UreMusic Education

If you provide the same piece of sheet music to a pianist and a saxophone player without changing the notes to fit each instrument, the music will not sound correct. Musicians refer to this difference between instruments as transpositions. Each instrument will have a transposition that determines what note sounds when it is played. A common transposition is from music for a piano to music for a saxophone.  Transposing Instruments  The reason for transpositions has to do with instrument fingering. By having transposing instruments, it is possible to use the same fingerings on each saxophone to play a single written note. However, a written E will sound different on a soprano or alto saxophone. With this system, an alto saxophone player could easily pick up a tenor sax using the same fingerings and play music that is appropriate for the instrument. This makes it possible to avoid having to learn a completely new set of fingerings for each horn. Piano   The piano plays in co...

The world has seen several incarnations of the more popular brass instruments that we see in 2011. Many of these instruments have fallen out of favor, for more reliable and efficient designs. However, some of them still exist and are used regularly in bands and orchestras. While you may not have seen these instruments in your local community band, many professional musicians own and play them regularly. Valve Trombone The valve trombone looks like a slide trombone with a few curious modifications. Instead of using a slide, the valve trombone has three valves that can be used to play chromatic pitches. This construction makes it possible to play quickly and more cleanly than on a regular slide trombone. However, without a slide, some of the glissandos and special slide techniques characteristic of the trombone are lost. Sackbut The sackbut resembles a modern-day trombone, but with a smaller tubing size and bell. The slide works much like a modern trombone, but it does not have...

The violin has several parts that every composer or violinist should know. The violin has several components, and each one has terms associated with them. Knowing the names of these parts is useful for composers that want to learn how to write for the violin. The ability to identify each part of the violin also makes it easier to learn about how the instrument is played. The F-Hole The F-Hole looks very similar to an F. Each violin has two F-Hole openings on the main body of the instrument. The F-Holes allow greater resonance in the instrument; they also control the level of frequency the violin emits. Wood Only aged and "seasoned" wood is used to make violins. The most commonly used types of wood are spruce and maple for their sturdiness and resonance. Violin makers intentionally choose a light type of wood and avoid using wood from newly cut trees. Like a fine wine, the wood of a violin gets better with age. Scroll The scroll serves only a decorative purpose. The scroll ser...

Setting the equalizer correctly will improve the audio sound. When a recording is made, some of the natural reverberation will be removed in the mastering process. To restore vocal music settings, your equalizer must be set to the appropriate levels. Poor equalizer settings can make an otherwise excellent recording sound dull and lifeless. Making a few basic adjustments to vocal music ensures the clarity and resonance of the music comes through. When audio engineers speak of EQ they are referring to equalizer settings. High-pass Filters A high-pass filter removes frequencies below a specified range of frequencies. When editing vocal audio files, remove anything below 60 hertz. This eliminates the range in which you generally find hissing and humming. Most hums are generally found at 50 hertz, but it doesn't hurt to use the filter to attenuate anything below 60 hertz. This simple setting helps improve the equalization of your audio and reduces the noise that so commonly occurs in th...

Correct clarinet embouchure enables a player to enhance her tone and improve her flexibility on the instrument. Avoid bad habits and incorrect embouchure placement from the beginning of your studies to ensure that you learn to play effectively and correctly from the beginning. Correcting an improperly trained embouchure can be very difficult, so it is important to learn proper clarinet embouchure as soon as possible. Clarinet The clarinet should be pointing toward the ground at a 35- to 45-degree angle. The exact angle will change slightly among players. Players with an extended lower jaw will need a greater angle while those with an inward sloping jaw will need less of an angle. The reed of the mouthpiece should be facing the floor, and the actual mouthpiece should extend into the mouth about 1/4 of an inch. Mouth The mouth needs to form a tight seal with the tip of the mouthpiece. To do this, you must tense the muscles in your cheeks. Imagine you are sucking through a straw to form a...

The Western concert flute was developed over the centuries from a simple end-blown flute to the current transverse flute. Transverse flutes are flutes that are held parallel to the floor. To play a transverse, the flutist directs the airstream across the mouth or blow hole and not directly into the instrument. The flute constitutes one of the most important instruments of the orchestra because of its high range, ability to blend in with other instruments and play the melody. Head Joint The head joint of the Western concert flute contains the mouthpiece, lip-plate and the blow hole. There are no keys on the joint of the flute. The mouthpiece consists of the lip-plate and an oval hole in the center of the plate. Lip-plates are also commonly referred to as embouchure plates. Larger blow holes will produce deeper, richer tones, while small blow holes produce sharper, more brilliant tones. The flutist must weigh her options carefully and pick a flute that feels comfortable for her. Body Joi...

