There are advantages to buying a used music instrument. For one, you can find a good quality instrument at a lower price than buying a new one. On the other hand, there are also some risks involved when buying a used instrument. One downside is you don't get any warranties, unless the used instrument is fairly new.
When buying a used musical instrument there are three things you should keep in mind:
1. Who and Where
A good factor to determine an instruments' condition is to know who previously owned it. If you're buying it from a garage sale, then you might be able to meet the owner and ask him why he's selling it, how long he used it, etc. If you're buyng it from an online shop, make sure they have a good customer satisfaction rating or better, a return policy. If you're buying it from a music store, ask the salesperson if it's possible to know the name of its' previous owner, how long it's been in the store, etc.
2.Overall Condition
If possible, ask someone who knows a lot about music instruments to accompany you. Maybe you have a friend who plays the instrument you want to learn or a music teacher in your area who's willng to help you. They can help assess whether the instrument is in good condition by playing it and listening to how it sounds and how it feels while they're playing it.
3. Value for your Money
Make sure that the money you're paying for the used instrument is worth it. Research first how much the instrument costs if it's brand new, go to different shops, compare prices, compare the condition of the used instruments and assess whether it is truly a good deal.
A harpsichord is the general term for a family of European keyboard instruments which generate sound by plucking (rather than striking, as in a piano) a string. It is thought to have originated when a keyboard was affixed to the end of a psaltery, providing a mechanical means to pluck the strings.
The action is fairly similar between all harpsichords:
The keylever is a simple pivot which rocks on a pin passing through a hole drilled through it.
The jack is a thin rectangular piece of wood which sits upright on the end of the keylever, held in place by the guides - upper and lower - which are two long pieces of wood with holes through with the jacks can pass.
In the jack, a plectrum juts out almost horizontally, (normally the plectrum is angled upwards a tiny amount) and passes just under the string. Historically, plectra were normally made of crow quill, or leather, though most modern harpsichords use a plastic (delrin or celcon) instead.
When the front of the key is pressed, the back is lifted up, the jack is raised, and the plectrum plucks the string.
Upon lowering the key, the jack falls back down under its own weight, and the plectrum pivots backwards to allow it past the string. This is made possible by having the plectrum held in a tongue which is attached witha hinge and a spring to the body of the jack.
At the top of the jack, a damper of felt sticks out and keeps the string from vibrating when the key is not depressed.
While the terms used to denote various members of the family are relatively standardized today, in the harpsichord's heyday, this was not the case.
In modern usage, a harpsichord can mean all the members of the family, or more specifically, the grand-piano-shaped member, with a vaguely triangular case accommodating long bass strings at the left and short treble strings at the right; characteristically, the profile is more elongated than that of a modern piano, with a sharper curve to the bentside. A harpsichord can have from one to three, and occasionally even more, strings per note. Often one is at four-foot pitch, an octave higher than the normal eight-foot pitch. Single manuals, or keyboards are common, especially in Italian harpichords, though many other countries tended to produce double-manuals.
The virginal is a smaller and simpler rectangular form of the harpsichord, with only one string per note running parallel to the keyboard on the long side of the case. Often the word was rendered with a suffix: virginals. The origin of the word is obscure but it is usually linked to the fact that the instrument was frequently played by young women. Note that the word "virginal" in Elizabethan times was often used to designate any kind of harpsichord; thus the masterworks of William Byrd and his contempories were often played on full-size Italian style harpsichords, and not just on the virginals as we call it today.
Finally, a harpsichord with the strings set at an angle to the keyboard (usually of about 30 degrees) is called a spinet. In such an instrument, the strings are too close to fit the jacks between them in the normal way; instead, the strings are arranged in pairs, the jacks are placed in the large gaps between pairs, and they face in opposite directions, plucking the strings adjacent to the gap.
Unsurprisingly, for an instrument that was produced in large numbers for over three centuries, there is a great deal of variation between harpsichords. In addition to the varied forms that the instrument can take, and the different dispositions, or registrations, that can be fitted to a harpsichord, as mentioned above, the range can vary greatly. Generally, earlier harpsichords have smaller ranges, and later ones larger, though there are frequent exceptions. In general, the largest harpsichords have a range of just over five octaves, and the smallest have under four. Usually, the shortest keyboards were given extended range using the method of the "short octave".
The origin of the harpsichord is lost in the Middle Ages. The earliest written references to it date from the 1300's, and it is possible that harpsichord was indeed invented in that century. This was a time in which advances in clockwork and other forms of machinery were being made, and thus a likely time for the invention of those mechanical aspects that distinguish a harpsichord from a psaltery.
The earliest harpsichords still preserved come from Italy, the oldest specimen being dated 1521. However, the early Italian instruments can shed no light on the origin of the harpsichord, as they represent an already well-refined form of the instrument. The Italian harpsichord makers made single-manual instruments with a very light construction and relatively little string tension. This design persisted with little alteration among Italian makers for centuries. The Italian instruments are considered pleasing but unspectacular in their tone, and serve well for accompanying singers or other instruments.
A revolution in harpsichord construction took place in Flanders some time around 1580 with the work of Hans Ruckers and his descendants. The Ruckers harpsichord used longer strings, greater string tension, and a heavier case, as well as a very slender and responsive spruce soundboard. This combination produced a more powerful and noble tone than the Italian harpsichord, and served as the basis for subsequent harpsichord building in most other nations. The Flemish makers also innovated the two-manual harpsichord, which was initially used merely to permit easy transposition (at the interval of a fourth), rather then to increase the expressive range of the instrument.
The Flemish instrument received further development in 18th-century France, notably with the work of the Blanchet family and their successor Pascal Taskin. These French instruments imitated the construction of the Flemish ones, but they were extended in their range, from about four to about five octaves. In addition, two-manual French instruments used their manuals to vary the combination of stops being used (i.e., strings being plucked), rather than for transposition. The 18th century French harpsichord is often considered one of the pinnacles of harpsichord design, and it is widely adopted as a model for the construction of modern instruments.
A striking aspect of the 18th century French tradition was its near-fetishlike obsession with the Ruckers harpsichords. In a process called "grande ravalement", many of the surviving Ruckers instruments were torn apart and reassembled, with new soundboard material and case construction adding an octave to their range. It is considered likely that many of the harpsichords claimed at the time to be Ruckers restorations are fraudulent. From a contemporary point of view, these may be considered benevolent frauds, since they are superb instruments in their own right.
In England, two immigrant makers, Jacob Kirckman (from Germany) and Burkat Shudi (from Switzerland) achieved eminence with harpsichords noted for their powerful tone and exquisite veneered cases. The sound of Kirckman and Shudi harpsichords has impressed many listeners, but the feeling that it overpowers the music has led to very few modern instruments being modeled on them. The Shudi firm was passed on to Shudi's son-in-law John Broadwood, who adapted it to the manufacture of the piano and became a leading creative force in the development of that instrument.
The German harpsichord makers roughly followed the French model, but with a special interest in achieving a variety of sonorities, perhaps because some of the most eminent German builders were also builders of organs. Some German harpsichords included a choir of two-foot strings (that is, strings pitched two octaves above the primary set). A few even included a 16-foot stop, pitched an octave below the main 8-foot choirs. One still-preserved German harpsichord even has three manuals to control all the many combinations of strings that were available. The 2-foot and 16-foot stops of the German harpsichord are not particularly in favor among harpsichordists today, who tend to prefer the French type of instrument.
