UreMusic Education

Discover a sampling of flute music from Baroque to Modern Periods. Learning about the music from each time period will help you improve your understanding of flute literature. Listening to representative works will improve your understanding and appreciation for the music of the past and discover how composers changed their styles and techniques over the centuries. Baroque Period Baroque composers were experimenting with new ways of creating sound by creating highly ornamented compositions. Occupying the years from 1600 to 1750 the Baroque period is home to the music of Bach, Vivaldi, Telemann, and Tartini. Sample Flute Works: Bach, J.S.: Sonata in G Minor Corelli, Arcangelo: Sonatas No. 9 Handel, George Frideric: Sonatas in D and G major, E, A, and B minor. Telemann, Georg Philipp: 12 Fantasias Vivaldi, Antonio: Concerto in G Minor Op. 10 No. 2 "La Notte" Classical Period The Classical Period deals with music from 1750 to 1820. Classical music focused on balance...

Temperature has an affect on acoustic instruments; the guitar proves to be no exception to this rule. This explains why professionals recommend that you tune in the hall or concert arena before you play. A sound check helps to ensure that the guitar plays in tune with the rest of the instruments in the hall. Intonation When referring to the sound of a guitar, typically that refers to the timbre or the characteristic of the actual guitar sound. However, one component of sound referred to as intonation or pitch does have an effect and can be changed due to temperature fluctuations. Intonation affects the overall degree of highness or lowness of pitch. Musicians around the world have standardized pitch to A=440 hertz. This means frequencies vibrating at 440 cycles per second result in the pitch A. From that starting point, tuning the other pitches of an instrument becomes possible. Warm Temperatures When the temperature of the instrument or the air surrounding the instrument results in a ...

A common technique for memorizing the names of the notes in the treble and bass clef is to use acronyms and using phrases in which the first letter of each word relates to a note on the staff. Staff systems have five lines and four spaces; this allows for easy cognition of visual representations of musical notes. More than five lines and four spaces would make it more difficult to quickly identify on which line or space a note is placed. Treble Clef Lines To learn the names of the notes in the treble clef, use an acronym such as "Every Good Boy Does Fine" to remember that the notes on the lines -- from bottom to top -- are E G B D F. You can also create your own acronym; this will help ensure that you have knowledge of the note names and will help you concentrate on each individual pitch. Treble Clef Spaces The treble clef spaces are easier to remember than the lines if you remember that when you look between the lines you see your "face" -- the names of the notes i...

Knowing the six most common types of musical devices in poetry will help you get a better understanding for the techniques used in literature. These devices are considered musical because they use similar sounds to link each other. Learning about these devices will make you a more informed reader of poetry. Rhyme Rhyme is a musical device that uses vowel sounds that rhyme through similar construction. To qualify as a rhyme, the vowel sounds and all of the sounds that come after the vowel sounds must be closely related. For instance, the first part of the word can be any consonance, but once the vowel is sounded, the rhyming word must be similar. The words dream and steam both start with different consonants, but end with the same vowels and consonants. There are three types of rhyme used: end rhyme, in which the last words rhyme; internal rhyme, with words inside the line rhyming and approximate rhyme, in which the words don't match but sound similar. Alliteration Alliteration cons...

Altissimo registers are penetrating and dramatic. The altissimo notes are the highest notes on an instrument. They are typically the most difficult to play successfully and require advanced ability to play correctly and in tune. The altissimo register refers to woodwind instruments including the flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and saxophones. Learning about these registers will enable a composer to write easily playable music. Flute In flute playing, the altissimo notes are anything that is higher than a D6. Since middle C is C4 and occurs directly below the treble clef staff, D6 is about two octaves higher. This means that the first D above the treble clef staff is the start of the altissimo register. The flute begins to sound shrill and penetrating in this register. It is advisable to use a piccolo instead of a flute if the melody hangs in the altissimo register. Oboe The oboe has the same altissimo range as the clarinet. The highest note is a C7, although it is generally recommended...

Leonardo da Vinci was a great artist of the Renaissance period. Understanding the characteristics of Renaissance art styles will make it possible to develop a deeper consideration and appreciation for the artwork. Artists of this time were concerned with different ways to create three-dimensional forms and add greater emotional impact to their paintings. The Renaissance art movement that spread through Europe from the 14th to 17th centuries has left a lasting impression on artists. Perspective Renaissance art gave high priority to a conceptualization called perception. Perception is the relationship between points on a grid; it places objects so that they appear along a vanishing point, creating three-dimensional drawings. One method of accomplishing this is to create buildings as if they were receding into the painting, as in Masolino’s painting from the year 1425, "St. Peter Healing a Cripple and the Raising of Tabitha.” Two buildings appear adjacent to each other with the same ...

