Music

Music
• Music is art and culture is reflected in art.
• The more music a person knows, the more cultured
he becomes.
• Basically, music deals with sound. The mediums of
music are:
1. The sound produced by man (Vocal
music)
2. The sound produced by an instrument
(Instrumental music)
The Vocal Music

• The vocal music is the oldest and natural form of

music. Our voice is produced by the vibrations of
the vocal chords in our voice box. Since the sound
produced by these vibrations is not loud enough to
be heard, resonators (lungs, esophagus, head and
mouth cavities) are needed to increase the volume
of the voice. Hence correct position of the body,
head and mouth will enable the air to vibrate freely.
A. Correct Posture

• Standing correctly allows the air in the different

body cavities to vibrate and flow fully. Keeping one
foot forward will help maintain body balance. When
seated while singing, keep your back away from
the chairs in a rising position.
B. Correct Breathing

• The quality and volume of the voice depends upon

breathing. DIAPHRAGMATIC Breathing is
advisable– a breathing supported by the
diaphragm. Here, proper exhalation (putting out air)
and inhalation (taking in air) is necessary.
Correct Breathing
• Do this:
1. Open your mouth and put your left palm in front of it. Feel the
warm air as you exhale. Do it again as you put the right palm
in the location of you diaphragm. You feel that your diaphragm
muscles are receding. Repeat. Now, you sing , “Ah”, with the
pitch of A. When you sing “Ah”, you are exhaling.
2. Sing ”Ah” as in no.1. Sustain it for 10 counts. Observe what
happens when you stop singing. You observe that the
diaphragm muscles expand to give room for the incoming air.
This is the proper way of inhaling when singing.
C. Correct Placement of the Voice

• To develop good tone quality, never force out the

voice to prevent throating singing. Project the voice
upward towards the head to produce a good tonal
quality.
D. Correct Diction

• Diction has nothing to do with air vibration but it is

important singing utterance. Good diction includes
correct pronunciation, clean enunciation, and
distinct articulation. Good diction conveys the
meaning of the song to the listeners. To bring out
the meaning of the song, it is important to sing it in
an expressive manner.
E. Correct Interpretation

• To interpret the song properly, the vocalist should

make the message clear as it is sung. The text and
the music convey the meaning of the song. The
face, eyes, hands and other parts of the body
assist the voice in conveying the meaning of the
song. Without correct interpretation, a song
becomes dull and uninteresting.
Classification of Vocal Music

1. Long Vocal Forms

Includes: Opera, Cantata, Oratorio, Moro-moro,
Zarzuela
2. Short Vocal Forms
Includes: Folk songs, art songs, kundiman, balitaw,
donza-habanera, anthem, motet, madrigal, ballad, chorale,
round/cannon, area
Voice Classification
Voice differs according to timbre (quality) and range. As to timbre, they are classified
into:
1. Women’s voices
1. Soprano: Tone is lighter in character, less somber and frequently more flexible. It is
classified into:
A. Coloratura soprano: highest and lightest of all voices.
B. Mezzo soprano: it is a medium high in tonal quality.
C. Lyric soprano: is less high and flute-like. It is suited to sweet
songs like melodies.
2. Alto or Contralto: the tone is richer and fuller.
2. Men’s Voices
1. Tenor: the highest type in men’s voices
2. Baritone: the voice is between tenor and bass.
3. Bass: lowest and deepest voice quality
The Instrumental Music
Musical instruments are the second medium in music. Forms of
instrumental music are classified into:
1. Sonata: A long composition for solo instrument, consisting of
large sections called movements. This movements are the allegro,
andante, and rondo. An example is Sonata in C Major by composer
Wolfgang A. Mozart.
The Instrumental Music
2. Suite: A series of musical pieces that tells a story. A music that
tells a story is called program music and a music that tells no story
is absolute music. Example: “Nutcracker Suite” composed by Peter
Tchaikowsky.
3. Symphony: a sonata for the orchestra. Ludwig Van Beethoven
(1770-1827) was the great musician remembered for his immortal
symphonies.
The Instrumental Music
4. Concerto: a sonata for solo and orchestra designed to show –off
the virtuosity of the soloist. Some of the greatest concerto musicians
were J.S. Bach and Vivaldi.
5. Chamber music: written for two solo instruments (violin and
flutes) and basso continuo (low string and keyboard) and usually in
several movements. Chamber music is classified into sonata da
camara (chamber sonata) and sonata da Chiesa (Church sonata).
Some composers of chamber music were Vitali, J.S. Bach, Torelli ad
Purchelli.
The Different Musical Instruments

THREE MAIN TYPES Four Groupings

1. The instruments which 1. Strings
are bowed
2. Brass
2. Instruments which are
blown 3. Woodwinds
3. Instruments which are 4. Percussion
struck
String Instruments
1. Violin
2. Viola
3. Violoncello
4. String Bass
Brass Instruments
1. Trumpet
2. French Horn
3. Trombone
4. Tuba
Woodwinds Instruments
1. Piccolo
2. Flute
3. Clarinet
4. Oboe
5. English horn
6. Bass clarinet
7. Bassoon
8. Contrabassoon
Percussion Instruments
1. Snare Drum
2. Bass Drum
3. Cymbals
4. Triangle