National Singing Styles - Italy, ca. 1600–1680 (III)

In the absence of a mid-century Italian source on singing as comprehensive as Tosi’s Opinioni of 1723, the music itself can provide clues to the evolution of vocal technique. In order to accommodate the wider ranges, singers likely used more than one vocal register. Falsetto and head voice would have been necessary to achieve the upper extension of the range. For female singers, head voice alone may have sufficed, though there is nothing from a laryngeal point of view to have precluded the use of falsetto at any point in the range.41 Tosi is the first source to discuss this issue, though it is unclear whether his equation of voce di testa with falsetto extends to all voice types.42 We can only surmise how smoothly blended was the transition between registers before the end of the seventeenth century. It was certainly of the utmost importance to Tosi, who preferred head voice for executing passaggi and other ornaments. A blended register transition still did not mean that the Italians preferred a unified color to the voice; composers exploited the contrasts between the top and bottom. Like pop singers today, Italian Baroque singers were adept at switching between different registers, laying the foundation for the cantar di sbalzo techniques so essential
for singers in the eighteenth century.

National Singing Styles - Italy, ca. 1600–1680 (II)

Modern singers, trained to sing with absolute rhythmic precision, need time to become comfortable with the concept of sprezzatura. The easiest way to incorporate it into singing is by first declaiming the text in an impassioned way as an orator or actor might. When I am not singing from memory, I often use a small prompt book with the texts set out according to the poetic lines, so that I can see the text as poetry freed from the musical notation. Sprezzatura can be equally daunting to a continuo player used to counting measures. In Ensemble Chanterelle, a group with which I perform regularly, theorbist Catherine Liddell has developed a notation system for works in stile recitativo, shown in Example 1.1, which reproduces only the singer’s text and the bass pitches corresponding to the correct syllables, without any durational values (plus any necessary figures and some shorthand reminders about chord arpeggiation). This allows me total rhythmic freedom, frees her from unnecessary visual information, and enables both of us to make each performance responsive to the inspiration of the moment.

Perhaps the overriding characteristic of Italian singing in the first part of the century was the passionate engagement of the singer with the music, which in turn engaged the audience. Marco da Gagliano described hearing Jacopo Peri:

National Singing Styles - Italy, ca. 1600–1680 (I)

During the 1580s and 1590s, florid singing in Italy reached a zenith with singers who excelled in the gorgia style of embellishments. These singers included women, boys, castratos, high and low natural male voices, and falsettists. The term gorgia (= throat) identified the locus of this technique, involving an intricate neuromuscular coordination of the glottis, which rapidly opens and closes while changing pitch or reiterating a single pitch, an action that is apparently innate to the human voice. A basic threshold of speed is required in order for throat articulation to work easily. The glottal action can be harder or softer depending on the degree of clarity and the emotional expression desired; the Italians apparently used a harder articulation than the French. In 1639 André Maugars observed that the Italians “perform their passages with more roughness, but today they are beginning to correct that.” Throat articulation works best when the vocal tract is relaxed and there is not excessive breath pressure.

Lodovico Zacconi described gorgia singers as follows:

These persons, who have such quickness and ability to deliver a quantity of figures in tempo with such velocity, have so enhanced and made beautiful the songs that now whosoever does not sing like those singers gives little pleasure to his hearer, and few of such singers are held in esteem. This manner of singing, and these ornaments are called by the common people gorgia; this is nothing other than an aggregation or collection of many eighths and sixteenths gathered in any one measure. And it is of such nature that, because of the velocity into which so many notes are compressed, it is much better to learn by hearing it than by written examples. 

National Singing Styles

Divers Nations have divers fashions, and differ in habite, diet, studies,
speech and song. Hence it is that the English doe carroll; the French sing;
the Spaniards weepe; the Italians . . . caper with their voyces; the others
barke; but the Germanes (which I am ashamed to utter) doe howle like
wolves.
—Andreas Ornithoparcus, Musicæ active micrologus (1515),
translated by John Dowland, 1609

As to the Italians, in their recitatives they observe many things of which
ours are deprived, because they represent as much as they can the passions
and affections of the soul and spirit, as, for example, anger, furor, disdain,
rage, the frailties of the heart, and many other passions, with a violence so
strange that one would almost say that they are touched by the same emotions
they are representing in the song; whereas our French are content to
tickle the ear, and have a perpetual sweetness in their songs, which deprives
them of energy.
—Marin Mersenne, Harmonie universelle, 1636

Although one might assume that the human voice has not changed over the centuries, many elements of seventeenth-century vocal performance practice differed considerably from modern singing. There was no single method of singing seventeenth-century music; indeed, there were several distinct national schools, each of which evolved during the course of the century. The differences between French and Italian singing were widely recognized in this period, and the merits of each were debated well into the eighteenth century.1 There were also distinctive features in German, English, and Spanish singing.

