A Module in GE 6: Art Appreciation, Nourishing the Mind and the Heart through the Arts

What Does It Tell You?

Let us meditate for a while. After all of the previous lessons, let’s take a deep breath and
relax. Click the link below and listen to the music. Afterwards, share us what you have felt
and what images have imagined while listening to the music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jHcszxmKRw

TRANSCREATION
Transcreation is the process of interpreting an art form and translating it into another art
form. This is different from a simple translation because it requires interpretation and
adding new creative touch to it. For this to be successful, one must attach to the original
concept and detach to it at the same time. It has to create a new artwork that is still
inspired by the original artwork, but not totally copying the original one.

Most of the time, transcreation is done by listening to music and creating an artwork based
on that music. Most common examples are visual arts (painting, drawing, sketc) inspired
from certain musical scores or soundtracks.

Nocturne by James McNeil Whistler

This painting in blue in silver was inspired
by the music of the same name, the
Nocturnes of the famous musician Chopin.
 A Module in GE 6: Art Appreciation, Nourishing the Mind and the Heart through the Arts

MUSIC
Music is an art of organized sound. It is a form of communication and the language of
soul. It is produced in two main ways:

 Vocal Music – produced by the vibrations of the vocal chords in the human voice
box
 Instrumental Music – produced by the playing inanimate objects or musical
instruments that are designed to emit a variety of sounds

A. Voice Classification
Voice differs considerably according to timbre (quality) and range. These are the
classifications in which human voices are categorized into.
a. For Women:
 Soprano – highest female voice
 Mezzo soprano – medium female voice
 Alto or contralto – lowest female voice

b. For Men:
 Tenor – the highest male voice.
 Baritone – the medium male voice.
 Bass – the lowest male voice.

B. Forms of Classical Instrumental Music

a. Sonata - a long composition for solo instrument, consisting of two to four sections
called movements. Most of the time it is played by the piano but it can be played
by other solo instruments like the flute or violin.

Examples:
 Moonlight Sonata, 1st Movement by Beethoven (Piano)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbTVZMJ9Z2I
 Piano Sonata No. 8 in A minor, 1st Movement by Mozart (Piano)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n68f_Oh2N1k

b. Suite - a group of self-contained instrumental movements of varying character,

usually in the same key. It is considered as a dance music during the Baroque
period because it is mainly accompanied with dance movements, particularly
ballet.
 A Module in GE 6: Art Appreciation, Nourishing the Mind and the Heart through the Arts

Examples:
 The Nutcracker Suite by Tchaikovsky (The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdduPpnqre4
 The Swan Lake Ballet Suite, Op. 20a by Tchaikovsky (Swan Theme)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mezf5YOP7vE

b. Symphony - a long composition of music performed by an orchestra that is

usually divided in four sections in which one is a sonata. It is mainly written to be
performed by an orchestra.

Examples:
 Symphony No. 5 by Beethoven
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jv2WJMVPQi8
c. Concerto - a piece of music for one or more main instruments or soloists to
show off the virtuosity of the soloists accompanied by the orchestra

Examples:
 Piano Concerto No. 1, e-minor by Chopin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bFo65szAP0
 Allegro from Concerto in D major for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 61
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Cg_0jepxow

d. Chamber Music - music composed for small ensembles of instrumentalists,

about 25 musicians or less that are playing mostly stringed instruments. It is
played for a small number of audiences like special performances for the royalty
or the church.

Examples:
 Piano Quintet No. 2, Op. 81, in A major by Dvořák
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFMV63zy-Xk
 String Quartet No. 2, Op. 13, in A minor by Mendelssohn
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oncGEuT3zNo
 A Module in GE 6: Art Appreciation, Nourishing the Mind and the Heart through the Arts

C. Kinds of Musical Instruments

a. String Instruments – are instruments that create music by producing sounds

from the vibrations of the strings. These have two types: Bowed and Plucked.

BOWED

PLUCKED
 A Module in GE 6: Art Appreciation, Nourishing the Mind and the Heart through the Arts

b. Wind Instruments – These are instruments that produce sound by blowing a

column of air into the resonators. These have two types: Woodwind and Brass.

c. Percussion Instruments – These are musical instruments that are either being
struck, scratched, or shaken. It can use sticks, beaters, or bare hands to
produce its sounds.
 A Module in GE 6: Art Appreciation, Nourishing the Mind and the Heart through the Arts

ACTIVITY 1: CAN YOU ANSWER WHY?

