Samba Music

INSTRUMENTS

Surdo - This instrument is bass drum used to mark the beat of the music. They keep a continuos beat going on through the music.

Caixa - The Caixa is like the Repinique but produces vibrations similar to a snare drum.

Repinique - A smaller drum, again, like a snare drum but has a more metallic sound. Usually played with one stick. 

Tamborim - A small-headed drum that is quite high-pitched. Usually played with sticks. Can be used for melody lines as it has a very distinct sound. 

Chocolo - A shaker made of small cymbals playing the same note through the piece. 

Agogo - Sounds like a cowbell. Sound can be produced with sticks or striking the the two attached bells together. 

Reco-reco - A scraper playing the same time value as the Chocolo. 

Key Musical Features

KEY MUSICAL FEATURES:

·      DYNAMICS: Volume (soft, loud) Range (No dynamics, little dynamics)

·      TEXTURE: Thick or thin (how many instruments playing at once) Type (monophonic, polyphonic, homophonic, heterophonic)

·      MELODY: Who is playing the melody, how the melody develops

·      HARMONY: Dissonance, Consonance, Intervals

·      TONALITY: Major (happy), Minor (sad), Atonal (no tone), Bitonality (two tones), Mode (different collection of tones and semitones) 

·      RHYTHM (SYNCOPATION,ACCENTED NOTES, USE OF RESTS ETC…):

·      INSTRUMENTATION: Instruments being used (orchestra, quartet, solo)

·      TIMBRE / TONE COLOUR: Light, Brittle, Heavy, Think, Murky

·      DURATION: Length of the notes

·      PEDAL (single note)/ DRONE (two notes)/ GROUND BASS (Repeating bass pattern)/ PROMINENT CHORD PROGRESSIONS (1, 4, 5, 1)

·      USE OF ORNAMENTATION (Trills, turns)/ EMBELLISHMENT (VOCAL, TRILL, TURN ETC..)

·      TIME SIGNATURE (4/4, 2/4, 6/8 etc…)

HISTORICAL/CONTEXTUAL:

·      POSSIBLE COUNTRY (World music)

·      TYPE OF WORK (SYMPHONY, TRIO, MASS,OPERA, BALLET, FILM ETC…)

·      GENRE OF MUSIC (MINIMALISM, POP, FOLK ETC…)

·      TIME PERIOD – WHY? (BAROQUE, CLASSICAL ETC…)

Instruments of the Orchestra

Woodwind:

Piccolo 

Flute

Oboe

Clarinet

Bassoon

Brass:

Trumpet

French Horn

Trombone

Tuba

Percussion (Tuned and Un-tuned):

Tuned:

Timpani (Kettle Drums)

Glockenspiel 

Xylophone

Piano

Harp

Un-tuned:

Snare Drum

Tambourine

Triangle

Cymbals

Bass drum

Strings:

Violin

Viola

Cello

Double Bass

Layout of an Orchestra: