Monday, January 25, 2010

Blog #4 - String Instruments

Hello class,
This week, you will listen to FOUR videos to the right. As you listen, you should think about how the timbre (the tone color) and pitch (highness/lowness) of the instruments are different. Which one creates the highest sounds? Which one creates the lowest sounds?

Here are some good timbre words:
light or heavy; dark or bright; breathy; punchy; clear; focussed or unfocussed; piercing; harsh; warm; mellow; resonant; flat; vibrato (do you hear it vibrating?) or no vibrato

Write four sentences: One sentence about each instrument that describes how it is uniquely different than the other three.

Rubric:
20 pts - Students commented correctly using the blog, and included their name.
20 pts - Students comment on pitch of different instruments.
20 pts - Students correctly comment on the timbre of different instruments.
20 pts - Each instrument is described to show how it is unique.
20 pts - Students used correct grammar and spelling.

Please write and submit your post for this assignment by Monday, February 1 for full credit.

In case you can't watch the videos to the right, here are the URL's for the videos:
Violin: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0pkigApKEw
Viola: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQ_BQa1NHa8
Cello: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GczSTQ2nv94
String Bass: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4Hx0VfUbTw

17 comments:

Travis said...

1. The violin piece by Yanni is bright because it has a very high pitch.

2. The viola piece by Bach Suite is a mellow piece because it has a kind of medium pitch.

3. The cello piece by Yo-Yo MA is a warm piece because it has a soft pitch.

4. The string bass piece is also a mellow piece because it has more relaxing tune.

Dimitrius Harrington said...

Dimitrius Harrington
per.8

For the violin I thought it had a very high pitch, and the song had a fast tempo. I thought the timbre of it was light and sharp. The violin had a angry mood to it. What makes the violin unique is how great it sounds when you play with it at a fast tempo.


For the viola i thought it had a mid pitch. I thought the timbre of Bach Suite was dark, and heavy. The song was played at a very slow pace, and it had a sad/depressing mood to it. What makes the viola unique is how great its pitch sound.

For the cello i thought it had a very high pitch to it. The timbre of the song was smooth, and light. The song had a very happy mood to it. What makes the cello unique is how great it sound with a variety of different string instruments.

The string bass had a very low pitch to it. The timbre of the song that was played was very dark. The song had a slow pitch, and a calm mood to it. What makes the string bass unique is great its low pitch sound.

Precious said...

In the first video the violin is being played by Yanii the timber color is bright. The pitch is very high.

In the second video viola is being played by Bach Suite.THe timber color is dark. The pitch is very low.

In video three the cello is being played by Yo Yo Ma. The timber color is bright. The pitch is very high.

In the fourth video the string bass os being bass is being played by a jazz solo. The timber color is is dark. The pitch is vey high. I hear viberation.

In tall of the videos some had high pitch some had low. Some had a dark timber some had a bright timber.

LaqueshaColeman said...

The violin by Yanni has a timbre of light and bright tone and the pitch is high also. The timbre also is focussed and mellow. I dont hear and vibrating noises whatsoever.The pitch is high in this piece.
The viola by Bach Suite consist of a more calm and focussed timbre. It is also mellow and a little vibration is heard. The timbre is also clear and heavy and bright.
The cello played by Yo Yo Ma, Mark O'connor, and Edgar Meyer and sung by Bobby Mcperlin has a fast paste also and is light and bright. The timbre is also focussed but it could be unfocussed also. Vibrating noises are noticeable.
The string bass played by a Jazz soloist has a heavy and dark timbre and also includes vibrating sounds also. Its focussed and has a nice mellow.Also the pitch is low.

Kayla Roulhac P8 said...

The violin has a high pitch and a fast tempo. The timbre of the violin is bright and light. The viola has a very low pitch and slow tempo. The timbre is dark and resonant. The cello has a high pitch and medium pitch. The timbre is light and focussed. The string bass has a low pitch and medium tempo. The timbre is dark and warm. The violin has the highest sound. The viola has the lowest sound.

Pervis Edmonds said...

Pervis Edmonds
When I heard this violin the timbre of the violin was scratchier, but it was focused when the man played the violin it was also played at fast pace. The pitch of the violin was high, but it went low during the end of the song it almost sound like techno music compared to other instruments. Also when the man played the violin it made this sound that sounded like a sudden stop between the song. What made this violin unique was that it had a faster pace than other violins that are commonly used in classical music.
When I hear the viola I can tell that the pitch went high and low during the song, but he used more high notes when he played the viola. Also the timbre was a little bumpy when it started, but it became more focused as he continued the song I also notice this sudden vibration. Also the viola created emotion through its sounds because the facial expression of the man was applied to the viola as he played it. What made the viola unique was that it created emotion that can be described by the instrument itself.
When I heard the cello I heard the pitch going from high to low, but it had a lower pitch than the viola.
When I heard the timbre it sounded happier than the violin because the cello was describing the song in a calm setting. The cello also created this sound that made this small vibration between the song, but it was very difficult to notice. In my opinion the cello was unique because the sound it made became clearer which made the cello seem original when played.
When I heard the string bass the timbre was bumpy, but it had a catchy beat that made the timbre mellower. Also the pitch was always low, but I did hear some vibrations during each fourth meter, and the second meter. Also the string bass made a pattern of low notes that created a jazz vibe through this musical piece. What made the string bass unique was each low note that was played to make the beat pattern

Anonymous said...

