Keyboard and Recorder

Rhythm machines=drum machinesA drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums or other percussion instruments. They are used in a variety of musical genres, not just purely electronic music. They are also a common necessity when session drummers are not available or desired. Most modern drum machines are sequencers with a sample playback (rompler) or synthesizer component that specializes in the reproduction of drum timbres as well as the sound of other traditional percussion instruments. Though features vary from model to model, many modern drum machines can also produce unique sounds (though usually percussive in nature), and allow the user to compose unique drum beats. Early drum machines were often referred to as "rhythm machines." In 1930–32, the spectacularly innovative and complex Rhythmicon was realized by Léon Theremin on the commission of composer-theorist Henry Cowell, who wanted an instrument with which to play compositions whose multiple rhythmic patterns, based on the overtone series, were far too difficult to perform on existing keyboard instruments. Drum sound synthesis GM Standard Drum Map A key difference between such early machines and more modern equipment is that they used analog sound synthesis rather than digital sampling in order to generate their sounds. For example, a snare drum or maraca sound would typically be created using a burst of white noise whereas a bass drum sound would be made using sine waves or other basic waveforms. This meant that while the resulting sound was not very close to that of the real instrument, each model tended to have a unique character. For this reason, many of these early machines have achieved a certain "cult status" and are now sought after by producers for use in production of modern electronic music, most notably the Roland TR-808.[4] Digital sampling Linn LM-1 (1980) The Linn LM-1 Drum Computer (released in 1980, and expensive at $4,999) was the first drum machine to use digital samples. Only 500 were ever made, but the list of those who owned them was impressive. Its distinctive sound almost defines 1980s pop, and it can be heard on hundreds of hit records from the era, including The Human League's Dare, Gary Numan's Dance, Devo's "New Traditionalists", and Ric Ocasek's Beatitude. Prince bought one of the very first LM-1s and used it on nearly all of his most popular recordings, including 1999 and Purple Rain. Many of the drum sounds on the LM-1 were composed of two chips that were triggered at the same time, and each voice was individually tunable with individual outputs. Due to memory limitations, a crash cymbal sound was not available except as an expensive third-party modification. A cheaper version of the LM-1 was released in 1982 called the LM-2 (or simply LinnDrum). It cost around $3,000 and not all of its voices were tunable, making it less desirable than the original LM-1. The Linndrum included a crash cymbal sound as standard and, like its predecessor the LM-1, featured swappable sound chips. The Linndrum can be heard on records such as Men Without Hats' Rhythm of Youth and The Cars' Heartbeat City. It was feared the LM-1 would put every session drummer in Los Angeles out of work and it caused many of L.A's top session drummers (Jeff Porcaro is one example) to purchase their own drum machines and learn to program them themselves in order to stay employed. Oberheim DMX (1981) SCI drumtracks (1984) Following the success of the LM-1, Oberheim introduced the DMX, which also featured digitally-sampled sounds and a "swing" feature similar to the one found on the Linn machines. It became very popular in its own right, becoming a staple of the nascent hip-hop scene. Other manufacturers soon began to produce machines, e.g. the Sequential Circuits DrumTraks and Tom, the E-mu Drumulator and the Yamaha RX11. The 1986 SpecDrum by Cheetah Marketing made drum machines inexpensive by offering a drum machine for £30 when similar models cost around £250.[7] [edit] Roland TR-808 and TR-909 machines The famous Roland TR-808, an early programmable drum machine, was also launched in 1980. At the time it was received with little fanfare, as it did not have digitally sampled sounds; drum machines using digital samples were much more popular. In time, though, the TR-808, along with its successor, the TR-909 (released in 1984), would become a fixture of the burgeoning underground dance, techno and hip-hop genres, mainly because of its low cost (relative to that of the Linn machines) and the unique character of its analogue-generated sounds, which included five unique percussion sounds: ―the hum kick, the ticky snare, the tishy hi-hats (open and closed) and the spacey cowbell.‖ It was first utilized by Yellow Magic Orchestra in the year of its release, after which it would gain further popularity with Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing" and Afrikaa Bambaataa's "Planet Rock" in 1982.[4] In a somewhat ironic twist it is the analogue-based Roland machines that have endured over time as the Linn sound became somewhat overused and dated by the end of the decade. The TR-808 and TR-909's beats have since been widely featured in pop music, and can be heard on countless recordings up to the present day.[4] Since the mid-1980s, it has been used on more hit records than any other drum machine,[8] and has thus attained an iconic status within the music industry.[4] [edit] Programming Programming can be done (depending on the machine) in real time: the user creates drum patterns by pressing the trigger pads as though a drum kit were being played; or using stepsequencing: the pattern is built up over time by adding individual sounds at certain points by placing them, as with the TR-808 and TR-909, along a 16-step bar. For example, a generic 4on-the-floor dance pattern could be made by placing a closed high hat on the 3rd, 7th, 11th, and 15th steps, then a kick drum on the 1st, 5th, 9th, and 13th steps, and a clap on the 5th and 13th. This pattern could be varied in a multitude of ways to obtain fills, break-downs and other elements that the programmer sees fit, which in turn could be sequenced — essentially the drum machine plays back the programmed patterns from memory in an order the programmer has chosen. The machine will quantize entries that are slightly off-beat in order to make them exactly in time. If the drum machine has MIDI connectivity, then one could program the drum machine with a computer or another MIDI device. [edit] MIDI breakthrough E-mu SP-1200 (1985) However. not a drum machine. or through MIDI. The Oberheim DMX came with a feature allowing it to be synchronized to its proprietary Oberheim Parallel Buss interfacing system. These are called drum modules.they are able to play more than one note at the same time. Korg and Alesis.Because these early drum machines came out before the introduction of MIDI in 1983.they can play back different sounds at the same time. strictly speaking. Because these samples are now usually stored in digital memory the information can be quickly accessed. sequencer or other triggering device to perform or compose music. Many are also multitimbral . being partly supplanted by general-purpose hardware samplers controlled by sequencers (built-in or external). Often samplers offer filters. trigger pads. they used a variety of methods of having their rhythms synchronized to other electronic devices. it is. . Some used a method of synchronization called DIN-sync. it uses recordings (or "samples") of sounds that are loaded or recorded into it by the user and then played back by means of a keyboard. Most samplers have polyphonic capabilities . software-based sequencing and sampling and the use of loops. Zoom. instead of generating sounds. Unless such a sound module also features a sequencer. modulation via low frequency oscillation and other synthesizerlike processes that allow the original sound to be modified in many different ways. whose SR-16 drum machine has remained popular since it was introduced in 1991. There are percussion-specific sound modules that can be triggered by pickups. Alesis HR-16B (1989) / HR-16 (1987) By the year 2000. developed prior to the introduction of MIDI. TR-808 and other digitized drum machine sounds can be found in archives on the Internet. Sampler (musical instrument) A sampler is an electronic musical instrument similar in some respects to a synthesizer but. standalone drum machines became much less common. traditional drum machines are still being made by companies such as Roland Corporation (under the name Boss). A single sample may often be pitch-shifted to produce musical scales and chords. and music workstations with integrated sequencing and drum sounds. the Alesis D4 and Roland TD-8 are popular examples. Some of these machines also output analog CV/Gate voltages that could be used to synchronize or control analog synthesizers and other music equipment. or sync-24. backed up by a hard drive of 32k and by tape storage (DecTape). are the mainstay of modern sound effects production. while the first polyphonic digital sampling synthesiser was the Australian-produced Fairlight CMI. and the range of the instrument was limited to three octaves at the most. Limiting factors at the time were the cost of physical memory (RAM) and the limitations of external data storage devices. such as crossfade looping and "time stretch" to shorten or lengthen samples without affecting pitch and vice versa. 1969. The first commercially available sampling synthesizer was the Computer Music Melodian by Harry Mendell (1976). Korg O1/W and the later Korg Triton and Korg Trinity series. musicians used tape replay keyboards. These had 12. Examples are Korg M1. The company was established to develop and market musical instruments based on computer software. This means the Melodian captured all of the frequency . The E-mu SP-1200 percussion sampler progressed Hip-Hop away from the drum machine sound upon its release in August 1987. together with traditional Foley artists. such as an Arp 2600. The Mellotron was the most notable model. Samplers. Akai pioneered many processing techniques.Prior to computer memory-based samplers. The first digital sampler was the EMS Musys system. The Melodian was based on the Digital Equipment Corporation PDP-8 computer and hand wired D/A and A/D conversion and tracking anti-aliasing filters. To change sounds a new set of tapes had to be installed in the instrument. Yamaha's SY series and the Kawai K series of instruments. first available in 1979. which store recordings on analog tape. The system ran on two mini-computers. When a key is pressed the tape head contacts the tape and plays a sound. developed by Peter Grogono (software). It was designed to be compatible with analog synthesizers and had a feature where it would sync to the pitch of an analog synth. whether simple playback or complex editing that matches all but the most advanced dedicated samplers. The emergence of the digital sampler made sampling far more practical. Using digital techniques various effects can be pitch-shifted and otherwise altered in ways that would have required many hours when done with tape. The Melodian was first used by Stevie Wonder in the "Journey through the Secret Life of Plants" (1979). and this approach made best use of the tiny amount of memory available to the design engineers. EMS equipment was used to control the world's first digital studio. During the 1980s hybrid synthesizers began to utilize short samples (such as the attack phase of an instrument) along with digital synthesis to create more realistic imitations of instruments than had previously been possible. and also includes features such as a sequencer. was started in New Jersey USA in 1972 by Harry Mendell and Dan Coren. David Cockerell (hardware and interfacing) and Peter Zinovieff (system design and operation) at their London (Putney) Studio c. Digital Equipment‘s PDP-8s.000 (12k) bytes of read-only memory. The modern-day music workstation usually uses sampling. but such systems were expensive and heavy due to the multiple tape mechanisms involved. used by a number of groups in the late 1960s and the 1970s. The Melodian was a monophonic synth with 12 bit A/D and sampling rates up to 22 kHz. ushering in the sample-based sound of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Computer Music Melodian Computer Music Inc. such as the Fairlight CMI. manufactured by New England Digital. it found widespread use among producers and professional recording studios. Synclavier Systems were expensive .modulation effects. the Synclavier remains in use in many studios to this day.the highest price ever paid for one was about $500. it proved to be highly influential among both music producers and electronic musicians. Although this made it inaccessible for most musicians. First released in 1975. its cutting-edge technology and distinctive sound. and it competed in this market with other highend production systems. [edit] Fairlight Instruments Fairlight CMI (1979) . Synclavier PSMT with VPK (1984) [1] [edit] Synclavier Main article: Synclavier The Synclavier System was an early digital synthesizer and sampler. including the touch ribbon control.