Music - Song Structure

162nd day of 2016.

I should have complete this research earlier before I even attempt to make music. Well, sure you can make music without conforming into ANY structure, that is how my tunes comes about. Short tunes.

But since my target now is to make a 'full'? length music and I work better with structure and to do list. It is nice checking off the components that I have done. Besides, it is easier to organize and see how each segment of tunes match together. 

Instrument Basic - Vertical Brass

148th day of 2016.

This should be the last compilation of musical instruments. Then on, I should be able to choose the sound I want in my amateur piece.

 

Instrument Basic - Horizontal Brass

142nd day of 2016.

I think I know how to group the Brass better. When looking upon the French Horn, it really intrigues me on where the bell is facing. Most of the Brass blow horizontally to the front, but French Horn blow down exit to the back.

Though this is not about French Horn but it is a very intriguing characteristic.

Instrument Basic 10 - Trombone

135th day of 2016.

 It is a lazy Saturday for me. I was planning to add some more embellishments to my experimental Accordion Book, but the laziness really kicked in this time. So I did the simplest thing at the moment that I can bring myself into.

 

Instrument Basic 09 - Clarinets

134th day of 2016.

 As I researched along, it is not surprising that I get to realize how shallow is my understanding on musical instruments. There are a whole lot of Clarinets, but Musescore only has 3 of them.

Instrument Basic 08 - Saxyness

121st day of 2016.

I am quite surprised to see that there are various type of Saxophone. In Musescore, there are 4 types, Soprano, Alto, Baritone and Tenor, and yes, I am still unable to remember what it means in relevant to their pitches.

Upon listening their sounds, they are pretty similar other than its pitch and another baffling characteristic of their keysignatures. I remember I didn't select any keysignatures for them while setting up but they appeared with keysignatures.

I just used my ear to determine which one is a C and do the same note range as usual. For a music half learner like me, it is pretty confusing. 

Instrument Basic 07 - Breeze away~

120th day of 2016.

Continuing the musical therapeutic research...

 The odd number '8' begin to really prick my curiosity... just what it is...

Instrument Basic 06 - Harp?

112th day of 2016.

Despite being home a bit more earlier today, compare to many days these few weeks. I was distracted and do other non-art productive things. Main reason being, I enjoy wasting those time reading up other stuff, and also, I am rather stuck with Harp. I don't know how to group it.

It is plucked just like Guitar and Bass family; the instrument sits on floor just like Piano and even Cello; it has wide octave range like piano but a much higher pitch. :/ 

Instrument Basic 05 - Strung

108th day of 2016.

Bass Guitar appears with Guitars as well as the Bass group. Just by looking at their Clef, I am able to see the main difference of Bass and Guitar. But now I am confused between Classic Guitar vs Bass Guitar, Acoustic Guitar vs Acoustic Bass and Electric Guitar vs Electric Bass. The timber of the tone sounds very similar. Or, the difference is really just about the tonal range.

Instrument Basic 04 - Pluck

107th day of 2016.

The Wood Wind, Brass and Pluck instrument family are huge! It will certainly take me time to understand them all. So, I decided to do it in parts for being a slow learner.

 I am pretty amazed at the different types of guitars. So glad I was able to listen the difference, but haven't really tie them to their names yet. Next up would be the identical instruement of Guitars, the Bass.

Instrument Basic 03 - Hit & Slide

90th day of 2016.

Failing to come out with a better name, Hit & Slide would be the name for the Pitched Percussion. Now to think about it, maybe it is a good idea to use the verb/playing method to categorize the instruments.

Many of the Pitched Percussion instruments are high pitched and clear. My favourite sounds. My only 'completed' ultra short 10 seconds tune, uses Vibraphone as the high pitched melody.

Instrument Basic 02 - Hit and Air Keyboard

88th day of 2016.

The proper name in MuseScore is Unpitched Percussion and Free Reed. I don't really like those names, so for my own purpose, I nicknamed them. Easier to relate and remember what the file is about.

I don't know how to play drums, but drums are the best instrument to depict tempo and beat. I always pay attention to the drums when I listen to songs.

Instrument Basic 01 - Strings and Keyboards

87th day of 2016.

I attempted to 'compose' the guitar bass for my little tune, failed miserably again. Frustrated, I went on to create some instrument basic template. I figured it would be helpful to get to know the actual sound of each instruments, and complete my instrument sketches, which is now lacking the properties and characteristics.

I did learnt Piano and Violin before, so I started with them. Violin is much simple to play compare to Piano. 

Prelude 01

85th day of 2016.

I had been trying to compose a short 5 seconds prelude type of tune. So far, I have got the melody, but I am stump with the harmony part. :/ I had this 'imagination' that this tune should be accompanied by guitar, alas, I never played guitar and it seemed to be rather difficult to reproduce a guitar chord in a music score? Either this or it is the limit of MuseScore for unable to play the guitar chord as I wanted?

The chords are now all stacked and struck at once, but I preferred the guitar chords that played each string with the split second of difference, just like how the finger take the split seconds to struck different strings.

Unpitched Percussion Family

21st day of 2016.

Finally! The last part of the musical instrument.
The drum kit has quite a few components, another instrument turns out to be more complex than I thought it is.
  

Pitched Percussion Family

20th day of 2016.

Pitched Percussion. Now onwards to the musical instrument that bring on more action movements.

The Xylophone, Vibraphone, Marimba and Glockenspiel really got me confused. They looked so alike just like how the guitars confused me. :<

Wood Wind family

19th day of 2016.

Just as I thought Brass was hard, wood wind was not easier. Other than recorder and flute which were relatively simple, the rest were quite complicated. Most of them seemed to be made of metal in this era, kinda beats the family name 'wood' wind.

 

Brass Family

18th day of 2016.

Gosh, brass are tough! I can't imagine how the makers make all those complex metal tubes curving through here and there. O__O

That was my first attempt on using Sakura Gelly Roll Classic White pen. I seemed to notice that it doesn't flow well when the surface was still wet. The left hand golden part is whiter as they are dryer. The right side silver bronze was a bit wet when I apply the white pen.

Need to test more to see and understand the white pen's properties and characteristics.   

peculiar Free Reed Family

15th day of 2016.

I would have to say, I don't really get how MuseScore divide the instruments into categories. They put Harmonica and Accordion together under a family call Free Reed. That is one mystery I would have to research more.

Keyboard Family

14th day of 2016.

A bit ambitious and lost sense of scale while trying to put in the same level of detail for such a huge instrument. Completely forgot about the piano size, counting only 3 should fit in one page. It actually needs a spread 2 pages. x.x So now, it look cramp...

Hopefully the later words and info would fit in within the remaining gaps... x.x