The electronic synthesizer is an instrument that allows a composer to produce imitative, altered, or original sounds. When combined with the resources of the magnetic tape recorder and computer technology, the synthesizer provides a wide array of new composing techniques. Synthesizers were introduced in Ger- many about 1950, but it was nearly a decade before Americans had even lim- ited access to synthesizers in their own country. Since that time, the technology has vastly improved, and synthesizers are now widely available for the compo- sition and performance of both popular and art music.
Pitch, timbre, and virtually every other aspect of sound may be electronically controlled on the synthesizer. Parts of a sound may be filtered out, entirely alter- ing the effect. The sound produced by traditional instruments, too, may be fed through microphones into the synthesizer and electronically altered. The synthe- sizer can also imitate the sounds of instruments, voices, or “natural” sounds such as thunder and rain. Pitches between scale steps can be sounded on the “finger- board” of the synthesizer, unstopped by keys or frets. Composers increasingly use computers to aid them in creating on the synthesizer such complex effects as the complicated rhythms and extremely rapid tempos characteristic of some con- temporary music. Computers aid composers in notating music and, in fact, may be involved in nearly every aspect of music composition. (See Figure 5.8.) Further, composers may, if they desire, record each step of their work for instant replay; this allows them to hear their work immediately, make any necessary changes, and preserve satisfactory results. Recording their own compositions also enables composers to bypass the interpretation of their work by someone else, eliminating the need for rehearsals and ensuring an accurate presentation.
MIDI
Resources for the composition and performance of electronic music have been broadened considerably through the Musical Instrument Digital Interface, or
MIDI, a remarkable system that enables composers to manage quantities of
42 P a r t O n e Basic Concepts
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complex information and allows synthesizers, computers, sound modules, drum machines, and other electronic devices from many manufacturers to com- municate with each other. MIDI-based systems were originally of interest only to composers of concert music; but today they are used to write and perform film scores, teach music theory, create rhythm tracks for rap music, and provide music for computer games. The number of ways in which the electronic synthe- sizer may serve composers, and the variety of timbres available for their explo- ration and use, seem limited now only by the boundaries of human initiative and perception. The musical examples at the Online Learning Center were cre- ated using MIDI technology on a desktop computer.
Voices and instruments differ not only in the pitches they produce but also in the quality, or “color,” of their sound, which is called their timbre. Men’s singing
F i v e Timbre 43
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f i g u r e 5 . 8
An electronic music studio. © Paul Massey/Redfern, London
voices differ from women’s; but even among men’s or women’s voices, the tim- bre of a high voice is significantly different from that of a low one.
Each of the four families of orchestral instruments—strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion—is distinguished by characteristic timbres. The instru- ments within each family also vary in timbre as well as in range of pitch. The string instruments provide the backbone of the symphony orchestra; wood- winds and brass instruments add color to the orchestral sound, as do the per- cussion instruments, which also emphasize rhythmic effects.
The wide variety of sounds produced by traditional keyboard instru- ments is greatly expanded today by the availability of electronic instruments, including the versatile synthesizer. Sophisticated MIDI techniques afford today’s composers even further resources for producing a virtually limitless array of varied timbres.
• Why do you suppose the word “color” is often
used for timbre in music?
• How would you compare the tone color of a trumpet with that of a flute? • How do you feel about replacing orchestral players with an electronic
synthesizer, as occurs now in some performances of Broadway musicals originally intended for orchestral accompaniment, for example? Consider as many aspects of this situation as you can think of, including the effect on musicians’ employment, the quality of the sound, the economic ad- vantages for the producers and for the audience, the composers’ possible reactions, and so on.
timbre The characteristic quality of the sound of a voice or instrument.
soprano High female singing voice. mezzo-soprano Medium-range female voice.
alto (contralto) Low female voice. tenor High male voice.
baritone Medium-range male voice.
bass Low male voice.
symphony orchestra An instrumental ensemble consisting of members of the four families of instruments, dominated by strings.
string instruments Instruments that may be bowed, strummed, struck, or plucked. Orchestral string instruments include the violin, viola, cello, string bass (or double bass), and harp.
pizzicato The technique of plucking bowed string instruments.
woodwinds Wind instruments that include the piccolo, flute, oboe, English horn, clarinet, bassoon, and saxophone.
brass Wind instruments that include the trumpet, trombone, (French) horn, and tuba. 44 P a r t O n e Basic Concepts _ _
CRITICAL
THINKING
TERMS TO
REVIEW
F i v e Timbre 45
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Suggestion for viewing
● Voices in the Wind, a Nova series videotape that includes a
demonstration of timbre
E N C O R E
percussion All instruments that may be played by shaking, rubbing, or strik- ing the instrument itself. These include the timpani (tuned kettledrums), other drums, chimes, tambourine, triangle, cymbals, and various mallet instruments, such as the xylophone.
keyboard instruments Instruments on which sound is produced by pressing keys on a keyboard.
stops Levers, handles, or buttons that allow an organist to change timbres at will.
electronic synthesizer A highly versatile electronic sound generator capable of producing and altering an infinite variety of sounds.
MIDI A system allowing composers to manage quantities of complex infor-
mation, and making it possible for unrelated electronic devices to commu- nicate with each other.
Music Timbres around the World
One of the most rewarding aspects of hearing the music of other cultures is the amazing variety of timbres previously unfamiliar in the West. Even the concept of the ideal singing voice varies widely fr om one culture to another. Western musicians have reflected the enormous influence of non-Western sounds, as schools, orchestras, other public organizations, and private individuals acquire and learn to play the instruments of other lands.
Listen on the Internet or on recordings that may be available to you to the sound of voices singing Chinese or African folk songs, Beijing opera, Native American dance songs, or Islamic calls to prayer. Also explore, if you can, the sounds of instruments from foreign lands that have particu- larly influenced Western composers and performing musicians. Examples are the sitar from India, gamelan from Southeast Asia, koto from Japan, cedar flute of the Native Americans, and the many drums of Africa. These are among the sounds becoming familiar in the West as musicians add these instruments to the orchestra, write solo compositions to be played on them, and invent instruments or alter existing instruments to approxi- mate their timbres.
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