At the peak of its development, the harpsichord lost favor to the piano. The piano quickly evolved away from its harpsichord-like origins, and as a result the knowledge of how to build good harpsichords died out for over a century.
In the early twentieth century, an awakening interest in authentic performance led to the revival of the harpsichord. This included crude "modernizations" of antique instruments, as well as the construction of harpsichords resembling modern concert grand pianos. These instruments sounded surprisingly weak for their size, because their frames and soundboards were too heavy to properly match the thin and lightly-tensioned strings of the harpsichord. Builders typically included a 16-foot stop in these instruments to bolster the sound, even though in historical times the 16-foot had played only a minor role.
Ultimately, it was realized that to make fine modern harpsichords it would be necessary to learn the methods followed by the old builders. Two important pioneers in the process of rediscovery were the builder-scholars Frank Hubbard and William Dowd, who took apart and inspected many old instruments and consulted the written material on harpsichords from the historical period. Today, harpsichords that are founded on the rediscovered principles of the old makers are built in workshops around the world. The workshops often also construct kits, which are assembled into final form by amateur enthusiasts.
The first music written specifically for solo harpsichord came to be published around the middle of the sixteenth century. Well into the eighteenth century, the harpsichord was considered to have advantages and disadvantages with respect to the piano. Besides solo works, the harpsichord is also well-suited to accompaniment in the basso continuo style (a function it maintained in opera even into the nineteenth century).
Through the 19th century, the harpsichord was ignored by composers, the piano having supplanted it. In the 20th century, however, with increasing interest in early music and composers on the lookout for new sounds, pieces began to be written for it once more. Concertos for the instrument were written by Francis Poulenc (the Concert champore), Manuel de Falla and, later, Henryk Garecki. Bohuslav Martinu wrote both a concerto and a sonata for it, and Elliott Carter's Double Concerto is for harpsichord, piano and two chamber orchestras. Gyargy Ligeti has written a small number of solo works for the instrument (including "Continuum").
Musicians who play the harpsichord are known as harpsichordists.
You can tell a lot from a persons body language. In the right conditions, you can tell if someone is sad, shy, angry, tired, bored or even interested.
Some body language is automatic, and nearly impossible to control. If something is very funny, it is hard to stop at least a smile from crossing your face. Other body language is easy to control if you are aware of it. Try to be aware of the following examples of body language when you are on your next date.
Eye contact. Make sure that you are not avoiding eye contact. Try to look people in the eyes when you are greeting, listening or talking to them.
Speak clearly. If you are tired or a bit shy, you can start to mumble. Try to think what you are going to say and then say it clearly.
Relax. Try to avoid drumming your fingers, excessively scratching, fiddling with items in your pocket and always looking around the room. This makes you look like you are not enjoying yourself.
Posture. Stand tall and proud. If you do not feel confident about yourself and what you are saying, why should anyone else?
Use your hands. Hands and gestures are a great tool to help you explain yourself and communicate. Evasive or secretive people do not tend to show their hands as much.
Maintain non-defensive body language. Actions like folding your arms across your chest when the room is not cold, and having your body facing towards a door can be seen as defensive body language. Try to avoid this.
Keep your hands away from your face. Resting your head on your hands makes you look bored and rubbing your nose, ears, eyes, neck or head has been shown to indicate doubt.
Use facial expressions. Try to vary your facial expressions a bit to make her aware that you are listening to her. Also be careful you do not stop blinking when you gaze into her eyes.
The melodica is similar to the accordion and harmonica in that it is also a free-reed instrument. On top of a melodica there is a musical keyboard. The keyboard is 2 to 3 octaves long and is used to control the pitch of the sound created. The player blows air into a mouthpiece on the side of the melodica, and when the play presses a key on the musical keyboard, air is allowed to flow through to a reed.
The most common melodica is the tenor melodica. With a tenor, the left hand holds a handle at the bottom of the melodica, and the right hand is free to press the keys on the keyboard. If both hands are required to play, the melodica can be placed on a semi-flat surface and a tube used to blow into the mouthpiece.
Soprano and alto melodicas have a higher pitch and are designed so that they can be played with both hands at the same time. The left hand can play the black keys while the right hand can play the white keys.
The popular molodica manufacturers are:
Hohner
Samick
Bestler
Rejection is an inevitable part of life and we all experience it in some form or the other. If you handle potential and actual rejection well, you have an advantage in the dating scene. The trick is to forestall turn downs and handle it gracefully should it happen despite your best efforts.
If you hunt for dates in a crowded bar or on the dance floor the odds are against you. Most women are cautious and prepared to be sufficiently unapproachable when they visit a typical dating scene. If you want to avoid rejection you should rather make use of every day places, such as the bus stop, the coffee shop or the grocery store. People tend to find it more flattering if they are hit on in less common places.
If you repeatedly attempt to pick up the most physical attractive partner possible, you are probably destroying your own success rate. You need a great variation of dates to get practice. That way you can find out what you are really looking for and perfect the art of dating while you are at it. Who knows, maybe you will even realize that “beautiful” does not equal “most fun”?
Women like to feel special and they love compliments. However, they will quickly pick up on it if you are not being truthful. Avoid pick-up lines and standard phrases. Instead aim for being personable and charming. You may want to comment on someone's nice dress, beautiful hair or even sexy walk. Just make sure you come off as both sincere and polite.
It can be a daunting task to strike up a conversation with a stranger. Nevertheless, confidence sells, so aim for appearing calm and collected. Breathe with your stomach, put on your best smile and go for it. After all, what's the worst that can happen?
If you are planning on putting yourself out there, you will be rejected a few times. The more opportunities you create, the more chance you have of finding a good partner. Prepare yourself for a few let downs before you hit the jackpot. Your success rate is likely to increase with practice.
Ever heard of getting right back on the horse? You need to apply this saying to your dating life. The most successful daters shrug of rejection with ease and move on. There is no reason to dwell on a negative response to your advances, just go for someone else instead.
You should aim for leaving a good impression regardless of how and by who you were turned down. Upholding a polite and civil image can only benefit you. Those who experience your response to rejection will think highly of you and you will probably feel better about yourself afterwards.
The toy piano is a musical instrument, made as a child's toy, but which has also been used in more serious musical contexts. The instrument was invented in Philadelphia in 1872 by a German immigrant named Albert Schoenhut.
It is often in the form of a scaled down model of a piano, usually no more than 50 cm in width, and made out of wood or plastic. The first toy pianos were made in the mid-19th century and were typically uprights, although many toy pianos made today are models of grands. Prices range from a few dollars to a few hundred dollars.
Rather than hammers hitting strings as on a standard piano, the toy piano sounds by way of hammers hitting metal bars or rods which are fixed at one end. The hammers are connected to the keys by a mechanism similar to that which drives keyboard glockenspiels. This makes it sound more 'tinkly.' Some new toy pianos are electronic.
Toy pianos ostensibly use the same musical scale as full size pianos, although their tuning in all but the most expensive models is usually very approximate. Similarly, the pitch to which they are tuned is rarely close to the standard of 440 Hz for the A above middle C.
