Click the video to listen to Dinah Washington's This Bitter Earth over Max Richter's On the Nature of Daylight. Richter is a German-born British composer who influenced post-minimalist music. His prolific  compositions include: stage, opera, ballet, cinema.

Richter composed The Blue Notebooks, his second album, as a  protest to the 2003 invasion of Iraq - a mediation on violence. It was used in the film The Arrival - and many others.

The album features readings from Franz Kafka's The Blue Octavo Notebooks and Czesław Miłosz's Hymn of the Pearl and Unattainable Earth. Both readings are by the British actress Tilda Swinton.
 

Periods and Eras of Music

Medieval 500–1400
Renaissance 1400–1600
Baroque 1600–1760
Classical 1730–1820
Romantic 1780–1910
Impressionist 1875–1925
Modern 1890–1975
20th Century 1900–2000
Contemporary or Postmodern 1975–present
21st Century 2000–present

Charles Joseph "Buddy" Bolden (1877 – 1931) was an African-American cornetist, and is regarded by contemporaries as a key figure in the development of a New Orleans style of rag-time music which later came to be known as jazz.

Rock Late 1940s to Present

Jazz Fusion late 1960s - Present

Electronic Music 1960s
 

.
Forms of Music
The Baroque Era

 

Johann Sebastian Bach German (1685-1750) Bach was Musician of the Baroque era. He was a composer, organist, harpsichordist, pianist, violist, and violinist. His Well-Tempered Clavier consists of preludes and fugues in all 24 major and minor keys (1722). His system of tuning (well tempered tuning) and composing made it possible to play in all keys - without retuning the instrument. Glenn Gould-J.S. Bach-The Art of Fugue Collateral Soundtrack - Bach - Air - Klazz Brothers Version Bach Sarabande jazz guitar played by Renato Rozic Sarabande by Yo-Yo Ma (example of shakuhachi)

Harpsichord Action

Classical Music to Romantic

 

Ludwig van Beethoven Death Mask German (1770-1827) Beethoven sonata Op.53 'Waldstein' by Chanjong Lee - a former student. Beethoven Moonlight Sonata (emotional) Beethoven's 9th   From the movie Immortal Beloved. Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven was deaf when he composed his 9th symphony. His music marks the transition from Classical music to the Romantic era - making him one of the most influential composers of all time. Romantic music puts an emphasis on emotions over reason. For the philosopher Plato, reason is your greatest faculty, so reason should  always decide when to be emotional, and what desires you should pursue. A virtuous person is rational. Her desires and emotions are based on rational decisions. Virtue is a balanced temperament. This concept greatly influenced music up until the time of Beethoven. After Beethoven music becomes more emotional.  Pick the Virtuous Person  Collaborate: What picture is a virtuous person for Plato. The color in the center represents what personality traits are mixed together. Take a master class with James Conlon: James Conlon on Music, Plato, and Aristotle (1) James Conlon on Tradition and Innovation (6)

1726 Stradivari played by Niccolò Paganini
 

Clara Wieck - Schuman
 

Sergei Rachmaninoff
Riussian 1873-1943

Rachmaninoff was a Russian pianist, composer, and conductor of the late-Romantic period. Born into a musical family, he took up the piano at age four.

As a result of the critical reaction to his Symphony No. 1, he fell into a four-year depression. In 1942, he moved to Beverly Hills, California, and acquired U.S. citizenship a month before his death from melanoma. Listen: Vocalise

Impressionism

Impressionism in music focuses on suggestion and atmosphere - "conveying the moods and emotions aroused by the subject.

 

Ragtime

NOTES
 

ELECTRONIC MUSIC
 

Music Concrete

Musique Concrète (French for real music) began in the late 1940s with Pierre Schaeffer. This is the beginning of electronic music. It  uses manipulated tape recordings: slowing down, speeding up, reversing, splicing, and  manipulating the tape.