$300. Though scarce.000 . due to its versatility. although average systems were closer to about $200. making best use of the technology that was available at the time.000.000. It also could trigger off the ARPs keyboard so it could almost be thought of as a hybrid sampler/analog synth. Fairlight later released the Series IIx. Pet Shop Boys. Art of Noise. Yello. [edit] E-mu Systems Emulator II+ (1984) . and mixing of sounds which could then be played back via the keyboard or the software-based sequencer. Notable users of the Fairlight CMI include Peter Gabriel. and an interactive video display unit (VDU) where soundwaves could be edited or even drawn from scratch using a light pen. The M8 was handwired and legend has it that it took 2 hours to boot up.and Kate Bush.000. Jean Michel Jarre. The Fairlight CMI or Computer Music Instrument. the Series III was released with two significant upgrades: bit rate and sampling rate were increased to CD quality (16 bit/44. Software allowed for editing. and used two 8-bit Motorola 6800 processors (later upgraded to the more powerful 16/32-bit Motorola 68000). an alphanumeric keyboard. which increased the sampling rate to 32 kHz[2] and was the first to feature basic MIDI functionality.1khz) and SMPTE time code was now supported. In 1985. The original Fairlight CMI sampled using a resolution of 16 bits per sample at a rate of 24 kHz. The company was originally established as a manufacturer and retailer of video special effects equipment. Trevor Horn. Herbie Hancock.[2] It was equipped with two six-octave keyboards. The CMI was the first commercially available digital sampling instrument. started life as the QASAR M8. It retailed for around US$25. looping. released in (1979).Fairlight Series III (1985) Main article: Fairlight CMI Fairlight Instruments was started in Sydney Australia in 1975 by Peter Vogel and Kim Ryrie. E-mu Emulator II (1984) was designed to bridge the gap between the Fairlight CMI and Synclavier and the Ensoniq Mirage. Zip-100. far cheaper. the Emulator II was comparable to samplers released 5 years later. Its 12-bit sampling engine gave a desirable warmth to instruments and a gritty punch to drums. the ESI-32 could access external CD-ROM. 4-. It featured a 16 channel sequencer. E-mu SP-1200 was. With the addition of the hard disk option.000. and could use the same samples. Via optional SCSI interface. and aimed at the lower end of the market. a successor of SP-12 (1985) Main articles: E-mu Systems.1 kHz maximum sample rate and had up to 8 MB of memory. an 8-track sequencer. and E-mu SP-1200 E-mu Emulator (1981) was E-mu Systems initial foray into sampling. It featured 10 seconds of sample time spread across four 2. and still is. The unit could accommodate up to 32 MB RAM. and featured a maximum sampling rate of 27. SMPTE and a 40 MB hard disk.5-second sections. a four-octave keyboard and 128 kB of memory. E-mu Emulator. and 8-note polyphonic versions. 44. 32 note polyphony and sounds could be routed internally to one of four polyphonic outputs. E-mu Emax. E-mu ESI-32 (1994) was a stripped down. The Emulator came in 2-. 512kb of RAM (1mb in the EII+ though only accessible as two independent 512kb banks). and analog filtering. 8-bit sampling.7 kHz. [edit] Akai Linn LM-1 (1980) . the 2-note being dropped due to limited interest. and simplified EIIIx. one of the most highly regarded samplers for use in hip-hop related production. It featured 8 notes polyphony. and saved the company from financial disaster after the complete failure of the Audity due to a price tag of $70. E-mu Emulator III (1987) was a 16-bit stereo digital sampler with 16-note polyphony. The name 'Emulator' came as the result of leafing through a thesaurus and matched the name of the company perfectly.E-mu SP-1200 (1987). sold between 1985 & 1995. and hard drives. the creator of the Linn LM-1. It could store a maximum of 32 samples in memory.Akai MPC60 (1988) Akai S612 (1985) Akai S900 (1986) Akai S1000 (1988) Main articles: Akai. The Akai S900 (1986) was the first truly affordable digital sampler. The S612 was superseded in 1986 by the S900. the S612. giving birth to the popular MPC series of sampler sequencers. With this came the first in a series of affordable samplers. S1000. Akai S3000XL. S900. the Linn 9000. a 12 bit digital sampler module. The operating system was software based and allowed for upgrades that had to be booted each time the sampler was switched on. Linn Electronics. and the Linn Drum partnered with the Japanese Akai Corporation to create samplers similar to the ones created at Linn's own company. . It is also the first time a sampler with touch sensitive trigger pads was produced by AKAI. It was 8-note polyphonic and featured 12-bit sampling with a frequency range up to 40 kHz and up to 750 kB of memory that allowed for just under 12 seconds at the best sampling rate. The Akai MPC60 Digital Sampler/Drum Machine and MIDI Sequencer (1988) was the first non-rack mounted model released. and Music Production Center Akai entered the electronic musical instrument world in 1984 when Roger Linn. 1 kHz stereo sampler of its time. S3000. MPC3000XL. an LFO. Reverse and Time Stretch (version 1. S2800. sample editing. These were true samplers that provide all of the features described above. including sampling. MPC3000LE. but a few lack the pitch transposition and keyzone mapping capabilities that most samplers have. S2000. Roland introduced the Groove Sampler concept. The Roland Groove Sampler line includes the following:     Roland DJ70mkII Roland DJ70 Roland JS30 Roland MC909     Roland MC-808 Roland MC-09 Roland MS1 Roland MV-8800     Roland MV-8000 Roland SP808EX Roland SP808 Roland SP606     Roland SP555 BOSS SP505 Roland SP404 Roland SP303   BOSS SP202 Roland W30 [edit] Other manufacturers . MPC2000. [edit] Roland Main article: Roland Corporation Roland Corporation manufactured the S series. MPC1000. Loop Until Release (which cycles through the loop until the note begins its decay). MPC4000. MPC2000XL. and two ADSR envelope generators (for amplitude and filtering). S700. pitch transposition. MPC3000. Other samplers released by AKAI include the S01.The Akai S950 (1988) was an improved version of the S900. up to 32 MB of memory. Although these machines are equipped with a wide range of built-in effects. and keyzone mapping:  Roland S-10  Roland S-50  Roland S-330  Roland S-550  Roland S-760  Roland S-770 More recently. S3000XL. including a digital filter (18dB/octave). Some have limits to rendering loops or sound effects samples that are played back at the same pitch they were recorded. These devices are renowned for their ease of use. S6000. MPC5000. MPC2500. Loop in Release (which cycles through the loop as the sound decays). MPC500. and 24-bit internal processing. a few lack pitch transposition and keyzone mapping that diminishes their utility significantly. with a maximum sample frequency of 48 kHz and some of the editing features of the contemporary S1000. The S1000 also offered up to 8 different loop points. S20. The Akai S1000 (1988) was possibly the most popular 16-bit 44. S5000.3 and higher). Z4 and Z8. Additional functions included Autolooping. Crossfade Looping. It featured 16-voices. Ensoniq Mirage DSK (1985) Korg DSS-1 (1986) Yamaha TX16W (1988) Kurzweil K-250 (1984)               Alesis Casio (no longer in production) Dynacord (no longer in production) Ensoniq Korg Kurzweil Native Instruments Rebis (no longer in production) Publison Sequential Circuits (no longer in production) Steinberg Tascam / NemeSys Waveframe Yamaha . Synthesizers can usually produce a wide range of sounds.Synthesizer A synthesizer (often abbreviated "synth") is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. though with many additional knob and button controls. allowing other means of playing such as. phase distortion synthesis. like subharmonic synthesis or granular synthesis. additive synthesis. physical modeling synthesis and sample-based synthesis. leading such instruments to be referred to simply as "keyboards".     Fingerboards and touchpads Wind controllers Guitar-style interfaces Drum pads . where the sound synthesis electronics are integrated into the same package as the controller. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones. each with their own strengths and weaknesses. frequency modulation synthesis. and they can be controlled using MIDI or CV/Gate methods. Other sound synthesis methods. while most modern synthesizers may be controlled via MIDI. are not found in music synthesizers. Synthesizers use a number of different technologies or programmed algorithms. Synthesizers without controllers are often called "modules". These are integrated controllers. which may either imitate other instruments ("imitative synthesis") or generate new timbres. wavetable synthesis. Among the most popular waveform synthesis techniques are subtractive synthesis. Several other forms of controller have been devised to resemble violins. Control interfaces Modern synthesizers often look like small pianos. However many early synthesizers were modular and keyboardless. Synthesizers are often controlled with a piano-style keyboard. guitars (see guitar synthesizer) and wind-instruments. Akai and Casio. Fingerboard-Theremin and The Persephone. In addition to a key arrangement the controller has breath-operated pressure transducers. A ribbon controller is used as an additional controller in the Yamaha CS-80 and CS-60. Yamaha. They functioned as MIDI managers. the Korg Prophecy and Korg Trinity series. and may have gate extractors. Instead. they were known as Tripp Strips. flexible longitudinal strips whose electric potential varies from one end to the other. The mouthpieces range from alto clarinet to alto saxophone sizes.  Music sequencers Non-contact interfaces akin to theremins [edit] Fingerboard controller A ribbon controller or other violin-like user interface may be used to control synthesizer parameters. Rock musician Keith Emerson used it with the Moog modular synthesizer from 1970 onward. A Harmonica style interfaces was the Millionizer. Trumpet style controllers have included products by Steiner.. follow the power or amplitude of an audio signial. but a ribbon controller only registers linear motion. velocity sensors and bite sensors. Melodica or recorder style controllers have included the Variophon. Envelope following systems. as with the Continuum instrument. A ribbon controller is similar to a touchpad. with their programming language printed on their surface. a ribbon controller is most commonly associated with pitch bending. rather than using pressure transducers. [edit] Others The Ondes Martenot control touche d’intensité. These may be analog or MIDI controllers or may include built-in synthesizers. footpedal and lightbeam controllers are examples. Designed by Jeff Tripp of Perfect Fretworks Co. Saxophone style controllers have included the Lyricon. and as expression/performance tools. the Kurzweil synthesizers. being designed along the lines of those instruments.[25][26] Several controllers also provide breath-like articulation capabilities. Morrison and Akai. Older fingerboards used a long wire pressed to a resistive plate. In the late 1980s. Theremin. and products by Yamaha. Moog synthesizers and others. The Steiner Master's Touch and products which interface to the Yamaha Breath Controller are examples. ElectroTheremin. Such ribbon controllers can serve as a main MIDI controller instead of a keyboard. the most sophisticated being the vocoder. Tubophon and Joseph Zawinul's custom Korg Pepe. Although it may be used to operate any parameter that is affected by control voltages. keyboards in the synth lab at Berklee College of Music were equipped with membrane thin ribbon style controllers that output MIDI. Various companies make accordion controllers that use pressure transducers on . Trautonium. a finger pressed down and moved along it creates an electrical contact at some point along a pair of thin. The ribbon controller has no moving parts. [edit] Wind controllers Wind controllers are convenient for woodwind or brass players or emulation. A breath controller may be used as an adjunct to a conventional synthesizer. Fingerboard-controlled instruments include the Hellertion. Heliophon. Martinetta. thus creating an arpeggio. the hardware component of the MIDI interface design is often unneeded. effects levels and the like.bellows for articulation. typically synchronised with the tempo of the master clock.[29] For the first time. or programs or patches. Arpeggiators are also commonly found in sequencing software. the MIDI standard was developed by a consortium now known as the MIDI Manufacturers Association. such as the 16-step ARP Sequencer.and became a popular standard for exchange of music scores between computers.e. sounds. In contrast with MIDI. upwards. Some allow a pattern to be sustained even if the keys are released: in this way an arpeggiated pattern may be built up over time by pressing several keys one after the other. Arpeggiators grew from hardware sequencers of the late 1960s and 1970s. The notes can often be transmitted to a MIDI sequencer for recording and further editing.[28] The General MIDI (GM) software standard was devised in 1991 to serve as a consistent way of describing a set of over 200 tones (including percussion) available to a PC for playback of musical scores. [edit] Arpeggiator An arpeggiator is a feature available on some synthesizers that automatically steps through a sequence of notes based on an input chord. More advanced arpeggiators allow the user to step through a complex sequence of notes or play several arpeggios at once. transport control and other types of data. or in a random order. Open Sound Control (OSC) is another music data specification designed for online networking. More direct articulation using the vocal tract without breath is the Talk box.mid) combined MIDI events with delta times .[28] MIDI is an opto-isolated serial interface and communication protocol. OSC allows thousands of synthesizers or computers to share music performance data over the Internet in realtime. previously stored in the instrument's memory). In the case of SMF playback using integrated synthesizers (as in computers and cell phones). a given MIDI preset would consistently produce an instrumental sound on any GM-conforming device. as well as synchronization.