Music and listening help.

Boyish-Tigerlilly · Post by **Boyish-Tigerlilly** » 2004-09-21 09:52am

Has anyone here ever haven to take Music 101. How did you survive it? There is almost nothing substantial to study. The entire class is nearly a pack of music geniuses, and I think I am the only one who knows jack and shit.

Of course the teacher says it's mindless and simple to understand.

THe biggest problem, I think, is learning what all of the instruments of Woodwind Brass Percussion and String sound like.

Do you know of any medium that explains the differences between say...a viola and a violin, or a French horn and a clarinet?

I'm boggled. I asked the teacher for help, but he said he couldn't really help me, since it's nearly impossible to explain to someone what a sound sounds like.

Rogue 9 · Post by **Rogue 9** » 2004-09-21 10:18am

Around here, those who have to take Music 100/101 are the remedial students who know absolutely nothing about music theory, thus the class isn't full of musical geniuses, but maybe they number the courses differently wherever you go to school. *Shrug* I didn't have to take it (through virtue of being awesome

), but perhaps I can help you out. (Though short of finding hosting for a bunch of sound clips and linking to them with labels of what instrument they are, I doubt that I can do much for telling instruments apart by sound.)

Boyish-Tigerlilly · Post by **Boyish-Tigerlilly** » 2004-09-21 11:42am

That would be nice, and it would help. I tried to go to the school library for music samples, but they really don't have a cd (learning cd) with the various types of instruments. On the test we have to pick out the stupid intruments, but it's...I don't even have a word for it.

IT seems like there is no way to study for this crap. I have symphony music at my house, but I can't tell the instruments by sound haha.

Oh yea. It is only a 101 class, but I think a lot of the music buff's took it because it is easy for them. I had taken art 250, and that was much better. At least they combined visuals with history. That makes it so much better than just staring blankly into space trying to figure out if you are listening to a clarenet or an oboe

Jalinth · Post by **Jalinth** » 2004-09-21 12:51pm

Boyish-Tigerlilly wrote:That would be nice, and it would help. I tried to go to the school library for music samples, but they really don't have a cd (learning cd) with the various types of instruments. On the test we have to pick out the stupid intruments, but it's...I don't even have a word for it.

IT seems like there is no way to study for this crap. I have symphony music at my house, but I can't tell the instruments by sound haha.

Oh yea. It is only a 101 class, but I think a lot of the music buff's took it because it is easy for them. I had taken art 250, and that was much better. At least they combined visuals with history. That makes it so much better than just staring blankly into space trying to figure out if you are listening to a clarenet or an oboe

This is a reason to take music (play an instrument) in school - you get to know this stuff.

If the music buffs actually play in a band/orchestra, this course must be a joke (no insult implied, just a comment).

Listen to some jazz or dixieland. These often have solos by clarinets, flutes, saxophones, trumpets, and trombones. The CD jacket might list the soloists (depends on the label) by song, so you can listen for that instrument. Once you pick up on what these instruments sound like, you can try to get the rest.

Try this site also
http://datadragon.com/education/instruments/

It lists some of the more common ones. The really unusual instruments are hopefully not going to be tested.

Rogue 9 · Post by **Rogue 9** » 2004-09-21 01:12pm

Perhaps Zaia can help. She's the one with the degree; I'm just an undergrad.

Post by **Zaia** » 2004-09-21 01:32pm

Wait, wait, wait--you have to identify instruments for your Music 101 class? That's...dumb. That's not what music's about at all. *frowns*

Anyway, if you do have to be able to listen to music and pick out which instruments are playing (what the point of that is I have no idea, really), you should start out with a recording of "Peter and the Wolf" by Prokofiev. Here's a short summary of the ballet, and why you NEED to find it:

Russian composer Profokiev originally wrote the classic children's ballet composition, PETER AND THE WOLF, as a means of introducing children to the workings of an orchestra. In the piece, each group of instruments comes to represent a different character, so that the children's ears can get attuned to the different tones and sounds that make up the whole.

So, for example, the clarinet plays one character, the oboe another, the violin another...etc, etc. It's really cool.

If you have other concerns about this class, go ahead and post them so I can see if I can help you out, but DEFINITELY start with this. It was essentially written for you.