Delia Derbyshire | Dr Who Theme | Documentary

Click the modules above to try it.
 

A lot of recording artists don't see their DAW (digital audio workstation) as a musical instrument - like Pierre Schaeffer did. That's not a creative way to look at it, and that's what attracts me to electronic music; it's just so creative - and forward looking.

With the invention of the synthesizer by Don Buchla and Bob Moog electronic music studios became affordable, and I love the story of the Buchla 100 synthesizer; where Don went into the studio hoping they would let him use it, and Morton Subotnick thought he was there to apply for the job creating a new instrument - on a $500 grant, so I love the music, instruments, and even the history.

We now have classical music performed on synthesizers, and that's even considered to be electronic music - like Switched on Bach by Wendy Carlos. That's very different from Jean-Michel Jarre's Oxygen - or Morton Subotnick's Silver Apples Of The Moon. These are the types of compositions I think of when someone says electronic music.

When Giorgio Moroder used his Roland System 700 modular synthesizer to create that driving punchy sequence on Donna Summer's I Feel Love, dance music became electronic music. For a lot of people this is all they mean by electronic music. This is like considering ELP (Emerson Lake and Palmer) electronic music - and not progressive rock. Why then consider Switched on Bach electronic music? Can't there be a fusion of electronic and dance, progressive rock, and classical? To know the answer, we need to know what the definition of electronic music is.

Here is Aristotle's explanation of how to create an essential definition. He gives Man is the rational animal as an example. The thing being defined goes first - Man or Human. Next we place the is of identity. The type of thing we are is next - proceeded by what separates us from other things of that type; we are animals, and we are the only animals that reason, so he thought. This definition has a problem because we now know that other animals do reason - just not as well since they don't have language. Really language separates us from other animals. maybe he should have said Man is the linguistic animal. You could point out that some birds talk, and animals do seem to communicate, but they don't have a language with rules.

What is electronic music. The thing we are defining goes first followed by the is of identity; electronic music is ... . What type of music is it? Music made with electronic instruments or devices. What separates it from other music made with electronic instruments? It's experimental, so electronic music is experimental music made with electronic instruments.

If we were to accept this definition, we couldn't consider "I Feel Love" as electronic music because Moroder's use of the synthesizer wasn't experimental - it's pop dance. A lot of dance music is like that. For that reason it doesn't really strike me as electronic.

S Y N T H E S I Z E R S

The Musical Telegraph by Elisha Gray

Elisha Gray Also invented the telephone, and got the patent in first is debatable. The story is that Bell's lawyer hand-delivered the finished application to the patent office just before noon - a few hours after Gray's patent arrived, but Bell's lawyer requested that Bell's application be immediately recorded, and it was hand-delivered to the examiner that same day - on a Monday. This allowed Bell to argue that it arrived first.
 

The West Coast Approach

Buchla 100 series Modular Electronic Music System
 

In the early 1960s Morton Subotnick, from the San Francisco Tape Music Center, commissioned Don Buchla, from Berkeley California, to create an electronic music instrument. Electronic music studios used various electronic equipment to create music. They had oscillators to create the sound waves. High pass filters filters out the low frequencies, and low pass filters filtered out the high frequencies. High pass and low pass filters are used in radios; these are the treble and bass knows. They used amplifiers amplified the sound; this is the volume know in your radio. All this equipment were in separate boxes. Subotnick wanted all this in one compact box - to create a music instrument.

Morton Subotnick wanted something completely unique,  so he insisted on not using piano style keyboard; he didn't want an instrument that would be used to create traditional western music. The result was the Buchla 100 series synthesizer above. One of the modules was painted red. it was dipped in LSD. You liked it fro inspiration. Click here to learn more.

The Buchla synthesizer was modular, and it still is to this day. You can see the different modules above: filters, amplifiers,  and oscillators. Since they didn't want a keyboard, the sequencer was created to step through notes. The sequencer, with its touch plates, are at the bottom of the synthesizer. Dials are used to select different pitches.