A typical toy piano will have a range of one to three octaves. The cheapest models may not have black keys, or the black keys may be painted on. This means they can play the diatonic scale (or an approximately tuned version of it), but not the chromatic scale. Typically, diatonic toy pianos have only eight keys. They can play one octave.
Although primarily thought of as a toy, the toy piano has been used in serious musical endevours. The most famous example is the Suite for Toy Piano by John Cage. Other works in classical music for the instrument include Ancient Voices of Children by George Crumb and a number of pieces by Mauricio Kagel. In improvised music, Steve Beresford has used toy pianos (along with many other toy instruments).
A pioneer of the toy piano is the german composer and pianist Bernd Wiesemann (*1938). He played many concerts with the toy piano in Germany in the 1970s and 80s. In 1993 he released the CD Neue Musik für Kinderklavier (new music for Toy piano), containing compositions by John Cage, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Ratko Delorko, Andreas Kunstein, Frank Scholzen, Joachim Herbold, Carlos Cruz de Castro, Francisco Estevez and Bernd Wiesemann. In 2004 he released the SACD das untemperierte klavier (the not-so-well-tempered clavier), containing new contemporary works.
In 1997 the pianist Margaret Leng Tan released the record The Art of the Toy Piano. On it, she plays a number of pieces written specially for the toy piano as well as arrangements of other pieces, including Ludwig van Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata and The Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby".
The nature doesn't believe in similarity. It creates every human being with a unique quality or feature. Even twins are different to each other in many ways. We need to identify our unique quality and develop it further to outshine others. Here we become superior to others. Therefore inferiority complex is irrational. If you have one unique quality that is superior to others how can you be inferior? In spite of this truth many persons suffer from the misery of inferiority complex.
The Biggest Hurdle
Mostly persons develop inferiority complex when they are obsessed with their weaknesses. They always keep thinking that others are superior to them. They often get nervous while talking to others - especially if the opposite person is talking confidently. It is difficult for them to appear before an interview board. They perspire, their mind gets clouded and speaking normally becomes a herculean task for them. Inferiority complex becomes their biggest hurdle on the way to success or progress. Fortunately they can get rid of this problem easily.
What is Your Unique Quality
Write down your good qualities or plus points on a paper. Spare some time to think about the quality or ability that is better than others. And try to develop that quality as much as you can.
If you have your own views on several matters and you like to write then start writing. Maintain a diary or register for it and write daily. You can also write in the file created in your computer. You can try to get some of your creations printed in newspapers or magazines. If your voice is sweet you can impress others by polite talk. You can also learn singing. You may even learn to play on any musical instrument in case you have a desire. If you are good at making drawing or painting then shine this ability by adequate training and practice. Join an art and painting school. If you have interest in computer then learn it by joining an academy. If you love solving the sums then aim to become master of mathematics. People will definitely recognize your talent and you will be admired. It will also help you to make a good career in the field of your interest.
Miraculous Effect On Personality
It is rule of the nature that every one has something unique in him or her. When you improve its strength by regular study and practice a feeling will develop in your heart that you are better than so many other persons at least in one field. You can't even imagine at present the miraculous effect it will have on your personality. You will start gaining confidence and gradually become free from inferiority complex. Your negative thinking about yourself built this complex and the strength of your unique trait will dismantle it.
Use Affirmation
According to Norman Vincent Peale, one of the greatest motivators and advocates of positive thinking in America, affirmations have immense power over our personality. We can also use them to weaken the grip of inferiority complex. Here is a good affirmation to help you to gain confidence and come out of the clutches of inferiority complex: "I am a unique creation of God. I have many good qualities. I love myself. My positive mind will help me to attain my aim in life" Repeat it 10 times before going to sleep and after getting up in the morning. Your inferiority complex will fly away from you in a short period.
Inasmuch as the piano is a chordophone with an attached keyboard, it is a similar instrument to the clavichord and harpsichord. The thing which distinguished the piano is that rather than the string being plucked by quills as on a harpsichord, or being struck by tangents which then remain in contact with the string as on a clavichord, the strings are struck by hammers which immediately rebound leaving the string to vibrate freely.
When the pianoforte (today known as the piano) was invented at the turn of the 18th century, it was a turning point in the history of Europe. The piano changed the entire direction of Europe's music, and changed the musical culture of the Western Civilization. Indeed, the influence upon society that came from the piano's invention was great, as it remains to this day.
Keyboard instruments have existed since the middle ages. The organ, the oldest keyboard instrument, has been played for several centuries. It is likely that the use of keys to produce music was popularized by the organ, compelling the invention of different types of keyboard instruments. The organ, however, is a wind keyboard, and is almost entirely unrelated to the piano.
The first keyboard instrument that used strings, the clavichord, came to be in the late Middle Ages, although nobody knows exactly when it was invented. The clavichord had an action similar to that of the piano, but the tone it produced was much softer and too quiet to play in a concert. The clavichord was also much smaller and simpler than its relative, the harpsichord. For these reasons, it was a popular household instrument, and could be found in the homes of several Baroque composers, including J.S. Bach.
The clavichord had a very simple action. When pressed, the key lifted a tangent, a small copper square, which struck the string, as well as lifting a damper, which allowed the strings vibration to be sustained as long as the key was held. The clavichord had one string per key, sometimes one for two keys, while a modern grand piano contains up to three strings per key. While the small tangent and the small number of strings made the clavichord a very quiet instrument, the tangent allowed for Crescendos and Diminuendos (gradual dynamic changes), as well as some semblance of a dynamic range. Of the early stringed keyboards, the clavichord was the most similar to the piano.
The next keyboard instrument, chronologically, was the harpsichord, probably invented in the 15th century in Italy (Again, this information is not known). The harpsichord is an instrument much unlike the clavichord. Instead of striking the string with a tangent, the harpsichord uses a bird quill or a piece of hard leather (referred to as the plectrum) to pluck its strings. Also, the harpsichord's strings run parallel to the keys, like a grand piano, whereas a clavichord has strings perpendicular to the keys, like a modern upright piano. When a harpsichord is played, the key lifts a jack, which pushes the plectrum against the string, causing the string to be plucked. Like the clavichord, the harpsichord contains a damper to cut off the vibration as soon as the key is released
The harpsichord, like the clavichord, is a very quiet instrument, and is not useful for performance in large rooms. Composers used to puta lot of ornamentation in their harpsichord pieces to make up for the inability to play sustained notes. During the baroque period, it was usually used to accompany singers or other instruments. After that time, its use faded, as piano music replaced harpsichord music. However, the harpsichord is still alive today, due to a revival of harpsichord music in the 20th century.
The third type of stringed keyboard instrument is the virginal, also called the spinet. The virginal was an instrument used in the 15th, 16th and early 17th centuries, and is actually a small harpsichord, consisting of either one or two sets of keys, each with a 4-octave range. One thing true to all virginals and spinettinas (small, portable virginals) is that they were always very decorative, and the virginal was often used as a decorative furniture piece.
