1. How Music Works, Part III: Dynamics, Timbre, and Instruments
Chapter 5

2. Dynamics Dynamics – loudness, softness
Absolute (amplitude, measured in decibels)
Relative
heavy metal band [PL 5-1] vs. solo flute [PL 5-2]
Dynamic levels
Dynamic range
Crescendo vs. decrescendo (Figs. 5.1, OMI #12)
Terraced dynamics (Fig 5.2, OMI #13)

3. Timbre
The character or quality of a musical sound – what it “sounds like”
Steel band [PL 5-3]
Saxophone vs. flute timbres [OMI #14, Fig. 5.3]
Scientifically, timbre a product of relationship between fundamental pitch and its overtones (harmonics)
Didgeridoo duet [PL 5-4]
Mongolian khoomii [PL 5-5]

4. Signature Sounds Tenor saxophonists Vocalists
John Coltrane [PL 5-6]
Lester Young [PL 5-7, starting at 0:14]
Vocalists
Beyoncé [Pl 5-8]
Bob Dylan [PL 5-9]
Louis Armstrong [PL 5-10]
In OMI #15, five “versions” of the same tone (two saxophonists, two male singers, two female singers)
How would you describe these different timbres? Distinguish one from the other?

5. Language of Timbre
“…descriptive language associated with timbre in English and other Western languages tends to be rather impressionistic, consisting of a veritable grab-bag of different types of metaphors” (p. 63)
tone color (the master metaphor of timbre)
textures (gravelly, velvety, airy—not to be confused with musical textures)
human anatomy (nasal, guttural, throaty)
metaphysics (ethereal, heavenly, otherworldly)
emotions (cheery, somber, melancholy)
technological “spheres” (industrial, techno, space-age),
socioeconomic classes (rich, majestic)
food (creamy, sweet)

6. Timbres of Various World Instruments (OMI #16, Table 5.1, p.63)
Time Description
0:00–0:06 Indonesian angklung
0:07–0:18 Mexican guitarrón
0:19–0:26 Ugandan madinda (amadinda “xylophone”)
0:27–0:37 Native American powwow drum
0:38–0:48 Javanese gong
0:49–0:53 Japanese sho (mouth organ)
0:54–0:59 West African axatse (rattle)
1:00–1:07 Appalachian dulcimer
1:08–1:19 Balinese suling (bamboo flute)
1:20–1:24 Andean siku panpipes

7. Music Instruments Why not “musical instruments?”
Music instrument = any sound-generating medium used to produce tones in the making of music.
OMI #16 (sound illustrations of 10 world music instruments)
Instrumentation: the types of instruments (potentially including voices) and the number of each

8. Music Instrument Classification
Ancient systems: China, India, etc.
’Are’are system: ’au = “bamboo”; includes bamboo panpipes [PL 5-11] but also radios, electric guitars, etc. Why?
Hornbostel-Sachs Classification System (1914)
Chordophones (sound activation – vibration of string[s])
Aerophones (air passing through tube/resonator vibrates)
Membranophones (stretched “membrane” vibrates)
Idiophones (“self-sounders”—body of instrument vibrates)
Electronophones class added much later

9. Chordophones
Instruments in which the sound is activated by the vibration of a string or strings (chords) over a resonating chamber
Guitar
Violin
’Ud [PL 5-12]
Vina [PL 5-13]
Rebab [PL 5-14]
Koto [PL 5-15]
Zheng [PL 5-16]
Piano?

10. Aerophones
Sounds of aerophones emerge from vibrations created by the action of air passing through a tube or some other kind of resonator
Flute, clarinet, bassoon, and oboe
Trumpet, trombone, French horn, and tuba
Bamboo panpipes [PL 5-17]
Japanese shakuhachi flute [PL 5-18]
(end-blown, as opposed to side-blown)
Irish tinwhistle [PL 5-19]
Didgeridoo [PL 5-20]
Pipe organ (church organ)

11. Membranophones
Instruments in which the vibration of a membrane (natural or synthetic) stretched tightly across a frame resonator produces the sound
Generally speaking, drums
Timpani (kettledrums) [PL 5-21]
Kanjira [PL 5-22]
Mrdangam [PL 5-23]
Kazoo?

12. Idiophones
Instruments in which the vibration of the body of the instrument itself (rather than a string, air tube, or membrane) produces the sound.
Generally speaking, percussion instruments other than drums
Gamelan metallophones [PL 5-24]
Steel drum (pan) [PL 5-25]
Mbira dzavadzimu [PL 5-26 and OMI #17]
Combination membranophone/idiophones
Tambourine (OMI #18)
Drum set (Neal Peart drum solo, “YYZ”) [PL 5-27, 2:21-5:32]

13. Electronophones Electronophones
Extension of the Hornbostel-Sachs system (fifth category)
“Pure” (synthesizer) vs. “hybrid” (electric guitar) electronophones
Digital sampling vs. digital synthesis (OMI #19, #20)
Ray Charles “Hallelujah, I Love Her So”[PL 5-28]
D.R.A.M. “Cash Machine” [PL 5-29], based on sample of RC “Hallelujah”
Paul Lansky, “Notjustmoreidlechatter” (electroacoustic music) [PL 5-30]
Digital synthesis – synthesizers (The Who [PL 5-31], George Clinton [PL 5-32]
Sound generator vs. sound modifier
GAMES Model – Bakan et al. 1990
Recording (Edison phonograph, 1877)
Multitrack recording, overdubbing
The Beatles, “A Day in the Life” (George Martin) [PL 5-33]