TRAJANO INSTRUCTOR
DEFINITION Music is the art of combining sounds of varying pitch to produce a coherent
composition that is melodious, harmonious, intelligible, and expressive of ideas and emotions.
ELEMENTS Pitch pitch is the relative highness or lowness of a tone.
Volume or Intensity volume is the loudness or softness of a sound. It ranges from very
soft (pianissimo) and soft (piano) to very loud (fortissimo) and loud (forte).
Tempo or Rate tempo is the speed of a composition or any of its sections. Terms such as
allegro (fast), vivace (lively), moderato (moderate speed), andante (moderately slow), adagio
(slower than andante), lento (slow), and largo (very slow) are related to tempo.
Form form is the overall organization of the composition. It is associated with shape,
structure, and coherence.
KINDS Vocal Music vocal music is music produced by the voices of singers. Vocal music
is rendered a cappella.
Instrumental Music instrumental music is music produced by musical instruments.
Mixed Music or Mixed Ensemble - mixed music is a combination of vocal music and
instrumental music. Mixed ensemble usually perform in Mass, Requiem Mass, opera,
Orchestra an orchestra is the most spectacular of the ensembles because of its large size.
Usually performing under direction of a conductor, the musicians playing several instruments.
Symphony Orchestra a symphony orchestra is a large ensemble composed of about 100
players. It includes all the principal instrumental types divided into four sections or four basic
ranges: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass.
Concerto the concerto is a form written for an orchestra in which one solo instruments, for
example, a piano or a violin, is given prominence.
Band a band is an instrumental ensemble having the size of an orchestra but consisting
mainly or exclusively of wind and percussion instruments. Nowadays, a band is used to mean a
small group of performers, consisting of a soloist, drummer, guitarist/s, and keyboardist, or a
small group of singers.
Special Ensemble a special ensemble is a grouping other than the ones earlier mentioned.
The Pangkat Kawayan or Bandang Kawayan whose members play instruments made of bamboo
is also considered a special ensemble.
MEDIUMS Vocal Media vocal media, as the term suggests, pertain to male and female
voices. Male voices male voices have three registers: bass (lowest), baritone (middle), and
tenor (highest). The lowest of the male local registers is the basso profundo.
Female voices female voices also have three registers: alto (lowest), mezzo soprano (middle),
and soprano (highest). The highest of the female vocal registers is the coloratura soprano.
Guitar
Ukeleles
Violas
Violina
Percussion Instruments percussion instruments are beaten or struck. They come in a variety
of forms. The drums, glockenspiels, xylophones, marimbas, gongs, cymbals, triangles, and
chimes.
Chimes
Cymbals
Drums
Glockenspiel
Marimba
Triangle
Xylophone
Keyboard Instruments keyboard instruments, as their name suggests, have keys which are
pressed to produced sounds. They include the piano, the organ, etc.
The Organ
Piano
Wind Instruments
Contrabassoo
Saxophone
Classic Period the music of the classical period is characterized by homophonic texture (an
obvious melody with accompaniment). The popular instrumental music was dominated by
several well-defined forms: the sonata, the symphony, and the concerto.
Modern Period music today is no longer limited to concerts and clubs inasmuch as the
almost obsolete cassette tape, the CD, the VCD, the DVD, the MP3, the MP4, and the computer
are media generating music.