Lamar Greer

The Cello produces a sort of light sound with a high pitch. However, the Viola is quite heavy and vibrant in terms of tone quality. Unlike both, the Violin tends to give off a piercing sound with its high pitch. Lastly, the uniqueness of the String Bass is that its low pitch produces a very smooth and warm effect.

Makeda Allen said...

The first instrument is the violin. The timbre is soft and smooth. The pitch is first low then it becomes high. Aso it is focused.

The second instument is a viola. The timbre is peachy and loud. Also ist is not that smoth. The pitch is loud and hard and srcatchy.


The instrument is a cello. The timbre sounds diffrent because of the singing in the back ground so I would say it is smooth. the pitch is noisy.

This instrument is the string bass. The timber is scratchy andsmooth at the same time. The pitch is loud.

Makyla Hart said...

I think that the string bass has the lowest pitch.It was very warm,mellow,and flat.The violin had the highest pi ofall of he instuments.It was vibrao.Between t viola and the cello,they were equal in pitch.the viola was piercing. The cello ws mellw and calming.

Nirah Gooch said...

Violin by Yanni has a ver high timbre.It also as a very high pitch.

The viola-Bach suite is low and has a very low timbre and low pitch.It is the lowest of all of them.

Cello Yo Yo ma sounds like an urban song,it has a high timbre and medium pitch.

Na'Jae said...

The violin by Yanni have a light and bright sound to it. It was very piercing. You could hear the sound well it was very clear and focused. The violin is very similar to the cello piece by Yo-yo mama.

The viola by Bach Suite has a mellow sound. The pitch of the viola is not to light of dark it is in the middle. You could hear a vibrato in this piece. This instrument is also focused.

The cello by Yo-Yo Mama was mellow like the viola. The pitch was also medium. The instrument gave you a warm feeling. The sound of the instrument was clear and focused.

The string bass by Jazz Solo has a dark sound. This instrument is very different from the others because it has a heavy sound. It sounds kind of harsh. The sound is very unclear and it is not focused at all.

Marvin Marshall said...

I think that the the sound of the string instruments go in this order (from highest to lowest). Violin, Viola, cello, and string bass.
The violin was light, and bright, and clear. It was also foccused and had a somewhat piercing sound, and was warm, and had little vibrato in some places. This video was unique in particular because it had a techno like beat in the background.
The viola was light, but dark. Like the violin, the vila was focussed,and warm, but mellow as well. The viola had a vibrato effect, and had a weeping sound, which makes this instrument unique.
The cello has a heavy and bright timbre in this video, it was clear, but unfocussed. The cello in this video was warm and mello, and didn't have vibrato. This video was unique because it had Bobby McFerrin singing along with YoYoMa.
The string bass has a low and dark tone, it also is clear and unfocussed like the cello. Like the cello, the string bass has no vibrato and is warm and mellow.

Alexzandria Jones said...

To me the order of sound going from lowest to highest: String Bass, Cello, Viola and Violin. The String BAss had dark, heavy and low tone, it also was clear, had no vibrato and is inbetween warm and hot. The Cello in the video had a bright timbre, was clear and and just like the string bass didnt have a vibrato. The Viola was a dark but had spurts of light inbetween. The Viola was the first I heard with a vibarto and also a sound as if someone was crying.The violin simiarly to the Viola had a mixture of light and dark along with a spark sound and also had spurts of vibarto.

Steve Moody, P.8 said...

I thought the violin had a piercind and brights sound. The viola is different with a warm and mellow sound. Then there is the cello that is played with a bright and light sound. Lastly there's the bass that has a dark and vibrato sound.

Danielle Brooks said...

The violin had a high oitch but the timbre was light and pitchy. The viola had a medium pitch with a pitch tibre to match. The cello had a low pitch with a mellow tibre. The string bass had the lowest pitch and was flat and dull.

Jeanette G said...

The string bass creates the lowest pitch, and the timbre is very mellow with the low pitches. The violin creates the highest pitch, and the timbre of the piece was light and focused and sometimes the pitch was sometimes piecing. The viola had the second highest pitch and the song had a lot of vibrato and a bright tone. The cello creates the second lowest pitch of the four. The timbre was heavy and clear.

Michael Staples said...

Marco panasacia's solo was very focused because he kept a steady pace and created a smooth sound.

yo-yo ma and bobby mecferin hush little baby was meloy and had a warm and bright sound and the guitar kept the steady beat.

The Saraband song was high in pitch and was played slowly, but it was mellow because it gives a warm and calm feeling.

Yanni played with a fast tempo and the violin gave a high pitch, but the timbre was breathy because the musician made the sounds skip, and the instrument is unique because violins dont usually play fast soungs to rave music.

Evolution of Music

Background - Lecrae

Hansel and Gretel