UreMusic Education

Halloween music should be creepy and in a depressed key. There are some simple ways to achieve this if you have basic knowledge of music and talent for creating melody. If you have no experience writing music, you will want to study music theory first or try creating a song based on a pre-existing melody. For instance, you could use the famous song “Are You Sleeping” and simply change the lyrics so that it reflects a macabre theme. Step 1 — Start by crea t ing the lyrics for your song. Aim for four sentences of approximately four to eight words. Writing about bats, ghosts, vampires and ghoulish creatures is a good place to start. If you have trouble coming up with lyrics, take an already existing set of lyrics and just change keywords to something that fits with a Halloween theme. You won’t be able to publish this content, but you can develop greater skill working with pre-existing lyrics. Step 2 — Notate a melody in a minor key that fits with your lyrics. If you don’t know how to nota...

Treble and alto are terms used to describe pitch levels and clefs. The treble clef indicates notes that are in the highest part of the register. The alto clef indicates notes that fall below the general treble clef range. Alto clef often appears in viola music while the treble clef hosts a variety of instruments from flutes to trumpets. Treble and alto may also refer to a specific voice type. Treble Clef The treble clef appears in hig h  woodwinds, brass, and vocal parts. An interesting characteristic of the treble clef is the curved loop that wraps around the G-line and the first space above the staff system. The treble clef loop always wraps around the second line in modern music; however, it is theoretically possible to move the position of the loop and change the names of the pitches in the treble clef. For this reason, the treble clef received the name the G-clef since it indicates where G is above middle C. Alto Clef The alto clef resembles a backward bracket. The middle of t...

Didgeridoo art projects should serve to bring out your creative side. There are several options for creating art with your didgeridoo. You can paint, etch, burn or draw directly onto the surface of the instrument. You may also want to adorn the instrument with feathers or beads to create additional ornamentations on the instrument. Painting One way to decorate a didgeridoo for an art pr o ject is through the use of paints. Choose a theme, animal, or object and first sketch the image on the didgeridoo using a pencil. Once you are satisfied with the sketch, choose colors that work well on the didgeridoo. You can use oil paints to help create a luster and shine. For added definition, use a dark, preferably black color to outline the outside of your image. This helps to define the image and make it viewable over a larger distance. Burning Burned-in images are a great way to create images with an authentic look. Sketch your image onto the didgeridoo with a pencil so that you can erase mista...

Electric string instruments use electrical signals and amplifiers to increase an instrument’s volume and modify its sound. Composers from all genres of music have used electric instruments in their compositions. While electric instruments more commonly appear in rock and popular music, the classical composer George Crumb wrote a composition for electric strings entitled “Black Angels.” Electric string instruments are not the same as semi-acoustic instruments that use a mixture of sound boxes and electric amplification to create sound. Acoustic Instruments Acoustic instruments u s e a chamber to resonate and amplify sound. They may be miked to make them act like electric instruments; however, a true electric string instrument is designed to function only with an amplifier. Without the amplifier, acoustic instruments still amplify their own sound. The electric guitar has metal strings and amplifiers while the acoustic guitar uses synthetic fibers as strings. Magnetic Pickups Electric str...

With an educational background in early childhood music education, wide varieties of jobs become available to you. Most early childhood education degrees permit you to teach children up to third grade. Each state is different, so make sure to check with your state's teaching requirements for teaching to be sure. Orff-Schulwerk Orff-Schulwerk is a system of teaching children about music that uses dance, music, rhythm and instruments to engage the child. Composer Carl Orff developed the initial program to improve the quality of music education. Orff requires special training and courses in addition to a degree in early childhood music education. The training will qualify you to teach children from birth through middle school. The techniques learned find their basis in things that children love to do including singing, clapping and keeping rhythm. Private Instructor Private instruction doesn’t require a degree from a university, but having that education does lend you extra credibilit...

Nickel horns have an additional element that brass horns do not have. This additional element changes the sound and malleability of the horn. There is great debate over which alloy is better for the construction of horns. The majority of horns are made from brass, but that doesn't mean there isn't a place in music for nickel horns. Nickel horns have a very specific tone that has its uses in specific types of music. Brass Horn Elements Brass consists of a combination of copper and zinc. Depending on the type of brass, there will be different proportions. In yellow brass, there is a combination of 70 percent copper and 30 percent zinc. While in gold brass, which is less common, there is 85 percent copper and 15 percent zinc. The difference in properties affects both the color and the sound that the instrument will produce. Brass Horn Acoustics Horns made from the more common yellow brass will provide a sound that is strong, penetrating and rich. This type of brass is preferable i...

