BAROQUE MUSIC

For me the baroque period music really has some of my favourite pieces in it, is usually bright and very positive in sound. From the wonderful sound of the oboe, to the really bright tones of the mandolin. There is something in this musical genre to lift anyone's spirits.

I do of course also like some of the sad and dark moments in the baroque music era as well, one that i love is didos lament (when i am laid in earth) from henry purcells opera dido and aeneas. This aria is really beautiful and very sad indeed, it cannot fail to move anyone almost to tears.

One really cannot do justice to the baroque period, which spans from about 1600 to 1750. With the wealth of composers contained within that timeframe, in just the brief context of this article. But we can list a few of the composers and some of my personal favourites.

ATomaso Albinoni (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

George Friderich Handel.

1/ Lascia Ch'io Pianga (let me lament my cruel fate) from

rinaldo.

2/ Ombra mai fo from his opera xerxses (known as his largo)

3/ The Sarabande (3 beat dance)

4/ Sound an Alarm from his oratorio Judas Maccabeus.

Johan Sebastian Bach.

1/ Double violin concerto

(The Concerto for 2 Violins, Strings and Continuo in D

Minor, BWV 1043)

2/ The bach Cello Suites.

Antonio Vivaldi.

1/ The Four Seasons (spring,summer,autumn,winter)

2/ The mandolin concertos

Tomaso Albinoni

1/ The Oboe Concerto,s

2/ Adagio for Strings.

Johan Pachelbel

1/ Pachelbel,s Cannon (Canon in D major )

Gregorio Allegri

1/ Miserere mei, Deus" (Latin: "Have mercy on me, O God").

This is a truly beautiful piece of music.

I really hope i have managed to give you an appetite, and you will now explore the diverse amount of music contained within the baroque period.

The baroque period contains some real jewels to listen to, i never tire of listening to the wonderful music contained within this timeframe. I also look forward to discovering some more gems as i continue exploring the genre.

By Steve Thorn Article Source: EzineArticles

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SAXOPHONES, Jazz Musicians, and the Influence of Inner Personal Conflicts

Saxophones, in comparison to many other instruments, do not have a very long history. The first one was designed around 1840 by a Belgian named Adolphe Sax in an attempt to improve the sound of the clarinet. Adolphe planned the saxophones as a family of instruments ranging in size from the sopranino, soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, bass, contrabass, and sub-contrabass. Saxophones were first introduced into a musical score in 1844 by Jean-George Kastner. Saxophones were initially used in symphonies, military bands, and chamber music, then in big bands, and in the 1920's saxophones were incorporated into jazz music.

Saxophone Music - Photo  by  screen-box.de 

Jazz music began it's infiltration into American music in March 1917. The principal instruments used included the trumpet, cornet, slide trombone, valve trombone, French horn, baritone, clarinet, family of saxophones, percussion, string bass, and piano. When members of the Original Dixieland Jazz Band were recording their music in a New York studio, they were instructed to play faster in order to fit the whole song on a record. This exciting, lively, assertive, rowdy, and bold music is what caught the attention of everyone's listening ears. It was a time when America was hard at work and needed an outlet, a way to play. They grasped this new style with full force and made jazz a favorite pastime.

Although this seemed like new music, it was not totally new in the truest sense of the word. It involves taking apart an already established song and then putting it back together in a novel way. Jazz also involves, to a large extent, the component of improvisation in order to interpret the melody or harmony in a fresh way. Playing jazz involves elements of spontaneity, spirit, creativity, and rhythmic drive. As stated by Gary Giddins, "It's the ultimate in rugged individualism. It's going out there on that stage and saying: It doesn't matter how anybody else did it. This is the way I'm going to do it." Jazz allows the expression of a full range of emotions with whichever instrument the musician is using.

Clearly, one of the most expressive instruments in this type of music are saxophones with their ability to squeal, laugh, shriek, and whisper. Saxophones are able to release the inner voice, the feelings, the inner personality of the musician playing them. Not only is jazz music an outlet for those listening to it, but also for the musicians playing the music with their saxophones. Certainly what wasn't able to be said in words was often verbalized musically whether through a soulful lament or a happy energetic, playful sound, especially with the tenor, alto, or soprano saxophones.

This means of expression is portrayed in the music of not only the early innovators of swing, but also in bebop, hard bop, jazz, free jazz, and electric jazz/rock/funk. Some of the best and most renowned music came from those musicians with the most difficult inner personal conflicts. It seems though that those with the most troubled lives had the most inner drive to make their music as brilliant as possible.

