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http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks2/music/piano/organ.htm
Music STAR Skills
Music is a very interesting and entertaining skill to learn and
participate in. Playing music creates tunes for songs, dance and
can communicate to many people at once through artistic sound.
The power of sound through music can provide one type of
communication that brings many people together as one.
There are many different instruments that can be played to form
a variety of music sounds. They all complement singing and
dancing very well. When put together that form harmony in either
a band, orchestra or concert.
   
Piano
The piano is one of the
musical instrument played by
means of a
keyboard that produces sound by
striking steel strings with
felt hammers. The hammers are controlled mechanically and
strike the strings when the player's hands press the piano keys.
These hammers then play by rebound allowing the strings to
continue vibrating at their
particular
frequency. These vibrations are then transmitted through a
bridge to a
soundboard that allows them to
be heard in the music that is played. Another adaptation of the
piano is the electronic keyboard.
Violin
The violin is the a
bowed
string instrument with four
strings tuned in
perfect fifths. It is also the
smallest and highest-pitched member of the
violin family of string
instruments, which also includes the
viola and
cello. sopr.
When it is played, It is held under the chin, resting on the
shoulder. The violin has a lovely tone that can be soft and
expressive or exciting and brilliant. Another name for the
violin is also the fiddle. This is why a person who plays the
violin is called a violinist or fiddler.
Bass
The base actually refers to a variety of instruments that can be
collectively regarded as bass instruments since they produce
tones that are in the same low-pitch
range. They belong to different families of instruments
and can cover a wide range of musical roles.
Since producing low pitches usually requires a long air column
or string, the string and wind bass instruments are usually the
largest instruments in their families or instrument classes.
Basses are constructed from several types of wood, including
maple for the back, spruce for the top, and ebony for the
fingerboard. Like many other string instruments the double bass
is played either with a bow or by plucking the strings. In jazz
music, the bass is mostly plucked, except for some solos which
are performed with the bow. In most other genres, such as blues
and rockabilly, the bass is plucked.
Guitar
The guitar is a popular
musical instrument
which actually has
ancient roots that are used in a wide variety of musical styles.
It typically has six
strings, but
four,
seven,
eight,
ten, and
twelve string guitars exist as well.
The guitar
is recognized as one of the primary instruments in the
categories of rock and blues, country, and many types of pop
music. Guitars may be played with the fingers or a pick,
where the tone is produced by vibration of the strings and
modulated by the hollow body, or they may rely on an electric
speaker that can electronically manipulate tone. The electric
guitar was introduced in the 20th century and continue to have a
profound influence on the popular modern culture.
Flute
The flute is an instrument that is played solely by blowing
through the mouthpiece and changing the notes with your fingers.
on the air holes. In its most basic form, the flute can be an
open tube which is blown like a bottle. In most flutes, the
musician blows directly across the edge of the mouthpiece.
However, some flutes, such as the whistle, have a duct
that directs the air onto the edge .
The flute basically produces its sound from the flow of air
against an edge and is a common component of a band or
orchestra. Unlike today's modern flute, Early times saw flutes
made from wood or bamboo.
I
Drums
The drum kit is part of the percussion that is a
collection of
drums,
cymbals and sometimes other
percussion instruments, such as
a
cowbell,
wood block,
chimes or
tambourines. They are all put
together to allow one drummer play the whole drum set from the
one seat.
The actual instruments of a drum kit are struck by a variety of
implements held in the hands. These include sticks, brushes, and
mallets. However the feat are also used to beat the bass drum,
played with a foot-operated pedal, and the cymbals, which use a
foot pedal in addition to the normal striking motion.
The exact collection of the drum kit components depends on
factors like musical style, personal preference, financial
resources, and transportation options of the drummer. Cymbal,
hi-hat, and tom-tom stands, as well as bass drum pedals and
drummer thrones
Clarinet
The clarinet, like the flute, is an instrument in the
woodwind family. The name comes from meaning a particular
type of
trumpet, as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar
to that of a trumpet. The clarinet is basically a cylinder shape
and plays by blowing through the mouth piece and using fingers
to control the notes played.
Clarinet bodies are made from a variety of materials.
These include using wood, plastic, rubber and metal.The vast
majority of clarinets used by professional musicians are made
from hardwood. In previous times other woods, including one
called boxwood, were used
Trumpet
The trumpet is an instrument in the brass family. A
musician who plays the trumpet
is called a trumpet player or trumpeter. The trumpet is
constructed of mainly
brass tubing bent into a rough
spiral. The trumpet and
trombone share a similar
cylinder shape, which results
in a bright, loud sound.
The shape is actually a complex series of metals which is
smaller at the mouthpiece receiver and larger just before the
flare of the bell begins. It was important to carefully design
these shapes to ensure the
tone of the instrument is kept.
In comparison, the
cornet and
flugelhorn have similar shapes
and produce a more mellow tone
Cello
The Cello is actually the abbreviation of violoncello. The
reason for its name is because of its similarity to the violin.
The cello is a bowed string instrument,
which is played while
seated. Its weight is supported mainly by its
endpin or spike, which rests on
the floor. It is then steadied on the lower bout between the
knees of the seated player and on the upper bout against the
upper chest. The neck of the cello is above the player's left
shoulder, and the C-String tuning peg is just behind the left
ear.
To play the notes, the
bow is drawn horizontally
across the strings. Changing notes is all controlled from the
top hand on the strings. This person who plays a cello is called
a
cellist.
The cello is used as a solo instrument, in
chamber music, and as a
member of the
string section of an orchestra
Organ
The organ is a
keyboard instrument played
using one or more
manuals and a
pedal board. It works using
wind moving through metal or wood pipes and/or it uses sampled
organ sounds to produce the sound.
Its sounds, which vary widely in timbre and volume, are
made according to ranks and controlled by the use of
stops.
Organs vary greatly in size, ranging from one metre to the
height of a five story building. They are mostly located in
churches, concert halls, and homes. The organ is one of the
oldest
musical instruments in the
Western musical tradition, and
carries a rich history connected with
Christian liturgy and civic
ceremony
Saxophone
The saxophone is an
instrument
usually considered a member of the
woodwind
family. Saxophones are also known as 'the Sax' and are usually
made of
brass
and are played with a
single-reed
mouthpiece,
very similar to the
clarinet.
The saxophone is very popular in its intended music type of
military bands as well as, being most commonly associated with
types of popular music, big bands and particularly jazz music.
Many festivals use saxophones and jazz music to add excitement
and entertainment to the crowd and it is also very good music to
dance to.
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