Anyone who has taken piano lessons will remember a right-hand melody with the left hand playing chords that harmonize the melody. This subordinate harmony method has dominated classical music since the 17th century when the Baroque period began. It comprises most of what music theory students learn. However, earlier music was constructed differently. For instance, madrigals typically were comprised of several equally important horizontal voice parts, which, sung separately, sound like complete songs. However, when…

In music, tempo (the Italian word for “time”) is the speed at which music is played. Traditionally, tempo is described using Italian words, such as Largo (very slow), Adagio (slow), Andante (walking speed), Allegro (fast), and Presto (very fast). Modern composers might write similar terms in English. Tempo also sometimes is described in beats per minute (bpm). Many consider a tempo of 60 bpm (one beat per second) usually being Adagio, 120 bpm (two beats…

In 1918-19, the world was focused on the end of World War I and the H1N1 influenza pandemic (1918 Pandemic). As with the COVID-19 pandemic, some parts of the country shut down, and many people wore masks. But an estimated 50 million people died, about 675,000 of those in the United States. The music community of the day responded to the 1918 Pandemic by writing music. Rag pianist Malvin M. Franklin included one of the…

Musicians know that their rehearsal time isn’t the same thing as their arrival time. They are expected to be in their seats with their instrument ready and tuned. The musician will already have warmed up and put their music on the stand. They should be prepared to play the composition they are rehearsing. Suppose the musician wasn’t told in advance what music was to be rehearsed. Most musicians will bring their entire orchestra folder to…

In elementary school, many children play a musical instrument. They choose between violin and cello for orchestra and among flute, alto clarinet, trumpet, trombone, baritone, and percussion for band. However, these few instruments aren’t sufficient for a full orchestra or band. There are four string instruments in the standard orchestra: violin, viola, cello, and bass. A concert band may have piccolos, flutes, oboes/English horns, bassoons, and types of clarinets and saxophones in every register (soprano,…

Nineteenth-century French composer Camille Saint-Saens wrote “Carnival of the Animals” as a humorous respite after completing his third symphony. Although Carnival of the Animals has delighted children for a century, Saint-Saens didn’t allow the piece to be performed during his life out of concern it would harm his reputation as a serious composer. Carnival of the Animals isn’t performed with live animals. Instead, various instruments are used to represent 14 animals, including a lion, donkey,…

In the early days of opera, it wasn’t unusual for all roles to be played by males. Roles requiring higher-pitched voices were played by castratos, males castrated before puberty to retain a soprano or contralto vocal range, even though the singer frequently was portrayed as female. The use of castrato voices was introduced in the 16th century, when women weren’t allowed to perform in church choirs or on stage. Fortunately, the barbaric practice of…