VPMA93H3 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Appalachian Dulcimer, String Vibration, String Instrument
VPMA93 Lecture Notes
Midterm Notes (Lecture 1-5)
Ginny Chan
Lecture 1
Frequency – in acoustics, the number of complete vibrations or cycles per second in a vibrating system, such as a
string or a column of air; frequency is the primary determinant of the listener’s perception of pitch
Pitch – the relative position (high or low) of a musical sound, depending on its fundamental frequency (the number of
cycles per second of the sounding object); the faster the vibrations, the higher the pitch
Tone – a sound with a definite, consistent pitch (ie: A note is off pitch, not off frequency)
Resonance – the cause of sound production in musical instruments (sound is also
caused by the way a resonator is shaped and the material that the resonator is made of,
all of which contribute to the quality of the music)
An instrument can be forced into vibrating at one of its standing wave patterns if another
interconnected object pushes it with one of those frequencies. This is known as
resonance - when one object vibrating at the same natural frequency of a second object
forces that second object into vibrational motion.
When we hear a primary vibration, there are other underlying types of vibrations that all contribute to the musical
sound that we hear (also called the Harmonic Series)
Harmonics – a series of frequencies, all of which are integral multiples of a single frequency termed the fundamental;
the secondary tones above a fundamental pitch that, taken in sum, help form the totality of that sound
Overtones – a secondary vibration in a sound-producing body, which contributes to the overall tone
colour; also called partial (overtones occur above the primary frequency)
Flute
Strong overtone, fairly strong second overtone, minimal third overtone
French Horn
Strong fundamental, fairly strong second partial, slightly weaker for each
following partial
Sound envelope – the combination of characteristics defining the attack, steady state, and decay of a
tone (How is sound produced?)
Lecture 2
Timbre – the character or quality of a musical sound as determined by its harmonics and sound
envelope
Hornbostel-Sachs System of instrument classification created in the early 20th century to compare and codify the
different sounds
There are 5 different main classifications:
1. Idiophone: vibrations are produced by striking either one portion of the instrument against
another, or another object against the instrument (ie: bells, drums, shakers and rattles, cymbals)
VPMA93 Lecture Notes
Midterm Notes (Lecture 1-5)
Ginny Chan
There are two types of idiophones:
- Definite Pitch
→ Autumn Leaves by Joseph Kosma (standard piece of music) played on the vibraphone or marimba
→ He is deciding which notes he wants to prolong and which ones he wants to shorten
→ Idiophone with a definite pitch, know how the instrument is instructed to get these three types of sounds
*Damper - Creates a stoppage of sound
*Standard
*Vibrato
- Indefinite Pitch
→ Stinkin’ Garbage by E. Argenziano (performed by TorQ)
→ Mbira (also called a Thumb Piano) - Block of wood where metal pieces are attached to it
“think about ways that you act as the force that’s hitting something else”
2. Membranophone: sound is produced by vibrations of a stretched membrane that is
struck or rubbed
→ Drums, snare drums, tambourine, African talking drum
- Definite Pitch
→ Timpani instrument
Idiophones and membranophones may be untuned (indefinite pitch) or they may be
capable of producing a variety of pitches (definite pitch)
Indefinite Pitch Instruments
Definite Pitch Instruments
Gong, cymbals, tambourine, snare drums, triangle, base
drums, street drums
Vibraphone, chimes, xylophone, timpani
3. Chordophone: sound is produced by a vibrating string activated by striking, plucking, or bowing
→ Violin, viola, cello, banjo, guitar, piano, harp, zither*
Zither*
An instrument in which the strings run the length of the body
Appalachian Dulcimer
A plucked zither found chiefly in the Appalachian Mountains; it is held horizontally in the player’s lap
and strummed with a quill or the thumb of the right hand; the string nearest the player is the melody
string and is stopped either with a finger or a wooden bar; the remaining stings are drones
Drone
A continuous sound on one or more fixed pitches
→ (Indian instrument) Sitar
→ Norwegian Wood by The Beatles
Sympathetic String
VPMA93 Lecture Notes
Midterm Notes (Lecture 1-5)
Ginny Chan
A string that is not normally played upon directly but that is set in motion by the
acoustical phenomenon of resonance
Sitar
A long-necked string instrument with a wide fingerboard with movable frets, a gourd-shaped
body and resonator, 7 principal strings (4 melody and 3 drones) and 12-20 sympathetic strings
Vibrato
A wavering of pitch used to enrich and intensify the tone of a voice or instrument; it is practised in particular by wind
players, string players, and singers; it is produced in string instruments by controlled vibration of player's finger
stopping the string and in wind instruments by breath-control
Pizzicato
The strings are plucked with the finger rather than bowed
*Piano
*Harpsichord
4. Aerophone: sound from a vibrating column of air is activated from a blow hole, a reed, or
buzzing lips
5. Electrophone: sound is produced or modified by electronic means
Lecture 3
Melody
A succession of pitches that form a distinctive, coherent musical unit
There are 4 Aspects of Melody:
1. Range – narrow, medium, wide (depending on the type of instrument and type of voice; consider each instrument
and what its capabilities are)
→ Different types of music have different ranges
→ Pop and folk tunes have very narrow ranges and repeated pitches; classical music sung by soprano singers have
wide ranges
ie: the National Anthem has a narrow range so everyone can be expected to join in (large groups of people can join
in); very small range, lots of repetition
2. Contour – level, undulating, ascending, descending, arch-shaped
→ Ups and downs in music
3. Motion – conjunct, disjunct
→ Right together or leaps apart
4. Ornamentation – unornamented, highly ornamented
ie: Anon
- Religious piece of music; one, repeated narrow pitch
ie: Star Trek Beyond soundtrack (1990)
- Loud, rock piece; single pitch followed by up and down movement in pitches
that are close in proximity to the original, interest in delivery and rhythm rather than differentiation of range and pitch
ie: Anon., Gaude virgo salutata (c. 1360)
- Classical, opera piece; narrow range (5 different pitches)
ie: Harold Arlen, E.Y. Harburg, “Over the Rainbow” (1939)
- Wide range, melodic piece of interest