Around the turn of the 18th century, composers and musicians were looking for a new kind of keyboard instrument. Some were looking to recreate the effects produced by dulcimer virtuoso Panteleon Hebenstreit (1669-1750). Others sought a keyboard instrument as powerful and as expressive as the violin. Most of all, they needed a keyboard with a large dynamic range that could play very loud or very soft, and that could change the dynamics smoothly and subtly.
Their wish came true in 1709, when Bartolommeo Cristofori, curator of musical instruments for the Medici family, invented the first piano. He called his invention a gravicembalo col piano e forte-a "keyboard instrument that can be played soft and loud." This name was shortened to "pianoforte," (soft-loud) and eventually to just "piano."
The action of Cristofori's piano was very simple. It contained only the key, a felt hammer and an escapement, with no dampers or pedals. The key would push up the hammer against the string, causing a vibration unlike that of the harpsichord or the clavichord. The escapement allowed the hammer to fall after being pushed up. Without the escapement, the hammer would remain pressed against the string as long as the key was held down, which would deaden the string. Later, in the 1800s, a double escapement was invented, which allowed the hammer not to fall the whole way back down, allowing for quicker repetition of notes and faster trills.
What makes the piano a truly wonderful instrument is its resonance and its dynamic range. A wooden case, held up with a steel frame (Not invented until the 19th century; Cristofori's was just made of wood), allows the instrument to have a ringing sound, especially noticed when it is played forte (loud). The dynamic range of the piano is also quite noteworthy. The hammering action and the range in vibration of the strings allows it to be played in any dynamic, from pianissimo (very soft) to fortissimo (very loud). What sets the piano apart from other keyboards is its ability to play not only soft and loud, but to make crescendos and diminuendos and change dynamics very quickly or very gradually.
When the piano came into popularity, Europe was in the midst of the Rococo period (c. 1725-1775), the transitional period between the Baroque and Classical periods. In the classical period, the piano became very popular as both a household and concert instrument. The new concept of the sonata (a solo piece played in Sonata-Allegro form) was wonderfully demonstrated on the piano, and piano sonatas became common pieces, with hundreds of them being written by composers like Mozart and Clementi.
However, the piano made a big step in ensemble pieces as well. The concerto (like the sonata, but played by an ensemble with a solo instrument over it) was another piece growing in popularity in the Classical era. For many years, the Harpsichord had accompanied other instruments, but only as a continuo instrument (an accompaniment), and rarely, if ever, as a soloist. However, the piano's dynamics proved that a keyboard really could match the violin or trumpet as a solo instrument, and the piano took center stage at the concert halls of Europe's cities.
Now that the piano had brought keyboard music out of the châteaux of the upper class and into popularity, the class of people interested in music began to grow, and more people began to pay to hear music for just one instrument (earlier composers had to write for several, always). This allowed for many composers to make careers writing piano music, far more simple to write than ensemble music, and as the "musical class" grew, so grew the number of composers, many of whom owed their fame and fortune to the piano.
In the romantic era, composers like Beethoven and Schumann used dynamics to express emotion. A powerful awareness of emotions in music characterizes this period, hence the name Romanticism. The piano's expressive tone comes into play again here. Composers used the piano's wide range, dynamics and expressive tone to write emotional pieces. For instance, a major, fast piece with a lot of trills and ornaments would be a happy piece, while a slow, minor piece would be a sad one. About the piano, composers adhered to the words of Chopin: "Everything must be made to sing." In the case of Franz Liszt, he got so emotional with his pianos that he is known to have broken several of them. Four-hand pieces for one or two pianos also became popular in the Romantic period, for the availability of up to 20 notes being played at any time allowed for many possibilities in the new fad of expression.
In the Romantic period, the piano was a popular household instrument as well. Amateurs preferred the piano because they could play melody and harmony together. The rise in popularity brought about the rise of many piano virtuosos. Now, along with composing piano pieces, playing them could also make a living for a musician.
It is necessary to mention that while the piano became the norm for keyboards soon after its invention, the harpsichord, despite its waning popularity, has not died. Beethoven's first eight sonatas bore the label "to be played on harpsichord or piano," as the instrument had not totally faded out. In the twentieth century, even, people are still composing for the harpsichord, and harpsichords are being produced by the hundreds.
So we see that the invention of the piano, such a seemingly small event, was really a turning point in history. The piano changed the face of Europe's music, around which much of its culture has revolved. Over the past 300 years, few great composers, if any, did not write for the piano, and many of them have made great careers as piano composers and virtuosos. Even today, a good piano is found in the home of almost every musician and composer. Despite its youth, the piano has made a greater mark on society than any other instrument, and it has a long way to go before its impact fades.
Pianos come in two basic types and several sizes:
Upright pianos are more compact due to the frame and strings being placed vertically, extending in both directions from the keyboard and hammers. The sound quality is adversely affected by several factors: firstly (the shortened distance the hammers travel -- need to check). Secondly, because the hammers are travelling horizontally, a more complicated mechanism and more time is required to return them to their rest position, so an upright piano is not capable of playing repeated notes as rapidly.
To fit in the full length of the bass strings, these are sharply angled diagonally across the body of the piano. This also affects sound quality as the hammers do not strike parallel to the string, and causes problems in tuning due to the stresses on the frame at the transition point between string groups. Furthermore, the left-hand pedal's una corda function -- which on grand pianos moves the entire action, thereby making the hammers strike one string instead of three -- isn't possible, because the differences in string angle would not allow a consistent reduction in tone quality across the range of notes. The workaround, moving the hammers' resting position close to the strings is reasonably effective in reducing volume, but the tone obtained is weak rather than expressive.
Grand pianos have the frame and strings placed horizontally, with the strings extending away from the keyboard. This avoids the problems inherent in an upright piano, but takes up a great deal more space. Several sizes of grand piano exist. Manufacturers may vary, but in general they are: "concert grand": approx. 3m; "grand": approx 1.8m; and "baby grand". The baby grand is designed for domestic use, although its much shortened strings mean the sound quality is poorer than an upright. It is hardly ever used in any serious context, but is a handy instrument for people who want to have a grand piano but cannot afford the cost, either in terms of money or floor space, of a larger instrument.
There are two other lesser seen kinds of piano: the square piano has the strings and frame on a horizontal plane, but running across the length of the keyboard rather than away from it. It is similar to the upright piano in its mechanism. The giraffe piano, by contrast, is mechanically like a grand piano, but the strings run vertically up from the keyboard rather than horizontally away from it. This makes it a very tall instrument.
The average piano has 88 keys (7 octaves and a bit, A to C). Many older pianos only have 85 (from A to A), while some manufacturers extend the range further in one or both directions. The most notable example of an extended range can be found on Bosendorfer pianos, some of which extend the normal range downwards to F, with others going as far as a bottom C making a full eight octave range. These extra keys are hidden under a small hinged lid, which can be flipped down to cover the keys and avoid visual disorientation in a pianist unfamiliar with the extended keyboard.
The keys for a piano are white and black. The keys are ordered so the notes ascend in pitch, from left to right.
Typically piano music is written with a treble clef and a bass clef. Each group of 12 semitones is an octave (so called, because there are eight whole notes, or white keys per octave). There are five black notes for the half-steps within an octave.
