Yamaha CP73 and CP88 stage pianos feature a wide range of sounds, including grand piano, upright piano, electric piano and synth samples, plus Virtual Circuitry Modeling of vintage effects and high-end studio signal processors. They also provide authentic touch, with the CP73 offering a newly-designed, 73-key balanced action, and the full 88-key CP88 boasting Natural Wood keys and a tactile response that’s almost indistinguishable from that of acoustic pianos.
In addition, the CP73/CP88 offer a wealth of programming options, accessible via a user-friendly control interface that puts everything at your fingertips and allows real-time interaction for instant sound creation. And now, for those of you ready to take a deeper dive into the intricacies of the instrument, there’s a new series of online “Mastering CP” lessons from synth expert Blake Angelos.
In Menus vs Settings, Blake explains the differences between the two and takes you through a detailed exploration of the many useful functions they offer, including pedal/footswitch assignments, MIDI control settings, and live performance features.
The Basic Splits and Layers lesson provides easy directions for setting up keyboard splits and layers, along with tips and ideas on creative ways to use them. There are even links to download many of the examples via the Soundmondo social website.
The Electric Piano Section, as its name implies, focuses on the “E.Piano” section of the CP, with an in-depth look at the presets and the ways that effects can be used to enhance them, complete with audio examples. Also included is a discussion about the way the Drive control interacts with these sounds.
The CP Advanced Mode lets you put any sound in any Section, and this lesson provides a number of creative ways to use this feature. For example, you can play an upright piano sound with electric piano effects, or you can create a blend of an electric piano surrounded by synth sounds in different octaves. Directions for both can be found here, along with other downloadable examples.
The streaming revolution has brought a world of convenience to music lovers everywhere. Not only can you create playlists and discover great artists you’ve never heard of before, most streaming services also allow you to download music straight to your mobile device or computer. But not all services offer the same level of connectivity options.
Yamaha MusicCast provides wireless multi-room control over music playback and streaming with the use of a free downloadable app called MusicCast Controller, available for iOS and Android™. This lets you focus on the enjoyment of your music (in both stereo and surround sound) and not on the technology behind it.
A wide range of MusicCast-enabled products — receivers, speakers, sound bars and even turntables — offer a variety of options to set up an easy-to-use networked audio system. For those who like to use Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri, MusicCast offers even more ways to take hands-free control of your music and entertainment. It also supports Bluetooth® streaming and Apple® Airplay® … and now, with a simple (and free) firmware update, many MusicCast devices are now compatible with the latest version of Spotify Connect too, which includes the use of a Spotify free account!
This latest update provides a major advantage in that Spotify Connect streams to your system via Wi-Fi® and not Bluetooth, offering better quality audio and a wider range, with fewer dropouts. Establishing a direct connection between your receiver and the internet means that your audio system streams music from Spotify directly, rather than via your phone, which instead acts simply as your remote control. By comparison, AirPlay (which also uses Wi-Fi) and Bluetooth stream music directly from your phone to the receiving device, which unfortunately also causes your phone battery to run down more quickly.
Spotify Connect is the brainchild of Spotify, the popular on-demand music service with more than 35 million songs. There are numerous levels of service available, including Spotify free, Spotify Premium, Premium for Family, Spotify for Students and Spotify Gaming — all of which offer a variety of free or paid tiers for your music and entertainment needs. Spotify free, as its name implies, is no-cost, although there are occasional ad interruptions, whereas Spotify Premium (price plans vary by country) offers unlimited high-quality streaming and no ads. Premium for Family allows you and up to five family members to use their own Premium accounts for one fixed price, while Premium for Students offers a 50% discount for a year. Spotify Gaming will play though your PS4™ PlayStation®.
There are a few other differences between the services. Spotify free streams AAC files at up to 160kbps, while Spotify Premium members have the option to stream their music at up to 320kbps. The Spotify Web player (which works through your browser) streams the free version at 128kbps and Premium at 256kbps, whereas the standalone desktop, mobile and tablet players stream Spotify free at 160 kbps and Premium at up to 320kbps.