This author is a saxophonist, novice pianist, and novice guitarist. In addition, she is an occupational therapist who works with a host of disabilities utilizing sensory integration and neurodevelopmental therapy in combination with music and a variety of other techniques to assist these persons in achieving the highest level of function and quality of life possible. Article Directory: EzineArticles

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JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH Biography - The Story of a Great Musician

Johann Sebastian Bach The Bach Museum,
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Johann Sebastian Bach biography is an interesting read. In Eisenach, Germany on March 21, 1685 Johann Sebastian Bach was born. He was the youngest child of Johann Ambrosius Bach and Elizabeth Lammerhirt Bach. His father was an organist in the church and many other family members were also musicians.

Members of the Bach family were skilled at playing many instruments including the clavichord, violin, organ and harpsichord. There were also singers in the family. Bach received training in all of these areas in the early years of his musical training.

Both of Bach's parents died when he was only nine years old. His father died first and his mom died just two months later. At age ten he went to live with his older brother Johann Christoph who was an organist at church and who became Bach's first music teacher. Bach had longed for a singing career and was a very talented singer. He was chosen to sing in the church choir.

In 1700 an opening came about at St. Michael's School in Luneburg and he was awarded a singing scholarship. His voice began to change and he started playing the violin. Bach graduated in 1702.

Exterior of St. Thomas Church, Leipzig,
with Bach statue
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By a church in Arnstad Germany Bach was hired in 1703 as an organist. This opportunity gave him ample time to practice his favorite instrument. In 1707 Bach became the organist for a church in Muhlhausen, Germany. He married his cousin Maria Barbara Bach later in that same year. This is also the year that Cantata No. 71, God Is My King was composed.

A year later Bach went to Weimar, Germany and became the court organist to Duke Wilhelm Ernst. From 1708 to 1710 Bach composed a large amount of original organ music. Prince Leopold of Cöthen, Germany offered Bach a position in 1716. A highlight of the Johann Sebastian Bach biography is that Bach produced his finest instrumental compositions during this period.

In 1720 Maria died. She left him a widower and with seven children. In 1921 Bach married Anna Magdalena Wulken who was a twenty-year-old singer. Over the next twenty years they had thirteen children together.

Bach was named the choir leader of Leipzig, Germany in 1723. His duties were to provide choral music to the churches St. Thomas and St. Nicholas. Bach also taught classes in music, gave private singing lessons, and taught Latin. It was while Bach was in Leipzig that he composed the majority of his choral music.

A sad ending of the Johann Sebastian biography is that Bach began to slowly lose his eyesight in his final years and went completely blind in the last year of his life. On July 28, 1750 Bach died due to complications from a stroke and high fever.

Bach was a well-regarded composer and musician, but his works were not published until he was forty-one. And it was not until fifty years after his death that he became well-known outside of Germany. To this day Bach is widely remembered for his exceptional compositions.

By Wendy Pan Wendy Pan is an accomplished niche website developer and author. Article Directory: EzineArticles

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CHINESE OPERA

Beijing opera, more commonly known as Peking opera to westerners, is deemed the national opera of China. The accompanying music, singing and costumes are all fascinating and artistic. Full of Chinese cultural facts, the opera presents to the audience an encyclopedia of Chinese culture as well as unfolding stories, beautiful paintings, exquisite costumes, graceful gestures and acrobatic fighting. Since it enjoys a higher reputation than other local operas, almost every province of China has more than one Beijing Opera troupe, who is called "piaoyou" in Chinese. This kind of opera is so popular among Chinese people, especially seniors, that even a "Beijing Opera Month" has been declared.

Beijing Opera - Photo  by  Ana Paula Hirama 

It has existed for over 200 years. It is widely regarded as the highest expression of the Chinese culture. It is known as one of the three main theatrical systems in the world. Artistically, Beijing Opera is perhaps the most refined form of opera in the world. It has deeply influenced the hearts of the Chinese people. Although it is called Beijing Opera, its origins are not in Beijing but in the Chinese provinces of Anhui and Hubei. Beijing Opera got its two main melodies, Xi_Pi and Er_Huang, from Anhui and Hubei operas. It then absorbed music and arias from other operas and musical arts in China.

In the ancient times, Beijing Opera was performed mostly on open-air stages in markets, streets, teahouses or temple courtyards. The orchestra had to play loudly and the performers had to develop a piercing style of singing, in order to be heard over the crowds. The Beijing opera band mainly consists of orchestra band and percussion band. The former frequently accompanies peaceful scenes while the later often follows scenes of war and fighting. The commonly used percussion instruments include castanets, drums, bells and cymbals. One person usually plays the castanets and the drum simultaneously, which are the conductor of the whole band.

It is said that the facial painting art derived from the Chinese opera has different origins. But no matter what its origin is, the facial painting is worth appreciating for its artistic value. The paintings are presentations of the roles of the characters. For example, a red face usually depicts the role's bravery, uprightness and loyalty; a white face symbolizes a sinister role's treachery and guile; a green face describes surly stubbornness, impetuosity and lack of self-restraint. In addition, the pattern of the facial painting reveals the role's information too. In a word, the unique makeup in the opera allows the characters on the stage to reveal them voicelessly.

