The bajo sexto is a unique Mexican stringed instrument. The name bajo sexto translates to English as “sixth bass”. It is a combination of both a bass guitar and a regular guitar. No one really knows the origins of the instrument. It was in the 1800’s when the instrument first appeared, but has gained popularity since then. It is also to have been said it could be the ancestor to both the bass guitar and the twelve string guitar. Since it plays both bass and guitar it is used for folk music. It is popular in the northern part of Mexico, which plays norteno music and also Tex-Mex. The bajo sexto has started to appear in other genres of music like Cumbia, Banda and Narco corridos. Since it has become very popular, Mexican states have started …show more content…
to manufacture them like Aguascalientes, Oaxaca, Morelos, Pueblo, Districto Federal, and Tlaxcala. It is not just in Mexico that the instrument are being made by, big manufacturers are also making them for musicians like Oscar Schmidt. The best bajo sextos are handmade by luther's. The bajo sexto is tuned from lowest to highest string E-A-D-G-C-F.
While a standard tuning of a guitar is E-A-D-G-B-E. So only the first two highest string are tuned slightly higher. Originally the bajo sexto was tuned lower and had only six string. As time passed on it has evolved to having 12 strings. The bajo sexto has a larger body and a thicker neck to support the tension of the strings, compared to an ordinary guitar. Nowadays the bajo sexto has a body is similar to that of modern guitars. It can be either be an acoustic, electric or both. The husky, hoarse sound of the refashioned bajo sexto is capable of both bass rhythm and harmony, this gives it great flexibility for other instruments like the accordion. Materials used to making the instruments is similar to other modern guitars. Usually it is made of either maple, spruce, mahogany, rosewood and other exotic wood materials. It represents a key contribution by Mexican instrument makers to local traditions and, increasingly, international musical …show more content…
practices. It is an unusual instrument as I have personal experience playing the bajo sexto. Plus I own a bajo sexto and I like playing my favorite Mexican songs on it. You have to have both strong fingers to hold down the strings. You also have to have patience, as it is difficult at first to play. If playing in a norteno band, the instruments that play alongside the bajo sexto are the accordion, electric bass guitar, drums, tarola, and saxophone. In this type of setup the bajo sexto plays the chords, but if there is no bass then it is the job of the bajo sexto to play both the bass and chord parts. Reference: The Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments. New York: Oxford University Press, 2014. Ramón Hernández. "Bajo sexto." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press. Web. 25 Mar. 2016. Chinese Pipa The Chinese Pipa has been around since 2 AD or even earlier. It is one of the oldest chinese instruments. There are two theories about the pipa’s origins. One theory states the name derives from the way the instrument is plucked. Pi is for the forward way of plucking the instrument and Pa for the backward method of plucking the instrument. The other theory states the pipa was actually an instruments that was introduced from other countries into China. There are several variations around China and other neighboring Asian countries. Modern pipa instruments contain 6 frets on the neck and 29 or 31 frets on the body. It has four strings running from the body upwards to the tuning pegs. The strings were once made from silk and now thanks to modern technology they consist of nylon wrapped steel. The shape of the pipa is that comparable to a pear. This shape was introduced from India in 346-53CE. Today’s pipa is made of wood type materials. The back is made of teak and the soundboard is wutong wood. The tuning pegs are made of either ivory, mahogany or wood. It is tuned to A-E-D-A. Since the Song dynasty the pipa has been used by folk musicians for narrative songs and regional opera. Also the way of how the instrument is played has changed as well. It changed from being played from horizontal to vertical position. The plectrum which is a small flat tool used to pluck or strum an instrument it replaced fingernails.I like the sound of the Chinese pipa, as it reminds me of the banjo. I also think it is very peaceful sounding to my ears. It just grasp my attention when I do hear it. Reference: The Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments. New York: Oxford University Press, 2014. Tsun-Yuen Lui, et al. "Pipa." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press.Web. 25 Mar. 2016. Shamisen The shamisen or also spelled samisen is a Japanese instrument. It is a lute type instrument, it derived from the Chinese sanxian instrument from the 16th century. That instrument had an oval body, it was plucked by using a talon shape pick and it was covered by snakeskin. It was first used for folk and party music. Or it was also used by narrators that once played the biwa. Thanks to the influences of the biwa players the shamisen was changed in construction. The construction of the instrument is that of a square body with a long neck.The neck and pegbox are now constructed into three section. As it makes it more portable by being able to take it apart. The preferred woods for the neck and body are red sandalwood, mulberry, and quince. The pegs are made of either ivory, ebony or plastic. It has three strings and those are made of twisted silk or nowadays are made of tetron. It is said that either Kawazumi Kengyo or Ishimura Kengyo both biwa musicians from the 16th century as the first to make shamisen music. The shamisen was used for poems and short songs. Later on in the Edo era it was used for longer songs and buddhist story telling music. Then it was used for performances of narratives that were outside the theater. In the mid 20th century shamisen music became more respectful. How someone would read music was changed from century notion that used syllables or symbols to show finger position were replaced by the notations used from the French Cheve system. With all the new advanced technologies and materials , the shamisen has remained unchanged. What I find intersting about this instrument are two things. One is the shape of the shamisen it reminds me of those cigar box guitars. And the other is the sound it makes, which reminds me of stretched rubber bands being plucked. Reference: The Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments. New York: Oxford University Press, 2014. Shigeo Kishibe, et al. "Japan." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press.Web. 28 Mar. 2016.. Kora The Kora instrument is from the Mande people of the Gambia, Guinea, Senegal, Mali and Guinea-Bissau.
