Chapter 9:

THE MEDIUMS OF
MUSIC

The Properties of Music

1. Pitch refers to the highness or
lowness of tone. It is determined by
the rate of vibration in which a
large extent depends on the length
of the vibrating body.
The shorter a string or column of
air, the more rapidly it vibrates
and the higher the pitch.
The longer a string or column of
air, the fewer the vibrations per
second and the lower the pitch.

2. Duration this property of sound

depends on the length of time over
which is maintained. Tones are not
only high or low but also short and
long.
3. Volume refers to force or
percussive effects as a result of which
the tone strikes us as being loud or
soft. Forte means loud; piano means
soft.

4. Timbre of tone color - is the

individual quality of the sound
produced by other instruments . This
depends on how the instrument
accentuates the overtones within the
sound wave.
Range the range of an instrument
has to do with the total number of
tones it can produce from highest
to lowest, and is determined largely
by the size of the instrument.

The Two Mediums in

Music
1. Vocal medium is the most
personal and direct of all
instruments as it comes from within
the body. Human voice is the oldest
and still the most popular of all
instruments . The song projected by
the human voice is the most natural
form of music.
Vocal register voices differ
considerably in range and

Six classes of vocal register

1. Soprano => high register female
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

voice
Mezzo-soprano => medium register
female voice
Alto/ Contralto => low register
female voice
Tenor => high register male voice
Baritone => medium register male
voice
Bass => low register male voice

Voice Qualities voices are

classified according to their timbre

or quality of sound.
Ten Classifications of voice
quality
1. Coloratura soprano highest
and lightest of all voices.
2. Lyric soprano less high and
flute-like and usually sings in less
ornamental music.
3. Dramatic soprano heavier
and can convey intense emotions

4. Messo soprano between the

soprano and contralto in quality
and range.
5. Contralto low and rich in quality
6. Tenor highest type in mens
voices.
7. Lyric tenor voice specially
suited to sweet songlike melodies.
8. Dramatic tenor heavier voice
and can convey intense emotions.
9. Baritone voice range between
tenor and bass.

2. Instrumental medium musical

instruments have always been a
source of wonder to both the player
and listener.
Different Musical Instruments
1. String Instruments
2. Woodwinds
3. Brasses
4. Percussion Instruments
5. Keyboard Instruments

STRING INSTRUMENTS
It is also called as stringed

instruments. It provides the basic

orchestral sounds. They produce
tones by means of the vibration of a
stretched string.
Two types of string instruments: (1)
bowed strings and (2) plucked
strings.

Bowed Strings
These instruments produce tone by means of

a bow of horsehair drawn across the strings.

Examples are:
VIOLA
VIOLIN

VIOLONCELLO

Plucked Strings
This instruments can produced tone by

plucking the strings.

Example is:

Guitar

WOODWINDS
These instruments are blown by the player to

produce sounds/tones.
Examples are flute, piccolo, oboe and English
horn, clarinet and bass, and bassoon and
contrabassoon.

FLUTE

PICCOLO

BRASSES
It is indispensable for its ability to play very

loudly, for melody, for sustaining harmony, for

rhythmic accent and for the flame-like
sonority it contribute to the climaxes.
Examples are trumpet , horn, trombone, tuba
and cornet.
TRUMPET

HORN

PERCUSSION
INSTRUMENTS
These are made to sound by hitting them with

special sticks or by striking or shaking their parts

together.
Examples are kettledrums/timpani, Glokenspiel,
xylophone, marimba, chimes and harp.

GLOCKENSPIEL

KETTLEDRUM

KEYBOARD INSTRUMENTS
These instruments are operated by means of a

keyboard which consists of series of black and

white keys.
Examples are piano, organ and celesta.
ORGAN CELESTA

COMBINATIONS OF
INSTRUMENTS
1. ENSEMBLE MEDIUMS when two or
more performers are equally engaged in
playing or singing a piece of music, the
medium is called ensemble and the
music is called ensemble music.
a. ORCHESTRA is the most spectacular
of ensembles, composed of any sizable
group of instrumental performers usually
under the direction of a conductor.

b. BAND is an instrumental
ensemble, large like the orchestra but
consisting mainly or exclusively of
wind and percussion instruments.
c. RONDALLA- is a band made up
mostly of stringed instruments .
2. MIXED ENSEMBLE a considerable
literature of music exists for large
mixed ensembles which include
instruments and voices.

3. CHAMBER ORCHESTRA is applied

to small instrumental ensembles in
which there are only a few
performers for a part.
4. CHAMBER ENSEMBLES chamber
music is a medium which calls for
only a few performers with one player
to each part. The

Most common chamber music

a. SOLO SONATAS music written
for a solo instrument with an
accompaniment for such instrument
to which belong to the category of
chamber music ensemble.
b. STRING QUARTET the mediums
of the chamber music appears to be
any stringed instruments.
c. DUOS, TRIOS, QUINTETS AND
OTHERS these ensembles may
consists of any combinations of

5. SPECIAL ENSEMBLES as music

evolves, composers search for new
mediums more congenial to their
changing musical ideas.

CONDUCTOR is the director of the

orchestra. He has to know every
detail of the music and be able to
give the most precise directions with
his baton and hands.