[28] It provides for the transmission from one device or instrument to another of real-time performance data. and the sequencers of modular synthesizers and were commonly fitted to keyboard instruments through the late 1970s and early 1980s.a form of time-stamping . Notable examples are the . commands for the selection of instrument presets (i. Some sequencers expand this into a full phrase sequencer. which allows the user to trigger complex. This data includes note events. An arpeggiator may have controls to manipulate the order and speed in which the notes play. MIDI interfaces are now almost ubiquitous on music equipment and are commonly available on personal computers (PCs).[27] First proposed in 1981 by engineer Dave Smith of Sequential Circuits. multi-track blocks of sequenced data from a keyboard or input device. The Standard MIDI File (SMF) format (extension . downwards. the control of performance-related parameters such as volume. [edit] MIDI control Main article: Musical Instrument Digital Interface Synthesizers became easier to integrate and synchronize with other electronic instruments and controllers with the introduction of Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) in 1983. When natural sounds are analyzed in the frequency domain (as on a spectrum analyzer). The specific set of harmonic-vs-amplitude pairs is known as a sound's harmonic content. Oberheim OB-Xa. the sounds produced by the instrument during different parts of a performance. or the behavior of the instrument under different playing conditions (pitch.) [edit] Patch A synthesizer patch (some manufacturers chose the term program) is a sound setting. After MIDI was introduced in 1983. In most conventional synthesizers. high-frequency harmonics will die out more quickly than the lower harmonics. When a synthesizer patch is uploaded to a personal computer which has patch editing software installed. brought with it a resurgence. However sometimes manufacturers will design a family of synthesizers to be compatible. more and more synthesizers could import or export patches via MIDI SYSEX commands. patch memory (allowing storage and loading of 'patches' or 'programs') began to appear in synths like the Sequential Circuits Prophet-5. the spectra of their sounds will exhibit amplitude spikes at each of the fundamental tone's harmonics corresponding to resonant properties of the instruments (spectral peaks that are also referred to as formants). They fell out of favour by the latter part of the 1980s and early 1990s and were absent from the most popular synthesizers of the period but a resurgence of interest in analog synthesizers during the 1990s. an overall sound setting for any type of synthesizer has been known as a patch. the user can alter the parameters of the patch and download it back to the synthesizer. Since these machines had no memory to save settings. intensity of playing. in which the arpeggiator on a Roland Jupiter-4 is heard playing a C minor chord in random mode. Ever since. musicians wrote down the locations of the patch cables and knob positions on a "patch sheet" (which usually showed a diagram of the synthesizer). Roland SH-101. and the use of rapid-fire arpeggios in several popular dance hits. recordings of real instruments are composed of several components representing the acoustic responses of different parts of the instrument. a sound that does not change over time will include a fundamental partial or harmonic. Sequential Circuits Six-Trak and Korg Polysix. Modular synthesizers used cables ("patch cords") to connect the different sound modules together. fingering. for purposes of re-synthesis.Roland Jupiter 8. A sound does not necessarily have the same harmonic content throughout the duration of the sound. Some harmonics may have higher amplitudes than others. Synthesis may attempt to mimic the amplitude and pitch of the partials in an acoustic sound source. Because there can be no standard patch language it is rare that a patch generated on one synthesizer can be used on a different model. A synthesized sound requires accurate reproduction of the original sound in both the frequency domain and the time domain. and any number of partials. A famous example can be heard on Duran Duran's song "Rio". Typically. By 1978. [edit] Imitative synthesis Sound synthesis can be used to mimic acoustic sound sources. . Generally. etc. envelope filters. distortion effects. often employed for background harmony and atmosphere in much the same fashion that a string section is often used in acoustic music. Although most commonly heard in electronic dance music. this being the time of polyphonic synthesizers. as did the then-new styles of smooth jazz and New Age music. some performers use an electric bass with MIDI pickups to trigger a bass synthesizer. Most modern music relies heavily on the synth lead to provide a musical hook to sustain the listener's interest throughout an entire song.[edit] Synth pad A synth pad is a sustained chord or tone generated by a synthesizer. sometimes holding the same note while a lead voice sings or plays an entire musical phrase. a synth pad plays many whole or half notes. [edit] Synth lead A synth lead is generally used for playing the main melody of a song. buzz-saw-like artificial bass sounds. or vocal timbre. Often. the sounds used for synth pads have a vaguely organ. including wavetable-style. Heavy use of synth lead is used by artists such as Lil Jon in Snap Yo Fingas and Usher in "Yeah!" as representative of the Crunk music genre. [edit] Bass synthesizer A 1970s-era Moog Taurus synth The bass synthesizer (or "bass synth") is used to create sounds in the bass range. from simulations of the electric bass or double bass to distorted. Bass synth patches may incorporate a range of sounds and tones. . While most bass synths are controlled by electronic keyboards or pedalboards. The main feature of a synth pad is very long attack and decay time with extended sustains. synth leads have been used extensively in hip-hop and rock songs since the 1980s. delay effects. In some instances pulse-width modulation (PWM) using a square wave oscillator can be added to create a "vibrating" sound. by generating and combining signals of different frequencies. who were noted users of the technique. A modern digital synthesizer uses a frequency synthesizer microprocessor component to generate signals of different frequencies. but it is also often used for creating rhythmic or bass effects. and FMstyle bass sounds. Much popular music in the 1980s employed synth pads. analog. Typically. string. One of many well-known songs from the era to incorporate a synth pad is "West End Girls" by the Pet Shop Boys. featuring a built-in sequencer and released in late 1981. though it wouldn't be popularized until Phuture's "Acid Tracks" in 1987. Lou Reed. rock. Stevie Wonder introduced synth bass to a wider audience in the early 1970s. The BOSS SYB-3 was one of the early bass synthesizer pedals. In the 1970s miniaturized solid-state components allowed self-contained. delay effects. MIDI keyboard From Wikipedia. and FM-style bass sounds.[30] In the 2000s. distortion effects. An early use of bass synthesizer was in 1972. and blues-rock bands. With these devices. portable instruments such as the Moog Taurus. on a solo album by John Entwistle (the bassist for The Who).. the free encyclopedia . and pulse synth waves and useradjustable filter cutoff. When the programmable music sequencer became widely available in the 1980s (e. notably on Superstition (1972) and Boogie On Reggae Woman (1974). which simulate the sound of an analog or digital bass synth. In 1977 Parliament's funk single Flashlight used the bass synthesizer. square.g. a bass guitar is used to generate synth bass sounds. One of the first to utilize it was Charanjit Singh in 1982. a 13-note pedal keyboard which was played by the feet. Bass synthesizers often provide samples from vintage 1970s and 1980s bass synths. Some bass synths are built into an organ style pedalboard or button board. several companies such as Boss and Akai produced bass synthesizer effect pedals for electric bass players. from his 1979 album The Bells. and which would later become synonymous with acid house music. The SYB-3 reproduces sounds of analog synthesizers with Digital Signal Processing saw. Bass synthesizer software allows performers to use MIDI to integrate the bass sounds with other synthesizers or drum machines. decay. analog. including wavetablestyle. dynamics. bass synths were used to create highly syncopated rhythms and complex. the synclavier). envelope depth. Bass synth patches incorporate a range of sounds and tones. widely considered a pioneer of electric guitar textures.An example of a classic analog bass synthesizer sound. A particularly influential bass synthesizer was the Roland TB-303. The Moog Taurus was used in live performances by a range of pop. entitled Whistle Rymes. envelope filters. cutoff. played bass synthesizer on "Families". Four sawtooth bass filter sweeps with gradually increasing resonance. resonance). rapid basslines. The Akai bass synth pedal contains a four-oscillator synthesizer with user selectable parameters (attack. A close up of one style of MIDI keyboard based on the piano user interface A MIDI keyboard is typically a piano-style user interface keyboard device used for sending (MIDI) signals or commands over a USB or MIDI cable to other devices connected and operating on the same MIDI protocol interface. Another MIDI keyboard implementation is the Tonal Plexus keyboard that provides for up to 1266 different tonal pitches possible in the TPX6 1266 Keys (Microtonal MIDI Controller). Not all MIDI keyboards are based on the piano style user interface. In the MIDI protocol used in each of these midi controllers. Many MIDI keyboard controllers have pads or buttons that also send MIDI signals. pitch bend and modulation controls are also included in the . There are numerous other MIDI controllers that are also not based on the piano style user interface. aftertouch. and most pads have a velocity sensing capability so that varying volumes of sound can be played/voiced. other sound parameters such as note volume (velocity). an encoding scheme is used to map a MIDI value to a specific instrument sample. The basic MIDI keyboard does not produce sound. An illustration of the Continuum Fingerboard. Also. MIDI information is sent to an electronic module capable of reproducing an array of digital sounds or samples that resemble traditional analog musical instruments. Another such keyboard device is the Continuum Fingerboard which is based on a "fretless" type keyboard interface enabling portamento style note changes at will during play. Instead. These samples or waveforms are also referred to as voices or timbres. This could also be a personal computer running software such as a digital audio workstation (DAW) that listens to and sends MIDI information to other MIDI devices connected by cable or running internal to the personal computer system. but on newer interfaces with broader application possible because of computer technology. including activating sounds by MIDI control within DAW software. The keyboard merely acts as a MIDI controller of sound modules and other MIDI devices. sampler or DAW software. transport control) are sometimes called keyboard controllers. Most include a transpose function and the ability to set different octaves. Clavi    Classification Keyboard Chordophone Electric piano Playing range F1 – E6 . MIDI keyboards are a very common feature of a recording studio. Other features that some MIDI keyboards might include are:      Input for foot switch (usually used as a sustain pedal) Input for a foot expression controller Semi-weighted or fully weighted keys Capability of sending aftertouch Direct USB connection for use with computers MIDI keyboards come in a range of sizes. Some also have extra sets of assignable rotary knobs and/or buttons for sending custom MIDI messages to the synthesiser. MIDI keyboards with fewer than 61 keys tend not to have weighted keys. Clavinet From Wikipedia. instrument selection. and any DAW setup. the free encyclopedia Clavinet Keyboard instrument Other names Clav. Many MIDI keyboards have pitch bend and modulation wheels. Devices with extra features (also including rhythm input.MIDI protocol scheme. from 25 keys (two octaves) to full 88-key length. which use the principle of plectra or sticky pads plucking metal reeds. These instruments were designed for the home market and made no attempt to emulate any characteristics of the true Clavinet. which are positioned above and below the strings. Clavichord Builders Hohner A Clavinet is an electrophonic keyboard instrument manufactured by the Hohner company. . The "Clavinet DP" name was applied by Hohner to a range of Japanese-made digital pianos during the late 1980s. the D6 introduced a sixcore pickup design. By 1982 however. Originally the instrument was designed for home use and aimed at playing early European classical and folk music. The final E7 model saw the culmination of several engineering improvements to make the instrument more suitable for use in live amplified rock music. Duo. Each key uses a small rubber tip to perform a "hammer on" (forcefully fret the string) to a guitar-type string when it is pressed. reverse-colour keys and an acrylic glass music stand. the Hohner corporation had ceased production of the Clavinet. In 2000 Hohner disassociated themselves from the Clavinet completely by unloading their spare parts inventory to restoration website Clavinet. including the models I. II. Most models consist of 60 keys and 60 associated strings. Its distinctive bright staccato sound has appeared particularly in funk. where its use had become commonplace. The end of each string farthest from the pickups passes through a weave of yarn. The Clavinet L. L. C. Early Clavinet models featured single-coil pickups. and E7. It is essentially an electronically amplified clavichord. the yarn makes the string immediately stop vibrating. giving it a five-octave range from F1 to E6. analogous to an electric guitar. D6. and a guitar-level output which can be patched to a guitar amp. as with a conventional clavichord. When the key is released. Pianet. The Clavinet has pickup selector switches. rock. disco. Most Clavinets have two sets of pickups.Related instruments Cembalet. and reggae songs.com. the Cembalet and Pianet. introduced in 1968 was a domestic model and featured a wood-veneered triangular body with wooden legs. This mechanism is completely different from the other Hohner keyboard products. Various models were produced over the years. Keytar From Wikipedia. The instrument has a musical keyboard for triggering musical notes and sounds. