composer of the modern age and is the winner of five Academy Awards and at least 17 Grammys.

You can read more about Mr. Williams at this website.

http://www.johnwilliams.org/reference/biography.html

01 - Introductory Information for Mr. Songer’s Music 100

This is the Blogspot site for class members of Music 100 at Jefferson Community and Technical College as taught by Byron Songer. Classes for the Spring 2014 semester should mark this page and follow it at least twice weekly and more frequently if necessary. The date range for the semester is January 13, 2014 - May 9, 2014. The Spring 2014 class taught under my direction is as follows:

MUS 100-5505 • Intro to Music (Lecture) • M/W 12:00pm - 1:15pm