Home   Forum   Wiki   Notes   Register   FAQ   Sitemap   About Us   Contact Us  

Composing Secrets 2: Basic instrument sounds

Topic started by rjay (@ 206.152.113.140) on Thu Aug 24 13:57:03 EDT 2000.
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

Though MIDI started as a way of controlling
electronic instruments, one of its major values
was in making a standard set of instruments,
a basic set. In early 80s, each manufacturer
started implementing their own set of controllers, and
Roland came up with the best definition and it
was adopted by everyone else and called General
MIDI. It is basically a language to describe a
performance in terms of notes, instruments and controls
to a synthesiser, so that it can play it.

As a first step, it defines 128 instruments in
16 groups:

1.Pianos
2. Tuned idiophones (bells?) or (melodic percussion)
3. Organs
4. Guitars
5. Basses
6. Strings
7. Ensemble strings and voices
8. Brasses
9. Reeds
10. Pipes
11. Synth Leads
12. Synth Pads
13. Musical effects
14. Ethnic
15. Percussion
16. Sound effects

A good composer must use instruments from all these
groupings. Piano, guitars are versatile and
can play melody and harmony and even percussive
rhythms!

Organs are generally used for harmonic backing
and so are strings. Brasses, Reeds and pipes
play solo but also can play in ensemble, an
harmony. Synth leads (lead is a name for
melody) Synth Pads (harmony). Ethnic instruments
generally play melody, though I have used
Koto for harmony recently. Musical effects
and sound effects are just the sixth group
we have not talked about!

Let us take each group and look at the sounds
closely.

PIANO:

Piano is one of the greatest instruments ever
invented. It can play melody, harmony and solo.
A single pianist can play and create the impression
of a whole orchetra.
It can play a wide range of notes (from very low
pitch to very high pitch) it can sound soft (piano)
or strong(forte).

There are eight variations on the piano sound.
0. Acoustic Grand Piano
1. Bright Acoustic Piano
2. Honky-Tonk Piano
3. Electric Grand Piano
4. Electric Piano 1
5. Electric Piano 2
6. Harpsichord
7. Clavichord

This weekend I will upload a same piece played
one after the other, in each of these
sounds. And you can see the uniqueness of each.

0 and 1 are used in all classical compositions.

-------------------------------------------------------
EX 4: List some TFM songs in which you have heard an
acoustic piano. (most cases when the hero is
singing for the heroines Bday party and
the third guy is proposing to marry the girl!
-------------------------------------------------------

MSV had an excellent player (Was it Joseph Krishna or
Henry Daniel) who played in Pasa Malar movie.
V.Kumar has some great piano songs. Raja created
great emphasis for piano solos and used very
complicated chord progressions.

Our own Naveen Jebaraj has an mp3.com page (mp3.com/naveen_jebaraj)
with his acoustic piano recordings. And he has
rendered some of the best piano based TFM songs on
his MIDI page. (Unnidam mayangugiren, Enna enna
vaarthaigalo)

Honky Tonk piano sounds a little detuned, and was
used in Jazz and country (boogie) music. I think it
has been used for comical effect in TFM. (?)

Electric Grand piano and the other two sounds are
recent innovations. This is how they came about.
When the first synthesisers (analog and FM synths)
tried to create piano sound, they created their
own version of it and people started using them.
So they wanted them in GM palette.

Harpsichord is the father of piano and was a
velocity insensitive loud fellow, but can be
used in a majestic way. Bach's best compositions
sound divine in H.chord.

Clavichord or clavinet. I dont know much about this instrument,
though I have heard it used in a Raaja song. From the
sound I suspect it to be the electronic simulation of
a harpsichord!

--------------------------------------------------------
Ex. 4.1 Do exercise 4 for each of the above.
----------------------------------------------------------

---

Responses:

• From: Vijayaditya (@ 160.231.1.30) on: Thu Aug 24 15:05:33 EDT 2000
  
  Here's the result of exercise...Listen to the MIDI files uploaded in my briefcase. Let me know if they are compliant with your explanation.
  
  go to http://briefcase.yahoo.com/Vijayaditya
  
  Select MIDI folder and I have two MIDI signature songs composed in abheri and saraswathi ragas...
  
  
• From: rjay (@ 206.152.113.175) on: Thu Aug 24 15:14:05 EDT 2000
  
  Welcome to the thread, Vijayaditya.
  I will listen to the midi files and get back,
  
  Thanks
  RJAY
  
  
• From: hihi:-) (@ 134.124.160.10) on: Thu Aug 24 15:52:54 EDT 2000
  
  correction: naveen's midi page is at http://www.geocities.com/njebaraj . are you all in for a feast or what! :-)
  
  
• From: rjay (@ 206.152.113.175) on: Thu Aug 24 16:15:59 EDT 2000
  
  hihi, the page you have given has his MIDI
  performances and original compositions.
  He also has an mp3.com page which has
  recordings of his playing on the acoustic
  piano.
  rjay
  
  
  
• From: hihi:-) (@ 134.124.160.10) on: Thu Aug 24 16:41:39 EDT 2000
  
  rjay. true the mp3.com page has only two of his mp3 files (the minuet in GMaj and piano and strings) the geocities page has the files you mentioned (like unnidam mayangugiREn, rag in kalyANi,...) please do not let these silly things distract you! :-)
  
  
• From: Naveen (@ 204.255.14.188) on: Tue Aug 29 13:52:12 EDT 2000
  
  RJay.. you have selected a real worthy topic.
  & it is good to see my name here. hihi.. you are right. my real audio files are in geocities and my mp3 files are in http://www.mp3.com/NaveenJebaraj
  last weekend I played 'kanaamoochi yenada' song from 'Kandukonden Kandukonden' and uploaded to my mp3 site. I tried to maintain both indian and western styles. your comments are most welcome.
  I'll try to play with more expression next time.
  