Let’s see if you can answer the reason why certain musical instruments are named or
categorized like that. Take a look at the questions and try your best to research the
answer. Make sure you choose valid and reliable sources for your research!

Why is piano considered a part of

Why is violin grouped in the the percussion family?
bowed string instruments when
you can pluck it?

Why do you call the woodwind

instruments “woodwind” when
sometimes they are not even
made up of wood?

PROPERTIES OF MUSICAL SOUND

1. Pitch - the highness or lowness of a tone in the musical scale

2. Duration - the length of time given to a sound. Tones are not only high and
low but also short and long
3. Intensity - the loudness or softness of a sound. Forte means loud; piano
means soft
4. Timbre or Tone Color - this is the individuality of the sound produced by other
instruments

GENRES OF MUSIC
Music genres are the categories that distinguish one kind of music to the other.
These are the labels that humans place on music to group them based on a criteria, just
like how colors or food are being categorized.

1. Prehistoric Music
 Also called as Primitive Music
 A term in the kind of music produced in preliterate cultures
 This is the kind of music usually done by the tribes before humans even
knew how to document their endeavors
 A Module in GE 6: Art Appreciation, Nourishing the Mind and the Heart through the Arts

 It is followed by ancient music in different parts of the world, but still exists
in isolated areas.
 Most likely to be in a form of chants or ritual songs with the accompaniment
of percussion and woodwind instruments

Examples:
 Native American Traditional Cree Music
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNzft0VoDUc
 Tribal Sounds of the Philippines – T’Boli
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0DU3zvo_JA&list=RDc0DU3zv
o_JA&start_radio=1

2. Philippine Folk Music

 Reflects the rural life of Filipinos
 Has a strong connection with nature, tradition and culture
 Most of the time it is accompanied by string and woodwind instruments
 Has a melody that can be followed by most people; hence, called as music
of the folk.
 More than reading and memorizing the lyrics, these songs are passed
down in a group only by hearing it from other and older people
 It shows the local color of the provinces and the provincial life

Examples:
 Dandansoy (Ilonggo Folk Song)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3G5CKxen5U
 Magtanim ay ‘Di Biro (Tagalog Folk Song)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NLwmATSHbo

3. Ballad Music
 Also known as Romantic Music
 This is a genre of music that narrates a story, a certain happening, feeling,
or thought in a poetic form; most likely to be about love, pining, and
yearning.
 Derive from the medieval French chanson balladee or ballade

Examples:
 Unchained Melody by Righteous Brothers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYj2hex99gY
 Pusong Ligaw by Jericho Rosales
 A Module in GE 6: Art Appreciation, Nourishing the Mind and the Heart through the Arts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJW9-t6Us8Y

3. Country Music
 A kind of folk music that also came from Western America
 Mostly uses acoustic guitar and harmonica
 Has its origin from blues, folk, and old music in the West and mostly sung
by travelers and cowboys on taverns

Examples:
 Leader of the Band by Dan Fogelberg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qN_ras8QDTk
 Take Me Home, Country Roads by John Denver
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vrEljMfXYo

4. Pop Music
 Eclectic, and often borrows elements from other styles such
as urban, dance, rock, Latin, and country
 A mix of other genres done in a way that is catchy, upbeat, and easy to
memorize
 Formulated by artists to be commercially distributed and be liked by the
large masses
 Much of the music that appears on record charts is seen as pop music

Examples:
 Beat It by Michael Jackson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZGtRvYF-A4
 Material Girl by Madonna
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJqR2gXNY90

5. HipHop Music
 Consists of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly
accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted
 Often have electric sound, sound effects, and remixes
 Sometimes gain a negative critical reception for its profanity in the lyrics
 Defined by four key stylistic elements: rapping, scratching with
turntables, break dancing and beat boxing

Examples:
 I Like It by Cardi B, Bad Bunny, & J Balvin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTlNMmZKwpA
 Thrift Shop by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis ft. Wanz
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK8mJJJvaes