Once you have become acquainted with the examples in the first chapters, you should have a more solid understanding of pitch, range, and tone in both instruments and voices. Now, let us delve into the wide variety of musical sounds that the human voice is capable of producing. When crafting your response, consider factors such as range, societal purpose, historical era, and regional styles.
Falsetto is the lightest register and requires loose vocal cords and incomplete closure, resulting in a breathy voice that can sound feminine. Although it is usually used by men, women in higher voices also utilize falsetto voice adjustments. Falsetto is a higher range than the head voice and relies on completely relaxed vocal folds, which may produce a breathy sound. For example, think of the Bee Gees singing “Staying’ Alive” or Terry Jones portraying an old woman in Monty Python; those are examples of the sound of the falsetto voice.
Singing in the falsetto register is challenging and usually low in volume, unless there is resonance amplification from a well-tuned vocal tract. It can be physically demanding for many men. The falsetto range is separate from the head voice range, and singers often don’t include it when describing their vocal capabilities. Falsetto is a technique that allows singers to produce higher-pitched sounds than their usual range. However, falsetto can also refer to artificially raising the speaking pitch, which sometimes happens temporarily and repeatedly in males during puberty due to social reasons.
The break between voice registers, audible or not, is known as the passing. Male countertenors use the falsetto register to imitate the classical voice register that was formerly performed by castrati in compositions written prior to the prohibition of castration and its social rejection. Additionally, male rock and roll singers like Jon Anderson of Yes, King Diamond of Merciful Fate, Justine Hawkins of the Darkness, and solo artist David Usher employ the falsetto register to create their exaggerated high-pitched vocals.
Many people believe that women are not able to have or use falsetto due to their physical differences from males. However, there are many female singers, like Maria Carrey, who do utilize falsetto in order to expand their vocal range. The whistle register, which is the most poorly understood vocal register, involves vibration occurring only in a specific anterior portion of the vocal folds. This shorter vibrating length makes it easier to produce high pitches, although the physiological process behind this is currently unknown.
Although the whistle register is typically utilized for creating pitches higher than E, it is also capable of producing lower pitches. According to the physiological definition provided, it is characterized by the configuration of the vocal folds rather than a range of pitches. However, due to the absence of a universally accepted classification system for vocal registers, alternative definitions are often encountered. For further insights, please refer to the article on vocal registration. [edit] Within European classical music, the whistle register is seldom required. When it is utilized, it is exclusively performed by coloratura sopranos for pitches above CO.
One of the most well-known examples of the whistle register in European classical music is the aria “Deer H¶lee Reach stock in mine Herein” from the opera Die Jabberer¶tee. This aria requires several pitches above CO, up to IF. In contrast, the whistle register is used more frequently and with more variety in popular music of the West. It produces much higher pitches than what is typically called for in classical music. Although it is primarily used by females, with Maria Carrey being its most famous exponent, there are also a few male singers who utilize the whistle register.
For a more comprehensive list and more detailed information on individual singers, please refer to the category “Whistle register singers” (linked below). The whistle register has non-musical uses as well. One famous example is its ability to shatter glass when properly pitched. Additionally, it is common for children of all genders and for young women to emit a loud shrieking sound that resembles the whistle register, although it is uncertain if the physiological mechanism is the same. Widening (or wheedling) is a singing technique that involves rapidly transitioning from the chest voice to the head voice, resulting in a high-low-high-low sound.
This vocal technique can be found in various cultures worldwide. It originated in the Swiss Alps as a means of communication between mountain peaks in Swiss folk music and eventually became integrated into the region’s traditional music. In Persian and Gazer Classical music, singers frequently employ tartar, a technique that involves oscillating on adjacent tones. In Georgian traditional music, the technique known as wheedling assumes a criminal form. In Central Africa, Pigmy singers incorporate yodels into their intricate polyphonic singing.
In American bluegrass and country music, widening is frequently utilized. To yodel, a person sings a scale continuously upward until their voice transitions into their “head voice” or falsetto in men. This transition is referred to as the “voice break.” Afterwards, the individual must descend a note and then ascend again above the voice break, repeating this process at a high volume. Moreover, choose four musical instruments that represent the four families of instruments. Provide a description of each instrument’s physical appearance, how sound is produced, and their most common use in music.
Four musical instruments : The trumpet is a brass wind musical instrument with a part cylindrical, part conical bore. It is in the shape of a flattened loop and has three piston valves to regulate the pitch. Its origin dates back to ancient times; simple valueless trumpets were found in China as early as 2000 B.C. The trumpet is also mentioned in the Bible and in Greek and Roman history. It took its present shape in the early 15th century and became an important ceremonial instrument at that time. By Monteverdi Refer’s opera in 1607, it was already being used in the orchestra, and later in the century, it became a standard orchestral instrument.