With this instrument Morton Subotnick recorded Silver Apples Of The Moon.

Below is a picture of the Buchla 200 series synthesizer.

The Buchla 200e

What is the West Coast synthesizer philosophy that was established by Subotnick and Buchla? Their approach is to create modular synthesizers that don't have a piano style keyboard, or any other traditional control device, and are used to create experimental music. In other words the West Coast philosophy is anti Western music.

Although modular synthesizer were on the endangered species list, they are stronger than ever today.

The eurorack modular synthesizer is the most popular. The modules are smaller. The sizes and voltages are standardized, so companies can specialize in one of a kind modules. These synthesizers, like their predecessors, are monophonic; you can only play one note at a time; they use patch cables, and you can't save your settings. As soon as you create a new path, the old one is lost.

Eurorack Modular Synthesizer

The East Coast Approach

Keith Emerson - Lucky Man Moog Solo
Suzanne Ciani | System 55
Moog Modular Documentary

In 1964 Robert Moog created the west coast approach to synthesizers. He standardized what a synthesizer should be for creating western music. Wendy Carlos' 1968 Switched-On Bach brought widespread interest to the synthesizer. Shortly after, Keith Emerson, Jan Hammer, Klaus Schulze, Tangerine Dream, The Beatles, The Monkeys, and The Rolling Stones also became owners of Moog synthesizers.

The Moog modular synthesizer is considered by enthusiasts to be the definitive synthesizer. Although modern synthesizers are more user friendly than, and available at a fraction of the price, modular synthesizers  continue to be valued by collectors and musicians.

This new popularity led to the 1970 release of the classic Minimoog D - modeled after the large modular systems, and designed for portability, usability, and affordability.  The  Minimoog is an analog monophonic (you can only play one note at a time)synthesizer. It was invented by Bill Hemsath and Robert Moog in 1971. Hemsath wanted a synthesizer he could take home with him. During his lunch breaks he assembled modules he scavenged from a parts room. The size of the keyboard came from a keyboard they were using to for spare keys. He cut off the top area, and wired it up. Moog has been producing the Minimoog Voyager, and is not building the old D version.

The Minimoog D was actually the second  portable synthesizer after the EMS below. It is often referred to as the Stradivarius or analog synthesizers because it's sound is unique, fat, warm, organic, and haunting.
 

EMS VCS 3

EMS Synthi AKS

Jean Michel Jarre - Oxygene Live

ARP 2600

Jean-Luc Ponty - Mirage
Allan Zavod - Keyboards

  Jean Michel Jarre - Oxygene

  Tangerine Dream

The Oberheim SEM_(Synthesizer_Expander_Module) was a small complete monophonic synthesizer; it could only play one note at a time. It was combined here to create one of the first commercially available polyphonic synthesizers. You can see 4 SEMs above, so this synthesizer could play 4 motes at a time. Each SEM had to be tuned separately.

The Prophet-5 is an analog synthesizer made by Sequential Circuits - between 1978 and 1984. It's founder, Dave Smith, produced the first synthesizer to have MIDI. It could save settings, communicate with any MIDI device, and was polyphonic - 5 notes can be played at the same time. MIDI was perhaps the greatest example of geek ethics ever since it was given free to the world. If it was sold, Dave Smith would have been a billionaire. As it's in things like: cameras, phones, computers, and of course synthesizers.
 

The Fairlight CMI (Computer Music Instrument) was released in (1979). It was the first commercially available polyphonic digital sampling instrument. You could record other instruments and sounds, and play them back.
 

The Yamaha DX7 is an FM Digital Synthesizer manufactured from 1983 to 1986. It was the first commercially successful digital synthesizer, and one of the best-selling synthesizers of all time; over 200,000 were made.

