The first musical instrument discovered was the bone flute 35,000 years ago, although humans sang long before that. Over time, the understanding of how music is made is growing. While you don't need to understand everything about musical scale, rhythm, melody, and harmony to create a piece of musical art, an understanding of some concepts will help you to appreciate music more and make better songs.
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Part 1 of 4: Sounds, Notes and Scales
Step 1. Understand the difference between “pitch” and “note”
''''' This term describes the quality of the sound of music. Although the two terms are related, they are used differently.
- "Pitch" relates to the low or high frequency of the sound. The higher the frequency, the higher the pitch. The difference in frequency between two pitches is called an “interval.”
- "Not" is the pitch of the pitch. The common frequency for notes between A and C is 440 hertz, but some orchestras use a different standard, such as 443 hertz, for a clearer sound.
- Most people can determine whether a note plays best when it is paired with another note or in a series of notes in a song they know. This is called "relative pitch." Meanwhile, few people have "absolute pitch" or "perfect pitch," which is the ability to identify notes without listening to the pitch's references.
Step 2. Understand the difference between “timbre” and “tone
“”” This term is commonly used for musical instruments.
- “Timbre” is a combination of the main (fundamental) and back (overtone) notes that sound when a musical instrument plays a note. When you strum a low E on an acoustic guitar, you hear not only the low E, but also the extra notes that result from that low E frequency. The combination of these sounds is known as "harmonics", and is what makes the sound of a musical instrument different from other musical instruments.
- “Tone” is a more vague term. This refers to the effect of the combination of the main and back notes on the listener's ear, added by the high-pitched harmonies of a note in the timbre, resulting in a lighter or sharper tone. However, if it is reduced, the reduced tone will be softer.
- “Tone” also refers to the interval between two notes, which is also known as a full stroke. Half of the interval is called a “semitone” or half-step.
Step 3. Name the note
Musical notes can be named in a number of ways. There are two methods commonly used in most Western countries.
- Letter names: Notes within a certain frequency are assigned letter names. In English and Dutch-speaking countries, the notes are in order from A to G. In German-speaking countries, "B" is used for flat B notes (the black piano keys between A and B), and the letter "H" is designated for B major. (white B key on the piano).
- Solfeggio (commonly called “solfege” or “sofeo”): This system is known to fans of “The Sound of Music,” in that it assigns a one-syllable name to a note, based on its position on the scale. This system was developed by an 11th-century monk named Guido d'Arezzo by using "ut, re, mi, fa, sol, la, si," taken from the first sentence in the song of Saint John the Baptist. Over time, "ut" was replaced with "do," then "sol" was replaced by "so" and "ti" was replaced by "si" (some countries use the name solfeggio in the same way as the letter system in Western countries.).
Step 4. Arrange the note order into the scale
A scale is a sequence of intervals between various pitches, arranged so that the highest pitch is at a distance of twice the frequency of the lowest pitch. This pitch level is called an octave. The following are common scales:
- The full chromatic scale uses 12 half-step intervals. Playing an octave of the piano from C to a higher C and ringing the white and black keys in between, produces a chromatic scale. Another scale is a more limited form of this scale.
- The major scale uses seven intervals: The first and second are full steps; third is half step; fourth, fifth, and sixth are full steps, and seventh is half steps. Playing an octave on the piano from C to high C by ringing only the white keys is an example of a major scale.
- The minor scale also uses seven intervals. The common form is the natural minor scale. The first interval is a full step, but the second is a half step, the third and fourth are a full step, the fifth is a half step, then the sixth and seventh are a full step. Playing an octave on the piano from low A to A, ringing only the white keys is an example of a minor scale.
- The pentatonic scale uses five intervals. The first interval is a full step, the next are three half-steps, the third and fourth are full steps, and the fifth is three half-steps (in the key of C, the notes used are C, D, F, G, A, then back to C). You can also play the pentatonic scale by simply pressing the black key between C and high C on the piano. The pentatonic scale is often used in African, East Asian, and Native American music, as well as in folk/folk music.
- The lowest note on a scale is called the “key.” Usually, the last note in a song is the key note of the song; songs written in the key of C usually end in the key of C. Key names usually depend on the area of the song's playing scale (major or minor); when the scale is not named, it is usually immediately considered a major scale.
Step 5. Use sharps and moles to raise and lower the pitch
Sharps and moles raise and lower the pitch by half a step. Sharps and moles are very important when playing keys other than C major or A minor in order to keep the interval pattern of the major and minor scales correct. Sharps and moles are written on musical lines in signs called accidental marks.
- The sharp symbol is usually written with the fence symbol (#), which is useful for raising the tone by half a step. In the keys of G major and E minor, the F is raised half a step to become a sharp F.