At this time, the trumpet did not have valves and had a well-developed technique for playing in the higher range, with a complete diatonic scale available. Compositions by Bach and Handel were written with this style in mind. However, in the later part of the 18th century, the bright quality of the trumpet was not desired and it started being used more in its lower range. A mute could be used to tone down some of its stridency. Crooks, which were additional lengths of tubing, were added to the natural trumpet to enable pitch adjustment.
The trumpet was originally played by a clumsy method and was later improved with the addition of valves in the early 19th century. It is now commonly played in B flat. Richard Wagner was the first to request a bass trumpet in C. The trumpet is an essential instrument in dance and jazz bands. On the other hand, a drum is a percussion instrument that exists in various forms and has been played worldwide throughout history. Typically, a drum consists of a frame with one or more stretched membranes or skins. The frame can be cylindrical, conical, or have other shapes.
When the hand or an implement, typically a stick or a whisk, strikes the membrane, it functions as a resonator. The drum’s tone variety and sound volume are determined by the membrane’s area, tension, and material, but more importantly, by the player’s skill. Drum playing can involve highly intricate rhythms, particularly in Asian and African cultures with their complex polytechnic arrangements. In modern orchestras, a single player may handle up to five drums, enabling a wide range of tones.
The kettledrum is unique in Western music as it can be tuned to a specific pitch. It features a metal bowl with a stretched membrane on one side. This drum originated in Persia and later became popular across Asia, Africa, and Europe, eventually becoming part of orchestral music. Initially, the kettledrum was tuned using hand screws around the edge, but now it can be tuned using a pedal mechanism. In contrast, the bass drum is a large wooden cylinder with drumheads at both ends and is widely used in military bands.
The snare drum, also known as the side drum, has a drumhead on each end. One end has gut strings wound with wire, producing a rattling sound when struck. The tenor drum is often used in military bands and is played with small felt sticks. The tambourine, which dates back to Roman times, is a small drum with one head. It typically has jingles attached to its frame and can be shaken or struck by hand. The violin belongs to a family of stringed musical instruments that have wooden bodies with slightly convex backs and fronts. These fronts are decorated with two assonance holes shaped like florins.
The instruments from the violin family, including the violin, viola, and cello, are dominant bowed instruments known for their versatility, brilliance, and balance of tone. They possess a wide dynamic range and can produce various sounds through different types of bowing or by plucking the string (pizzicato). The violin holds great significance as it is considered the most important member of the family. It serves as the principal orchestral instrument and holds an equivalent position in chamber music and solo performances. Notably, the technique of playing the violin was developed earlier compared to that of the viola or cello. It’s worth noting that while related to violins, double basses are classified as viols rather than violins.
The flute is a type of wind instrument used in music. It encompasses various instruments such as the fife, the flageolet, the panpipes, the piccolo, and the recorder. All flutes produce sound when an airstream is directed against an edge, creating eddies that generate vibrations in the enclosed air within the tube. The transverse flute, which is the main flute used in orchestras today, has its edge located on the side of the instrument’s mouth hole where the player blows. The oldest known archaeological remains of any musical instrument are bone and ivory flutes that were discovered in southwest Germany and date back at least 42,000 years.
The bone flute discovered in East Central China, dating back almost 9,000 years, is the oldest complete and playable flute. This transverse flute has been used in various cultures since the 9th century, including Europe. During the baroque period, both the recorder and transverse flute were utilized in orchestras. In 1672, Lully incorporated the latter into his compositions. As the classical era began, the more powerful transverse flute replaced the recorder due to its superior dynamic range. Oddball Boone’s advancements in the 19th century led to the modern form of flutes which are now commonly made from silver instead of wood. Flutes are renowned for their brilliance and agility among woodwind instruments and have a substantial repertoire for solo and chamber music. Although flutes can be made in different keys, C flute has become the standard while there is also an alto flute tuned a fourth lower than regular flutes represented as a transposing unstrung meet in notation.
For this week’s activity, spend half to one hour paying attention to and taking note of the music you hear while watching TV shows or walking at a mall. Observe how music permeates every aspect of our lives including recurring presence of intense music during sports events and even commercials. After recording your observations, provide a comprehensive summary of your discoveriesDid you observe a large number of percussion and brass instruments, electronic sounds, or any other noticeable patterns? Was there any recognizable pattern at all, or was it completely random?
While walking in a mall, I was captivated by music that caused me to lose track of my tasks. The music played in shopping stores has the ability to draw in customers and lead them to the stores. Additionally, I observed that sporting events often feature energetic music, characterized by the presence of percussion instruments such as drums, bells, and brass instruments. This creates an exhilarating and inspiring atmosphere for both the teams and their fans.