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Korg RK-100 (1984) MIDI remote contoller . Keytars allow players a greater range of movement compared to conventional keyboards. The term "keytar" is a portmanteau of the words "keyboard" and "guitar". vibrato. portamento. and sustain are placed on the instrument's "neck". Controls for pitch bends. the free encyclopedia This article does not cite any references or sources. which are placed on stands. or simply be controllers. Keytars may either contain their own synthesis engines. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. triggering notes on another MIDI capable synthesizer. similar to the way a guitar is supported by a strap. (June 2010) A keytar is a relatively lightweight keyboard (with or without a built-in synthesizer) that is supported by a strap around the neck and shoulders. Although many different models of Hammond organs were produced.Hammond organ From Wikipedia. the free encyclopedia A close-up of the Hammond L-100 organ. in the 1960s and 1970s it became a standard keyboard instrument for jazz. blues. In the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s the distinctive sound of . with the drawbars in the foreground The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. the Hammond B-3 organ is most well-known. church and gospel music. The original Hammond organ used additive synthesis of waveforms from harmonic series made by mechanical tonewheels that rotate in front of electromagnetic pickups. rock music. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ. The component waveform ratios are mixed by sliding drawbars mounted above the two keyboards. if you wanted a clock chime.S. and Leslie speaker cabinet. Patent 1. progressive rock bands and blues-rock groups.[citation needed] History Hammond B3 organ.[2][3] Radio shows of the 1930s and 40s used the Hammond for not only mood music but more significantly. He understood the fact that every instrument sounds the way it does because of its many harmonic overtones and their varied intensities. as a replacement for the piano in middle-class homes. He got the idea for the tonewheel by listening to the moving gears of his electric clocks and the tones produced by them. it was capable of producing any combination of notes and overtones. by the 1950s. However. The last electromechanical Hammond organ came off the assembly line in the mid-1970s. musicians began using electronic and digital devices to imitate the sound of the Hammond. For example. About 30 years later American engineer and inventor Laurens Hammond filed U. the overdriven sound of the Hammond gained a new image when it became part of 1960s and 1970s rock with artists like Alan Price.[4] Hammond had intended his invention to be an affordable substitute for pipe organs. and as an instrument for radio broadcasting. at any dynamic level. the Model A.the B-3 organ (often played through a Leslie speaker) was widely used in Blues. By the 1990s and 2000s digital signal processing and sampling technologies allowed for better imitation of the original Hammond sound. In 1897 Thaddeus Cahill patented an instrument called the Telharmonium (or Teleharmonium. By the 1960s. jazz musicians such as Jimmy Smith began to use the organ's distinctive sound. The organ was first used for popular music by Milt Herth.[citation needed] The Hammond organ was widely used in United States military chapels and post theaters during the Second World War. Using tonewheels to generate musical sounds as electrical signals by additive synthesis. and returning soldiers' familiarity with the instrument may have helped contribute to its popularity in the post-war period. In Britain the organ became associated with elevator music and ice rinks music. This technology was later used to design the Hammond organ. Gregg . because the vintage Hammond organ is heavy and hard to transport. you would set the drawbars at 010010603. was made available in June of that year. also known as the Dynamaphone).350[1] for a new type of "electrical musical instrument" that could recreate a pipe organ-type sound. The invention was unveiled to the public in April 1935 and the first model.956. In the 1980s and 1990s. who played it live on WIND (AM) soon after it was invented. However. the Hammond became popular with pop groups and was used on the British pirate station Radio 390. for sound effects. Allman, Steve Winwood, Rick Wright, Keith Emerson, Jon Lord, Matthew Fisher, Rick Wakeman and 1990s acid rock artists such as The Brand New Heavies, Jack McDuff and Tony Monaco.[citation needed] Originally located at 4200 West Diversey Avenue in Chicago, Illinois, Hammond is now owned by Suzuki Musical Inst. Mfg. Co., Ltd., and distributed by Hammond Suzuki Co., Ltd. Today, Hammond builds electronic organs that closely replicate the tonewheel organ sound using current technology. Jammer keyboard From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia A jammer made from two Axis-49s, one sub-keyboard for each hand. Note the mirror-imaged key layout; this allows a fingering learned by one hand to be picked up quickly by the other. A jammer is a new musical instrument characterized by 1. at least one isomorphic keyboard, and 2. thumb-operated and/or motion-sensing expressive controls. The instrument is designed to be fast to learn to play, very fast to play and very expressive. Research suggests that the combination of thumb-controls and internal motion sensors could give jammers more expressive potential than other polyphonic musical instruments such as the piano, guitar, and accordion.[1] Isomorphic keyboards similar to those used in a jammer have been shown to accelerate the rate at which students grasp otherwise-abstract concepts in music theory.[2][3] Pipe organ From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia This article is about organs that produce sound by driving wind through pipes. For an overview of related instruments, see Organ (music). The pipe organ in Saint-Germain l'Auxerrois, Paris[1] The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air (called wind) through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass. Most organs have multiple ranks of pipes of differing timbre, pitch and loudness that the player can employ singly or in combination through the use of controls called stops. A pipe organ has one or more keyboards (called manuals) played by the hands, and a pedalboard played by the feet, each of which has its own group of stops. The organ's continuous supply of wind allows it to sustain notes for as long as the corresponding keys are depressed, unlike the piano and harpsichord, the sounds of which begin to decay the longer the keys are held. The smallest portable pipe organs may have only one or two dozen pipes and one manual; the largest may have over 20,000 pipes and seven manuals.[2] The origins of the pipe organ can be traced back to the hydraulis in Ancient Greece in the 3rd century BC,[3] in which the wind supply was created with water pressure. By the sixth or 7th century AD, bellows were used to supply organs with wind.[3] Beginning in the 12th century, the organ began to evolve into a complex instrument capable of producing different timbres. By the 17th century, most of the sounds available on the modern classical organ had been developed.[4] From that time, the pipe organ was the most complex man-made device,[5] a distinction it retained until it was displaced by the telephone exchange in the late 19th century.[6] Pipe organs are installed in churches, synagogues, concert halls, and other public buildings and are used for the performance of classical music, sacred music, and secular music. In the early 20th century, pipe organs were installed in theaters to accompany films during the silent movie era, in municipal auditoria, where orchestral transcriptions were popular, and in the homes of the wealthy, equipped with player mechanisms.[7] The beginning of the 21st century has seen a resurgence in installations in concert halls. The organ boasts a substantial repertoire, which spans over 400 years.[8] Accordion From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia For other uses, see Accordion (disambiguation). Accordion A piano accordion (top) and a Russian bayan (bottom) Danish (standard-bass). harmonia Russian:Bajan Swedish:Dragspel[1] HornbostelSachs classification Developed 412.132 (Free-reed aerophone) Early 19th century Playing range Depends on configuration: Right-hand manual    Chromatic button accordion Diatonic button accordion Piano accordion Left-hand manual   Stradella bass system Free-bass system Related instruments Hand-pumped: Bandoneón. Roland Virtual Accordion Combination acoustic/electronic instruments: . Trikitixa. Flutina. Reed organ Mouth-blown: Melodica. Indian harmonium Foot-pumped: Harmonium. Concertina. Japanese Shō Electronic reedless instruments: Electronium. Harmonica. Hungarian & Icelandic: Harmonika French:Accordéon German:Akkordeon Greek:Ακορντεον Other names Italian:Fisarmonica Norwegian:Trekkspill Polish:Akordeon. Garmon.Keyboard instrument Danish (free-bass): Accordeon. MIDI accordion. Chinese Shêng. Laotian Khene. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist. called pallets. pitch bend and aftertouch using a foot pedal.Cordavox.[2] Octapad is a range of MIDI percussion controllers larger memory that could store up to 64 different patches.[notes 1] The instrument is sometimes considered a one-man-band as it needs no accompanying instrument.[ . It is played by compressing or expanding a bellows whilst pressing buttons or keys. Additionally. and the accompaniment. musical. causing valves. native versions of the name accordion are more common. Some popular music acts also make use of the instrument. The accordion is often used in folk music in Europe. Diatonic button accordion. Another 64 patches could be stored onto a Roland M-256E memory card. More articles Accordion. which concerned "automatically coupled chords on the bass side". that vibrate to produce sound inside the body. North America and South America. The performer normally plays the melody on buttons or keys on the right-hand manual. Stradella bass system.[2] Further improvements to the MIDI specification included the control of modulation. It is commonly associated with busking. The oldest name for this group of instruments is actually harmonika. eight of these chains could be stored in memory. Duovox Musicians Accordionists (list of accordionists). Bayan. Chromatic button accordion. meaning harmonic. consisting of bass and pre-set chord buttons. on the lefthand manual. Free-bass system. which allow air to flow across strips of brass or steel. from the Greek harmonikos.[3] The Pad-80 had a patch chain function that allowed a series of 32 patches to be arranged in any sequence. Today. the accordion is sometimes used in both solo and orchestra performances of classical music. called reeds. sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. These names are a reference to the type of accordion patented by Cyrill Demian. Piano accordion. Accordion reed ranks & switches The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family. to open. . . Bandoneon ( A type of Concertina ) . whereas in the accordion family the direction of button or key movement is perpendicular to the bellows movement. Additionally the notes produced on push and pull are different (bisonoric). Concertina. It is considered part of the concertina family of instruments rather than the accordion family. These variants are more compatible with a chromatic tuning structure. the tango orchestra. although both are free reed instruments. Since the right and left hand layouts are also different. melodeon. Unlike the piano accordion.Classification     Wind Free reed Aerophone Developed Germany mid 1800s Related instruments Chemnitzer concertina. However. . Yu Musicians   Ástor Piazzolla Aníbal Troilo The bandoneón is a type of concertina particularly popular in Argentina and Uruguay. the bandoneón does not have keys as per a piano. Heinrich Band (1821–1860). German sailors and Italian seasonal workers and emigrants brought the instrument with them to Argentina in the late 19th century. there are bandoneóns that are monosonoric (same note on push and pull). the bandoneón is played by holding the instrument between both hands and either pushing in or pulling out the instrument while simultaneously pressing one or more buttons with the fingers. the German concertina (or Konzertina). but has buttons on both sides. considered to be a folk instrument by some modern authors. How the instrument is played Like concertinas. This means that each keyboard has actually two layouts: one for the opening notes. harmonica. such as tango. called bandonion by a German instrument dealer. reed organ. To make matters even more confusing. there is the advantage that the notes tend to progress from the bass clef on the left hand to above the treble clef on the right. The bandoneón. where it was incorporated into the local music. In the concertina family the direction of button movement is parallel with the direction of bellows movement. and one for the closing notes. in contrast to its predecessor. It plays an essential role in the orquesta típica. was originally intended as an instrument for religious music and the popular music of the day. this adds up to four different keyboard layouts that must be learned in order to play the instrument. List of some bandoneonists:                              Alejandro Barletta Alexander Mitenev Aníbal Troilo (1914–1975) Tránsito Cocomarola Ástor Piazzolla (1921–1992) Carel Kraayenhof Bruno Mendoza Carlittos Magallanes Claudio Constantini David Alsina David Tudor Dino Saluzzi Edgardo Pedroza Eduardo Arolas (1892–1924) Gabriel Merlino Gabriel Rivano Isaco Abitbol John Spiers Miguel Caló Osvaldo Barrios Pauline Oliveros Pedro Laurenz (1902–1972) Pedro Maffia (1899–1967) Rene Marino Rivero (?