Whichever service you choose, Spotify Connect will stream your music to up to three linked MusicCast devices simultaneously, all at CD-quality. This drops to a compressed format once you add a fourth device (or more). Up to ten devices can be used simultaneously at that compressed format.
Bear in mind that when using Spotify Connect with your MusicCast-enabled device, you have to connect directly from the Spotify app (not the MusicCast Controller app), as shown in the sequence below:
Note: There may be times when your MusicCast device will not appear in the “devices available” menu within the Spotify app, even when the phone and receiver are connected to the same network. This can generally be corrected by unplugging AC power for a few seconds.
For a list of Yamaha MusicCast devices compatible with the current firmware update, click here.
Click here for more information about Yamaha MusicCast.
The Electric Upright Bass (sometimes called “EUB” for short) made its first appearance in the mid-1930s but has gained increasing popularity over the last few decades, especially in live jazz and big band performances where extra volume is needed. While it’s true that there are many pickup options for double basses these days, the fact remains that acoustic basses are somewhat fragile, especially in contrast to their more robust electric cousins.
So whether you are in the market for an EUB or are just curious about whether such an instrument would be a good alternative for you and your playing style, here are some things to keep in mind:
1. The EUB should have a similar feel to a “real” bass. Some acoustic bass players claim that an EUB does not have the same feel as a “real” full-sized bass, though this is a somewhat spurious argument given that neck sizes and shapes can vary even on an acoustic instrument. One undeniable fact is that some EUBs do not have a body at all, so getting used to holding it without the body to lean against can be a difficult thing for an acoustic bass player to adjust to. For that reason, many current EUBs have artificial bouts. This feature is helpful for those who miss that physical connection with their instrument.
2. It should provide sounds that are close to acoustic bass. Every acoustic bass has its own sound, but an EUB can offer many different sounds. Depending upon the brand and model, electronics range from simple piezo or magnetic pickups to fancier 18 volt electronics, and some instruments combine both kinds of pickups for expanded sonic possibilities. That said, some EUBs miss the mark in emulating the sound of an acoustic bass — a shortcoming that can be magnified further still by players that have not dealt with electronics and amplifiers in the past. In particular, playing with a bow or Arco on some models can result in quite a nasal sound, even if you are familiar with adjusting tone controls. Always check the sound quality of an EUB you are considering purchasing, and make sure it delivers the sonic performance you need.
3. It should have a compact design for travel. EUBs often break down into a case small enough to fit into the overhead carry-on space on a plane, which is of course the safest way for them to travel. Traveling with a real acoustic bass has become so expensive and potentially dangerous for the instrument that many people arrange to use or rent one at their destination. Every checked item is subject to extreme handling during a plane journey and many damaged instruments have been the result, even with the best travel trunk. Far better to bring your bass on board with you!
One last, but no less important factor is affordability. The prices for good acoustic basses have risen in recent years — some can cost as much as $100,000 or more — and so the risk of using them in some situations (and/or in questionable weather) has become more of a problem. Electric Upright Basses are generally much more affordable than acoustic basses, plus they allow your favorite wood bass to be saved for appropriate venues. An EUB can fare much better in close quarters in a club gig, as well as outdoors in hot or cool environments that would challenge a wooden instrument put together with water-soluble glue.
If you feel that you’re ready to expand your horizons, an Electric Upright Bass offers many advantages … not to mention the boost to your playing and creativity that comes with any new instrument. It’s an option well worth considering.
Photo by permission of Nathan East.
Click here for more information about Yamaha Silent™ Series Electric Upright Basses.
The composers, arrangers, and multimedia artists using Yamaha Disklavier pianos in their work today is the 21st century’s A-list of innovators in music-making.
A few years ago, the Disklavier Education Network (DEN) set out to create a database of Disklavier enthusiast-composers. We expected to mostly hear about how they were using their Disklavier as a stand-in pianist so that they could actually hear their works played on an acoustic piano. After all, not every composer is a virtuoso who can sight-read their own compositions at tempo. Even great pianists like Broadway composer Stephen Schwartz famously uses a Disklavier both to collect his own musical ideas and as an instrument in the pit orchestra.