- The mole symbol is usually written with the symbol “b,” which is useful for lowering the pitch by half a step. In the key of F major and D minor, B is lowered half a step to become a B mole.
- To make it easier to read music, there is always an indication in the musical notes for which notes should always be raised or lowered in certain keys. Accidental should be used for notes outside the major or minor key of the written song. Such accidentals are only used for certain notes before a vertical line separates the rhythm.
- The natural symbol, which looks like a parallelogram with vertical lines running up and down from the two lines, is used in front of any note to be raised or lowered, to indicate that the note should not be placed in the song. Natural symbols are never shown in key symbols, but they can cancel out the crunch or mole effect in a song's rhythm.
Part 2 of 4: Beats and Rhythm
Step 1. Understand the difference between “beat,” “rhythm,” and “tempo
“”” There is a connection between these terms.
- Beat” refers to the individual beats in the music. A beat can be defined as a sounding note or a period of silence called a pause. Beats can be divided into multiple notes, or multiple beats can be placed in single notes or in pauses.
- “Rhythm” is a sequence of beats or rhythms. Rhythm is determined by how notes and pauses are arranged in a song.
- "Tempo" refers to how fast or slow a song is played. The faster the tempo of a song means more beats per minute. “The Blue Danube Waltz” has a slow tempo, while “The Stars and Stripes Forever” has a fast tempo.
Step 2. Group beats into rhythms
Rhythm is a collection of beats. Each beat has the same number of beats. The number of beats per beat is an indication of the written music with timestamps, which look like fractions without the line that decides the numerator and denominator.
- The number above indicates the number of beats per beat. Numbers are usually 2, 3 or 4, but sometimes reach 6 or higher.
- The numbers below indicate the type of note that gets a full beat. When the bottom number is 4, the quarter note (looks like an open oval with a line attached) gets a full beat. When the number below is 8, the eighth note (looks like a quarter note with the flag attached) gets a full beat.
Step 3. Look for stressed beats
The rhythm will be determined depending on the type of beat being pressed and not on the rhythm of a song.
- Many songs have the beat pressed on the first beat or at the beginning of the song. The remaining beats, or upbeats, are not emphasized, although in a four-beat song, the third beat may be emphasized, but to a lesser degree than the downbeat. Emphasized beats are also sometimes called strong beats, while unstressed beats are sometimes called weak beats.
- Some songs hit the beat instead of at the beginning of the song. This type of emphasis is known as syncopation, and a beat that is strongly suppressed is called a back beat.
Part 3 of 4: Melody, Harmony, and Chord
Step 1. Understand the song by its melody
“Melody” is a series of notes in a song that people can hear clearly, based on the pitch of the notes and the rhythm played.
- The melody is composed of various phrases that form the rhythm of the song. The phrase can be repeated throughout the melody, as in the Christmas carol "Deck the Halls", with the first and second lines of the song using the same note sequence.
- The structure of a standard melodic song is usually one melody for one verse and a corresponding melody in the chorus or chorus.
Step 2. Combine melodies and harmonies
“Harmony” is a note played outside the melody to amplify or counteract the sound. As mentioned earlier, many stringed instruments produce multiple notes when strummed; Additional notes that sound with the basic tone is a form of harmony. Harmony can be obtained using musical chords.
- Harmonies that amplify a melodic sound are called "consonants." The extra notes that sound along with the base note when the guitar strings are plucked are a form of consonant harmony.
- Harmonies that are opposite to the melody are called “dissonants.” Dissonant harmonies can be created by playing opposite melodies at the same time, such as when singing “Row Row Row Your Boat” in a large circle, with each group singing it at a different time.
- Many songs use dissonance as a way to express restless feelings and gradually lead to consonant harmony. For example, in the song "Row Row Row Your Boat" above, when each group sings the last verse, the song becomes quieter until the last group sings the lyric part "Life is but a dream."
Step 3. Stack notes to generate chords
A chord is formed when three or more notes are sounded, usually at the same time, though not always that way.
- The chords used most often are triads (which are made up of three notes) with each successive note being two notes higher than the previous note. In a C major chord, the notes contained in it are C (as the basis of the chord), E (third major), and G (fifth major). In C minor chords, E is replaced with a sharp E (third minor).
- Another frequently used chord is the seventh (7th), with the addition of a fourth note to the triad, which is the seventh note of the base note. The C Major 7 chord adds a B to the C-E-G triad to form the C-E-G-B sequence. The seventh chord sounds more dissonant than the triad.
- It's possible to use a different chord for each note in a song; This is what creates a barbershop quartet-style harmony. However, chords are usually paired with the notes found in them, such as playing a C major chord to accompany the E note in a melody.
- Many songs are played with only three chords, the basic chords on the scale being the first, fourth, and fifth. This chord is represented by the roman numerals I, IV, and V. In the key of C major, it would be C major, F major, and G major. Sometimes, the seventh chord is replaced with a V major or minor chord, so when playing C major, the V chord will become G major 7.
