Musician's Vocabulary: Range-Register-Expression

RANGE

Meaning:

Range means ALL of the pitches, from lowest to highest, that an instrument can play or a voice can sing. We can also talk about the range of your speaking voice: the full extent of your voice when you talk, from the lowest sound to highest sound.

How The Word Is Used:

"The range of the piano is extremely wide. It can go lower and higher than an entire symphony orchestra."

"The flute has a great sound, but the clarinet has a wider range. It can't go quite as high, but it goes much lower."

Range Words:

small      medium   large
narrow   average    wide

How To Find Your Vocal Range

REGISTER

Meaning:

Register means a specific part of the range of a voice or instrument. A range is usually divided into three parts: a low register, a middle register, and a high register.

How The Word Is Used:

"Your voice sounds so strong and clear when you sing that melody in your high register."

"I like 'Peter and the Wolf' - especially the sound of the cat played by a clarinet in its low register."

Cat's Theme

Register Words:

high         middle   low
higher                    lower
highest                   lowest

Descriptive Words associated with Register:

The high register of a voice or instrument may be clear and strong, thin and weak, or piercing.

The middle register of a voice or instrument may be strong, comfortable, or neutral (neither dark nor light).

The low register of a voice or instrument may be rich and full, dark and thick, or unfocused and muddy.

EXPRESSION

Meaning:

Expression refers to the kind of feeling or emotion that a composer or performer gives to a piece of music.

How The Word Is Used:

"Your piano playing is wonderful. It is so full of expression."

"That phrase you sang was too plain for me. Could you try it again with more expression?"

Dear Singer,

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Blessings,






"The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you." B.B.King

Learn To Play Holy Spirit by Bryan-Katie Torwalt

photo credit: 0798 First Presbyterian Church 05_09_2010 via photopin (license)

I love this spirit filled, easy going worship song. It's fairly easy to play in the Key of D or E. You're just recycling a few chords around in the progression. Do you have a favorite Jesus Culture song?

Chords for Holy Spirit by Bryan and Katie Torwalt (2011)

Key: E
Time: 4/4 with expression

Verse 1

E                                                                               Amaj7
There’s nothing worth more, that will ever come close
                                                                E
No thing can compare, You’re our living hope
                   Amaj7
Your Presence, Lord.

Verse 2

E                                                                   Amaj7
I’ve tasted and seen, of the sweetest of Loves
                                                                                        E
Where my heart becomes free, and my shame is undone
                       Amaj7
In Your Presence, Lord.

Chorus

E
Holy Spirit You are welcome here
           Amaj7                                F#m7
Come flood this place and fill the atmosphere
E
Your Glory God is what our hearts long for
                Amaj7                      F#m7    E
To be overcome by Your Presence Lord

Bridge (many times)

Amaj7      E/G#                F#m7           E/G#
Let us become more aware of Your Presence
Amaj7        E/G#             F#m7            E/G#
Let us experience the Glory of Your Goodness

(Amaj7  E/G#  B)

Vocal ad-lib to Chorus

Amaj7  E/G#  B

Amaj7  E/G#  B

Amaj7  E/G#  B

Repeat Chorus

L.H. / R.H. (single notes)

E / G#, G#, G#, F#, E, G# ... G#, F#, B

Amaj7 / G#, G#, G#, E, E G#

F#m7 / G#, F#, C#

E/ G#, G#, G#, F#, E, G#, G#, F#, B, E, G#

Amaj7 / G#, G#, G#, E, G#

F#m7 / G#, F#, A, G#

E/ G#

Listen to a YouTube performance:

Jesus Culture (Holy Spirit - chords)

Intro:
D       Gmaj7           D       Gmaj7 

Verse:
D                                                Gmaj7
There's nothing worth more, that will ever come close
                                        D
No thing can compare, You're our living hope
        Gmaj7
Your Presence
D                                        Gmaj7
I've tasted and seen, of the sweetest of Loves
                                             D
Where my heart becomes free, and my shame is undone
           Gmaj7
In Your Presence
[ Tab from: http://www.guitaretab.com/j/jesus-culture/346256.html ]
Chorus:
D
Holy Spirit You are welcome here
     G                             Em7
Come flood this place and fill the atmosphere
     D
Your Glory God is what our hearts long for
      G                Em7                      
To be overcome by Your Presence Lord

Bridge:
D
Let us become more aware of Your Presence

Let us experience the Glory of Your Goodness
G          D/F#         Em7             D/F#
Let us become more aware of Your Presence
G          D/F#         Em7             D/F#
Let us experience the Glory of Your Goodness
G          D/F#         Em7             D/F#
Let us become more aware of Your Presence
G          D/F#         Em7             D/F#            G
Let us experience the Glory of Your Goodness

If you sing on a worship team and/or play an instrument while singing, you may be interested in this music resource, Vocal Mastery System from HearandPlay.com

Blessings,






"The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you." B.B.King

Musician's Vocabulary

                                                             photo credit: throb via photopin (license)

Musician's Vocabulary

Rhythm

1. Meaning

Rhythm means the way sounds and silences relate to each other IN TIME to make a flow of         musical ideas. The sounds can be long and short. The silences can be long and short.

2. How The Word Is Used

"I love that drum solo because its rhythm is so powerful and driving. It makes me want to get up and dance in time with it."

"The rhythm of Chopin's Nocturne is so gentle. It seems to flow along like a lullaby."

3. Rhythm Words

regular            gentle         abrupt
even                flowing      broken
strict                smooth      nervous
metronomic     graceful     uneven
"on the beat"    unbroken  stop-and-start

Meter

1. Meaning

Meter means the way beats are grouped.
It is something we feel when we listen to music;
we feel that this Strauss waltz is "in a 3 -beat meter"; we feel that this Joplin rag is "in a 2-beat meter"; we feel that this rock piece is "in a 4-beat meter."

2. How The Word Is Used

Don't confuse "meter" with "measure" or "time signature." METER is something we feel when we play or listen to music; it is a beat feeling. A MEASURE and a TIME SIGNATURE are things we see  when we read a piece of music. They are visual aids for the performer, helping us to understand the music better by dividing notes and rests (rhythms!) into visual groups on the music page.

3. Meter Words

Musicians use different terms to express "meter." They may say that a piece is "in a 2-beat meter" or, more simply, that it is "in 2." We can apply this description to any meter: "in One"... "in 2"... "in 3"... "in 4"... "in 5"... etc., etc.

The adjective for "meter" is "metrical."

*****************************

So, when we're talking about time classification, patterns of stress are known as METER. Meter is the patterns produced by beats of varying degrees of stress. The pattern which results from beats of varying degrees of stress is called the  meter. The most common meters are four, three, or two beats per measure.

In music, meter is the systematic grouping of beats and their divisions in regularly recurring patterns of pulsations. Meter is described as being duple, triple, or quadruple according to the grouping of beats, and simple or compound according to the division of each beat.

Meter Designations

1. duple simple
2. triple simple
3. quadruple simple
4. duple compound
5. triple compound
6. quadruple compound

Rhythm that you hear are patterns formed by the succession of long and short notes.

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For $23.50 (Half Price Sale), get Songrobot


Blessings,






"The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you." B.B.King