Harps come in several varieties, from folk harps that fit in your lap to massive orchestral harps capable of playing complex music. Each harp has its own strengths and weaknesses; the harpist must know what harp to choose for each situation. An orchestral harp, while more versatile, is overkill if you are playing simple folk melodies. Celtic Celtic harps are a generic term to describe all harps that use levers instead of pedals to change pitch. These harps typically are quite mobile and have significantly fewer strings than the orchestral harps. Celtic harps may only play diatonically and do not have an option for playing chromatically in the middle of a phrase. The pitch can change with a lever, but the lever will change every pitch on the instrument simultaneously. Diatonic music is music that uses only the intervals between the white keys of the piano: A to G, without any sharps or flats. The two types of Celtic harps are folk and Irish harps. Folk The folk harp is a lever harp that...

Making a hand trumpet provides the ability to create impromptu tunes using just your hand. This humorous trick requires little skill, but the more you practice the more proficient you will be at playing all sorts of melodies. Playing the hand trumpet provides a great way to entertain your friends. Hand trumpets are simple musical devices that anybody can play with little to no experience. With some practice, playing melodies on your hand trumpet will come easily. Step 1 Make your right hand into a fist. Leave a small hole between your thumb and index fingers. This hole will allow the air to travel through your hand. Step 2 Buzz with your lips and keep your embouchure firm. To form an embouchure, pretend you are sucking through a straw. Step 3 Blow through your lips into your hand. To raise the pitch increase the tension in your lips. To lower the pitch reduce the tension. Place your left hand over your right hand and pretend like you are pressing valves. The hand actually has no eff...

Knowledge of the guitar and its techniques are necessary to create an effective theme song. The instrument range and idiomatic practices common to the guitar should be evident throughout the song; otherwise, the song will lack specificity to the guitar and be playable on any instrument. Additionally, following guidelines for the creation of the melody makes the creation of your guitar theme much simpler. The process of creating a guitar theme requires creative thought and experimentation. Step 1 Learn to use your ideas in musical notation instead of using tablature (written-out fingering). Tablature is fine when an entire ensemble is playing and the guitarist needs to improvise chords; however, tablature is not effective for creating rhythms needed for a theme. Step 2 Study chords specifically used on the guitar, such as the G6 chord that consists of a G, B, D, G, B and E. Learn about other guitar chords that appear commonly in guitar music, you will need these to set chords to your ...

laying the cello with proper technique will ensure that you produce a high-quality, professional sound on the instrument. Proper bowing techniques and maintaining good posture will ensure that you maintain not only a proper sound but also help prevent injuries, allowing you to enjoy playing the cello for years. Regular practice and attention to form ensures that your sound will improve, making your time spent learning more productive and rewarding. Sit up straight on the edge of the chair. Position the ribs, or sides, of the cello between your legs and keep your shoulders relaxed and free of tension. Hold the bow out straight in front of you and balance the bow between your right thumb on the bottom of the grip and middle finger on top. This is where the majority of the weight of the bow should fall. Wrap the remaining fingers loosely around the bow stick. Remember that the remaining fingers are just for support. Hold the neck of the cello with your left hand and wrap your fingers arou...

You can create a pure acoustic sound on an electric guitar and apply distortion by tweaking a few settings. However, the sound your electric guitar produces will only come moderately close to that of an acoustic guitar. An acoustic guitar creates sound with its internal sound chambers, and it is difficult to replicate this sound using the digital signals of an electronic instrument. It may be necessary to buy additional equipment to create the sound you are looking for. Step 1 Apply distortion to the amplifier by turning the volume knob counterclockwise until it is off, then turning the gain knob clockwise to the 8 o'clock position. Gradually increase the volume while playing until you have an appropriate amount of distortion. Step 2 Find heavier strings for your guitar. The heavier strings will help provide a sound that is more similar to an acoustic guitar. Step 3 Adjust the tone knobs on the guitar to the highest setting, then slowly turn the knobs down until the treble sound...

Making a fiddle sound like a violin does not require much effort on the part of the player since a violin and fiddle are the same instruments. The terms are usually used to denote different playing styles. Fiddle playing uses a looser interpretation of rhythm and generally appears in folk music. Violin technique means music is played exactly as written, with an occasional improvisation during solo sections. However, many classical musicians also affectionately refer to their instrument as a fiddle. So the difference between fiddle and violin playing is not clearly defined. Practice with a metronome at all times. Concentrate on getting a clean and clear bow-stroke with each movement. The technique in fiddle and violin playing basically stays the same, but a more consistent tone generally accompanies violin playing. Avoid playing country, blues, folk and bluegrass music on the violin. Stick to music written by classical composers to avoid the harmonies and folk-like melodies of fiddle pl...

Many musicians spend a lifetime learning to find and identify musical pitch. Identifying pitches within music is certainly possible, but to do so will require an integrated daily practice routine of ear training. The benefits are well worth the effort you put into this task, as learning to hear the individual pitches and identify them within a piece is similar to moving from a black-and-white to a color television: You'll still be able to see and comprehend what is happening, but you'll have a more detailed experience. Schedule your training on a daily basis for best results. Start by setting a schedule for yourself. To develop the ear, your brain needs daily reinforcement. Without a schedule, your training will fall flat and you will be unable to obtain the skills necessary to identify pitches. Daily practice is required to develop this skill; each session should last between 30 and 45 minutes each day. Avoid practicing ear training for longer than 45 minutes, which will tire ...