-2010) Ricardo Souza Melo Rodolfo Mederos Rubén Juárez Ryōta Komatsu Tolga Salman . and with his solos and accompaniment on the bandoneón. His "Fugata" from 1969 showcases the instrument which plays the initial fugue subject on the 1st statement. which makes sense when one considers the origin of the instrument and its intended purpose. then moves on to the outright tango played after the introduction. certain runs and musical forms can be difficult. Piazzolla combined a musical architecture very much derived from classical music (which he had studied intensively in his formative years) with traditional instrumental tango. For a beginning player. With its arrival in Argentina around 1870. the bandoneón was adopted by those wishing to incorporate it into the Milonga music of that time (which requires a very fast player indeed). but to an experienced player they come quite naturally. [edit] Famous musicians The Argentinian composer and tango performer Ástor Piazzolla was the leading proponent of the bandoneón in the 20th century.None of these keyboard layouts is structured to facilitate playing scale passages of notes. What sprang from that is Tango. Instead the structure is designed to aid the playing of chords. modern bandoneón: . . . In the 17th century. several members of the Van den Gheyn bellfounders dynasty also mastered the skill of bell tuning. Unfortunately his techniques also died with him. It was not until the 19th century in England under the John Taylor Bellfounders at Loughborough. François and Pieter Hemony developed the art of bell-founding. that bell tuning was re-invented.[1] the total weight of bells alone can be 100 tons in the largest instruments. In Germany. The great bell Rowland announced births. and tuning. A carillon is played by striking a keyboard the keys of which are sometimes called "batons" with the fists and by pressing the keys of a pedal keyboard with the feet. belfries. deaths. The greatest concentration of carillons is still found in the Netherlands. such as Andreas Joseph Van den Gheyn. The instrument consists of at least 23 cast bronze cupshaped bells. Belgium. designing.Carillon ( bells controlled by keyboard ) a musical instrument that is usually housed in a free-standing bell tower. The carillon is the heaviest of all extant musical instruments. which they passed on to Antwerp bellfounder Melchior de Haze. or the belfry of a church or other municipal building. where they were mounted in the grand towers of rich cities as tokens of civic pride and status. storms. and military attacks. to vary the intensity of the note according to the force applied to the key. wars and other events. History In medieval times. The keys mechanically activate levers and wires that connect to metal clappers that strike the bells. and Northern France. The use of bells in a musical fashion originated in the 14th century in the Low Countries. or in municipal buildings. bells were first used as a way of notifying people of fires. A ringing of bells rung from the lowest note to the highest note indicated that an attack had taken place. the carillonneur. Belgium. In the 18th century. and in the north of France. Musical characteristics . or sounded together to play a chord. Carillons were usually housed in church towers. Some of the most spectacular are now protected by UNESCO as part of the world heritage site the Belfries of Belgium and France. allowing the performer. England. a carillon is also called a Glockenspiel. fires. where they were symbols of civic pride and status. The greatest concentration of carillons is still found in the Netherlands. which are played serially to play a melody. the carillonneur can vary the intensity of the note according to the force applied to the key. organ console. Different names are assigned to instruments based on the number of bells they comprise:    Carillons with 23 through 27 bells are referred to as two-octave carillons. which have strong overtones above and below the fundamental frequency. Although called "carillons" or "electronic carillons". Chiming means that one bell at a time is usually played. the heavier bells are also played with a pedal keyboard. but can be transported. Foundry bells are tuned to have the following set of partials (overtones):     Octave above prime Fifth Minor third Prime and strike tone resultant .[2] Modern imitation instruments (such as those made by Schulmerich) use semantra (rectangular metal bars roughly the diameter of a pencil. as with a piano. a carillon can sound "out of tune. with a loosely closed fist. In addition to the manual keys.  Travelling or mobile carillons are not placed in a tower. Twelve bells are allowed so that automatic chiming of tunes may take place. which sounds the C two octaves below middle C on the piano. or by means of music rolls. The keys activate levers and wires that connect directly to the bells' clappers.[4] The GCNA as of 2000 has disqualified all instruments in which more than 12 bells are played electrically. The "keyboard" of a carillon is called a baton console. their sound does not conform to the definitions given by the World Carillon Federation[3] or the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America. Players of these instruments often use music arranged specifically for their limited range of notes. thus. To a musician's ear.  The carillonneur or carillonist is the title of the musician who plays the carillon. a carillon's musical range is determined by the number of bells it has." Poorly tuned bells often give this impression and also can be out of tune with themselves. on a series of baton-like keys arranged in the same pattern as a piano keyboard. The batons are almost never played with the fingers as one does a piano. The resulting sound is electronically amplified and broadcast by loudspeakers. but of varying lengths) struck by an electric solenoid.The 56-bell carillon at the Plummer Building Since each separate note is produced by an individual bell. This is sometimes referred to as the "standard-sized" carillon. This is due to the unusual harmonic characteristics of foundry bells. Some of them can even be played indoor—in a concert hall or church—like the mobile carillon of Frank Steijns. though this is sometimes used as a special carillon playing technique. These notes can either be played with the hands or the feet. A concert carillon has a range of at least four octaves (47 bells). The Riverside Carillon in New York City has (or did have—there may be other instruments with larger bourdons) the largest tuned bell in the world. The carillonneur/carillonist usually sits in a cabin beneath the bells and presses down. They may be played from a keyboard. more costly ones. a concert carillon will have a minimum of forty-eight bells. They all combine to create a "resultant" pitch. Because of the acoustic peculiarities of a carillon bell (the prominence of the minor third. In these compositions. The range of any given instrument usually depends on funds available for the fabrication and installation of the instrument: more money allows more bells to be cast. Recording the carillon is notoriously difficult. The carillon is generally far too loud to perform with most other concert instruments. while possible. Most modern instruments sound at concert pitch. music written for other instruments needs to be arranged specifically for the carillon.and early twenty-first century compositions involving electronic media and carillon. In the North American Standard keyboard. especially the larger. there is a major 10th. Older carillons can be transposing instruments. The extreme amount of sound waves that are generated and the layout of a carillon present problems not found in normal recording . which is in unison with prime on a well-tuned bell. and 15th which are not typically individually tuned. The great exceptions to this are some late twentieth. There is no standard pitch range for the carillon. Notes written in the bass clef are generally played by the feet. [edit] Music Carillonneur playing Oh Shenandoah. Notes written in the treble clef are played with the hands. 12th. Pedals range from the lowest note (the bourdon) and may continue up to two and half octaves. The combination of carillon and other instruments. and the lack of damping of sound). In general. all notes can be played on the manual. Properly tuned bells emphasize the fundamental frequency of the bell. even the most delicate effects are possible. generally transposing upward. Carillon music is typically written on two staves. in the case of sensitive composers. Hum tone (an octave below prime) Additionally. A carillon clavier has both a manual and a pedal keyboard. is generally not a happy marriage. but are usually present anyway. sound amplification is able to match the extreme dynamic range of the carillon and. but it isn't possible to decide on the location of the microphones without experimentation.situations. . PZM microphones can handle the enormous waves of sound. . The keys are connected to hammers which strike a graduated set of metal (usually steel) plates suspended over wooden resonators. On four or five octave models one pedal is usually available to sustain or dampen the sound. The threeoctave instruments do not have a pedal because of their small "table-top" design. One of the best-known works that makes use of the celesta is Tchaikovsky's "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" from The Nutcracker. Its appearance is similar to that of an upright piano (four.or five-octave) or of a large wooden music box (three-octave).[edit] Composers for carillon        George Crumb Margriet Ehlen Hans Kockelmans Vincent Persichetti Olesya Rostovskaya Roman Turovsky-Savchuk Merlijn Twaalfhoven[5][6] Celesta The celesta ( /sɨˈlɛstə/) or celeste ( /sɨˈlɛst/) is a struck idiophone operated by a keyboard. celeste meaning "heavenly" in French. This quality gave the instrument its name. The celesta is a transposing instrument. The celesta part is normally written on two bracketed staves. called a grand staff. it was omitted from later models. but because the lowest octave was considered somewhat unsatisfactory. but with a much softer and more subtle timbre.The sound of the celesta is similar to that of the glockenspiel. Although it is a member of the percussion family. . in orchestral terms it is more properly considered as a member of the keyboard section and usually played by a keyboardist. The original French instrument had a five-octave range. The standard French four-octave instrument is now gradually being replaced in symphony orchestras by a larger. it sounds an octave higher than the written pitch. five-octave German model. in 1860. the typophone or the dulcitone. Victor Mustel. This consisted of struck tuning forks instead of metal plates.History The celesta was invented in 1886 by Parisian harmonium builder Auguste Mustel. . His father. but the sound produced was considered too small to be of use in an orchestral situation. had developed the forerunner of the celesta. Ariadne auf Naxos (1912). Busoni's Arlecchino (1917) and Doktor Faust (1925). Buddy Holly ("Everyday"). George Gershwin included a celesta solo in the score to An American in Paris.) Some of Sinatra's 50s work also features celesta. Willie "The Lion" Smith. Menotti's Amelia Goes to the Ball (1937). Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream (1960). It also features prominently in Béla Bartók's 1936 Music for Strings. Grateful Dead ("New Potato Caboose". 1892). Op. Orff's Der Mond (1939). Percussion and Celesta. Susa's Transformations (1973). The Stooges ("Penetration") and Pink Floyd ("The Gnome" and the re-recorded version of "Mother". They Might Be Giants ("I'm Impressed"). Gustav Holst employed the instrument in his 1918 orchestral work The Planets. McCoy Tyner. including Puccini's Tosca (1900). 2nd. and Die Frau ohne Schatten (1918).Pyotr Tchaikovsky is usually cited as the first major composer to use this instrument in a work for full symphony orchestra. used in the movie The Wall). Thelonious Monk. [edit] Soundtrack . Oscar Peterson. Other notable jazz pianists who occasionally played the celesta include Meade "Lux" Lewis. [edit] Use in other musical genres [edit] Jazz Since its adoption by Earl Hines in 1928. the Mystic". 71. written for a small orchestra. Duke Ellington. most notably in the "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy". premiered in November 1891. Fats Waller in the 1930s sometimes played the celesta with his right hand and the piano simultaneously with his left hand. posth. 6. The Beach Boys ("Girl Don't Tell Me"). "Row Jimmy"). and 4th movements. The celesta is used in many 20th century opera scores. and Philip Glass' Akhnaten (1984). Sun Ra. particularly in the final movement. Art Tatum. for La tempête (a French translation by Maurice Bouchor of Shakespeare's The Tempest).[2] The celesta is also notably used in Gustav Mahler's Symphony No.[1] The following year. the Beatles ("Baby It's You" and "Good Night"). Ravel's L'heure espagnole (1911). particularly in the 1st. Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier (1911). Op. namely In the Wee Small Hours and Songs For Swingin' Lovers.' [edit] Rock and pop While the celesta is not overly common in popular music. However. 