It was polyphonic - with 16-note polyphony. The sounds were generated using FM synthesis. It used sine waves only to create sound. We will see later what this means. It changed how synthesizers were made - with its menus and buttons, but is very difficult to understand and program.

Software Synthesizers

Virtual Instruments Z3ΤA+ & Bizune

A virtual instrument, also known as a softsynth, software synthesizer, VST, VSTI, or plugin is a computer program for digital audio generation. Plugins are software that can only be opened, and used, in your DAW. DAW stands for digital Audio Workstation; it's your recording studio software. Some softsynths can be used by themselves; this is called standalone.

Using computer to create sounds and music is not new, but advances in processing speed are allowing software synthesizers to accomplish the same tasks as dedicated hardware synthesizers. Softsynths are cheaper,  more portable, creative, convenient, offer more options, and are easier to interface with other music software such as recording studios. To run this software you need a computer with a quad processor. It's important to note that there are an abundant of free softsynths.

Most musicians believe that software synthesizers don't sound as good as physical synthesizers. You be the judge. Here is a comparison of the Oberheim SEM and Arturia's SEM V. Click here to listen.

Native Instruments' Monark is a recreation of the Minimoog D. It even gives you control over oscillator drift and leakage. This caused the instrument to go out of tune, but gave it its organic sound. Moog fixed this problem with the Voyager, but in doing so, took some of the unique character from the instrument. Jean Michel Jarre said that Monark is better than anything Moog was making at the time. He likes it because of what he calls its ability to create random artifacts. 

Unfortunately Native Instruments decided to make the software monophonic, and it has no modular capabilities.

Best Software Synthesizers

As we said above, Monark is currently the best sounding software synthesizer to date.

Native Instruments' Komplete:
Komplete has everything you need - except the DAW. DAW stands for digital audio workstation; it's your recording studio software. Komplete has some of the best synthesizers ever made. Here is a list:

Massive is one of the best lead synthesizers. It's semi modular, and requires no patch chords. Below is a picture of patch chords.

It has the best GUI (Graphical User Interface). Click to open the picture below.

It uses wavetable technology. This means that it provides a large list of sound waves that you can select - instead of the standard sine, square, pulse, saw, and triangle. Click the picture below.


Click to listen to Massive.

Komplete also comes with some of the best experimental synthesizers - Absynth and Reaktor.

Absynth - Click the picture below.

Absynth looks like Star Trek Borg technology. It has every way to synthesize sound, so it's difficult to master, but you can get started right away simply by clicking the mutate button. This creates random patches - what we call happy accidents. The results are amazing. It should be noted that Massive also has a mutate button. Listen to NI Absynth

Reaktor is not a synthesizer. You use it to create software synthesizers. There are hundreds of very creative instruments that people have made on the Native Instruments site, and they are free, but you need to buy Reaktor to use them.

Kontakt is one of the best sampling instruments. It also comes with Komplete. Many companies are sell samples for Kontakt.

FM8 is a great FM synthesizer - like the Yahamah DX7.

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Spectrasonic's Trilian is the best plugin for bass.

Spectrasonics Omnisphere is the best plugin for pads.

Best Software Pianio - Synthogy Ivory 2 Virtual Piano

Arturia's V Collection

The great analog synthesizers of the past have been converted into powerful software - virtual music instruments. They have the same flexibility, sound, and controls as the original synthesizers. Learn more at:   www.arturia.com  (Arturia)

Kaj Roger Willumsen - Arturia Moog Modular V 2 Demo song
Arturia Moog Modular V

Rob Papen's Predator sounds great, and it comes with thousands of great sounds, so you can start making music immediately. For these reasons, it is a staple, and favorite, of many musicians.

U-he Zebra is one of the best modular synthesizers. It was used by  Hans Zimmer in Dark Knight Rises. The Dark Zebra is a zersion of this instrument that includes patches by Zimmer.

