Study Guide
Musique concrète
Introduction to Musique Concrète
Listen to the Spotify playlist of OHM Gurus
Lab tutorials
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Specifications for the musique concrète étude for the MUST 121 class
Record an interesting source sound with an adequate amplitude that has direction. Create an account at freesound.org and upload your sound there. Create a portfolio for your work in MUST 121 with the free Weebly subdomain named must121YourLastName.weebly.com. For example, Coleman Albaugh's portfolio will have the address "must121albaugh.weebly.com". Remember to publish your changes so that they are visible to others. One of the pages in your portfolio should be named "Musique concrete". On that page:
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Sequencing
Expression: Clara Rockmore
When a composer writes a piece of music they usually have a series of notes they want played in a certain order and with a specific rhythm. These can be notated in a musical score. The fine details that a musician introduces when performing a score are too numerous for the composer to write down, including the dynamics of each note, subtleties of timing, and how one note connects to the next, areas in which the performer is allowed to add their expression in how the notes are played. The amount of expression that an instrument offers to a musician depends on the range of control they have over it. For example, the violin can be an extremely expressive instrument because the performer has control in their left hand over the exact position of the finger on the neck (tuning), alternations of movement above and below the center position (vibrato), and how much sliding there is between notes (portamento). The right hand applies different amounts of pressure on the bow as it crosses the strings, its speed, angle, and position on the string. The reasons that the instrument is so expressive are among the same reasons that it is difficult to learn to play. It may take years before other people enjoy the sounds a beginning is learning to produce. On the other hand, the piano is less expressive in this sense. One might think that the piano is a string instrument as there are obviously so many strings inside it, but what is key is that pressing down the keys causes hammers to fly, hit the strings, and bounce off, making the piano a percussion instrument. Once the hammer is put in motion there is no exchange of energy between the pianist’s finger and the string when it is hit. The pianist can then only wait for the note to die out, or release the key which mutes it, and has no ability to change the tone or volume of a note that is sounding the way a singer, string, brass, or wind player does. Whereas a violin teacher may well be able to identify which of their students is playing a series of three notes just by the sound, most listeners cannot as easily identify whether it is a skilled or novice pianist. While listening to this recording of Clara Rockmore playing the "The Swan" on the Theremin, list which aspects of her performance are expressive. Is it the tone she gets? What do you imagine a Theremin looks like, and how does one play it? What changes is she making to the pitch and dynamics? Which of those do you find most expressive? How is the expression in the accompanying pianist’s performance being accomplished? |
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After listening and answering those questions, read on...
The Theremin is one of the only instruments ever constructed that the performer does not touch. There are two antennae, the closer the right hand gets to the vertical one, the higher the lower the pitch goes, and the farther the left hand gets from the horizontal one the louder the sound gets. Which instrument do you think would be the best to learn to play in order to train your ears to play the Theremin? |
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If you want more information on how to play the Theremin, here is a demonstration: |
Specifications for the sequencing project for the MUST 121 class
Create a 2-4 minute MIDI sequencer arrangement of a song of your choice with melody, chords, bass, and drums.
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Glossaries
- Digital Hymnal Glossary of Electronic Music Terms
- Sound on Sound Glossary of Technical Terms
- Sweetwater Glossary
- zZounds Electronic Music Terminology
Recommended Reading
- The Future of Music, by John Cage
- Dan Hosken, An Introduction to Music Technology. 2nd edition. Taylor / Routledge, 2014. ISBN: 9780415825733. Online resources at http://www.csun.edu/~dwh50750/IntroToMusicTech/index.html
- Robert's Reading List