Lesson 12: Intro to Instruments part I: Strings

Reading sheet music is like reading a foreign language. There are rules and patterns that must be followed for the music to sound pleasing to the ear and so the musician can interpret the music correctly in order to perform it.

Before we get to the music, we must first know how to write it correctly, understand the notes, and know how to organize it.

To learn about how to correctly label a note, head to: http://nomusicbflat.blogspot.com/2012/09/what-is-c4.html

To learn about clefs, head to:
http://nomusicbflat.blogspot.com/2012/12/lesson-2-staffs-clefs-and-lines-oh-my.html

To learn about the major scale and whole and half steps, head to:
http://nomusicbflat.blogspot.com/2013/01/lesson-3-major-and-minor-scale.html

To learn about key signatures, head to:
http://nomusicbflat.blogspot.com/2013/01/lesson-4-key-signatures.html

To learn about notes and their rhythms in simple meter, head to:
http://nomusicbflat.blogspot.com/2013/01/lesson-5-notes-and-rhythm-part-i.html

To learn about simple time signatures, head to:
http://nomusicbflat.blogspot.com/2013/01/lesson-6-simple-time-signatures.html

To learn about rests in simple time, head to:
http://nomusicbflat.blogspot.com/2013/01/lesson-7-rests.html

To learn about ties and slurs, head to:
http://nomusicbflat.blogspot.com/2013/01/lesson-8-ties-and-slurs.html

To learn about dotted notes and rests: head to:
http://nomusicbflat.blogspot.com/2013/01/lesson-9-dotty-good-time.html

To learn about compound time, head to:
http://nomusicbflat.blogspot.com/2013/01/lesson-10-notes-and-rhythms-part-ii.html


To learn about the basics of sound, head to:http://nomusicbflat.blogspot.com/2013/02/lesson-11-science-behind-sound.html

There are many types of musical instruments: bowed strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion, guitar and keyboard. The first four types make up the modern symphony. Lets begin with the stringed instruments: bowed strings, guitar and keyboard.

String instruments, such as the guitar and keyboard are plucked or struck, causing the strings to vibrate, creating sound.

This is the violin. It is the smallest of the bowed string instruments, and therefore has the highest range. It is read in treble clef and plays the soprano part. It rests on the left shoulder and is held there by your chin. (The black rounded plastic piece in the lower left corner is the chin rest.) A bow is drawn across the strings to cause them to vibrate and the right fingers press the strings down in different configurations that change the pitch of the notes being played.

This is the viola. It is bigger than a violin. It has a lower range than the violin. It is read in treble and plays the alto clef and the alto part. It is played in a similar fashion to the violin.

This is the cello. It is much bigger than the violin and viola, so it is set on the floor and rested upright against the seated musician and played. It is read in tenor and bass clef and plays the tenor part.

This is the bass,  and sometimes referred to as double bass for distinction from the electric bass, (or the fish). It is pronounced with a long "A" sound (so not like the fish, which is pronounced with a short "a" sound). It is so large that the musician playing it must stand up or be seated on a tall stool to play it. It is read in bass clef and plays the bass part. The bass is often used in jazz to keep time and set the feel.


These are the main instruments when you think of orchestral string instruments, but the category of string instruments includes the piano, guitar, and harp.

The piano is classified as a string instrument because the sound is produced by small hammers that strike a metal string (or strings for lower notes)  according the keys being pressed.  The pedals below can change the quality of the sound, or the duration of the notes being played at the time. This is a picture of a grand piano.

This is a guitar. It has six strings and is played by plucking strings with either the fingers or with a plastic pick.

This is a harp. It often accompanies a string orchestra, and is played by plucking the strings with the fingers.


This concludes the lesson for today.