Music Fundamentals

Perhaps you've always had an interest in music, but haven't had the ability to indulge that interest? Maybe you were faced with other options that preoccupied your time. Well, everyone should have at least a basic understanding of music.

Lesson A:

Let me introduce you to a new word: ethnocentrism.
Ethnocentrism is the assumption that our culture us universal.

Unfortunately, it's not. BUT! A lot of musical ideas are universal. However, since we live in the western world, I may as well just relate everything to our way of thinking.

What is music?

This is a difficult question to answer. It is difficult to distinguish music from noise, as everyone has their own idea of music. Generally music is described as having a few defining features: rhythm (this organizes sound in time, done by giving it a beat or pulse) and a melody (changes in pitch, sometimes with a harmony). It can also include instruments, lyrics, and vocals but not every song has these features.

Lesson B:

Instruments are divided into categories we can easily identify.

Strings: violin, viola, cello, upright bass, harp, guitar, lute, mandolin, etc.

Brass: Trumpet, Trombone, French Horn, Tuba, Baritone (saxhorn, euphonium)

Woodwinds: Flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, oboe, bassoon, saxophone, english horn.

Percussion: drums including snare drum, timpani, and bass drum, keyboard instruments including xylophone, marimba, vibraphone, and glockenspiel, and other instruments such as tambourine, maracas, claves, temple blocks, chimes, cymbals, and gong.

Typically when we think of an orchestra this is what comes to mind, the Symphony Orchestra, which includes all instrument types.

There is a system used to classify instrument types that was established by  Erich Moritz von Hornbostel and  Curt Sachs called (who-da-thunk) the Sachs-von Hornbostel (or Hornbostel-Sachs) classification system.

Its not often this system is used in casual conversation but for a little intellectual stimulation you can toss these new words around at your next fancy party.

Aerophones:  uses air to produce sound. ie: trumpets, flutes, clarinet, oboe, english horn, basoon, saxophone, french horn, tuba, trombone.

Chordophones: anything with strings. ie: violin, viola, cello, guitar

Membranophones: having a membrane, ie: drums

Idiophones: self sounding (makes sound when struck). ie: cowbell



Now don't you feel a little smarter than you were when you woke up today?