Those that play the instrument are called Jaliyaa. There are two theories on how the instrument came about. One involves a person traveling through a forest and he was hearing beautiful music as he walked. He went out to seek it and found the instrument being played by a spirit. He asked to learned to play it, but in return the spirit wanted him to marry his daughter. He agreed to marry, but after a few years he escaped and brought it to his people. The other version states the korra was basically a Mande harp that they added strings to. The kora can be reference to the 16th or 17th
century. The construction of the Kora consist of a cowhide covering a large gourd.Then there is a large stick that forms both the neck and tailpiece of the instrument. The choice of wood is rosewood for the neck, bridge, and handgrips. The strings are actually fishing line which are made from nylon. The instrument is played alongside prayer songs and songs of commemoration. There are four tunings to the instrument and they each have a regional connection. The Tomoraba is from West Gambia, Southern Senegal and Guinea-Basuke. The rest or from Eastern, Southern Gambia and Mali. I’m suprised by the kora’s sound. I was not expecting all these different sounds it can produce. For one it sounds like a guitar, but then it has a piano type sound to it as well. When the higher strings are played it sounds similar to that of a piano. I have to get a Kora into my instrument collection. Reference: The Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments. New York: Oxford University Press, 2014. Roderic C. Knight. "Kora." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press. Web.26 Mar. 2016.. Veena The Veena is used in Indian classical music and dates back 1500 BCE. In the old days the term veena referred to all stringed instruments. Now however, there are many variations of the instrument. They say that the instrument had the reputation of being almost godliness and having the ablility to mesmerize whomever listens to it. Legend has it a hunter was the first to create it. He heard different sounds from his bow when it vibrated. From there the hunter went out and tried different materials to create music and discovered the veena. The Veena is made out of wood. There is a large round base and a longer and narrow body. It has either brass or silver frets, and just enough to cover two octaves. It has around seven strings, three of which can be used as drones. Usually two main strings are played on by plucking. The significance of the instrument holds religious importance. It is mentioned in sacred text the Goddess Saraswati played the instrument. She represents the Goddess of knowledge. For someone who masters playing the instrument is set to be free from the cycle of birth. Also it symbolizes ancient culture and heritage in Southern India. In ancient times the veena was used to play alongside chants called Yagya. It became popular as people say it being played for royalty. As soon as western influences came about the popularity of the instrument dwindle. It is still played in events such as festivals. The shape and sound is what grasp my attention. The sounds reminds me of an electric guitar and a sitar. The shape of it is unusual as well, I have never seen something like it. Reference: Christensen, Karen, and David Levinson. Encyclopedia Of Modern Asia. New York: Gale Division of Cengage Learning Inc, 2002. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 26 Mar. 2016.
“Santo Domingo” highlighted the stunning, fast-paced playing of Quintero, who rapped and fingered the strings of her guitar almost simultaneously, creating a clean and indiscernible rhythm between the two.
Bachata is a creolized music, meaning that there is both European and African influence. It is also a descendent of a few different Dominican Republic and Cuban forms of music – primarily son, but also merengue and ranchera. Son is music of the African diaspora, commonly involved in debates of African retention. Elements of African music, such as call-and-response and preference for polyrhythm survived the middle passage and are deeply rooted in Caribbean tradition. Stringed instruments are believed to have been part of the European influence on the area, as well as harmonic patterns, as well as verse-chorus structure and prominent duple meter. Modern groups consist of two electric acoustic guitars, an electric bass guitar, a guira (A Dominican Republic percussion instrument), and bongos (Hutchinson). Bachata is thought to have originated in the rural areas, being the music of choice at rural friendly gatherings, similar to son’s roots. Bachata then migrated to the cities with the impoverished as they looked for work. With this move the music transformed into something entirely different from its romantic, seren...
Den Tandt, Catherine and Richard A. Young. “Tradition and transformation in Latin American music.” The Cambridge Companion to Modern Latin American Culture. Ed. John King. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004.
In a complete Mariachi group today there are as many as 6 to 8 violins, 2 trumpets, and a guitar, which are all standard European instruments. Then there is a high-itched, round-backed guitar called the vihuela, which when strummed in the traditional manner gives the mariachi its typical rhythmic vitality; a deep voiced guitar called the guitarr'o which serves as the bass of the ensemble; and a Mexican folk harp, which usually doubles the base line, but also ornaments the melody.