71a. and Herbie Hancock. The instrument is used prominently in the introduction to the 1928 recording by Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five of Basin Street Blues. he used the celesta in passages in his ballet The Nutcracker (Op. and is featured prominently throughout the song. Ernest Chausson preceded Tchaikovsky by employing the celesta in December 1888 in his incidental music. 78. the celesta has been used occasionally by jazz pianists as an alternative instrument. He first used it in his symphonic poem The Voyevoda. Others include The Velvet Underground ("Sunday Morning"). which also appears in the derived Nutcracker Suite. it has been used now and again. A number of recordings made by Frank Sinatra for Columbia in the 40s feature the instrument (most notably "I'll Never Smile Again". A celesta provides the introduction to a song Louis Armstrong recorded for RCA entitled "Someday You'll Be Sorry". "Neptune. It was the first bowed keyboard instrument (of which any record has survived) ever to be devised. causing the moving bow to sound the pitch of the string. so that there were more keys than strings (several notes. A modern reconstruction of the viola organista by Akio Obuchi was used in a concert in Genoa. The celesta is featured playing the signature opening of "Pure Imagination". Apparently Leonardo did not build his instrument. . and perpendicular to the instrument's strings. Composer John Williams's scores for the first three Harry Potter films notably use the celesta to evoke the films' magical settings." The opening of "Won't You Be My Neighbor". would all be played on one string). particularly in the first two films' frequent statements of "Hedwig's Theme. the strings were fretted with tangents. [edit] Description Leonardo's original idea. a well known song from the film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (sung by Gene Wilder). the celesta has been commonplace in film soundtracks since the silent era. The strings would be pushed downward into the bow by the action of the keys. rather like a fanbelt in an automobile engine. was to use one or more wheels. a German instrument inventor. In one design. each of which pulled a looping bow. The tune was written by Fred Rogers in 1967 and was played by Johnny Costa who also played other keyboards on the show. the theme song of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. as preserved in his notebooks of 1488–1489 and in the drawings in the Codex Atlanticus. begins with a dreamy sequence on a celesta. The first similar instrument actually to be constructed was the Geigenwerk of 1575 by Hans Haiden. for example C and C#. In another design each note had its own string. continuously rotating. Italy in 2004. Viola Organista an experimental musical instrument invented by Leonardo da Vinci.A standard instrument used when music of a heavenly or dream-like quality is desired. a Nuremberg builder. whose sketches of a viola organista were discovered in 1967 by the art historian Ladislao Reti. IV-21) in Brussels. Simons has distinguished three distinct groups: the Geigenwerk.3 Over the past 500 years a number of builders have made variants of bowed keyboard instruments and given them individual names. several early examples do survive. which is preserved in the Mahillon collection of the Musée Instrumental (no. Although these instruments are now obsolete. Carolyn W. which was invented in 1575 by Hans Haiden (or Hyden). the viola organista can be viewed as a link between the hurdy-gurdy and the Geigenwerk.4 Among the various types.The earliest known design for a bowed keyboard instrument is found in the 1488-89 notebook of Leonardo da Vinci.2 About 1625 the Spanish priest and harpsichord maker Fray Raymundo Truchado built an example of the similar instrument.1 A four-string fretted keyboard instrument with a single wheel. which uses a . and a few still function. and the hitchpin plate was places along the edge of the soundboard neat the bentside and tail piece. The clavichord produces sound by striking brass or iron strings with small metal blades called tangents. rod. To prolong the sound. Clavichord The clavichord is a European stringed keyboard instrument known from the late Medieval.. The strings were positioned in a manner similar to those of the harpsichord and other keyboard instruments. the harpsichord and clavichord the Geigenwerk could then sustain its tone as long as the keys were depressed and its wheels remained in motion. and the piano-quatuor. it was widely used as a practice instrument and as an aid to composition. which uses leather belts instead of friction wheels to sustain the strings' vibrations. By changing the rotation speed of the wheels. meaning "key" (associated with more common clavus. which in turn started their vibration. the wrest plank was located at the front. not being loud enough for larger performances. When the keys were depressed. A friction wheel was located under each of four (Truchado) or five (Haiden) groups of strings.") and chorda (from Greek χορδή) meaning "string. Historically. Baroque and Classical eras. thereby producing a limited range of dynamics. straight back from the keyboard. From John Mainwaring's biography of Handel: . especially of a musical instrument". i. Unlike its close relatives. Vibrations are transmitted through the bridge(s) to the soundboard. while a small clearance was maintained between the wheel and each string in its group. etc. the Streichklavier. the player moderated the normal tension between them and the strings. meaning "nail. the strings of the notes selected were puled down to touch the friction wheel.system of wheels to activate the strings. through the Renaissance. the player kept the wheels rotating with either a foot treadle or a manual crank mechanism.e.5 In the Geigenwerken by Haiden and Truchado. which uses a friction drum instead of wheels. The name is derived from the Latin word clavis. . he took every method to oppose it. where such kind of furniture was in use. nor was he ever permitted to go to any other.From his very childhood Handel had discovered such a strong propensity to Music. had reason to be alarmed. All this caution and art. tho’ not attended to at that time. that his father. had made such farther advances. did but augment his passion. He had made some progress before Music had been prohibited. He strictly forbad him to meddle with any musical instrument. Developed Early 14th century Glasschord glasschord (or glasscord) is a crystallophone that resembles the celesta but uses keyboard-driven hammers to strike glass bars instead of metal bars. nothing of that kind was suffered to remain in the house. Perceiving that this inclination still increased. and by his assiduous practice at hours of rest. To this room he constantly stole when the family was asleep. instead of restraining. He had found means to get a little clavichord privately convey’d to a room at the top of the house. as. were no slight prognostications of his future greatness. who always intended him for the study of the Civil Law. and in popular culture. including the smaller virginals. The characteristic profile of such a harpsichord is more elongated than a modern piano. More often.Harpsichord a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. and spinet. it specifically denotes a grand-piano-shaped instrument with a roughly triangular case accommodating long bass strings at the left and short treble strings at the right. "harpsichord" can mean any member of the family of instruments. "harpsichord" designates the whole family of similar plucked keyboard instruments. But in the 20th century it made a resurgence. . though. During the late 18th century it gradually disappeared from the musical scene with the rise of the piano. "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard. used in historically informed performance of older music. In the narrow sense. with a sharper curve to the bentside. muselar. in new (contemporary) compositions. In modern usage. The harpsichord was widely used in Renaissance and Baroque music.[citation needed] In a broader sense. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed. Instruments from the peak of the French tradition. The Flemish instruments served as the model for 18th century harpsichord construction in other nations. and Martin Skowroneck sought to re-establish the building traditions of the Baroque period. In the late 18th century the harpsichord was supplanted by the piano and almost disappeared from view for most of the 19th century: an exception was its continued use in opera for accompanying recitative. . William Dowd. Starting in the middle of the 20th century. By the 16th century. by makers such as the Blanchet family and Pascal Taskin. harpsichord makers in Italy were making lightweight instruments with low string tension. the double keyboards were adapted to control different choirs of strings. notably by the Ruckers family. making a more musically flexible instrument. with heavy strings and metal frames. They included the first harpsichords with two keyboards. German builders extended the sound repertoire of the instrument by adding sixteen foot and two foot choirs. used for transposition. A different approach was taken in Flanders starting in the late 16th century. Harpsichords of this type of historically informed building practice dominate the current scene. but the piano sometimes displaced it even there. Their harpsichords used a heavier construction and produced a more powerful and distinctive tone. 20th century efforts to revive the harpsichord began with instruments that used piano technology. In France. when builders such as Frank Hubbard. the Kirkman and Shudi firms produced sophisticated harpsichords of great power and sonority. and are frequently used as models for the construction of modern instruments. In England.History the harpsichord was most probably invented in the late Middle Ages. ideas about harpsichord making underwent a major change. are among the most widely admired of all harpsichords. these instruments have recently served as models for modern builders. . rep·er·toire noun/ˈrepə(r)ˌtwär/ A stock of plays. dances. . or pieces that a company or a performer knows or is prepared to perform Cat organ A cat organ or cat piano (Katzenklavier in German) is a musical instrument which consists of a line of cats fixed in place with their tails stretched out underneath a keyboard so that cats cry out in pain when a key is pressed. The cats would be arranged according to the natural tone of their voices. The instrument was described by German physician Johann Christian Reil (1759–1813) for the purpose of treating patients who had lost the ability to focus their attention. released an animation titled The Cat Piano. . it was not nominated. The most curious was on a chariot that carried the most singular music that can be imagined. Behind the bull a young boy sewn into a bear skin ride on a horse whose ears and tail were cut off. if a key was pressed on the keyboard. At the head marched an enormous bull whose horns were burning. The instrument was recreated using squeaky toys by Henry Dagg for a garden party held at Clarence House in 2010 by Prince Charles to support his Start initiative for sustainable living. The Academy announced that it was shortlisted for an Oscar for Best Animated Short. and it would produce each time a lamentable meow.. However.. it would inevitably capture their attention and they would be cured (Richards.[3][4] The People's Republic Of Animation. descriptions of rare or bizarre inventions):[1] When the King of Spain Felipe II was in Brussels in 1549 visiting his father the Emperor Charles V. as well as nominations for awards. the corresponding tail would be pulled hard. (chromatically. Reil believed that if they were forced to see and listen to this instrument. the tails were sticking out and were held to be played as the strings on a piano. Then came the archangel Saint Michael in bright clothing. and carrying a balance in his hand. instead of pipes. The historian Juan Christoval Calvete.[2] The instrument was described by Athanasius Kircher in his work Musurgia Universalis. there were sixteen cat heads each with its body confined. This short film has received several awards. each saw the other rejoicing at the sight of a completely singular procession. deer and other animals danced to the sounds of this infernal music. This work tells the tale of a city of cats whose musicians are kidnapped by a human in order to make a cat piano.This instrument was described by the French writer Jean-Baptiste Weckerlin in his book Musiciana. noted the cats were arranged properly to produce a succession of notes from the octave. wolves. This abominable orchestra arranged itself inside a theater where monkeys. The tune "Over the Rainbow" was played and caused great amusement. extraits d’ouvrages rare ou bizarre (Musiciana. I think). a professional animation studio. It held a bear that played the organ. between which there was also a small devil. 1998). The bore of the recorder is tapered slightly. and clarinet. but also because of its suitability as a simple instrument for teaching music and its appeal to amateur players. a theme that continued in 20th century music. Telemann and Vivaldi used the recorder to suggest shepherds and imitate birds in their music. Purcell. the recorder was traditionally associated with pastoral scenes. The recorder is end-blown and the mouth of the instrument is constricted by a wooden plug. funerals.