Knowing how to lip sync will make it possible to prerecord your concert and not have to worry about making mistakes in a live performance. It isn't too hard to learn to lip sync, but there are some special considerations and techniques that can make this a more enjoyable experience for you. Generally, professionals will avoid lip syncing, but sometimes, especially with complex electronic music, lip syncing should be considered as a viable option. Breathe properly as if you were actually going to sing, from the diaphragm and out through the mouth. One of the biggest issues with those who lip sync is that they do not breathe correctly. Because they aren't actually singing they think this practice works. However, the audience will pick up on your lack of breathing and it will make the performance less believable. Play a recording of the song you will lip sync too. Write down the lyrics and memorize those before doing anything else. You can memorize lyrics by writing the lyrics out...

Trombones and French horns have several common elements. They are members of the brass family, use a mouthpiece to create sound and have a wide range of notes available to them. The differences make them suitable for different uses in an orchestra, band or solo venue. Mechanical The main mechanical differences involve the use of a slide versus valves. The French horn uses rotary valves to change pitches. When a valve is depressed, the airflow changes direction and travels through tubes. The length of the tube changes the pitch. In contrast, the trombone has a very simple slide system. Instead of tubes, the instrument lengthens and shortens through a series of seven different slide positions that correspond to the seven valve combinations. Range Both instruments can descend to the low E below the staff. However, the French horn can go an extra octave and a fifth higher. This puts the French horn in the same range as the trombone and trumpet combined. This extensive range makes the Frenc...

There are several methods available to deepen the sounds of your drums. Tuning can certainly make your drums sound lower, but changing the drum heads may provide you with the deep, rich sound you are looking for. Drummers use a tuning key to loosen and tighten the tension in the drum heads. By doing this, they are able to achieve generally high or low sounds. While you can't tune a drum to a specific pitch, it is possible to get a general tuning of the drum by listening closely. Preparation  Preparing to tune your drum heads requires determining the precise sound you want to get out of your drums. If you only want to change the pitch of the drum to get a lower sound, you can simply apply proper tuning methods to lower the pitch of the drum. However, if you are looking for a lower and thicker sounding drum pitch, you will need to consider purchasing additional drum heads. Listen to recordings of drum players and find a sound you like. This will help you adjust the drum to your needs...

Children often learn best when education combines with entertainment. Several games involving music notes are available for children to play to increase their knowledge of music. Most gamed require two or more children. A few games require just one child. Learning music is great for teaching children to develop spatial reasoning. Note Name Competition  The note name competition is a game that involves two groups of students. Divide students into two groups; each group will select one student from each group to represent the team during each turn. The teacher will write the names of 12 pitches horizontally below the bottom of the musical staff. The students must not look while she is writing the pitches. When the students turn around, they have to write in the notes as quickly as possible. The first student that writes in all of the pitches correctly will win. The other student continues to write pitches until confirmed that the first student won. Clef Games  The clef game will...

A marching band sectional rehearsal can be fun and still be productive. A section leader can play several games with his group to help improve issues specific to a saxophone player's technique. Any activity that is part of a saxophone sectional should be specific to the instrument and help improve the player's individual skill. Playing games unrelated to music should be avoided as they waste the band's time. Scale Contests Have someone act as the time keeper. Each player in the sectional has to play all of their major scales as quickly as possible without mistakes. The goal should be to play all 12 major scales in under 60 seconds by the end of the year. Sixty seconds might not be possible for a brass player, but it is definitely possible for a saxophone player. The winning saxophone player should receive some sort of award from the section leader. Work with your band director to see if it is possible to get a coupon or gift card for the player with the fastest scales in a ...

For centuries, mandolins have appeared in small ensembles, folk singing and even within the troupes of troubadours of the Middle Ages. These poet-composers used lutes and mandolins and performed songs that dealt with themes of love and religion. A mandolin is a soprano lute -- the highest member of the lute family of string instruments. F-style and A-style mandolins are descendants of the original mandolin, which was an Italian instrument. History F-style and A-style mandolins came into existence in the early 1900s. The Gibson guitar company invented both styles. The F-style, or Florentine mandolin, was the first version to be created; the A-style came shortly thereafter, to accommodate different types of music. The mandolin has existed for centuries, but these new and novel types of violins are better suited to playing in ensembles and as solo instruments. Part of the string family of instruments, the newer F- and A-style mandolins are American inventions. F-Style Players may stand to...

Ethiopian instruments provide music for entertainment, spirituality, celebration and ceremonies. There are four main instruments used in Ethiopian music. Most of them allow the instrumentalist to sing and play at the same time. Much of Ethiopian music is secular music to entertain and relieve the tension of the participants. Washint: Ethiopian Flute This unique instrument is played mostly by peasants, shepherds and cow herders. Blowing through the end and using the finger holes to create individual tones sound the instrument. Made from bamboo, the instrument is extremely durable and resistant to inclement weather. In many performances, the flute is the only instrument used in conjunction with voice. Masïnqo: One-String Violin The masïnqo is a single string violin that is played with a curved bow. The right hand manipulates the string while the left hand holds the bow. This instrument creates its sound with a box at the base of the string that serves as a resonator. When the string is b...