In the last session I introduced the instruments of the orchestra. This session continues by presenting the other instruments commonly used or heard in music in our country.
The Human Voice
The human voice, when used in singing, is certainly an instrument. Our voices produce sounds of different pitches when air from our lungs goes through the larynx (voice box) and the vocal chords are activated. When we want to go higher, the physical reaction is a tightening of the cords. To go lower, we relax the vocal cords so that they become more loose. A more technical description follows. The vocal cords are a vibrating valve that chops up the airflow from the lungs into audible pulses that form the laryngeal sound source. The muscles of the larynx adjust the length and tension of the vocal cords to ‘fine tune’ the pitch and tone. The basic timbre of our voices is determined by our physical characteristics. However, humans also have the ability to alter the timbre by using what can be called the articulators. These are the parts of the vocal tract above the larynx and consist of the tongue, palate, cheeks, lips, etc. They actually articulate and filter the sound that comes from the larynx. The degree to which a person coordinates the use of these articulators has some effect on modifying the timbre.
When people of different vocal qualities and ranges make music together (sing) they form what is called a vocal or choral ensemble. A vocal ensemble is one or two people per part. A choral ensemble involves the use of several people per part. The parts are:
- Soprano – the higher women’s voices (or unchanged boys voice)
- Alto – the lower women’s voices (or a changing boys voice)
- Tenor – the higher men’s voices
- Bass – the lower men’s voices
Vocal music is probably the oldest form of music, since it does not require any instrument besides the human voice. All musical cultures have some form of vocal music. When human voices join in singing without other types of instruments being used to accompany the singing, it is referred to as a cappella. That Italian term literally means “from the chapel” and refers to the practice of not having instruments in the chapel though instruments were normally present in the main worship area of the church.
A good example of choral singing is this arrangement of a familiar hymn by John Rutter, an English composer, who is still writing and directing choral workshops today.
The singing tradition that this example is associated with is that of the Anglican church. In that tradition it is typical that a choir consists of boys as well as young and adult men instead of a mix of men and women which is the common practice in the USA. One thing that is easily noticed in this example is the clarity of the voices. In other words, the tone is produced almost totally free of any vibrato. The emphasis is on producing appealing vowel sounds. Such a refined quality is appreciated by many lovers of classical music.
I hope you also noticed how the music can be followed on screen while it’s being sung. As a result, it is easier to tell where the different parts sing or where they rest. The soprano is presented as the top line of music. The second line is the alto. The tenors and basses sing the third and fourth lines respectively.
The Wind Band
The Wind Band, often referred to as Wind Ensemble or Concert Band, is a result of the evolutionary process of the past three hundred and fifty years. In the orchestra, the role of a wind instrument player was somewhat restrictive since the instrumentalists supplemented the sound of the strings. In the wind band a brass or woodwind instrumentalist doesn’t play a supportive role. Therefore, the instrumentalist play much more than they would in the typical orchestra. I suppose that one reason for this development is based directly on the improvements made to wind instruments throughout recent history. Having a broad range of quality instruments and instrumentalist served as the catalyst for composers to write specifically for a concert band.
The wind band consists of only wind and percussion instruments. As such, the instruments were easily adapted to use in marching or military units. Ancestors to the wind band are the drum and fife groups as well as the drum and bugle groups. Today, every branch of military service has organized bands that are used in formal events as well as concert programs.
A typical band includes several instruments not usually found in orchestras: saxophones, baritone horns, and sousaphones instead of tubas. It also isn’t unusual to see a full compliment of clarinets in a band including the alto, bass, and contrabass clarinets as well as a full complement of saxophones; alto, tenor and baritone.
Often bands are better known for performing march tunes. Bands play a broader variety of music than marches, however. This example demonstrates the basic sound of a full band as well as the use of the chimes from the percussion section.
Keyboard Instruments
Piano
The piano is probably the most common of instruments known today. In fact, it’s been a popular instrument for nearly 175 years. Shortly after it was developed it quickly became the common instrument of the home quickly replacing the harpsichord. When its keys are depressed, they activate felt-tipped hammers that strike the strings setting the strings in motion. The longer the string, the deeper the tone produced. The piano also uses a three pedals to assist the pianist in modifying the sound made by the strings. One pedal keeps the damper off the strings so the strings can vibrate freely. This has the effect of allowing the tones to blend together smoothly. Another pedal does the same as the first pedal mentioned except that it works only on the lower notes of the piano. The third pedal moves the hammer rail (and also the hammers) closer to the strings so they don’t travel as far once the key is struck. This has the effect of helping play the piano more softly since the hammers will be unable to hit the strings with full force.