Top 10 Symphonies You Should Own

Want to start a symphony collection, but don't know where to begin? Are you looking to expand upon what you already have? This list of symphonies will provide you with a variety of musical styles upon which to build or add to your symphony collection.

1. Mahler Symphony No. 9 in D Major

If you've never heard Mahler's Symphony No. 9, grab a blanket, sit by the fire, and melt into the lush orchestration Mahler so masterfully created. Mahler wrote this symphony knowing that the end of his life was near. Some believe the fourth movement represents the five psychological stages of death: denial and isolation, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Mahler undoubtedly fits the romantic style to the "t"; heart-wrenching tension followed by ever-so-sweet resolve. Learn more about the life of Mahler in this Mahler profile.

2. Haydn Symphony No. 34 in d minor

One of Haydn's lesser known works, this flawless piece from the classical period is perfectly balanced with emotion and art. The first movement melodies float above rivers of low tones. The upbeat rhythms of the second movement are sure to make you dance; it's any Haydn lover's "pop" music. The third movement menuetto brings images of courtly balls and high tea. The final movement expertly brings closure to the symphony and sends the audience home happy and content. Learn more about Haydn in this Haydn profile.

Sound manufacturing Solutions

Music has always been a passion. We understand the bond between the moving image and the audio that goes with it. Our facility comes with an ever-growing royalty-free music library for finding that perfect piece of music, along with a huge bank of sound effects for transitions and foley.A creative solution for media applications including audio books, commercials, mobile applications, film, television productions and video games. Sdesignme's Sound Design service employs a vast range of audio development and processing tools for the purpose of sound creation, manipulation and replication. Whether it's for a blockbuster film or a piece of visual art our artists and engineers are at your service.


All of our Sound manufacturing solutions are provided at a set rate and consist of one free modification. This way there is no need to fear about emptying your wallet in order to get the audio you want. All songs manufacturing solutions when several paths are presented. Simply choose the service that best matches your venture to find out more or if you'd like to talk with someone from Refinery straight, just check out our contact page form.

What Is a Rhythm Section?

The Rhythm Section, artwork by Suzanne Cerny

A rhythm section is a core group of instruments within an ensemble that together play a  groove/accompaniment under a lead instrument or vocalist. Most commonly, particularly in contemporary groove-based popular music since the 1950s, these roles are the drumbeat, bass, and a chord comping parts, fulfilled by a drum set, electric bass, and guitar and/or piano/keyboard. (Some writers only include bass and drums in the rhythm section, particularly in rock "power trio" contexts.) Together, the players of these parts define the music’s characteristic metric, rhythmic, and harmonic components, which evokes and defines the style and unique character of the song or composition.

The exact instruments that constitute a rhythm section vary depending on the style and era. For example, 1940s jazz rhythm sections tended to have a small drum set, upright bass, and piano. A contemporary Afro-Cuban jazz rhythm section will likely include hand percussion in addition to the drum set. An electronica or other dance style rhythm section will typically have a drum machine, MIDI loops, or other electronic source of drumbeat sounds and electronic synths for bass and chords—possibly no acoustic instruments at all.

15 Drum Gear Hacks

Here are some hacks to keep your drum gear in line.

1. Put a little drop of glue inside of the rubber feet on your cymbal stands. Any kind of glue is fine, but probably rubber cement is best. That will keep them from falling off and getting lost, as is their wont.

2. A great place to store your drum key while you’re playing is in the air vent hole on your bass drum. For softer gigs, it may rattle a bit and won’t work, but otherwise, that’s a great place for it. (See image.)

3. Make a soft mallet by using the butt end of a drumstick. Wrap the furry side of adhesive backed Velcro strips around the stick. It works great, very much like a Swizzle stick but at a fraction of the cost. (See image.)

4. Wrap a little bit of duct tape around the middle of Blastix (kind of a cross between a brush and a stick, nylon strands). The duct tape holds them together and fattens the sound. (See image.)

DJ Melbourne for Hire in the musical minded city of Melbourne

If you happen to be in Melbourne, seek for the best DJ services and you will be presented with the most vibrant music services. Your guests surely need to be kept livelier throughout their stay and that's why you really need the best DJ services.

From Melbourne DJ, you will be given professional DJs who are very flexible and can easily adapt to the state and situations that are present. Having the most modern state of the art equipment, the Disk jockeys from Melbourne Disk jockeys will be able to give you services that will make you want more of their services. They are well trained and presentable DJs who will really adapt to the genre of music that you decide together with the way you want it done. In addition to all these nice qualities, you will not have to hire an extra truck to transport the equipment to the place you are holding the bash from. There are several trucks and a suitable one will be taken from their number of trucks to transport the visual effects and the DJ equipment to the destination.