- Chords I, IV, and V are interconnected between keys. The F major chord is the IV chord in the key of C major, the C major chord is the V chord in the key of F major. The G major chord is the V chord in the key of C major, but the C major chord is the IV chord in the key of G major. The relationships between these keys continue in other chords and are made in a diagram called a circle of fifths.
Part 4 of 4: Types of Musical Instruments
Step 1. Hit the percussion to produce music
Percussion instruments are considered the oldest musical instruments. Most percussion is used to generate and maintain rhythm, although some percussion can produce melodies or harmonies.
- Percussion instruments that produce sound by vibrating the whole body are called idiophones. These are musical instruments that are beaten together, such as cymbals and chestnuts, and musical instruments that are beaten with other instruments such as drums, triangles, and xylophones.
- Percussion instruments with a "skin" or "head" that vibrates when struck are called membranophones. Musical instruments that include drums, such as timpani, tom-toms, and bongos. Likewise with musical instruments that have strings or sticks attached and vibrate when pulled or rubbed, such as the lion's roar or cuica.
Step 2. Blow a wind instrument to make music
Wind instruments produce a vibrating sound when blown. Usually there are many different holes to produce various notes, so this instrument is suitable for playing into melodies or harmonies. Wind instruments are divided into two types: flutes and reed pipes. The flute produces sound when it vibrates its entire body, while the reed pipe vibrates the material inside its body to produce sound. These two instruments are further divided into two sub-types.
- An open flute produces sound by breaking up the airflow blown at the end of the instrument. Concert and panpipe flutes are examples of types of open flutes.
- The closed flute produces air in the pipes of the instrument, causing the instrument to vibrate. Recorders and pipe organs are examples of closed flutes.
- Single reed instruments place the reed on the instrument where it is blown. When blown, the reed vibrates the air inside the instrument to produce sound. The clarinet and saxophone are examples of single reed instruments (although the saxophone body is made of brass, the saxophone is still considered a wind instrument because it uses a reed to produce sound).
- Double reed musical instruments use two reeds that are coiled at the end of the instrument. Instruments such as the oboe and bassoon place the two reeds directly onto the lips of the blower, while instruments such as the crumhorn and bagpipes cover the two reeds.
Step 3. Blow on a brass instrument with your lips closed to produce a sound
Unlike flutes, which depend on airflow, brass instruments vibrate with the lips of the blower to produce sound. Brass musical instruments are so named because many of them are made of brass. These instruments are grouped according to their ability to change sound by changing the distance through which air flows out. This is done using two methods.
- Trombon uses a funnel to change the airflow distance. Pulling the mouthpiece out will lengthen the distance and lower the pitch. Meanwhile, bringing the distance closer will raise the tone.
- Other brass instruments, such as trumpets and tubas, use valves shaped like pistons or keys to lengthen or shorten the flow of air within the instrument. These valves can be pressed individually or in combination to produce the desired sound.
- Flutes and brass instruments are often considered wind instruments, because they must be blown to produce sound.
Step 4. Vibrate the strings of a string instrument to produce sound
The strings on a stringed instrument can vibrate in three ways: plucked (on the guitar), struck (as in the dulcimer), or strummed (using the bow on the violin or cello). Stringed instruments can be used to accompany a rhythm or melody and can be divided into three categories:
- The harp is a stringed instrument with a body and neck that resonates, as is the case with violins, guitars, and banjos. There are strings of the same size (except the low strings in the five-string banjo) of different thicknesses. Thicker strings produce lower notes, while thinner strings produce higher notes. The strings can be stemmed at several points to raise or lower the pitch.
- The harp is a stringed instrument whose strings are attached to a skeleton. The strings on the harp are in vertical order and get shorter with each succession. The bottom of the harp string is connected to the resonant body or to the soundboard.
- Sitar is a stringed instrument mounted on the body. The strings can be struck or plucked, as on a harp, or struck directly as on a hammered dulcimer, or indirectly as on a piano.
Suggestion
- The natural major and minor scales are related in the fact that the minor scale of two key notes is lower than the major scale, which will sharpen or flatten the same notes. Thus, the keys of C major and A minor, which do not use sharp/flat notes, share the same key characteristics.
- Certain musical instruments, and combinations of other musical instruments, are associated with certain types of music. For example, a string quartet with two violins, one viola, and one cello is usually used to play classical music called chamber music. Jazz bands usually produce rhythms on drums, piano, possibly two basses or tuba, and trumpet, trombone, clarinet, and saxophone. Playing a few songs with instruments used differently than they should be can be fun, as did “Weird Al” Yankovic. He plays his rock songs using the accordion in a polka style.