Liyuan Theater inside Qianmen Hotel in Beijing is an ideal place for you to enjoy some Beijing Opera.

About the Author: Jin Huang has an interest in Chinese Culture related subjects. Source: www.isnare.com - Permanent Link

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Canon in D by PACHELBEL - The Song Everybody Knows

The Canon in D by Johann Pachelbel is a composition well known throughout the world. It's a piece of music that is played in commercials, feature films, and shopping mall music systems. Its melody and harmony are such that, when heard, spur an "I know this song" reaction in listeners.

Johann Pachelbel

Pachelbel wrote this music around 1680. Its exact name is 'Canon and Gigue in D Major for three Violins and Basso Continuo'. It's now called, in regular parlance, the Canon in D (or D Major).

This canon was the only one that Pachelbel wrote. He wrote it as a piece of chamber music. Chamber music is a form of classical music originally intended for performance in a palace chamber. This type of music is for a small group of instrumentalists. One performer plays each separate part of the music.

Written for the bass and the violin and for small rooms, this song is not limited to that today. A wide variety of instruments in small and large musician groups perform this famous piece each year.

The term 'canon' in the title of the song refers to the type of music. A canon is a music of staggered singing or playing. In a canon, different instruments or singers start playing music. However, they do not start at the exact same time. They enter into the song one after another. The key to the canon is that they play the exact same sequence of notes. This results in intriguing variety and song complexity.

The note sequence in Canon in D Major is what catches one's ear. It is now a famous chord progression, which we recognize whenever and wherever we are. The song has a bass line-harmonic pattern, two bars long. This sequence repeats throughout the piece. The staggered singing or playing (the canon) plays over this repeating sequence of notes.

Johann Pachelbel was born in Nuremberg, Germany in 1653. He lived and worked during the Baroque period of classical music.

He was an organist, composer, and teacher in his life, who wrote much keyboard music for the organ. He wrote church music and secular music, holding jobs as a church organist throughout his career.

In fact, he established himself as a musician of stature in Erfurt, Germany. Here he was church organist at the Protestant Predigerkirchie (Lutheran Preacher's Church) starting in the year 1678. Erfurt was the Bach family's land of ancestral roots. Pachelbel actually taught Johann Christoph Bach, who was Johann Sebastian Bach's older brother.

Pachelbel also worked as an organist in the Court at Stuggart and the Court at Gotha in Germany. In 1695, he became organist at the Church of St. Sebald in Nuremberg. He replaced his former teacher, the German organist, and composer, George Caspar Wecker here upon the latter's death.

Pachelbel wrote chorale variations for the keyboard. Written in his day for organ and harpsichord they receive treatment on modern pianos of today as well. In this type of music, the chorale melody is the theme, and then the performer plays variations of this theme.

Although famous for his Canon in D today, Pachelbel also wrote toccatas, fantasies, and fugues. One important and impressive work is the Hexachordum Apollinis, which is a set of six keyboard arias and their variations.

The Canon in D Major continues to inspire listeners, piano players, and musicians of all sorts today. It's a 'musical' canon of great power that has endured through the centuries.

Duane Shinn is the author of the popular online newsletter on piano chords, available free at Exciting Piano Chords and Chord Progressions!  Article Directory: EzineArticles

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How to ROSIN a VIOLIN Bow

Rosin is a resin collected from pine trees all around the world. It is drawn from the trees in a tapping process in the same way that maple syrup is collected. A small area of the tree's bark is removed and a drip channel and collection container is fitted, the tree is cut with V-shaped grooves which allow the resin to run out of the tree into the container. The resin is mixed with other tree saps and purified. It is then heated and melted and poured into molds. After the mixture is set it is smoothed and polished and packed into containers.

Various types of violin/viola/cello rosin (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The purpose of rosin is to make the hair grip the strings of the violin and cause them to vibrate. Without out rosin, the hair would glide smoothly over the strings and no sound would be produced.

Before you can successfully rosin your violin bow you must know about the two kinds of rosin. The first kind is called dark rosin this is also known as winter rosin. Dark rosin is a softer stickier rosin and is suited to dry cool climates. Light rosin is harder than and not as sticky as dark rosin. Both will work fine on any violin you must experiment with different kinds until you find the type that is right for you.

Applying the rosin is very easy. Simply take the rosin and glide it several times up and down the bow. Remember to use the rosin sparingly most people use far too much this will cause the rosin to drip down of the strings and stain the violin.

You do not need to apply rosin every day once every four or five times is enough after you have been playing a while you will develop a feel for how much rosin you need.