Cumbia originated in the coastal region of Colombia in the early 1800’s. There were three predominant cultures in Colombia at that time: the indigenous peoples, the Spaniards, and the African slaves. The cumbia began with the essential instrumentation of the tambor drums and the gaita flutes, which derive from both indigenous and Congo-based African roots. The genre was entertainment for the slaves, beginning as a courtship dance. It later became an outlet for national resistance and protest as Colombia was contesting for its independence. The music was able to diffuse throughout the nation, spreading from the coast, primarily for the reason that many African populations were scattered in various regions. Barranquilla, a port city in Colombia, was the core of where the music became established and played for the masses, and where instruments such as horns and bass began to be incorporated into cumbia, giving it a more Latin feel. As cumbia evolved and spread to Mexico around the 1930’s, it changed from the influence o...
Music comes in many shapes and forms, and has been a magical element of inspiration and encouragement throughout time. The art of music derives from many different things, such as culture and traditions. One such type of music is mariachi music, deriving from Mexican culture and traditions. Mariachi music is often an upbeat rhythm, consisting of a band of up to six to eight violins, two trumpets and a guitar. Unlike modern music and other music bands alike, mariachi bands lack in numbers when it comes to band size. Though they are small, their music brings great significance and life to the places they perform and the people that they touch with their joyous music. In this paper, I will be comparing the culture and style of mariachi music to twentieth century modern music.
The history of the mariachi can be traced back to the sixteenth century and the days of the Spanish colonization. During this time, theatre was immensely popular. The instruments used in these theatrical productions included violins, guitars, and harps. It was to this time, and to these instruments, that the origins of the modern mariachi can be traced (Mexico, The Melting of Two Cultures, 1991).
The pitch of a vibrating string depends on mass of the string, tension and the length of the string: strings with more mass vibrate more slowly. On steel string guitars, the strings get thicker from high to low. Tension is varied by using the tuning pegs: tighter gives higher pitch. Similarly, shorter string gives higher pitch. The sound produced by the string is faint which is then amplified by it...
In this paper, I am going to discuss my experiences playing in the WNE, the bass guitar, and the one and only Willie Nelson. In the legendary WNE, I am the bass player. For this project, it took hours on end of studying the bass inside and out to become this legendary player that I dreamt of before this project. The electric bass, a mystical object that is the foundation of every song, was invented by Paul Tutmarc. Since the 1960s the bass guitar has replaced other instruments like the tuba, the organ, and other low pitched bass instruments. There are many types of basses. Different basses are used for different music because they all have their own unique sound. There are many different styles of music you can play with the bass. Rock, metal, pop, punk rock, country, reggae, gospel, blues, and jazz are all different styles of music the bass can play in. The bass is often a soloing instrument in jazz, fusion, Latin funk, and in some rock and metal styles.
Some of the names are, artawin, garnbak, djibolu and yirtakki. It is considered a male instrument in the Aboriginal society, however females are allowed to play it in some areas of northern Australia. They may play it for entertainment but never for ceremonies. In some areas the women are not allowed to touch a didgeridoo, because the people in the tribes think that this could curse them in some way. Of course this belief is not enforced globally so there are plenty of young women learning to play it today.
Futura is a highly popular font that is widely used across the world. It was even used out of this world – the first type to be used on the moon.
The men chant and the women dance dances that matches the music. The most popular music style is Diablada. This music is performed by a zampona musician (a pan flute made of reeds), a quena(a vertical flute), drums, trumpets, cymbals, and
What makes a crime a crime would some ones responsibility level be different if there mental state isn’t stable? In most cases the person committing a crime intended to do something that the state legislature or Congress has stated that it is wrong."mens rea" is a concept is based on a belief that people should be punished only when they have acted in a way that makes them morally blameworthy. In the legal system people who purposely take part in the behavior that is prohibited by a law are responsible. "Ordinary" negligence is not a crime. For example, careless drivers are not usually unlawfully prosecuted if they cause an accident, they may have to pay civil costs to those harmed by their reach less behavior.
...ums in the percussion section. It does not have a definite pitch like the timpani. (Jason) Bass drums cannot be tuned like you can tune the timpani. Concert bass drums usually have loose heads that vibrate more for a darker tone. Drums aren’t the only types of instruments in the percussion category; they are just a couple of the instruments that fall into the untuned percussion category. These untuned drums are used for rhythmic patterns of the composition. These untuned instruments don’t have a distinct note, but they only make one sound, and that is the sound this stick with. Untuned percussion instruments are not the only instruments that are played in the orchestra. Tuned percussion instruments are instruments that have distinct notes that you can play. Marimbas are tuned percussion instruments; they have four to five octaves of notes from A natural, to G sharp.
The Latin American music scene is an amazingly diverse, engaging and entertaining music culture. Thomas (2011) explains, “…Latin American music has engaged in ongoing dialogue and cultural exchange that has profoundly affected music making in Europe and the United States and, more recently, in Africa and Asia as well”. This paper will be describing different aspects of the music culture from its musical features, to the historical aspect of this interesting music culture. Also, I will discuss a personal experience with Latin American music. After researching the music culture, I attended a concert performed by Boogat, an Emmy award nominated Latin American musician from Quebec who has toured all over North America.