Dream of Touring the World? It's Not Out of Reach!

Imagine for a moment that you're an indie rock artist and you're sleeping after a full day of marketing, performing, and let's be real, partying. While you're passed out in Lawrence, KS (it's a great college town, so it makes sense you had a gig/party there), a music-aficionado in Germany is wanting some new music to wake up to. He logs into Spotify and searches for bands similar to Queen and your group pops up because of various algorithms that associate your sound with Queen! Turns out our German friend loves the catchiness of your melodies and rich vocal harmonies (which is probably why you're associated with Queen) and begins sharing your music with his 1000's of German friends. When you wake up and login to your computer, you have a message: "10 albums sold. Location: Munich, Germany." Way cool, right?! Now you can connect with fans in Munich and begin devising a world tour. So how can you make this a reality? It starts with a digital music distributor.


What's a DMD?

Music Distributors exist for the purpose of making sure your music is sold through the biggest digital retailers. These are iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Amazon MP3, Rhapsody and MySpace. This increases your exposure because you describe your music using similar artists and upon uploading your music, retailers then log this info into their database. Suddenly, you're using an asset as a tool to connect with potential fans.
A common trait among music distributors and an extremely important one is sales tracking. This service gives you detailed reports on how much you're making and where. These statements will be a critical part of your marketing attack as they will let you know where your efforts are paying off. My advice: put more muscle into areas that are working and don't worry about areas where that aren't. (See our German example above).

Academy Award Trophy of Country Music Awards

Academy award trophy can be made for the country Music Awards. Two country music performing artists, Eddie Miller and Tommy Wiggins joined two club owners, Mickey and Chris Christensen to found the Country and Western Music Academy. It aims to realize their collective dream of gaining support of west coast musical artists in order to promote country music in the thirteen states comprising the West Coast. The CWMA presented its first country music awards ceremony to honor excellence in achievement within the country music industry from during the past year two years later. The event marked the first country music awards backed by a major organization and succeeded in shedding the spotlight on the genre for all the public to take notice.

Winners of the first ceremony included Buck Owens who is Top Male Vocalist; the Buckaroos is his band as Band of the Year; and Bonnie Owens as Top Female Vocalist; all performers based on the West Coast in keeping with the organization's mission to bring such artists recognition. Indicative of their membership is composed primarily of peers in country music also based on the West Coast.

Why Acoustic Guitars Have Only One Strap Button

If you own, or have ever even taken a look at an acoustic guitar, most of them only have a single knob or button on the bottom where you can connect a strap. Have you ever questioned why? I have.


While I've searched Google, Yahoo, Bing and Wikipedia, I can not find an answer as to why. I've read the web sites of Taylor, Martin, Gibson, Fender and many more manufacturers and they definitely do not talk about it. I can not even find anybody on a guitar forum who has hypothesized as to why.

I'm not the only one who questioned that and thankfully, somebody named Lucas Man provided this explanation on YahooAnswers.

Top 10 Violin Concertos of All Time

If you're looking for objectivity, you won't find it here. I'm a psychologist by profession and an amateur violinist. So the following list and the explanations are purely subjective, not the opinion of a professional musician or musical scholar, and will probably change by the time I finish writing this. Nevertheless, as of today, here are the top 10 violin concertos of all time (in rank order), and why I think so.

Number 1 – Ludwig van Beethoven, Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major, Opus 61, written in 1806."The Gentle Giant." A serene piece of music made of the simplest materials but of immense scope and structure. One of the greatest cultural achievements of Western civilization. Listen particularly for the 5-beat element present almost everywhere in the 1st Movement.

How to Self Promote Your Music

Unless you have major label money behind you, the ability to self promote your music is one of the most important skills you can have. When you don't have money to hire PR people to run media campaigns for you, it is up to you to make sure people know about the music you are making. Getting started can be a little overwhelming, however. These steps will help you start out on the right foot, to make sure all of the right people are standing up and taking notice of you.

Here's How:

10 Great Places to Promote Your Music Online

It’s no earth-shattering news that the internet has basically changed the music industry for good. Technologies like file sharing, social media and eCommerce are giving artists more opportunities to expose their music to larger audiences and increase their fan base . But with so many websites and communities available, choosing the right online venues to promote your music on can be challenging. To help you make good choices, we put together a list of 10 great places to promote your music online today. It reviews the most popular, most effective online hangouts you should join (do let us know if we missed something!).

Wix

First things first, any serious musician needs a website where they can show off their art. Like the album art of days gone by, websites are the first place that your fans turn to to get to know more about your music, your art and your personal style. The only website builder designed with musicians in mind, Wix offers a variety of fully customizable free website templates that allow you to show off who you are and what you’re all about. Wix also makes sharing your music incredibly simple with fully integrated music streaming apps, that put the music sharing services you already use on the forefront of your own site.