By Eric B Hill Eric B. Hill is a professional violin player and teacher with over 20 years experience. Article Source: EzineArticles

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Composer Illustrated: Leonard Bernstein - 25. 8. 1918 - 14. 10. 1990

Leonard Bernstein - 25.8.1918 - 14.10.1990

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Masters of the Podium: A Brief Biography of LEONARD BERNSTEIN

American Leonard Bernstein [1918-1990] could just as easily fall into the category "Composers' Corner," since he was as much a giant with the pen as he was with the baton. He was known primarily as the face of the New York Philharmonic and was on the podium for the American premiere of many important musical works throughout his career, including Benjamin Britten's opera Peter Grimes, plus the world premiere of Symphony No. 2 by Charles Ives. Bernstein's association with the New York Philharmonic ran from 1943 all the way until the late 1980s, and he was officially the ensemble's principal conductor from 1958 through 1969.

Leonard Bernstein seated at piano, making annotations to musical score Azərbaycan: Leonard Bernstein pianinoda oturub, partiturada yazır. Español: Leonard Bernstein sentado a la piano, anotando una partitura Esperanto: Leonard Bernstein sidas ĉe piano kaj prilaboras partituron.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Bernstein was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts, the son of Jewish immigrants from Ukraine. He learned to play the piano at the age of 10 and attended Boston Latin School, where he met his lifelong music mentor, Helen Coates. Thanks to her careful management of his educational opportunities, Bernstein studied composition and music theory at Harvard University, following that with a year of training as a conductor at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.

Due to his asthma, Bernstein was ineligible for WWII service and therefore benefited from the lack of stateside talent the draft had caused. As a result, this relatively untested young man-he was 25 in 1943-was named assistant conductor of the New York Philharmonic. He led them semi-regularly while also conducting the New York City Center Orchestra, plus appearing as a guest conductor in the immediate post-war period with various ensembles throughout the United States and Western Europe, as well as in Israel.

Bernstein's fame grew exponentially thanks to broadcasts of the series Young People's Concerts on the CBS television network. American viewers were treated to entertaining discussions of classical music, with Bernstein either at the piano or leading his orchestra through such masterpieces as Vivaldi's Four Seasons and Gustav Holst's The Planets. In all, Bernstein recorded 53 such programs that aired from 1962 to 1972 and enjoyed syndication in no fewer than 40 foreign countries. This series not only proved to be the most popular music appreciation program ever, but it gave rise to the modern-day equivalent where conductors routinely offer pre- or post-concert lectures for audience members. Bernstein was also known for making some of the first stereo records of important classical music. He led the Philharmonic in recording all nine complete Mahler symphonies, and later conducted the Vienna Philharmonic in complete sets of symphonies by Beethoven, Brahms, and Schumann.

No article on Bernstein would be complete without mentioning his compositions, which remain extremely popular and an important part of late 20th century American music. While his best-known work is the Broadway musical West Side Story [1957] (with lyrics by Stephen Sondheim), he wrote a great deal of other material for the stage that includes the musicals On the Town [1944] and 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue [1976], the ballet Dybbuk [1975], the one-act opera Trouble in Tahiti [1952] and its three-act sequel A Quiet Place [1983], and the operetta Candide [1956]. He composed numerous orchestral works, including three symphonies, several orchestral suites, and a Concerto for Orchestra, subtitled Jubilee Games [1989]. His most popular choral work is Chichester Psalms [1965], a Hebrew text set to music for boy soprano, chorus and orchestra. He also composed several chamber pieces, including a piano trio and a sonata for clarinet and piano.

Bernstein enjoyed the acclaim of his peers and the music world in general. The London Symphony Orchestra named him its honorary president in 1987. He won 11 Emmy Awards throughout his career, as well as a Tony Award in 1969. He was given a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award in 1985 and Kennedy Center Honors in 1980. He was an inaugural supporter of Amnesty International and, in keeping with his lifetime interest in music as a force for peace in the world, memorably led concerts on both sides of the dismantled Berlin Wall in late 1989, titled the "Berlin Celebration Concerts."

By Paul Siegel The video clip that accompanies this article is Part 1 of "What is Classical Music" from his Young People's Concerts series. The original air date of this television program was January 24, 1959. Article Source: EzineArticles

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The Correct Way to Have a Good VIOLIN BOW Hold

The way the violin bow works is that the player holds it on the string and they pull it across the strings of the violin. This, in turn, creates vibrations and creates the resonating sound. It is an incredibly important part of learning how to play the violin, as it can cause bad consequences if a person develops a poor bow hold. So it should be one of the first things a violin player learns.

For many violin players, their downfall is holding the violin bow correctly. It is because it is so difficult to hold so precisely. The violin bow hold seems quite easy in principle, but holding some fingers in some unusual places may take a while to get used to.