The instrument starts blank - with no modules. Modules are stacked in the right and left - as many as you want, so you only see what is being used. For this reason, and its sound, it is a favorite of many musicians.

Apps

Jordan Rudess  Greensleeves Performed on GeoShred (an iPad instrument by Wizdom Music).

GeoShred Overview

Sampletank App  This library can also be purchased for the Morg iM1 app.

Animoog

Geo Synthesizer

Morphwiz on the Lenovo A720 with Windows 8

MIDI Controllers

A midi controller controls your VST software or hardware synthesizer, but they don't make sounds of their own. Some controllers, like the Seaboard, do come with there own software. The Roli Seaboard gives you the most control of any keyboard controller ever built. The 49 key cost $1,200.00.

Marco Parisi plays Jimi Hendrix's "Little Wing" on the Seaboard RISE

Keytar
The Keytar also allows musicians to play keyboards like a guitar.  Click to listen to Keytarjeff.

Regular Synthesizer Keyboards

The Arturia Keylab 61 is a best buy at just $300.00. It's very expressive, a solid construction, and comes with the Analog Lab software. It's all you really need to get started.

Keyboardless MIDI Controllers

The Novation Launchpad has a grid of illuminated buttons that can trigger sounds, loops, effects, and other parameters. It's used with the Ableton Live software. The controller is only $150.00, but you also need the software. Launchpad was one of the first grid-based performance controllers. These controllers are are growing in popularity with electronic music. Click the above picture to listen.

RAT - Recording Arts and Technology

As you know, recording studios originally  used reel-to-reel tape decks to record and mix music.

The TASCAM 85 16B tape recorder can record 16 tracks of audio, and used tape that was 1-inch wide. Reel-to-reels had up to 24 tracks on 2-inch tape. Some used the larger tape with fewer tracks for better fidelity.
 

DAW - Digital Audio Workstation

Modern recording studios use software to record music. Using computers to record music was invented by Avid Technology. Their software, called Pro Tools, is used by professional recording studios, and home studios. Like software synthesizers, it is far more powerful, creative, practical, and inexpensive. Your teacher uses Pro Tools in his recording studio. Of course you would need a new, and very fast, computer.

Best Daw

Avid's Pro Tools is the most popular in the USA:

Steinberg's Cubase is the most popular outside the USA:

Read More

View Savant at work.

View the making of The Social Song by ENIGMA

The Sense of Hearing

Ben Underwood Can See with Sound.  

Timbre (pronounced tamber) is what distinguishes one sound from another. You know your friend's voice because it has a distinct timbre. Each instrument has its own distinct sound. Each type of wave form has a unique timbre.

The picture below shows what the different sound waves look like. They are: sine, square, triangle, and saw-tooth. Each has a unique timbre. By mixing them together, synthesizers can create complex warm sounding timbres.

Sine Wave
Click the above link to listen.

Square Wave

This sample is very is loud, so turn your volume down first, then click the above link to listen.

The picture below shows you how square waves are made from sine waves.

Triangle Wave
Click the above link to listen.

The picture below shows you how triangle waves are made from sine waves. The animation is a little slow, so be patient.

Sawtooth Wave

This sample is also loud, so turn your volume down first, then click the above link to listen.

The picture below shows you how sawtooth waves are made from sine waves.

All sound is made with sine waves.

What is a Fourier Series?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ds0cmAV-Yek

Listen to the different sounds made by the different instruments:
 

Shape of My Heart by Sting and Dominic Miller

Shape of My Heart - rendition by Mihály Simkó-Várnagy
See also Boss Loop Contest 2011

Listen to these performances of Dominic Miller and Pat Metheny - Shape of My Heart. Each guitar has a different timbre.
 

Listen to these performances of Goodbye Pork Pie Hat by Chares Mingus. Each solo instrument has a different timbre - or sound quality.

Jeff Beck - Goodbye Pork Pie Hat

Dave Holland - Good By Porkpie Hat