  Naveen
  
  
• From: gundu (@ 205.221.255.42) on: Tue Aug 29 14:23:32 EDT 2000
  
  DIGRESSION.... DIGRESSION.... DIGRESSION....
  
  Hi guys..
  am MAJORLY sorry for this digression .. I need to send something to my folks in trichi. which is the best site to send such gifts? I am asking this here cuz there must be lot of Tams here who must have used some site which specifically caters to TN interiors. I can ofcourse use rediff or samachar gifts but I wanted something more specific..
  
  once again , sorry ..
  
  Thanks a lot ..
  
  
• From: Srinath (@ 198.133.22.75) on: Tue Aug 29 15:25:13 EDT 2000
  
  rjay:
  Could you please tell me the name of the instrument used in the prelude of 'Vaanile Thenila Aduthey Paaduthey' ? I heard a girl play a short piece on the Harpsichord live in Williamsburg, VA. The tone sounded very similar to the Vaanile piece. But I am not sure if it is the same kind of instrument.
  
  Are different instruments meant for different compositions ? Are there any classifications based on what family of instruments should play what kind of scores ?
  
  
• From: Srinath (@ 198.133.22.93) on: Tue Aug 29 15:40:32 EDT 2000
  
  Piano - I think IR uses this for a lot of chord placements like in "Nilave Vaa" 2nd BGM.
  
  Honky Tonk - "Pudhucheri Katcheri" ? Long time since I heard this song so might be wrong ! :-)
  
  Electric Piano - "Ellorukkum Nalla Kaalam Undu" prelude. I don't know if it is a Electric 'Grand' piano or not. rjay, what's the difference between an Electric Piano and an Electric Grand Piano, particularly to a layman ?
  
  
• From: Naveen Jebaraj (@ 204.255.14.188) on: Tue Aug 29 16:07:35 EDT 2000
  
  Srinath,
  
  Electric Piano is basically an acoustic piano but only difference is electromagnetic picks ups are used near the strings for amplification (similar to electric guitar). When Grand Piano is electrified, it is called as Electric Grand Piano.
  The tone quality changes when pick ups are used. you will lose the original acoustic beauty. But the advantage is, Sustain Pedal, Soft pedal noises and other striking noises are completely eliminated in electric piano. Electronic Piano or Digital Piano is one which uses digital samples of acoustic piano or electric Piano. I guess most of the guys have good knowledge about synthesizers.
  
  Naveen
  
  
• From: Srinath (@ 198.133.22.72) on: Tue Aug 29 16:37:34 EDT 2000
  
  Naveen:
  Aren't these 'noises' considered part of the beauty of live performances ? Though I did learn of it later from a friend, I always liked the fret noise made while playing a Spanish/Classical guitar. But why is this so ? Is it just because it indicates a live performance or is there some other significance to these sounds ?
  
  
• From: Srinath (@ 198.133.22.93) on: Tue Aug 29 16:39:10 EDT 2000
  
  Oops ! Naveen, thanks for the info on the Electric Piano ! Sounds identical to how a guitar is electrified !
  
  
• From: Naveen Jebaraj (@ 204.255.14.188) on: Tue Aug 29 17:01:11 EDT 2000
  
  Srinath,
  
  That depends on person to person. I prefer to play in acoustic piano as I like the tone color. I don't mind the noises. as you said, some noises like Guitar fret noise, piano pedal noise (when you hold the sustain pedal you'll hear a feeble sound due to the mechanical movement) make the sound more natural.
  In general midi you have a guitar fret noise patch just to simulate the actual guitar fret noise. It is very realistic. In Ragtime and Jazz music there is something called 'Stamp' where the Pianist hits the floor with the back of his foot during the off beat to enhance the song. This has become a new style and many pianists started following this fashion. I think Scott Joplin was the founder of this style.
  
  
• From: Naveen Jebaraj (@ 204.255.14.188) on: Tue Aug 29 17:12:59 EDT 2000
  
  ps. but pedal screeches are really irritating.
  my Piano tuner applied some kind of lubricant to avoid pedal screech. In India, my Uncle uses 2 wooden blocks to block the holes under the pedal, just to avoid rats entering into the Piano. He started using the wooden blocks after discovering a big rat family living happily inside his acoustic piano! now you can see many rat poison packets inside his piano!
  
  Naveen
  
  
• From: MS (@ 129.252.23.185) on: Tue Aug 29 17:22:59 EDT 2000
  
  NAveen : ROFL :-)
  
  
• From: Naveen Jebaraj (@ 4.4.123.133) on: Tue Aug 29 20:40:47 EDT 2000
  
  MS :) I heard one sad story about piano tuning. One guy tried to tune his old piano by himself. When he was tuning, due to the excess string tension, the sound board cracked and hit him at a very high speed. Due to the sudden shock he got heart attack and died immediatly. I guess, his sound board must be weakened by termites.
  
  Naveen
  
  

---

List all pages of this thread

Post comments