The pattern for black and white keys is White-Black-White-Black-White-White-Black-White-Black-White-Black-White. (ie: C C# D D# E F F# G G# A A# B )
Much great music has been written for the piano, with it being an instrument central to the classical music repertoire.
In 1863, Henri Fourneaux invented the player piano, a kind of piano which "plays itself" without the need for a pianist. Also in the 19th century, toy pianos began to be manufactured.
A relatively recent development is the invention of the prepared piano, which is a piano adapted in some way by placing objects inside the instrument, or changing its mechanism in some way. John Cage is famous for his use of this instrument.
A person who plays a piano is known as a pianist.
It’s not about how much you spend or what you buy. As the old adage goes – it’s the thought that counts. Give of yourself and you will give her/him all she needs. Best of luck to both of you.
Here is a checklist to use when selecting gifts, to be sure you are putting the recipient's likes, and not my own, into the selection process. When shopping for a gift, ask yourself the following:The whole point of gift giving is to show that you care, so if it's obvious that you haven't put any thought into the gift at all, there's no point in giving it. "So how do I find out what my boyfriend/girlfriend/fiancée wants/would appreciate?" Listen to your love. The next time you are watching TV together, make a note of all the things he/she gets excited about during commercials, reads the newspaper, especially newspaper or magazine ads. Pay attention when you are window-shopping together, or even when you're just chatting. People are always unconsciously rambling about stuff they want, and if you make it a point to listen closely, your job of finding out what he/she would like will be greatly simplified. You can also ask a friend or relative that knows them well.
That depends, not just
on the length of time, but the serious nature of your relationship.
Here is an example list of appropriate gifts for Christmas or Birthdays:
: Keep it light. This
is not the time to spend a fortune on your new honey. That might just
scare them off. Keep it simple and under $100.00, and think about the
person. Try to show a sense of humor with your choices; finding
something related to how you met can add sentiment to a relationship
that's just getting started. Simple gifts like books, CDs, and
videotapes are good ways to show off your interests and what you have
in common. Items that reflect their interests, hobbies and places they
like to travel.
If you are male, this is the point where gifts should be very romantic and have significance about your commitment and future. Items should be very personal, can be more pricey, and reflect your feelings for your significant other, your commitment and your significant others personal interests:
1-3 months:
Bring a single rose occasionally to surprise your date, or have one
delivered where you take your date for dinner.
3-12 months:
Send a dozen red roses for a birthday.
6-12 months: Senda dozen red roses to show your love or that you are "in
love"
1 year anniversary: Send a dozen red roses to show her you remember the day you met and how important she is to you.
You were wrong, had to cancel a date or any major plans, no matter what the reason (no matter how long you have been dating with a signed card asking forgiveness and telling her you will make it up to her....and you better make it up to her).
If
She Gives...
If You Give: A tie
You're Saying: "Your beer-guzzling, frat boy charm has worn off. Please
get a real job."
If You Give: Silk boxer shorts
You're Saying: "The less clothing I see you in, the better, stud."
If You Give: A weekend vacation for two
"I like you enough to
spend every moment of the entire weekend with you alone. So if you were
wondering if this is serious, it is."
If You Give: A sports car modeling kit
You're Saying: "I know that deep down beneath that manly exterior lies
a little boy who wants to play. I respect that."
If You Give: A shirt
You're Saying: "I like your style, but don't you think you'd look
better in something like this?"
If You Give: Tickets to a hockey game
You're Saying: "Take me to this game and help me learn more about your
interests. Take a friend and lose me forever."
If You Give: A best-selling book
You're Saying: "I don't know you that well, but other people liked
this, so why shouldn't you?"
If You Give: A handmade sweater
You're Saying: "I'm definite marriage material, if you like the Martha
Stewart type."
If You Give: A CD player. You're saying: "This will look great in OUR living room sometime soon, don't you think?"
If You Give: A Copy of "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus" or any other self-help/relationship/psychology-type book.
You're saying: "I'm about to
break up with you so you might want to get started on the background
reading. Later."
If He Gives...
If He Gives: A necklace
He's Saying: "I really care about you and want you to think about me
every time you wear this."
If He Gives: Lingerie
He's Saying: "I already think you're sexy, but I've fantasized about
seeing you in something like this."
If He Gives: A Cuisinart
He's Saying: "I don't know how to tell you this, but I'm not attracted
to you anymore."
If He Gives: A puppy
He's Saying: "I can already visualize the house, the picket fence and
the children too."
If He Gives: A sweater
He's Saying: "I've got no imagination and I probably gave the same gift
to my mother."
If He Gives: A weekend vacation for two
He's Saying: "I want 48 hours of uninterrupted sex."
If He Gives: A new perfume
He's Saying: "My ex-girlfriend wore what you wear now, so please try
this."
If He Gives: A cellular phone
He's Saying: "Either I'm genuinely concerned about your safety or I
need to be able to reach you every second of every minute of every day."
If He Gives: A CD you've wanted for months
He's Saying: "I am a good listener and I've got a great
memory."
If He Gives: A poem
He's Saying: "I'm a romantic in love. And I'm broke."
DO give a book or a CD that you'll know he'll like towards the
beginning of a relationship. These options show thoughtfulness, without
getting too personal.
DO drop hints about what you want before your
birthday/anniversary/holidays hit. Either mention some items in passing
or take your partner shopping and subtly point things out.
DO fall back on leisure- and sports-related gifts towards the start of
a tryst. These are safe standards.
DON'T give sexy underwear or anything sex-related unless you are
already sleeping together.
DON'T write a mushy card or give any cutesy gifts unless the
relationship is serious and stable.
DON'T be afraid to get creative. Adding a personal touch to any gift
makes it more unique.
DON'T bother with garbage/gag gifts like
chia pets, pet rocks, etc. They will just end up in
the trash, after
you are given the boot.
DON'T expect all men to be great gift givers. If your man happens to
give you something that you hate, try to focus on his good points!
Happy shopping, and good luck!
Do bring a bottle of wine or a small box of chocolates to the host or hostess that has invited you to their party.
Do send a short note or email of thanks for the great time you had and for being invited to the party.
Do thank friends/colleagues with a short note or email of thanks for any present, no matter the size, or whether or not you like it. It is the thought that counts.
Do go with reasonable expectations to parties. Don't expect that you will be fixed up with someone just because the host/hostess wants to introduce you to someone. People get into conversations with others and unfortunately, get hooked for a part of the party and may lose the interest in meeting whoever the host/hostess wants to fix them up with.
Do make an effort to smile, put out your hand and say "hi, I am ....., nice to meet you." Conversation starters can include: How do you know the host/hostess? What are you drinking...do you like it? What kind of work do you do? Go with the attitude that you are going to make friends with lots of people of both sexes. The more new friends you make, the more people who you can hang out with and who will set you up to meet people after they get to know you. Look for people with coming interests: Volleyball, tennis, bowling, skiing, bible studies, etc. Find out about new groups from people and try to finagle an initiation to go.
Don't go to a party if you are: 1. in a bad mood, frazzled from a long day or too tired, 2. expecting that you are going to meet the man/woman of your dreams, 3. really don't want to be there.
Don't go to a party empty handed. Even if the hostess says bring nothing, bring a small box of chocolates or a bottle of wine.