Click on the following link to see an animated action of the piano.
Harpsichord
The harpsichord, which is a keyboard instrument older than the piano, produces it’s sounds using a mechanism that plucks the strings. This process produces an unusual tone. Though widely used in the late Renaissance and Baroque, the harpsichord is considered as being more unique today and used, primarily, on rare occasions. Several illustrations showing a cross section of the plucking process is viewable at Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harpsichord. In addition to single keyboard harpsichords, there are also harpsichords with two keyboards (or manuals).
This video on YouTube shows a two manual harpsichord. Watch and listen through a portion of this example to notice when the harpsichordist changes manuals. Do you notice much of a difference in the tone?
Pipe Organ
The pipe organ is called “the King of Instruments”. That designation comes from the fact that one musician can have total control over a broader range of sounds that any other instrument (other than a synthesizer). The organist operates from a console with multiple keyboards and a pedalboard. Of course, the hands play on manual and the feet play the pedals.
The sound of an authentic pipe organ is produced by air being blown through pipes of various lengths, a variety of materials and construction technique. It takes several hundred pipes to make a complete organ because one pipe can only create one particular pitch of a specific sound. A set of pipes sounding the same is called a rank. A typical rank would have 61 pipes and range in size from eight feet in length to a matter of inches.
Organs comprised of several ranks can produce a greater variety of sounds. Often these organs are made up of thousands of pipes producing a variety of timbres and pitches
In the accompanying video the façade of a large organ is shown. Though built within the last quarter century, organ designed and built much like organs of the 1600’s. This instrument is installed at the University of Utah in the Libby Gardner Concert Hall. The music is an arrangement of a hymn familiar to Mormons. (Note: the sound of the organ until 20 seconds into the video)
Other types of organs exist. Today the most popular type doesn’t involve the use of pipes for producing a “natural” tone. Instead they use digitized sounds that are reproduced through an electronic means and the use of electronic amplification.
Popular Instruments
Guitar
An instrument that’s been around for hundreds of years is the guitar. It’s strings are strummed or plucked to produce it’s sounds. The plucking caused the strings to vibrate. The body of the guitar, like the violin, is the resonating chamber which magnifies the sound and give it a particular timbre. Metal strips, called frets, help players find the right place on the fingerboard so they can play chords or melodies.
A wide variety of guitars exist today. The oldest variety, of course, is what some people would call an acoustic guitar. This means that the sound is reproduced without the aid of electronic circuitry or amplification. This type of guitar is used in the study of classical music for guitar. It is also used widely in folk music, especially Bluegrass music.
Electric guitars, first developed at near the time of World War II, were first used by Country music performers. When Rock and Roll came along the electric guitar served as the lead instrument for many entertainers. A variant of the guitar (which is really an electrified string bass) is the bass guitar. Instead of six strings like a normal guitar, the electric bass has only four strings. That’s the same number as it’s orchestral counterpart, the double bass.
By the way, 12-string guitars also exist. On a 12-string the tones are doubled in some manner. The first four strings (top to bottom) are tuned in octaves. The final two strings are tuned in unison (same pitch). This tuning method yields a broader sound while creating a natural effect called a celeste or undulating effect. Celeste means “heavenly”. Here's a short video demonstrating how a 12-string sounds.
Electronic Instruments
I suppose that for each type of natural instrument that exists there is an electronic or digital counterpart. Though sound reproduction has improved greatly in the last thirty years, the trained ear can still tell a difference between a true wind, string or percussion instrument and a computer-generated sound.
Some electronic instruments basically amplify sounds; electric guitars, electric drums, and electronic keyboards. Others actually reproduce synthesized sounds.
Two types of electronic reproduction processes exist today. One uses an analog process which alters a steady stream of power to reproduce changes in the musical sound. The other uses a digital electronic process to produce discrete bits of data that results in sound. This type of sound could also be called computer generated.
Prof. Songer
JCTC - Downtown
