Timbre A description of the actual sounds that you hear. “Tone color” or “quality”
Dec 16, 2015
Timbre
Timbre can be a list of the instruments or voices that you hear.
Timbre can also refer to the variations in tone color of a specific instrument (a
bright guitar or dark voice).
Family
• An instrument is grouped into a family based on how it PRODUCES sound (not how it sounds, what it looks like, what material it’s made from, etc).
Rule of Thumb
• The smaller/shorter the vibrating element (string, pipe, air tube, etc.), the HIGHER the pitch.
• The larger/longer the vibrating element, the LOWER the pitch.
String
• Bowed Strings– Violin– Viola– Violoncello (cello)– Double bass
The nucleus of an orchestra consists of bowed strings.
Woodwinds
• Single reed (clarinet and saxophone)
• Double reed (oboe, bassoon and English horn)
• No reed (flute and piccolo)
Percussion
• Definite pitch (marimba, vibraphone, xylophone, chimes, bells, timpani)
• Indefinite pitch (bass drum, snare drum, woodblocks, cymbal)
Electronic
• Electronic keyboards
• Computer
• Synthesizer
• MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface)
Orchestra
• A group of (usually more than 20) instruments which has bowed strings as its nucleus.
• To that, you may add any number or type of instruments.
Dave Matthews Band
• The instruments in his band include guitar, bass guitar, drums, and violin.
• Just because it has a violin, it is not an orchestra!
Seating plan of an Orchestra
• Softest instruments in front (bowed strings)
• Woodwinds behind
• Brass behind
• Percussion in back
• Loudest instruments are in the back.
Conductor
• Stands in front of orchestra
• Keeps time and keeps them together
• Listens to sound and shapes the music as it’s being played
Conductor
• The music directors of the "Big Five" orchestras of the United States each made over $1,000,000 per year, with the music director of the New York Philharmonic making the most, at $2,777,753 during the 2009-2011 season.
• Music directors of smaller full-time orchestras, like in Atlanta, Minnesota, St. Louis, and Baltimore made from $400,000 to $977,000 per year.
Concertmaster
• First chair first violin
• Responsible for bowings in the section
• Plays all passages written for solo violin
• Tunes up the orchestra
• Is expected to “stand in” for the conductor if necessary
Concertmaster
• The concertmaster for the Atlanta Symphony set a new all time high compensation level at $578,436.
• The average compensation for the Top 10 highest paid concertmasters is $418,324.