[4] .Recorder The recorder is a woodwind musical instrument of the family known as fipple flutes or internal duct flutes—whistle-like instruments which include the tin whistle and ocarina. Images of recorders can be found in literature and artwork associated with all these. being widest at the mouthpiece end and narrowest towards the foot on Baroque recorders. Bach. or flared almost like a trumpet at the bottom on Renaissance instruments. but there are many professional players who demonstrate the instrument's full solo range. it is often thought of as a child's instrument. known as a block or fipple.[1] It is distinguished from other members of the family by having holes for seven fingers (the lower one or two often doubled to facilitate the production of semitones) and one for the thumb of the uppermost hand. but declined in the 18th century in favour of orchestral woodwind instruments.[2] The recorder was revived in the 20th century.[3] The sound of the recorder is remarkably clear and sweet. During its heyday. partly in the pursuit of historically informed performance of early music. miraculous events. The recorder was popular in medieval times through the baroque era. marriages and amorous scenes. oboe. such as the flute. Today. partly because of the lack of upper harmonics and predominance of odd harmonics in the sound. RECORDER FAMILY Instruments in C Range Instruments in F Range garklein sopranino Listen to it descant (soprano) Listen to it treble (alto) Types of recorders . instruments in D."[8] The table shows the recorders in common use. the fact that the holes for each finger are side by side and not in a linear sequence make it quite possible to play. The sopranino does not blend as well and is used primarily in recorder orchestras and for concerto playing. instruments larger than the bass (and some bass recorders too) may use a bocal or crook. it is this size that is meant. meaning their lowest note possible is a C or an F. treble/alto. the descant/soprano. Great basses and contrabasses are always welcome but are more expensive. a still larger instrument. instruments larger than the tenor have keys to enable the player to cover the holes or to provide better tonal response. or they may be constructed in sections that fold the recorder into a shape that brings the windway back into place.[citation needed] An experimental 'piccolino' has also been produced which plays a fourth above the garklein. tenor and bass are most common .tenor bass (bass in F) great bass (bass in C) contra bass subcontra bass/ contra great bass sub-subcontrabass/double contra bass (octocontrabass) Recorders are made in a variety of sizes. So. However.[citation needed] . descending to sixteen foot C (the lowest C on the piano keyboard). especially the tenor recorder in D. however. and when the recorder is specified without further qualification. The largest recorders. They are most often tuned in C or F. and much more rarely the alto.many players can play all four sizes. Although it might be considered that the garklein is already too small for adult-sized fingers to play easily and that the even smaller piccolino is simply not practical. So. over the last hole.[9] The recorder most often used for solo music is the treble recorder (known as alto in the USA).[10] The descant (known as the soprano in the USA) also has an important repertoire of solo music (not just school music) and there is a little for tenor and bass recorders. a thin metal tube. B flat.[12] For recorder ensemble playing. This has an extended compass of 3 octaves and a third and is manufactured by Jelle Hogenhuis in Holland. and E flat were not uncommon historically and are still found today. to conduct the player's breath to the windway. which is called a "voice-flute. larger than the bass recorder.[11] Classroom instructors most commonly use the descant. In addition.[citation needed] The larger recorders have great enough distances between the finger holes that most people's hands can not reach them all. exists and is known as an octosubcontrabass. though the large ones are very rare. the largest recorders are so long that the player cannot simultaneously reach the finger holes with the hands and reach the mouthpiece with the lips. since they are expensive and their sizes (the contrabass in F is about 2 metres tall) make them hard to handle. G. this is also true of the tenor itself. are less often used. high-quality recorders are made from a range of hardwoods: maple. However. For instance.[citation needed] [edit] Standard pitch Recorders are most commonly pitched at A=440 Hz. such instruments can play a full three octaves in tune. The immediate difference in fingering is for ‗F‘ and ‗B♭’ which on a neo-baroque instrument must be fingered 0 123 467. or boxwood with a block of red cedar wood. For baroque instruments.[19] Some recorder makers offer 3-piece instruments with two middle sections. however. although some specialist makers produce replicas of the earlier Renaissance style of instrument.[21] The A=392 Hz pitch. accommodating two tuning systems.[20] The 415 pitch has the advantage that it is an exact semitone lower than 440 Hz. recorders with a downward extension of a semitone are becoming available. This is German fingering. perhaps. grenadilla. is similarly another semitone lower. among serious amateurs and professionals.[14] German fingering became popular in Europe. Plastics are cheaper and require less maintenance and quality plastic recorders are equal to or better than lower-end wooden instruments (especially Aulos and Yamaha). copied by many contemporary makers is based on A=403 Hz.[citation needed] Finally. Unfortunately.[citation needed] Some newer designs of recorder are now being produced. Frans Brüggen has publicly performed such flute works as Density 21. These modern designs make it easier to be heard when playing concerti.[13] Plastic recorders are produced in large quantities. With German fingering. whereas baroque and neo-baroque recorders have a hole four which is smaller than hole five. less tapered bore and typically possess a less reedy.[17] while renaissance instruments are often pitched at A=466 Hz. but rapidly became obsolete in the 1950s as the recorder began to be treated more seriously and the limitations of German fingering became more widely appreciated. .5 by Edgar Varèse on an extended tenor recorder.Today. this causes many other chromatic notes to be too badly out of tune to be usable.[15] Despite this. rosewood. some makers indeed offer an instrument at that pitch. A=415 Hz is the de facto standard. the Stanesby Sr alto. two other standard pitches are commonly found. A recorder designed for German fingering has a hole five which is smaller than hole four. The tenor is especially popular. are plastic and can be purchased quite cheaply. especially Germany. Beginners' instruments. more blending tone more suited to consort playing. in the 1930s. Most modern recorders are based on instruments from the Baroque period. These latter instruments have a wider. this is becomes a simpler 0 123 4---. not so elegant.[16] Another area is the development of instruments with a greater dynamic range and more powerful bottom notes. Peter Harlan developed a recorder which allowed for apparently simpler fingering. essentially for beginner use only. since its range becomes that of the modern flute. the sort usually found in children's ensembles. Larger recorders built like organ pipes with square cross-sections are cheaper than the normal designs if. pear wood. many recorder makers continue to produce German fingered instruments today. there are harpsichords that can shift their keyboard in a matter of minutes.[18] Both tunings are a compromise between historical accuracy and practicality.[citation needed] In the early part of the twentieth century. As a rule of thumb. From the player's point of view. so that its fingerings are completely octave-identical to the alto in F. In modern scores. recorders sound one octave above the human voice after which they are named (soprano recorder is an octave above soprano voice. 6. but in the past and still commonly today. 2. while the bass and great bass sound one octave above written (bass clef) pitch. Great bass recorder in C may be written in treble clef. alto an octave above alto voice. 3. the sopranino and soprano sound one octave above written pitch. soprano or bass recorder parts. Alternative notations which are only occasionally used: 1. it would probably be written up an octave to match the fingering of the tenor in C. However. the transpositions are not indicated and instead are assumed from context. Bass recorder in F may be written in treble clef so that the low F is written an octave above real pitch (i. Sizes from garklein down through tenor are notated in the treble clef while the bass size and lower usually read the bass clef. only the tenor is non-transposing while all other parts would transpose up or down in fourths. sound an octave below written pitch). If so. Professionals can usually read C-clefs and often perform from original notation. Urtext editions of baroque music may preserve the baroque practice of writing treble(alto) recorder parts in the Violin clef (G clef on the bottom line of the stave). The garklein sounds two octaves above the written pitch. fifths and octaves as appropriate. one for the C recorders and another for the F recorders. Alto recorder in F may be written down an octave to read alto vocal parts. this is equivalent to using bass(et) recorder fingerings on the treble/alto recorder. 5. Alto and tenor sizes do not transpose at all.' meaning that a written "C" in the score actually sounds as a "C. All recorders may be transposed by both octave and key so that the lowest note is always written as middle C below the treble clef.Sheet music notation Sheet music for recorder is nearly always notated in 'concert key. Tenor recorder in C may be written in bass clef one octave below real pitch in order to read choral parts for tenor voice. Contrabass and subcontrabass are non-transposing while the octocontrabass sounds one octave below written pitch. 4. these transpositions are indicated by adding a small figure "8" above the treble or bass clef on sopranino. etc.) The recorder's mellow tone and limited harmonics allows for the seemingly deeper sound. many sizes of recorder do transpose at the octave. In this system." This implies that the player must learn two different sets of similar fingerings.e.[22] Recorder fingering Recorder fingerings (baroque): Lowest note through the nominal range of 2 octaves and a tone . No te T u n e d ³ First Octave Second Octave Third Octave T u n H e o d l e i i n 0 n F C H o l e H o l e H o l e H o l e H o l e H o l e H o l e H o l e 0 H o l e H o l e H o l e H o l e H o l e H o l e H o l e H o l e 0 H o l e H o l e H o l e H o l e H o l e H o l e H o l e 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 F C ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ○ ● ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ◐ ● ○ ○ ● ● ○ ○ ● F C ● # # 1 ● ● ● ● ● ● ◐ ○ ● ● ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ◐ ● ○ ● ● ○ ● . 2 G D ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ○ ○ ○ ● ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ◐ ● ○ ● ● ○ ● ● ² G D ● # # A E ● A F ● # F ● # ● ● ● ● ● ◐ ○ ○ ○ ● ● ● ● ● ○ ◐ ○ ● ● ○ ● ● ○ ● ● ● ● ● ○ ○ ◐ ● ● ● ● ● ○ ○ ● ● ● ● ○ ● ● ◐ ● ● ● ● ○ ● ○ B ● ● ● ○ ● ● ○ ◐ ● ● ● ○ ● ○ ○ C G ● ● ● ● ○ ○ ○ ○ ◐ ● ● ● ○ ○ ○ ○ . How the fingers and holes are numbered The fingers The holes . or open (○) to play the note in tune. Note 2: Individual recorders may need this hole to be closed (●). half closed (◐).C G ● # # D A ● D A ● # # E B ● ● ● ○ ● ● ◐ ○ ◐ ● ● ○ ● ○ ○ ○ ● ● ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ◐ ● ● ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ● ○ ● ● ○ ○ ○ ◐ ● ● ○ ● ● ● ○ ● ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ◐ ● ● ○ ● ● ○ ○ Note 1: The bell must be stopped to play this note. Note 3: See the section Types of recorders concerning recorders tuned in C or in F. ◐ means half-cover. Budget tenor/bass recorders might have a single key for low C/F but not low C#/F#. "○" signifies an open hole. Other chromatic scale degrees are played by so-called "fork" fingerings. and "◐" signifies a half-closed hole. alto and bass instruments) is difficult to play on most recorders." Most modern instruments are constructed with double holes or keys to facilitate the playing of these notes.[14] . Fork fingerings have a different tonal character from the diatonic notes. but it has become standard in modern music. and the exact fingerings vary from instrument to instrument. giving the recorder a somewhat uneven sound.[14] [edit] Half-holing and forking The lowest chromatic scale degrees — a semitone and a minor third above the lowest note — are played by covering only a part of a hole. ○ means to uncover the hole. "●" signifies a closed hole. In the table. Some recorder makers added a special bell key for this note — newer recorder designs with longer bores also solve this problem and extend the range even further. where even the hole for the third finger of the left hand can be doubled. so it is impractical to put them into the table here. Notes above this range are more difficult to play. according to the pictures. The note is only occasionally found in pre-20thcentury music. See the table above for fingerings of notes in the nominal recorder range of 2 octaves and 1 whole tone. The note two octaves and one semitone above the lowest note (C# for soprano.● means to cover the hole. These notes are best played by covering the end of the instrument (the "bell"). such double holes are occasionally found on baroque instruments. players typically use their upper leg to accomplish this. tenor and great bass instruments. Double low keys allowing both C/F and C#/F# are more or less standard today. uncovering one hole and covering one or more of the ones below it. a technique known as "half-holing. making this note virtually impossible to play. The range of a modern recorder is usually taken to be about two octaves except in virtuoso pieces.