Violin Bow - Photo  by BotheredByBees 

So here is some advice on how to hold the violin bow correctly:

1. Make sure the bow isn't too tight - the fiddlestick at its thinnest part between the wood and horsehair should be thin enough just to be able to scrape through a small finger.
2. Place the index finger around the side of the bow and place the end of the finger on the side of it
3. Move the middle and ring fingers over to the other side of the bow - roughly placing the ring finger on the circle on the other side.  
4. Finally, place the little finger on its tip toward the back of the violin bow, but not on the metal screwing part.
5. Be calm, as holding or tensing the bow a lot will make it harder to pull the bow over the string and make a better quality sound. So try to loosely put the fingers in place.
6. Try various holdings - look at what happens when you place more pressure on the bow; pressing harder should create a louder noise for example. This way, you can see if your fingers stay in the same correct places when doing different things.

So if you hold the violin bow correctly, then you shall create a much better sound and a smoother action which will help improve other difficult violin playing techniques in the future.

So learning how to play the violin with the correct bow hold shall make a massive difference in the life that you have of playing the stringed instrument.

Jake Jones has played the violin for many years and has created a website where people can Learn how to play the violin in detail. Article Directory: EzineArticles

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Enter the WORLD OF MUSIC

Technology has made our lives simpler and with the new developments in technology not only is life getting simpler but technology is continuing to make more differences in our lives by contributing to various spheres of our lives like entertainment. With the internet, all this has now come to our very doorstep at just the click of the mouse.

Earlier for the purpose of listening to a song at least a visit to your local music store was required and seeing a video meant watching the band perform at one of their concerts or then getting a music video from the music store. Now anytime you wish to listen to some great music or watch a music video just log on and you can watch your favourite songs or watch free music videos and watch music videos in the comfort of your home. There is just no need anymore to venture out, technology has brought everything you desire right into your home or workplace.

There is good news for all music lovers. Now with internet technology, music fans can not only listen to their favourite artists but also watch free lyrics.  All the songs are available at just a click sitting in the comfort of your home. Not only can you now watch songs but also song lyrics and hear and enjoy the music and even sing along with the lyrics and all available to you.

The Internet is a world of choices for all music lovers and provides you all the information and the latest happenings in the music world. You can be up to date on all music news and the current hits on the US top 20 or the singles charts. The music site offers you the flexibility of watching your favourite stars totally uninterrupted(free from all the hosts). The music site is a legal way to watch music unlike using pirated versions.

It not only the music enthusiasts but also the music companies that have realized the potential of the internet as a great marketing tool for promoting their music.  You can not only watch music videos but also rate music videos. This would be useful to the other members in making a decision on their watches and also provides a good feedback to the music companies about the choices or preferences of the fans.

The music site thus provides you access into a whole world of music and music alone where you are the King. You can decide as to what you want and bring it home with just a click. You can then listen to the music of your choice or watch music videos at your own convenience and even rewind and see your favourite music videos over and over again. The world of music is now waiting for you to explore and soak in all that you can. Just log on and at the click, you can venture into this beautiful melodious world and be lost in the tunes and rhythms of your favourite stars.

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Everything You Need to Know About Violin From A-Z - PAGANINI

Hello, today I will be carrying on with my series everything you need to know about violin from A-Z. Today we are on P for Paganini. Paganini is one of the most celebrated violin virtuosi of all time.

During his life, e advanced violin technique by leaps and bounds and created many of the techniques that are taken for granted today.

Niccolò Paganini (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

He was born in Genoa Italy and was the third of six children. At the age of five, Paganini started learning mandolin from his father and moved to the violin at the age of seven. During his childhood, he displayed extraordinary musical talent and earned many musical scholarships.

He studied under many local violinists but quickly outshone his teachers who would refer him to their teachers who he would outstrip who would refer him to their teachers and so on. By the age of 18, he had become famous and wealthy from performing freelance concerts and had developed a major reputation as a gambler and womanizer.

Paganini took to the road performing throughout Europe and his fame soon spread with highly successful concerts in Vienna, London, and Paris. His technical ability and willingness to display it earned him much acclaim.

Paganini's health deteriorated due to mercury poisoning used by the medicine that was at that time used to treat syphilis. He became unable to play the violin and was forced to retire eventually dying of throat cancer. He refused the last rites believing that he had longer to live and died before a priest could perform them. Because of this, he was refused a Christian funeral and his body languished for months before it was finally laid to rest of hallowed ground.

By Eric B Hill Eric B. Hill is an professional violin player and teacher with over 20 years experience. Article Source: EzineArticles

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COUNTRY MUSIC Oldies

Willie Nelson became one of the most popular
country music artists during the 1970s.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Country music has many new artists but also plenty of older ones that still hold the world in awe. Country music oldies still pull at the heart strings of people and take them back to earlier times. There are many great songs out there that have stood the test of time. They have continued to reach out to old and new audiences for decades. These types of country music oldies can really help to bridge the generation gap that seems to always be a barrier in our society.