Don't bring cheap items. If the hostess is doing a potluck or a party where everyone does bring something, do not bring boxed wine, wine with screw tops, packaged off the shelf cookies. Bring a bottle of wine that is unique that others will have a conversation about, make something unique from scratch or pick up a gourmet type appetizer or brie.
A pipe organ is a keyboard instrument that makes sound by forcing air through large wood or metal pipes. Pipe organs are commonly found in churches and there is a large repertoire of religious music for the pipe organ. The Baroque composer Johann Sebastian Bach wrote extensively for the pipe organ and other keyboard instruments.
Pipe organs are complex musical instruments, with hundreds or thousands of pipes of varying size and pitch. Controls on the console of the organ called stops select which pipes are used; different combinations of stops can change the timbre of the instrument considerably. Many pipe organs are mammoth instruments that are part of the church building itself.
Pipes may be classified in a number of different ways: by the material they are made of (wood or metal), by the mechanism of sound production (flue pipes vs. reed pipes), and by the construction of the ends (open or closed). Each variation results in a different timbre.
An organ pipe produces only one pitch, so there must be at least one pipe for each controlling key or pedal. Thus, a keyboard with 61 notes would require 61 pipes. A complete set of pipes producing different pitches of one timbre is called a rank. The pitch produced is a function of the length of the pipe, and many timbres are associated with ranks pitched some multiple of octaves apart: thus an organ stop may have similar names with the addition of a length in feet indicating the pitch: a 16' stop produces pitches an octave below that of an 8' stop, an 8' stop produces pitches an octave below that of an 4' stop, and a 4' stop produces pitches an octave below that of an 2' stop.
Some timbres require more than one pipe per key. This is often reflected in the name given to the stop as a Roman numeral: thus a stop called "Cornet V" on a 61 note manual (this is the usual number on U.S. organs) would have 5 x 61 = 305 pipes.
The pipe organ has at least one keyboard, with 2-5 keyboards being the most common configuration. Each keyboard is called a manual, so that an organ with four keyboards is said to have four manuals. Most pipe organs also have a set of keys played by the feet called "pedals". The manuals, pedals and stop controls are gathered together in a functional piece of furniture called a "console".
From the time of the organ's invention by the ancient Greeks until the 19th century, pipes were originally located within a cabinet or "case", with the console and related mechanism built in. The valves under the pipes were connected by mechanical linkages to the keys, so that the organist's fingers actually provided the energy to open the valves. This system is known as "mechanical (or "tracker") key action".
With the invention of electrical and pneumatic control systems in the late 19th century, organ pipes were often located remotely from the console in special rooms called chambers. In the 1920s and '30s, there was a revival of interest in historic organs, and organ builders once again began building organs with mechanical action. Today, both electric action and mechanical action pipe organs are built.
The largest pipe organ ever built is the Main Auditorium Organ in Atlantic City Convention Hall.
Electronic organs such as the Hammond Organ were originally developed as imitations of pipe organs.
Research has shown that music has a profound effect on your body and psyche. In fact, there’s a growing field of health care known as Music Therapy, which uses music to heal. Those who practice music therapy are findinga benefit in using music to help cancer patients, children with ADD, and others, and even hospitals are beginning to use music and music therapy to help with pain management, to help ward off depression, to promote movement, to calm patients, to ease muscle tension, and for many other benefits that music and music therapy can bring. This is not surprising, as music affects the body and mind in many powerful ways. The following are some of effects of music, which help to explain the effectiveness of music therapy:
The Hammond organ is an electric organ which was designed and built by Laurens Hammond in April 1935. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a low-cost alternative to the pipe organ, it came to be used for jazz, blues, and to a lesser extent rock music and gospel music.
In imitation of a pipe organ, with its banks of pipes in multiple registers, the Hammond Organ used additive synthesis of waveforms from harmonic series to generate its sounds. As in Thadeus Cahill's earlier Telharmonium, the individual waveforms were made by mechanical "tonewheels" which rotated beneath electromagnetic pickups.
Because the waveforms are produced by mechanical tonewheels rather than electronic oscillators, original Hammond organs are considered to be electric rather than electronic organs.
A defining feature of the Hammond organ was the use of "drawbars" to mix the component waveforms in varying ratios. Other features added to Hammond organs included an electromechanical vibrato. The distinctive "key click" that was originally a design flaw rapidly became part of the "Hammond sound", which modern imitations of the Hammond organ faithfully reproduce. Accurate imitation of the Hammond sound with electronics is difficult, because the phase relationship between tonewheels is difficult to replicate.
Speakers made by Leslie were widely used with the Hammond organs, though at first, Leslie was a competing company that Hammond sought to drive out of business. The Leslie speakers had a rotating component that produced a vibrato effect. Soon, the Leslie became a de facto component of any Hammond setup wishing to produce that signature "growling" sound.
The model B-3 was, and still is, the most sought-after model, though the C-3 differs only in cosmetics. Hammonds can be divided into two main groups: the 'Console' models such as the B-3, C-3 or A-100 which have two 61 note manuals and the smaller 'Spinet' models that have two 44 note manuals such as the L-100 and the M-100. Most Hammond organs do not have a full AGO pedalboard, something that was done originally for cost and size reasons.
The most important aspect of selecting a colour scheme that most home owners fail to consider is how natural light will affect the colours once they are applied. A room that faces toward the south will look a lot different compared to a north-facing room with the same colour.
You should think about the direction that natural light will be coming from when viewing colour schemes, even though designers have problems predicting the outcome. Using a test pot on a large section of wall is the best way to see the difference natural light will make to the colour. View the test colour in the morning and evening to see the range of effects the light will make.
An east-facing room that gets a lot of sunlight in the morning will look different when seen late at night by artificial lighting. Rooms that face towards the west will have a warm glow in the evening, but will look dull in the mornings. Take this into account when choosing colours and try to create balance between the two.
The effect that natural light plays on the colour can not be ideal for every room. City apartments may not get much natural light at all if they have large buildings casting shadows on all sides. In any room, you can make up for this with clever lighting and a good colour scheme. The effect can be inviting and attractive.
The style of the house will make a big difference to the natural light reaching the interior. Country cottages are often in sunny locations, but have low ceilings and small windows. This will give rooms a dark and gloomy feeling. In such rooms, try light or warm colours to make up for the lack of natural light.
Newer, more modern homes with open plan designs and large windows will have more natural light, but will also be affected by seasonal changes. In summer they will have a warm, natural feeling, but in winter they will look quite dull. Well placed artificial lighting and warm colours will make the room much more pleasant throughout the seasons.
If you are not sure what to do with colours and lighting, try painting the room white, before choosing a colour. This will allow you to observe the changes that natural light will make and help you choose a colour scheme. You will notice that walls with windows will look darker, as they only receive reflected light. Ceilings will always look darker than walls painted the same colour.
Instead, pipe organs produce sound by means of flowing air. Organs date back to medieval times, when they originated as portable instruments used for accompaniment in choral music. As the instruments became larger, they were installed permanently in a fashion similar to the church organs of today.
The sound-producing elements in pipe organs are generally reeds and flutelike pipes. The flutelike pipes, which work using vibrating columns of air, are to be found in organs of all sizes. Reeds --thin strips of metal fastened at one end with the rest allowed to vibrate freely-- are only used commonly on instruments from a certain size.