Knowing the difference between a Baroque and modern cello makes it possible to easily identify instruments by sight. The Baroque cello was played in large halls made of stone and with little material to absorb the sound. This made it possible for the cello to be smaller, as the room itself acted to amplify the sound. In contrast, the modern cello is often played in large concert halls with significant amounts of carpeting, requiring the instrument to be larger and louder. [ Strings Modern cellos use nylon strings wrapped in steel. This invention was not possible in the Baroque period. Instead of steel strings, the cellists of the Baroque period used animal gut to string their instruments. Gut strings broke easily and were not powerful enough for large concert halls. Gut strings required a careful playing technique to avoid strings breaking. Steel strings provided a much better option for performers who needed to produce more volume from the instrument. End Pegs The peg that sticks out ...

Opera houses come in many shapes and sizes and are located around the world. Newcomers to opera may be confused by the difference between several types of opera houses. However, learning the difference between a city and metropolitan opera house is actually quite easy. Opera Opera is a dramatic event that brings together several art forms. Opera is a dramatic event that involves singers, composers, choirs, orchestras and librettists. These elements come together in one of the highest musical and dramatic accomplishments in Western art and music. Operas are usually showcased in specially built opera houses, although many universities will offer performances to the public at local campus performing arts centers. City Opera City operas are local opera houses specific to a city. City operas are home to local opera companies run by smaller organizations. These opera houses may gain national attention, but a particular city can claim ownership. The San Francisco Opera, located in California,...

The type of wood used in a drum will change the instrument's sound. Softer woods create smoother tones than harder woods. Depending on the type of sound desired, the manufacturer will pick a particular wood. Many of the softer, more pliable woods, such as spruce, require special care to avoid breakage during use. Wood acts as a conduit to transfer vibrations from the drum head to the acoustic chamber inside the drum. Selection When choosing wood for a drum, the maker must first determine which type of wood will work best for his purposes. Some of the factors that go into this choice include: the availability of the wood, its appearance and its ability to be molded and shaped. Wood that breaks easily is not a good choice because drums have to be curved and molded to fit a round shape. Woods that have low levels of moisture will crack easily, and woods that are too pliable will bend under the pressure of drumming. Picking the right wood is as much an art as it is a science. Texture T...

There are several differences between a mandolin and a banjo that differentiate them within the family of string instruments. Both instruments are chordophones, which means that they have strings and can be plucked, bowed or struck with a hand or plectrum. The banjo is used in country and folk music while the mandolin is a remnant from the Renaissance period and used for secular songs. Strings The mandolin has four sets of strings for a total of eight while the banjo can have four or five strings. The double strings on the mandolin help to give it some of its unique timbres. Musicians will use a pick or plectrum to pluck the strings of the mandolin; it is rarely strummed with the fingers. The banjo, on the other hand, uses extensive strumming techniques and can be played with the fingers or by using a plectrum. Body The body of both instruments is significantly different. Both instruments have a hollowed center that acts as an acoustic chamber. The shape of this chamber helps to differ...

Loudness and pitch are two elements that refer to different aspects of a musical composition. Each element is crucial to the performance and interpretation of music. Composers will use these two elements in different ways to invoke certain emotions and provide the listener with an enjoyable musical experience. The properties of loudness and pitch sometimes overlap, but usually they serve different purposes in the composition. Register Musical pitch can exist in several registers on the musical staff. High pitches are more penetrating, but not necessarily louder than lower pitches. The highness or lowness of pitch is what creates melodies. With loudness, there isn’t a registral space to be concerned about. There is no differentiation between high or low loudness, only the intensity of the loudness. This is one major difference between pitch and loudness: pitch can be high or low in the register, while loudness merely affects the volume of the pitch. Penetration Higher pitches and louder...

Teaching children the names of the notes on the treble and bass clef staff can be difficult since they have to learn to recognize spatial relationships on the staff. It can be hard for a child to find the second or third space of a staff. With practice, these skills can be learned and the child will improve his ability to identify notes. Turning exercises into a game will greatly improve the child's ability to learn. Playing One of the most effective ways to teach children music notes is to provide them with an instrument. Playing an instrument requires that students have to learn to recognize where notes are on the staff. At first, they will likely write fingerings underneath the staff, but with time they will begin to learn what the notes look like and be able to identify them without resorting to fingering charts. A great instrument for a classroom setting is the recorder. It is not just an instrument for elementary school, recorders are useful for teaching music at any level. N...

The elements and objectives of music break down into six main subject areas. Each of these subject areas has a different role for both the performer and the composer. Through a careful study of each of these main elements and their objectives, musicians develop the ability to understand music on a deeper level than the average person. Any musician who is serious about his craft should undertake a rigorous study of these elements and objectives. Ear Training Ear training develops the ear so musicians can quickly identify intervals, chords, scales and progressions by ear. This is the place where most musicians will start their training. By studying on a daily basis, performers will gradually attain the objective of learning to identify the building blocks by ear. This is the aural part of music. Music Theory Music theory develops the mind so that musicians can identify key signatures, intervals, chords, scales and progressions by sight. In combination with ear training, this is a very po...