Just about everyone knows the words to I Fall to Pieces by Patsy Cline. It is a song that we can all relate to as we have all suffered from a broken heart. This is the top country music oldie by female artists that have ever been recorded. Next is Coal Miners Daughter from Loretta Lynn. The story tells about her life growing up poor but also growing up with plenty of love.

George Jones has a country music oldie with the tune He Stopped Loving Her Today. It tells the story of a man that loved a woman so much he continued to do so until the day he died. It is a very touching love song that can still bring a tear to my eye when I hear it. 

Johnny Cash has many great songs that people remember. Two that are oldies people always listen to are I Walk the Line and Ring of Fire. 

If you haven’t taken the time to listen to some country music oldies for a while, you should. It can lift your spirits and take you back to some fond memories of your past. The songs may take on a new meaning from what they once did long ago. You can find complete CDs of country music oldies for your home and your car. You can also download your favorite songs onto your iPod. 

If you have satellite radio, you will be happy to know they dedicate a few channels to country music oldies as well. Much regular radio station understands how many people still yearn for the oldies to be played. They may throw a few into the mix for their listeners on a regular basis. Some of them also have blocks of time dedicated to oldies as well. 

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TRUMPET CARE - The Care and Feeding of a Trumpet

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As a band director, I've come to realize that most trumpet players don't clean their instruments often enough. I've actually seen trumpets that were almost totally clogged with crud. That is the "technical term" for the greenish, grayish, brownish sludge that forms inside an instrument over time. If it's been awhile since you cleaned your trumpet, prepare yourself for what will come out of it, but your trumpet will play better after it's clean.

Trumpets are fairly simple things. They are basically just 4 1/2 feet of brass tubing with valves and slides. It's the careful manufacturing and hand work that make it into a trumpet that plays well. A well-cared-for trumpet of good quality will last minimally 10-20 years with a lot of playing. A trumpet cared for poorly will be trash in a short time.

Although this article makes it sound like cleaning a trumpet is a long and involved process, once you have done it a couple times, it will only take you 15-20 minutes to complete, and it will make your instrument last much longer.

Unlike woodwind instruments (flutes, clarinets, saxophones, etc.), trumpets can be given baths to clean them. In fact, it's the only good way to truly clean them. You could take them to a music repair shop for an "acid bath", but that's really not necessary if given baths once a month or so. Once you get the accumulation of minerals in the horn, it will take an acid bath to remove them, but if you give the horn a bath often, your trumpet usually won't get mineral deposits.

You'll need a flexible cleaning brush or a cleaning snake, a valve casing brush, and a mouthpiece brush. You'll also need silver polish or a silver polishing cloth if it's silver plated, valve oil, and slide grease. I have always used liquid dishwashing soap in lukewarm water to clean my trumpets, but some manufacturers don't recommend the soap. Check with your product information or your manufacturer's website to make sure before you use it.

You'll also need a high-quality valve oil and slide grease if you want to make your trumpet last. Just like a car, the valves of a trumpet need a film of oil on them to work well. I've become sort of fanatical about how my trumpet valves work. I've tried just about every available brand of oil on the market, and I've decided that synthetic oils are the only oils to use. They last longer, and they minimize wear on the valves.

You also need a heavy grease for the main tuning slide and second valve slide. If you don't grease these slides, they will wear, and you'll start to see your slide moving when you least expect it throwing you out of tune...usually at the most inopportune times. They can also stick badly enough that it requires a trip to the repair shop to pull them. If you use a heavy grease, it will last until your next cleaning.

First, fill a bathtub with enough lukewarm water to cover the instrument. Hot water can damage the finish, so it's best avoided. Disassemble all of the instrument, but don't remove the water keys (spit valves), remove any triggers if so equipped, or disassemble the valves. If you have a trigger on the first or third valve slides, you'll need to remove the screw that holds the slide on, but don't remove any of the other parts of the trigger. Trust me, you don't want to try to put a trigger or water key spring back on without the necessary tool.

After it's disassembled, place all of the parts except the valves into the lukewarm water, and let them soak for a few minutes. After the soaking, run the snake through all of the tubings. Don't force it through any of the tight bends. Just go as far as you can. Then scrub the inside of the valve casings with the valve casing brush. After that, run clean water through all the tubing until the water runs clear.

Next, using a soft cloth clean between all the outer tubing to remove any dirt or tarnish. You might need to use silver polish to remove the tarnish on a silver trumpet. Never use silver or brass polish on the outside of a lacquered or "brass" looking trumpet. There is a clear lacquer protecting the finish, and polish can remove it. Next, clean the inside of the bottom valve caps with a paper towel. A lot of the crud settles in these caps.

After all, the tubing on the horn is clean, and the outer surface of the trumpet is clean, it's time to pay attention to the valves. I use one end of the cleaning snake to clean the ports of the valves and rinse them off with soap and water. Be careful inside the ports, You don't want to damage the metal with the end of the brush.