Other instruments which are played from a reservoir of gas and have separate tone-producing mechanisms for each pitch include:
Other wind instruments that have no reservoir of gas but use a separate tone-producing mechanism for each pitch
Other wind instruments that are played from a reservoir of gas but do not use a separate tone-producing mechanism for each pitch
Organs were the first keyboard instruments, even though technically they belong to the most complex products of human craftmanship one can possibly imagine.
The pipe organ is a common kind of organ, with churches often housing such an instrument - when the word "organ" is used on its own in a classical music context, the pipe organ is most often meant. It is this instrument that is sometimes called the "king of instruments" in that, when played by a capable perfomer, richer and more complex music can be produced than with any other single instrument.
The organ's typical, stable and broad sound has become associated with divinity, having been established in churches and cathedrals for hundreds of years, although many major concert halls around the world boast organs too. Saint-Saens' popular Organ Symphony is a good example of how the sound of a large organ can be effectively combined with that of a symphony orchestra.
The versatility of the organ is attributable to the builders' ability to attach any number of instruments, or 'voices', to the keyboards which can be selected individually or in multiples by the operator. A good organist can produce a complex symphony of sounds simply by selecting which voices are used by which keyboard.
Another invention that added to the versatility of the organ is the swell box. It allows for a cresendo effect, or for the organist to vary the volume of the tone. The swell box is a box containing a number of ranks of pipes. The front of the box has wooden shutters similar to a Venetian Blind. The shutters are controlled by a pedal on the organ consle. To lower the volume of the pipes contained within the swell box, the organist will close the shutters, and to increase the volume the organist will open the shutters.
Voices are selected by 'stops'. The colloquial phrase "to pull out all the stops" originates from the simultaneous use of the multiple voices of an organ to produce a rich and complex sound. Much air is used to power an organ when all the stops are pulled out, and in days when there were no electric motors, the profligate use of air required much labor, and was used only for special occasions.
The word organ, which has nothing to do with anatomical organs, originates from the latin word "organum", the earliest predecessor of the instrument used in ancient Roman circus games and similar to what we now know as "portative".
There are also various electrically operated and electronic organs, such as the Hammond Organ. While the Hammond was of imitative intent, it has developed something of a cult following and is at its best when used to produce a sound of its own rather than an attempt at a pipe-organ-like sound. The Hammond B3 model is an important instrument in jazz, and in particular was the central instrument in soul jazz. Other significant electronic organs are sold today by Allen and Rodgers companies. These companies also feature electronic instruments that incorporate small groups of real wind blown pipers, adding to the effect of a more natural tone and ensemble. Electronic ograns have suffered from poor installations where harsh electronic tone, or sheer high volume levels discourage listeners and performers alike. Done well, electronic instruments can be convincing replications of their wind based predecesors.
Electric organs figure prominently in rock and gospel. Pipe organs were popular at theatres during the early 1900s, where they provided an audible accompaniment to silent movies.
The earliest easily available jazz recordings are from the
1920's and early 1930's. Trumpet player and vocalist Louis Armstrong
("Pops", "Satchmo") was by far the most important figure of this
period. He played with groups called the Hot Five and the Hot Seven;
any recordings you can find of these groups are recommended. The style
of these groups, and many others of the period, is often referred to as
New Orleans jazz or Dixieland. It is characterized by collective
improvisation, in which all performers simultaneously play improvised
melodic lines within the harmonic structure of the tune. Louis, as a
singer, is credited with the invention of scat, in which the vocalist
makes up nonsense syllables to sing improvised lines. Other notable
performers of New Orleans or Dixieland jazz include clarinetist Johnny
Dodds, soprano saxophone player Sidney Bechet, trumpeter King Oliver,
and trombonist Kid Ory.
Other styles popular during this period were various forms of piano
jazz, including ragtime, Harlem stride, and boogie-woogie. These styles
are actually quite distinct, but all three are characterized by
rhythmic, percussive left hand lines and fast, full right hand lines.
Scott Joplin and Jelly Roll Morton were early ragtime pioneers. Fats
Waller, Willie "The Lion" Smith and James P. Johnson popularized the
stride left hand pattern (bass note, chord, bass note, chord); Albert
Ammons and Meade Lux Lewis developed this into the faster moving left
hand patterns of boogie-woogie. Earl "Fatha" Hines was a pianist who
was especially known for his right hand, in which he did not often play
full chords or arpeggios, playing instead "horn-like" melodic lines.
This has become commonplace since then. Art Tatum is considered by many
to be the greatest jazz pianist ever; he was certainly one of the most
technically gifted, and his harmonic insights paved the way for many
who came after him. He is sometimes considered a precursor of bebop.
The Ashiko is a drum in the shape of a truncated cone that originated from sub-Saharan Africa and the Americas. It is played by slapping or tapping the drums skin with bare hands.
Traditionally Ashikos were carved from a single piece of wood, but today most are made from glued strips of wood called staves. This is similar to the design of a barrel.
Due to the tapered shape of the Ashiko, a deep tone is produced when struck in the centre of the skin, and a higher pitch closer to the edge of the drum.
Although early Ashiko have been known to be attached with tacks, modern Ashikos have a metallic ring on the drum skin and a smaller metallic ring further down the drum. Zigzagging rope connects the 2 rings, and it is this rope that is used to tighten the drum.
An instrument similar to the Ashiko is the Boku. The Boku originates from Cuba and is played during street parades and carnivals.
Although the big bands are normally associated with a slightly
later era, there were several large bands playing during the 1920's and
early 1930's, including that of Fletcher Henderson. Bix Beiderbecke wasa cornet soloist who played with several bands and was considered a
legend in his time.
The mid 1930's brought on the swing era and the emergence of the big
bands as the popular music of the day. Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman,
Tommy Dorsey, Artie Shaw, Duke Ellington, and Count Basie led some of
the more popular bands. There were also some important small group
swing recordings during the 1930's and 1940's. These differed from
earlier small groups in that these featured very little collective
improvisation. This music emphasized the individual soloist. Goodman,
Ellington, and Basie recorded often in these small group settings.
Major saxophonists of the era include Johnny Hodges, Paul Gonsalves,
Lester Young, Coleman Hawkins, and Ben Webster. Trumpet players include
Roy Eldridge, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Cootie Williams, and Charlie
Shavers. Pianists include Ellington, Basie, Teddy Wilson, Erroll
Garner, and Oscar Peterson; guitarists include Charlie Christian, Herb
Ellis, Barney Kessell, and Django Reinhardt; vibraphonists include
Lionel Hampton; bassists include Jimmy Blanton, Walter Page, and Slam
Stewart; drummers include Jo Jones and Sam Woodyard. Billie Holiday,
Dinah Washington, and Ella Fitzgerald were important singers in this
era. Most of these musicians recorded in small groups as well as with
big bands. The styles of these musicians can best be summarized by
saying they concentrated primarily on playing melodically, on the swing
feel, and on the development of an individual sound. The blues was, as
in many other styles, an important element of this music.
A bass drum is a large, heavy drum that produces a low-pitched (but untuned) "thump". It is used in orchestral music, marching music, and throughout 20th century popular music.