[23] The numbers at the top correspond to the fingers and the holes on the recorder. F# for sopranino. when they mean recorder music with a range greater than two octaves and a tone. making the boring of a double hole for the thumb unviable. with a good recorder. It is true that in the hands of a skilled player changes in dynamics by simply blowing harder or softer are possible provided the instrument is of a high quality and the player knows the instrument well. especially those from middle of the last century. The placement of the thumb is crucial to the intonation and stability of these notes. in addition to its obvious use for artistic effect skilled players can also use this sensitivity to suggest changes in volume.[14] [edit] Notes in the third octave A skilled player can. Subtle changes in wind pressure are possible if the player has a good ear for tuning and knows how hard the instrument can be pushed before pitch changes become noticeable.[27] . holding the palm of the hand above the window. partially restricting the air emerging from it). and unlike the transverse flute. a technique known as "pinching". several of these notes require closure of the bell or shading of the window area[24] (i. often give shorter ranges. play chromatically over two octaves and a fifth. and the resulting instinctive change in breath pressure to bring the pitch back also drops the volume. Advanced players use alternative fingerings to enable changes in dynamics. and varies as the notes increase in pitch. often have a range as little as one and a half octaves[26] but more recent makers now produce reproduction renaissance instruments with the full range and Ganassi's fingerings. and that therefore the recorder is not capable of dynamic changes.[14][27] On the recorder it is better to think of the breath controlling pitch. Praetorius.[edit] Pinching Most of the notes in the second octave and above are produced by partially closing the thumbhole on the back of the recorder.e. Use of notes in the 3rd octave is becoming more common in modern compositions. Modern reproductions of renaissance instruments. In the hands of a competent player. But this is not the correct approach to recorder dynamics.[25] though writers on woodwind instruments in general from that period. the player cannot change the position of the mouth in relation to the labium in order to compensate. e.g. these upper notes are not especially loud or shrill. the pitch changes and the note goes out of tune. Consequently many publishers of recorder music refer to 'music for Ganassi recorder'. This might reflect a distinction between skilled and unskilled players in the renaissance or the differences in instruments made in one region versus another or over time. or a similar phrase. This is misleading. and the fingers controlling dynamics. [edit] Dynamics Changes in dynamics are not easy to achieve on the recorder if the player is accustomed to other wind instruments. for example by resting the fingers lightly on the holes breath leaks around them.[28] The recorder is notable for its sensitivity to articulation. or more softly to play softer. To play the notes in the second octave. The renaissance recorder had a range of two octaves and a sixth. lifting the pitch. The general belief is that if the player blows harder to play louder. the player must tongue somewhat harder in order to excite the second and third harmonics of the instrument. [29] The true recorders are distinguished from other internal duct flutes by having eight finger holes (in use .[2] The earliest recorders were designed to be played either right-handed (with the right hand lowermost) or left-handed (with the left hand lowermost).[citation needed] Renaissance recorders . This last hole was offset from the center line. with its widest end at the mouthpiece. for the lower hand little finger. seven on the front of the instrument and one. based on the depiction of various whistles in medieval paintings. for the upper hand thumb. To this day whistles -as used in Irish folk music. the right-hand style of playing was settled on as standard and the second hole disappeared. The holes were all in a line except for the lowest hole. A second more or less intact 14th century recorder was found in a latrine in northern Germany (in Göttingen): other 14th-century examples survive from Esslingen (Germany). and there is an intact 15th-century example from Elblag (Poland). but an earlier origin is a matter of some debate. The original design of the transverse flute (and its fingering) was based on the same six holes. once on each side. and has been dated to the 14th century. the Netherlands in 1940. and Nysa (Poland). It is this doubled hole (not to be confused with the later double holes for semitones) which accounts for the early French name flute à neuf trous. and drilled twice.have six holes. but it was later much altered by Theobald Böhm. though not playable.History [edit] Early recorders Internal duct-flutes have a long history: an example of an Iron Age specimen. In later years. exists in Leeds City Museum. It is largely intact. made from a sheep bone. It is thought that these instruments evolved in the 14th century.[citation needed] One of the earliest surviving instruments was discovered in a castle moat in Dordrecht. There is a fragment of a possible 14th-15thcentury bone recorder in Rhodes (Greece). Tartu (Estonia). and having a slightly tapered bore. The player would fill in the hole they didn't want to use with wax.see below). on the back. for example. viols. They have powerful low notes (much more so than the Baroque recorders).g. for instance. even when the composer specified. and unlike the Baroque style recorders typically used today. chansons. In addition. One part plays the melody.[36] Many instruments survive from this period. such as Anthony Holborne. A taste for ensembles of like instruments developed in this era.[30] There are also numerous references to the instrument in contemporary literature (e. then the other parts play it in their turns. The popularity of the instrument also reached the courts however. Often they did not specify the instruments to use although some. some vocal music was easily playable with instruments. but composers also began to write chordal pieces. including an incomplete set of recorders in Nuremberg which date from the 16th century and are still partially playable. Renaissance recorders have a wide. an inventory of his possessions included 76 recorders. The diversity of sizes in an instrument family allowed the consort to play music with a very large pitch range. Shakespeare[31] and Milton[32]). but this makes them more responsive. This development was linked to the fact that art music (as opposed to folk music) was no longer the exclusive domain of nobility and clergy. the Lachrimae Pavans by John Dowland). composers also produced more and more works exclusively for instruments. can only be played reliably over a range of an octave and a sixth. Nevertheless. The advent of the printing press made it available to the more affluent commoners as well. at Henry VIII's death in 1547.[34] However.[33] During the Renaissance musical instruments were principally used in dance music and as accompaniment for voices. Imitative polyphony uses only one melodic line. were:[35]          Guillaume Dufay Johannes Ockeghem Josquin des Prez Heinrich Isaac Ludwig Senfl Orlando di Lasso William Byrd John Dowland Anthony Holborne Polyphony was the dominant music style of the Renaissance. or whose vocal music plays well on recorders. which possibly were written for instruments. but more and more makers are . Some of the well known Renaissance composers who wrote instrumental music. the music could successfully be played on recorders. more or less cylindrical bore. but breaks it in pieces and divides it among the different parts. especially from the middle of the last century. There are many vocal works with non-texted lines. often based on dance music. and so arose "consorts" (groups of musicians playing the same type of instrument) and the families of instruments of various sizes. (e. indicated that their music was suitable for the recorder. The wide bore means that a greater quantity of air is required to play the instrument. The Medieval custom of juxtaposing 2 or 3 different melodies coexisted with "imitative polyphony".[edit] The Renaissance The recorder achieved great popularity in the 16th and 17th centuries.g.[37] Many reproduction instruments. The music of this epoch was characterized by complex improvised ornamentation. For example.[citation needed] Similar to the Medieval recorders. a lack of appreciation of the true nature of the recorder by composers. whose great-grandfather Georg learned his craft from Paul Walch (ca 1862-1873). One variant of the recorder survived into the 19th Century concert halls.S. It is now generally accepted. and in a recording under Neville Marriner using Dart's editions it was played an octave higher than usual on sopranino recorders. When modern music is written for 'Ganassi recorders' it is this type of recorder which is intended. and a perceived "bad reputation" of the instrument based on all these factors. It consisted of two recorders in f' connected together by leather flanges: one instrument was voiced to play softly. rather confusingly. In modern performance.. the flautino was initially thought to be the piccolo. the recorder had been almost entirely superseded by the flute and clarinet.[40] [edit] The decline of the recorder The instrument went into decline after the 18th century. however: the keyed recorder known as the czakan or flute douce. The musicologist Thurston Dart mistakenly suggested that it was intended for flageolets at a higher pitch. that the instrument intended was some variant of the sopranino recorder. particularly in the lowest notes. however. in truth. In the 18th century. extended the transverse flute's range and evened out its tonal consistency. Grenser and Tromlitz et al. Many reasons have been put forward for this decline. the last of three generations of the Walch family of . as opposed to the earlier Renaissance recorders. Historically there was. Berchtesgaden Fleitl continue to be made to this day by Bernhard Oeggle. Also. An argument can be made that the instruments Bach identified as flauti d'echo were echo flutes. making it more appealing than the recorder. a change in musical tastes.producing recorders capable of the full range that Ganassi[25] reports. though. being used for about the last time as an otherworldly sound by Gluck in his opera Orfeo ed Euridice. the instrument was normally referred to simply as Flute (Flauto) — the transverse form was separately referred to as Traverso. Bach calls for two flauti d'echo.[39] at the expense of a reduction in volume. Other possible reasons include an apparent lack of sufficient professional players. no such thing as the 'Ganassi' recorder as a distinct type.[42] By the Romantic era. J. when compared with the transverse flute. an example of which survives in Leipzig to this day. the other loudly. it was simply the ordinary Renaissance recorder played by a good player who understood the instrument. resulting in the type of instrument generally referred to as Baroque recorders.[41] Another possible reason was the fact that music as an amateur pastime was declining in favour of the "professional" musician combined with the fact that composers began writing exclusively for professional ensembles. the problems (for makers and players) of utilising the full chromatic range.[citation needed] The art of recorder making never completely died. and a slightly reduced range. In the 4th Brandenburg Concerto in G major. Vivaldi wrote three concertos for the flautino and required the same instrument in his opera orchestra. the high pitch of the instrument. the fixed relationship of the windway to the labium limits the range of dynamics and expression of the recorder.[38] [edit] Baroque recorders Several changes in the construction of recorders took place in the seventeenth century. One possible reason is that the main flute innovators of the time. and with his fingerings in tune throughout. These innovations allowed baroque recorders to possess a tone which was regarded as "sweeter" than that of the earlier instruments. tenor. Japan. have been written for these ensembles. Holland. . alto. tenor and bass part played on the corresponding recorders are common. descant (soprano) and sopranino recorders The recorder is a very social instrument.[43] Similarly. alto. In addition to arrangements. many new pieces of music.[citation needed] One of the more interesting developments in recorder playing over the last 30 years has been the development of recorder orchestras. died in 2005.[citation needed] They can have 60 or more players and use up to nine sizes of instrument. including symphonies. Heinrich Oskar (1875–1947) made instruments sold by the firm of Moeck in Celle and helped to design their Tuju series of recorders. the UK and several other countries.recorder makers. Their founder was Johan Gabriel Sr who was active in the early 19th century. Groups of different sized instruments help to compensate for the limited note range of the individual instruments. who seems to have been the last maker. Many amateurs enjoy playing in large groups or in one-to-a-part chamber groups. and there is a wide variety of music for such groupings including many modern works. Rüdiger. although more complex arrangements with multiple parts for each instrument and parts for lower and higher instruments may also be regularly encountered. Recorder ensembles From top to bottom: bass. the careers of the Schlosser family of woodwind makers from the towns of Oberzwota and Zwota can be traced over five generations. Canada. Four part arrangements with a soprano. the United States.[citation needed] There are recorder orchestras in Germany.