After all that, it's time to reassemble the horn, oil the valves and 1st and 3rd valve slides, and grease the main tuning slide and second valve slide. No, grease does not belong on the third valve slide. it will move too slowly. Oil is all you need. I know that seems like a long process, but it actually takes longer to type it than to do it, and your horn will last longer and play better afterward.

By Harry Richardson Harry Richardson has been a band director for 14 years with college degrees in trumpet performance and music education. For more information on selecting and purchasing trumpets and accessories, please visit http://www.trumpetfinder.com Article Source: EzineArticles

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GOOD SINGING Tone Quality

Glottal cycle, animated (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A common pursuit amongst singers is the quest for a good head and chest voice/tone resonance. Although we have discussed to some extent about head/chest resonance in previous articles, there will still be a lot of confusion on this subject such as balancing tonal brilliance and depth of the resonance.

Blending these two voice qualities or vocal colors is a major source of confusion and frustration for many aspiring singers. However, once you understand how the voice work, blending the vocal colors should become easy and automatic as speaking expressively.

In fact, once you are able to blend the tones, you will begin to sing with more emotion and passion because you will know how to create the tones that will draw out the feelings and the emotions of the songs that you are singing. Some people call it singing with feeling.

It is well established that the head resonance, when properly supported, has a brilliant ringing tone quality as compared to the chest resonance singing tone. This bright voice tone is developed in the bones and cavities above and, behind and around the nose known as the mask.

The result from an unsupported head resonance is very different and is characterized by a false falsetto tone. This oddity occurs when a singer suddenly switches into a choir boy tone.

The resonators have a lot to do with what your voice sounds like. This is why you can listen to many singers with high voices and yet each of them will have a different blend of sound and tonal quality.

Now try this experiment to feel the resonating system of the head. Gently tap your finger on the bone between the upper lip and the nose. Can you hear the gentle thud it made? Now tap the bridge of your nose and then your forehead just below your hairline and again listen to the thugs again.

Did you notice that the thuds were higher in pitch as you ascend from the lip to the forehead? By performing this experiment, you will know that certain bones are predisposed to amplify various pitch levels.

When singers refer to chest resonance, they are actually talking about vocal tone which is characterized by darker vowel qualities or mellowness. However, the term is a misnomer. By dictionary definition, an effective resonating chamber is a hollow place surrounded by hard surfaces. However, the chest is too full of organs to be suitable for amplifying the singing tone.

Throat and chest resonance occurs where there is plenty of empty space for amplification of the lower vibrations created by the vocal cords in the mouth and throat. Contrary to popular thinking, most so-called "chest resonance" actually comes from the throat. However, there is also a distinct sensation of vibration in the chest when singing, especially in the sternum or breastbone area. This feel of tone gathering in the chest area can be used very effectively to stabilize high notes.

So in order to get good singing tone, then you must practice with the right vocal exercises to blend the head and chest tone.

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TENOR SAXOPHONE: Some Basic Techniques and Knowledge

If you're interested in learning how to play tenor saxophone, there's much to learn and much to practice. So, here we would like to share some important tips for learning and mastering the incredibly expressive musical instrument that is that tenor saxophone.

It's important to touch upon the various basic effects that you should be aware of and practice on your tenor saxophone. With these effects under your hat, your playing will be far more adept, musical, and varied. You will also be able to use these effects in your own unique combination so that you can forge your own personal, distinct style of tenor saxophone playing.

Tenor Saxophone - Photo  by   PeterTea 

Flutter Tongue: This is a Growling-like effect that is produced with the tongue. Achieved by placing the tongue very lightly on or close to the roof of the mouth and breathing out heavily through the mouth while blowing.

• Growling: Achieve this by humming while at once blowing.
• Honking: Use this effect to make your tenor sax honk just like a goose.
• Note Bending: Heavily used in jazz and blues playing, bending means you sharpen a sustained note after sounding it non-sharped or even flatted. When you become quite advanced you can also start a note sharp and then bend it down in pitch.
• Slap-tongue: This produces a popping sound.
• Slurring: Fluidly playing up or down a scale without pause.
• Tonguing: With this technique, you use your tongue to touch the reed between notes. By putting your tongue on the edge of the reed in between notes, you make the reed cease from making a sound, and this forces a rhythmic break between the notes that you're playing.
• Trilling: This is a fingering technique-effect. Begin on one note and then rapidly and repeatedly move back and forth between that note and the next one either higher or lower while sustaining your blowing. (Very advanced tenor saxophone players can do Trilling independently of using this fingering method.)
• Vibrato: This brings more depth and color to the note that you're sounding. You should start with the Lip Method and then, once you are more advanced, you can use the more difficult and more subtly expressive Diaphragm Method.

