Overtones!

Remember how overtones or harmonics work? In our beginning classes we broke a sound wave produced by a plucked string or air-blown tube (the fundamental) in half and then in half again and then another half and we just kept going. We end up with partials (or overtones) in the order of 8, 5, 8, 3, 5, 7 (do, sol, do, mi, sol, te) and so on... These are the basic fundamentals of keys, chords and natural harmonic progressions.

Every time you change the fundamental (string or airwave) you have a whole new set of overtones! We have heard this on our brass instruments. Different lengths of tubing make different fundamentals. These are controlled by only 3-4 pistons or valves. All the notes (or partials) in between are produced by changing the embouchure (the position of the lips, tongue and teeth) and the air pressure.

Again, we can see how overtones work by the harmonics on guitar strings. We know that we can get the octave (do) at the 12th fret (half way), the 5th (sol) at the 7th fret (half of the first half) and the octave again at the 5th fret (half of the last half).
But have you ever heard overtones performed by the human voice? There is actually a way to sing a low fundamental and then sing (yes, two notes at the same time) a high overtone melody. This is called human multi-phonics or, more correctly Tuvan throat singing. When you first hear this style singing, it sounds like a very loud drone. That is the fundamental. But if you listen very closely, the overtone part can be heard very high above it – like whistling. It is definitely harder to hear but it is the most interesting part.

Check out this link and comment on it. The guy is pretty funny – and looks like he might pass out a few times but it is amazing how he produces the high overtones. Give him a chance and then tell me what you think.  Did you hear the high celtic sounding melody? Which of the seven styles did you like the most?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zZainT9v6Q

For extra credit, check out a guy singing “Amazing Grace” in overtones (you really have to listen for it but it is definitely there) and then explaining how you can Tuvan throat sing. Don’t hurt yourself trying OK?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFWYSW4vfcA&feature=fvw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a940YFaRI50&feature=fvw

Is It For Real?

We are living in a virtual age. While that is a no brainer for you guys, for someone just a little over a decade older than you, I have a hard time with this. I grew up with no TV, no cell phone, no computer and no X-Box. I played outside and made up my own adventures. We grew our own food in the garden. My relationships were face to face – not Facebook to Facebook or text to text. I loved tangible, live, acoustic sounds. I felt alive and connected to everyone and everything.


And that is what is so strange to me about the virtual world. We are more connected than ever but relationships are so fragile and shallow it scares me. We feel alone and isolated. We retreat into our fantasy worlds of X-boxes, texts and iPods. We watch movies to stimulate a feeling of being alive. Reality is boring or it hurts. Don’t get too defensive on me. We are all doing this on some level or another. I admit I would rather text than speak to someone face to face – or even voice to voice.

I’m not necessarily saying that technology is bad – it’s just not what I grew up with so I have a hard time with it. A lot of people will automatically say that something that feels strange or different is bad. I think God made us smart enough to invent technology so it can be just as good as it can be bad – it just depends on how we use it.

What does all this have to do with music? Well, I really have a hard time with electronic gadgets and sound effects when it comes to music. It feels like canned sound to me. Canned peaches are cool but nothing compared to a peach picked right off the tree. In the same way, the acoustic violin sounds worlds better than keyboard strings. But that is too bad for me because the musical world is being taken over by electronic and digital gadgets. Some of them sound pretty good too. Electric guitar is definitely a keeper in my book.

What I would like to do this week is have you respond to my rambling. Listen to this link and tell me your opinion of this virtual age – YOUR age. Have you ever stopped to think what your life would be like without all the modern gadgets (no movies, no games, no cell phones, no apps or GPS’s…)? How much are we like the music in this link? Do you find this music beautiful (I admit that I do), disturbing or both? How real are you? On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being total reality and 1 being completely caught up in a virtual existence, where are you?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7o7BrlbaDs&feature=related (You may stop it at 4:36)

Feel free to post more electronic/digital/virtual music for extra credit – as long as it is Band Room appropriate.

Interpretation and Comparison

Pretty good comments for the first week. Make sure you are listening to the new posts AT LEAST TWICE. Three times is much better. Listen to it once without commenting. Listen to it again to see what you missed the first time. Then listen to it again as you comment. This isn't about hearing music, it's about understanding it.


We are on separate assignments again this week.

BAND: Compare these two versions and answer the following questions:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tGA6bpscj8&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceIpM_bLSTA
            1) What are at least two main MUSICAL differences (not visual)?
            2) Some say that conductors should always try to interpret the score exactly as the composer would
                want it. If you were a composer and someone were conducting or performing your piece how
                much would you want them to stick to what you wanted?
            3) As a performer, how much do you think we (the Band) ought to stick to exactly what the
                composer wants?


CHOIR: Compare these two versions and answer the following questions:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsLiivVgxmM&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqIeEMdCOCk
           1) What are at least two main MUSICAL differences (not visual)?
           2) Some say that conductors should always try to interpret the score exactly as the composer would
               want it. If you were a composer and someone were conducting or performing your piece how
               much would you want them to stick to what you wanted?
           3) As a performer, how much do you think we (the Band) ought to stick to exactly what the
               composer wants?


STRINGS: Compare these two and answer the following:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJyiWsp-FJs&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w94_eIpRUro&feature=related
         1) Name two ways in which these pieces differ
         2) Name two ways in which they are the same.


GUITAR: Listen to this link and answer the following questions:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muUzaCFPxOg&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxQhEHwSUyQ&feature=related

         1) In what 2 MUSICAL (not visual) ways are these songs the same, besides the fact that they are the
             same song? 
         2) In what 2 MUSICAL ways are these songs different?

Welcome Back!

This week we are going to try to split assignments.  Here is what I would like you to do:

BAND: Click here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tGA6bpscj8&feature=related
              Answer the following questions:

                     What is this piece?
                     Who is the composer conductor?
                     Pick a musical aspect and comment on it in at least 5 sentences.
                  
CHOIR:  Click here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsLiivVgxmM&feature=related
            Answer the following questions:
                     What is this piece?
                     Who is the composer and conductor?
                     Pick a musical aspect and comment on it in at least 5 sentences.

STRINGS:  Click here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJyiWsp-FJs&feature=related
           Answer the following questions:
                    What is the piece?
                    Who is the composer
                    What is the instrumentation?
                    Pick a musical aspect and comment on it in at least 5 sentences.

GUITAR: Click here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tH2w6Oxx0kQ
          Answer the following questions:
                   What is the piece?
                   Who is the group?
                   Pick a musical aspect and comment on it in at least 5 sentences.

Have fun!