Section 2 PDF
Section 2 PDF
Section 2 PDF
9 December 2015
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vibrations in the top. This then vibrates together and creates the sound which leaves through
the f holes in the violin. This is how you hear sounds from a violin.
Lastly, with a percussion instrument, for example, a timpani, sound is produced by
striking one surface with a material. Usually, with a timpani, they are struck with a special
type of drum stick, usually known as a timpani mallet. The timpani head, or the part you hit,
is usually made out of a drumhead, which is pulled across a copper bowl.
Most wind instruments are played by the musician blowing air into it which vibrates a
reed, in turn vibrating the air within the instrument. Where the air escapes the instrument
defines the note which is produced. The further the air has to resonate, the lower the note
heard. With a trumpet, when valves are compressed mean that the air is redirected through
the pipes, which means that the air has to resonate for longer producing a lower note.
For a percussion instrument, such as a snare
drum, the sound is produced by vibrations
from being struck with, in this case, drum
sticks. All percussion instruments need a
source of energy for a sound to be produced,
whether this is striking it with a hand, stick or
shaking the instrument.
For a stringed instrument, such as a cello,
there are two different ways that they can be
played. The usual is to use a bow and drag it across the strings, which vibrate the strings and
produce a sound. The other way that a cello can be played, is to pluck, using your finger to
pull and let go of a string which produces a less sustained note sound.
The attributes of an instrument differ between instruments, even within the same
families. For example, the envelope differences between a piano and a guitar are very different
which is why if you played an A on the piano, you would be able to tell the difference
between that and playing an A on a guitar. This is because the envelopes are different. You
also have the vibrations coming from the hammer hitting against the piano strings whereas on
a guitar, when you pluck, you do not have that follow on vibration like you do on the piano
hammer.
You can also differentiate between different instruments from their harmonic content.
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