The tenor saxophone is the second most widely played sax in the music world. Exemplars of great virtuosity on the tenor sax include Plas Johnson and Stan Getz. The saxophone is associated with jazz, blues, and some subgenres of rock music, however, it actually began as a classical orchestra instrument, and it's possible to find recordings of classical music making use of the saxophone.

But in addition to learning the effects listed above and listening to tenor saxophone greats to pick up inspiration, in order to play great tenor saxophone [http://www.thebestsaxophones.com/] you need to buy yourself a quality tenor sax. But a quality tenor sax doesn't need to be overly expensive, especially if you are first learning. And yet, you don't want to get a cheap tenor sax that will easily corrode or break, or which won't yield a fulfilling sound. Choose your tenor sax carefully to strike the perfect balance between affordability and quality.

ArticleSource: GoArticles

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HIGHLAND BAGPIPES - Choosing a Highland Bagpipe

The Highland bagpipe, a shortened term for the Great Highland bagpipe, is probably the most popular form of bagpipe today. Also known as Scottish bagpipes, Highland bagpipes are woodwind instruments that originated from Scotland and Ireland. They are known to be the best bagpipes in the world, and are commonly being used in marching bands, musical performances, and symphonic orchestras.

Highland Bagpipe - Photo: Wikimedia

Parts

Highland bagpipes are double-reed instruments that are typically made up of a bag, a chanter, a blowpipe, two tenor drones, and one bass drone. The chanter has a scale in Mixolydian mode with a flattened 7th or leading tone. It has a range of one whole tone lower than the tonic to one octave above it. Meanwhile, the pipe bag has to be inflated with air.

Kinds

Highland bagpipes come in two sets: Highland bagpipe practice sets and Highland bagpipe full sets.

The Highland bagpipe practice set is perfect for beginners and young players who want to master the art of bag piping. It is the cheapest kind of bagpipe set and is very easy to use.

A practice chanter allows for easy playing. It also does not have drones, allowing the player to practice proper breath control and maintain optimal bag pressure. Most practice sets also come with stealth features so other people will not be disturbed by its sound.

Meanwhile, Highland bagpipe full sets consist of a pipe bag, a chanter, a blowpipe, one bass drone, and two tenor drones. The chanter plays in the Mixolydian scale ranging from the key of low G to the key of high A. It is commonly used by pipe bands in military and civilian performances.

Buying tips

When looking to buy Highland bagpipes, look for one that has a sturdy reed for better-quality, more stable, and trouble-free sound production.

Also, determine your level of knowledge in bag piping. Buy practice sets if you are a beginner.

By Ilse Hagen - Article Source: EzineArticles

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How Much Can A SAXOPHONE Cost

Adolphe Sax (1814-1894),
inventor of the saxophone
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A brass instrument with the characteristics that are similar to woodwind instruments. It shares a number of similarities with the clarinet. A Belgian born instrument maker, Adolphe Sax, invented the saxophone in 1846. There are four different types of available in the world today, alto, tenor, soprano and baritone. All of these have different characteristics that make them unique. The price range of new sax can vary widely, based on:

• Manufacturer: The price range depends highly on the brand or manufacturer. There are a number of famous brands known for manufacturing high quality instruments. Yamaha and Selmer are top saxophone brands. These may be expensive but they are the standards against which all other brands are measured. Yamaha, regardless of the type, range between $1300 and $4000. Selmer sax, on the other hand, are slightly more expensive. Their price ranges between $2000 and $7500. Yanagisawa and Keilwerth are also known brands. You can buy their saxophones at reasonable prices.

• Type of saxophone: the four different types of saxophones have varying prices. An alto may be purchased for as low as $200 but the quality would not be very good. An expensive alto sax ranges from $4000 to $8000. An inexpensive tenor can be bought for $300, whereas the expensive ones cost about $6000. Soprano saxophones also range between $300 and $6000. Baritones are the most expensive type. Their price may be as low as $1000 or as high as $12000.

• Material: the prices of saxophones are also dependent on the material that is used in their manufacturing. Although, saxophones are brass instruments, they can be made of a number of materials. Various manufacturers have tried using diverse materials in the manufacturing of saxophones. The most common saxophones are made of brass and their price ranges between $200 and $7000. Other saxophones made of materials like stainless steel, bronze and polycarbonate can be purchased within the same price range as well. Saxophones that have silver or gold plating have a much higher price range.

If you do not want to buy a new saxophone due to monetary limitations, you can always look for good deals for used saxophones. Although, there is no guarantee that used saxophones will be worth your money, you can always buy cautiously and get the best option available. Moreover, you can find various websites that have new saxophones for sale at reasonable prices. It is recommended for beginners and students to try their hand on a less expensive saxophone. Professionals, however, should always buy high quality branded saxophones. The price of the saxophone can also vary if accessories like saxophone case and neck strap are bought along with the instrument.

By Garry Hamilton - Article Source: EzineArticles

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