GCSE Timbre What does timbre mean The distinctive
GCSE Timbre
What does timbre mean? The distinctive individual sound of an instrument or voice Factors include: - Materials used - Played e. g. strings? reed? - Resonates e. g. brass? strings? Timbres create different moods or feelings
Instruments – World Music India: sitar, tabla Africa: djembe, xylophone Caribbean: steel pans
Technology - Reverb A sound lasts longer because it is reflected between walls, floor and ceiling of a room
Technology - Distortion Often used in rock music (electric guitar), creating an aggressive sound
Technology - Chorus When a recorded voice/ instrument is multiplied electronically, so it sounds like many
Technology – Multi-tracking A recording technique where different sounds are recorded separately, then played back together
Technology - Compression Boosts the level of the quietest sounds in a piece of music so that they balance with the louder sounds
Technology - Vocoder Device used to electronically combine a human voice with a musical instrument
Technology - Sequencer Electronic device or computer program that is used to record, edit and play back music data using MIDI
Technology - Panning Sound is electronically moved across from one speaker to another, or is separated into different speakers
Instrumental Techniques: Con Arco Playing a string instrument with a bow e. g. violin, viola, cello, double bass
Instrumental Techniques: Pizzicato Strings are plucked instead of playing with a bow
Instrumental Techniques: Con sordino Means ‘with a mute’ – dampens sound Watch the following video of Paolo Nutini’s ‘Pencil Full of Lead’ as an example of this. . .
Sections in an Opera Recitatives – tells the story, like a narrator Aria – A tuneful song Embed the following video from You. Tube here: Choruses – Everyone sings http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=g. Yfqdc. Xc. GVw Female opera stars called Divas
Instrumental Techniques: Double-stopping Where string players bow 2 notes at the same time, on adjacent strings – sounds like a chord
Instrumental Techniques: Tremolo/ tremolando Another string effect, means, ‘trembling’ or ‘quivering’ Rapid up-and-down movements of the bow on the strings, creating an agitated or shimmering effect
Vocal Techniques: Falsetto Technique by male singers, to sing notes higher than their normal range
Vocal Techniques: Vibrato Literally means ‘shaking’ or ‘quivering’ Adds warmth and expression to the tone of the music
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