The bass drum is used to punctuate time. In marches it is used to keep the march even (marching bands march to the beat of the bass). A basic beat for rock and roll has the bass drum played on the first and third beats of a bar of common time, with the snare drum on the second and fourth "back beats".
An orchestral bass drum is quite large, about 36" in diameter, and is played with one or two large, padded mallets. In a drum kit, the bass drum is much smaller, most commonly 20" or 22" but sizes from 18" to 26" are quite normal, and is played using a pedal operated mallet. A pedal-operated bass drum is often called a kick drum.
In many forms of heavy metal music, particularly thrash metal, a second bass drum pedal is used, either operating a second beater on the same drum using an extended mechanism, or more traditionally simply playing a similar second bass drum, placed beside the first and tuned identically. Double bass drum techniques were pioneered by Gene Krupa in the 1950s and popularised in the 1960s by Ginger Baker of Cream and Keith Moon of the Who.
In many modern marching bands and drum corps, a set of multiple bass drums called tonal bass drums are used. A bass drum line typically consists of four to six tonal bass drums, though many smaller high schools only have enough players to use two or three drums, and some universities and drum corps have marched up to sixteen at once. The drums typically are between 18" and 32" in diameter, but some groups have used bass drums as small as 14" and as large as 36". Generally, tonal bass drums are tuned higher than kick drums or orchestral bass drums so complex rudimental passages can be heard clearly. Each player usually carries one drum, though in rare cases players carry two or three smaller drums at once. Skilled bass drum lines can execute complex rhythmic figures so convincingly that it sounds like the entire bass drum part is being played by a single musician.
The birth of bebop in the 1940's is often considered to mark the beginning of modern jazz. This style grew directly out of the small swing groups, but placed a much higher emphasis on technique and on more complex harmonies rather than on singable melodies. Much of the theory to be discussed later stems directly from innovations in this style. Alto saxophonist Charlie "Bird" Parker was the father of this movement, and trumpet player Dizzy Gillespie ("Diz") was his primary accomplice. Dizzy also led a big band, and helped introduce Afro-Cuban music, including rhythms such as the mambo, to American audiences, through his work with Cuban percussionists. But it was the quintet and other small group recordings featuring Diz and Bird that formed the foundation of bebop and most modern jazz.
While, as with previous styles, much use was made of the blues and popular songs of the day, including songs by George Gershwin and Cole Porter, the original compositions of the bebop players began to diverge from popular music for the first time, and in particular, bebop was not intended to be dance music. The compositions usually featured fast tempos and difficult eighth note runs. Many of the bebop standards are based on the chord progressions of other popular songs, such as "I Got Rhythm", "Cherokee", or "How High The Moon". The improvisations were based on scales implied by those chords, and the scales used included alterations such as the flatted fifth.
The development of bebop led to new approaches to accompanying as well as soloing. Drummers began to rely less on the bass drum and more on the ride cymbal and hi-hat. Bass players became responsible for keeping the pulse by playing almost exclusively a walking bass line consisting mostly of quarter notes while outlining the chord progression. Pianists were able to use a lighter touch, and in particular their left hands were no longer forced to define the beat or to play roots of chords. In addition, the modern jazz standard form became universal. Performers would play the melody to a piece (the head), often in unison, then take turns playing solos based on the chord progression of the piece, and finally play the head again. The technique of trading fours, in which soloists exchange four bar phrases with each other or with the drummer, also became commonplace. The standard quartet and quintet formats (piano, bass, drums; saxophone and/or trumpet) used in bebop have changed very little since the 1940's.
Many of the players from the previous generation helped pave the way for bebop. These musicians included Lester Young, Coleman Hawkins, Roy Eldridge, Charlie Christian, Jimmy Blanton, and Jo Jones. Young and Hawkins in particular are often considered two of the most important musicians in this effort. Other bebop notables include saxophonists Sonny Stitt and Lucky Thompson, trumpeters Fats Navarro, Kenny Dorham, and Miles Davis, pianists Bud Powell, Duke Jordan, Al Haig, and Thelonious Monk, vibraphonist Milt Jackson, bassists Oscar Pettiford, Tommy Potter, and Charles Mingus, and drummers Max Roach, Kenny Clarke, and Roy Haynes. Miles, Monk, and Mingus went on to further advances in the post-bebop eras, and their music will be discussed later.
Description of the
Bodhran
Playing the Bodhran
Care and Reheading of Bodhrans
The Bodhran (pronounced bow-rahn) is a Celtic frame drum ranging in anywhere from 10" to 26" in diameter, the most common being in the 14" to 18" range. 3 1/2" to 8" deep, a goat skin head (others such as kangaroo, and synthetics are used as well but are far less desirable) is tacked to one side. The other side is open ended for the left hand to be placed against the inside of the drum head to control the pitch.
The drum is usually played in a seated position, held vertically on the player's knee and supported by his upper body and arm (usually on the left side, for a right handed player), with the hand resting on the inside of the skin where it is able to control the tension (and therefore the pitch) by applying varying amounts of pressure. The drum is struck with the other arm (usually the right) and is played either with the bare hand or with a lathed piece of wood called a tipper or beater. There are numerous playing styles, mostly named after the region of Ireland in which they originated. The most common is Kerry Style, which uses a two-headed beater.
Although the bodhrán has ancient origins, it was not often used in Irish traditional music until the 1960s, when it was popularised by bands such as the Chieftans.
The bodhran is the traditional Celtic frame drum. The cross braces and laminated rosewood strengthen the shell of this goatskin-covered drum. With a rich deep sound, these drums are great fun even if you have not mastered the traditional playing.
To begin, hold the drum by the cross bracing. This is a nice secure grip. When you become familiar with playing the drum and your arms strengthen you can advance to a more sophisticated grip. At that time you can try sliding your hand between the cross bracing and the drum head. This allows you to press your fingertips against the inner rim of the drum head. Doing this lets you alter the sounds that the drum makes while being played. The traditional method of playing the bodhran is a fast back and forth swinging of the beater over the face of the drum. Hold the beater in your dominant hand. Hold it with a grip similar to holding a pencil. When you hold a pencil you hold it near the end with most of the pencil sticking out above your fingers. When holding a beater, most of the beater hangs down from your fingers. The grip is very similar to holding a thermometer. The motion you want to achieve is the same motion as shaking a thermometer before using it. The swing is in the wrist. The beater has a pendulum-like swing up and down across the head of the drum. The beater makes contact at the top and bottom of the swing. Practice! As you get better you will find that you can add a third beat from the TOP of the beater, but that takes some time. Have fun.
The natural skin drum heads should be treated with care. The head can be punctured or scarred by improper handling. Do not expose them to extremes in temperature or humidity. Too much moisture will make the drum head loosen, but then as it dries it may over tighten and damage the frame. If your drum’s sound seems too dull because of the humidity you may wish to apply some heat. Some professional drummers keep a heating pad on stage to adjust their drum heads. The best thing is to treat all musical instruments with care.
In time, your drum head may need to be replaced. If you have the time and a little patience you can replace your own head. We sell the modified Fiberskyn heads pre-mounted for easy replacement. The tacked and natural skin heads will require more work, but, with a little guidance you can do it.
