Tone Colour

Question 1

What do you first do in a tone colour question?

Answer 1

1. Name ensemble and identify and classify the instruments in each section.
   Is it a standard grouping of instruments? (A rock band) or is it an unorthodox (means not normal or usual) group like a rock band with a bassoon.

Question 2

After naming the ensemble of instruments what do you next do? (2.)

Answer 2

Use tone colour words to describe each section of the piece. Tone colour questions usually have very clear sections with large tone colour contrast. You should set out the answer into sections so that the examiner can mark it easily. You must always be able to justify your tone colour words

Question 3

How is an instruments tone colour created?

Answer 3

Its make up (what its made from)
How the instrument is played (bowed, strummed, blown etc…)
Is the sound manipulated from the ‘standard’ sound (mutes, distortion, unconventional playing)

Question 4

After describing the tone colour of a section and what do you next do? (4.)

Answer 4

Use tone colour words to describe each instruments’ tone colour justifying your answer by:

• liking the tone colour words to the instruments make up,
• how instrument is played
• sound manipulation & any other conceptual effect (such as register, dynamics etc…)

Question 5

What must you do when describing tone colour?

Answer 5

Describe it, then justify why,
eg. flute has a bright, shrill, metallic and piercing tone colour as this metal instrument is played in the very high resister giving it a shrill sound. The louder the flute is played the shriller the sound becomes. As the flute descends into the lower register the tone colour becomes warmer and brighter. When the flute begins to ‘flutter tongue’ the tone colour becomes harsh and scratchy)

Question 6

How can you classify different instruments in terms of ‘phones’

Answer 6

aerophones
chordophone
membranophone
idiophone
electrophones

Question 7

What’s an idiophone?

Answer 7

Anything that’s struck or hit

Question 8

What’s an aerophone?

Answer 8

anything that’s blown or sung

Question 9

What’s an electrophone?

Answer 9

electronic sounds

Question 10

How is a membranophone different to an idiophone?

Answer 10

It’s an instrument which has a vibrating skin over it that’s then struck

Question 11

What are the ways an instrument can be played?

Answer 11

arco, plucked, pizzicato, spicatto, strummed, blow, scratched, shaken, sung

Question 12

what must you support your description of tone colour with?

Answer 12

factual reasons!

Question 13

• How does the performing media relate to the other elements?

Answer 13

e.g. - Where do they play in relation to structure? - What is the tone colour produced overall, & separately in different sections? -
Are the dynamics dependant on the types of instruments being used?

Question 14

How would a trumpet in the low register sound?

Answer 14

strong, warm

Question 15

How would a trumpet in the high register sound?

Answer 15

shrill, clear, brassy, majestic

Question 16

How would a violin played in a high register sound?

Answer 16

squeaky, scratchy, bright, eery

Question 17

How would a violin played in a middle and low register sound?

Answer 17

middle: warm, mellow, bright
low: rich, mellow, dramatic, sombre

Question 18

How would a cello played in a middle and low register sound?

Answer 18

middle: warm, romantic, rich
low: dramatic, strong, dark

Question 19

What would a double bass in a low register sound like?

Answer 19

rumbly, dark

Question 20

How could you describe the tone colour of drums?

Answer 20

hollow, metallic, rumbling, scratchy, strong

Question 21

what are other words to describe tone colour 1.?

Answer 21

distorted, grating, clean, majestic, dull, muted, woody, metallic, shimmery, tense, sleepy,

Question 22

should you consider the range and variety of instruments played and how they combine to create a whole tone colour?

Answer 22

yes

Question 23

what are other words to describe tone colour 2.?

Answer 23

thudding, futuristic, liquid, nasally, sombre, dry, breathy, coarse, glittering, booming

Question 24

What are the main types of woodwind instruments?

Answer 24

Picollo, Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, saxophone

Question 25

What do oboes generally sound like?

Answer 25

A bit nasally & reedy & high pitched

Question 26

What do clarinets usually sound like?

Answer 26

rich and woody

Question 27

Out of the woodwind family which instrument plays the lowest notes?

Answer 27

the bassoon

Question 28

As a flute is very versatile and has a similar range, what music does the flute play the same lines as?

Answer 28

Violins - it ‘doubles’ the violins, playing the exact same melody

Question 29

How much higher is the piccolo than the flute?

Answer 29

An octave- it just sounds like a very high pitched flute

Question 30

Rather than in classical music, where are saxophones mostly found?

Answer 30

Jazz

Question 31

What is an acapella?

Answer 31

just voices

Question 32

What is an oratorio and what is it typical of?

Answer 32

a solo singer singing with an orchestra & choir

western art music

Question 33

what instruments are typical of big band music?

Answer 33

double bass, vocalist, pianist, drums, brass, woodwind, banjo

Question 34

What is a ‘big band’

Answer 34

bigger version of a jazz band, popular in early 20th century

Question 35

What instruments would a string quartet be made up of?

Answer 35

1st & 2nd violin, viola, cello

Question 36

what would a trio of strings be made up of?

Answer 36

violin, viola and cello

Question 37

What is music called that has more than one style in it?

Answer 37

polystylism