Given that composers are the historical beta-testers of musical instruments, we also expected to find that they were using their Disklaviers for experimental works, going beyond the limits of human playability. Many of them have expressed interest in the Disklavier’s polyphony, for instance — they want to know what it sounds like to hear 20-note chords scattered across the keyboard! In fact, composer Roberto Sierra used exactly this convention in his 2017 Concierto Virtual, written specifically for the Disklavier ENSPIRE.
We were surprised, however, to discover just how many composers now list a Disklavier as prescribed instrumentation, with the expectation that it will be the exact instrument realizing their composition. The Disklavier’s unique combination of precision recording and playback, while still being an organic, wooden instrument, both inspires and defines how a performance should sound. Those qualities, added to the creative infinity of computer-aided composition, is appealing to many composers. We recently spoke with UC Irvine’s Christopher Dobrian to better articulate that perspective. Here’s what he had to say:
“Initially I was attracted by the Disklavier’s ability to play music of greater complexity and technical demands than could be achieved by a human performer, while retaining the sound of an acoustic instrument, which I found more appealing — or at least more suitable for my musical conception — than many synthesized sounds. Since those early pieces, I’ve been attracted to the Disklavier because it allows my compositions to take advantage of the virtuosity and expressivity of a live pianist while also creating an interactive dialogue between pianist and computer in an improvised, performative setting.”
Musical America’s 2016 Composer of the YearTod Machover was an early adopter of integrating the Disklavier in his compositions. His Jeux Deux is a multimedia orchestral work in which the pianist’s playing is processed by computer software, then returned to the stage in the form of multimedia imagery.
In a similar, but more mainstream vein, pianist Dan Tepfer has practically invented his own genre of music with his “Natural Machines” series of improvised, algorithmically-driven multimedia works. Jonathan Tessero, an in-demand creative director for stage and screen, credits Disklavier in his workflow. Multimedia artist Xiao Xiao has used a Disklavier to create fanciful works that blend 3D projection with musical performances right on the surface of the keys and fall board, providing a unique way to experience both artists and repertoire.
With Disklavier pianos increasingly available in institutional composition programs, festivals and competitions, we can expect even more boundary-stretching works that merge visual arts with computing and composing as the century progresses. The International Computer Music Conference (ICMC), now in its 42nd year, routinely provides a Disklavier for its competitors, and the Netherlands-based Conlon Foundation offers a prize specifically for Disklavier-based compositions — a nod to 20th-century composer Conlon Nancarrow, who pioneered the whole idea of creating works for reproducing piano.
No matter the genre, the Disklavier is an ideal composition partner for traditional composers, experimental media artists and everything in-between. Paired with today’s ecosystem of computer software and mobile devices, the possibilities are endless.
Click herefor more information about Yamaha Disklavier pianos.
This posting was adapted from a 2016 article of the same name published on the Yamaha DEN website.
With Mother’s Day nearly upon us, I find myself missing my mom and thinking about how her support for my endeavors cleared the way for my creative journey.
My mom was never the tiger type or helicopter variety. She didn’t hover or try to control me. Here’s what she did do: observe my delights from the sidelines and accommodate them when she could. That’s about it.
When she (and my dad) noticed I couldn’t take my hands off my toy piano, they found a way, on a very limited budget, to get a real one into the house. (I talked about this in my “From the Muse” blog last month.) It wasn’t shiny or fancy. But it made music.
When I wouldn’t stop playing that one either, she found a teacher who kept me flush in sheet music. Ballet was in there somewhere, as well as baton twirling and a drama group at the local library. I jumped around a bit but I returned to the music over and over again. Pop songs were my favorite. They were my muse.
Then one day I wrote my own song. There would be many more.
We both assumed songwriting was a hobby — not a legitimate profession worth pursuing. After all, the songs on the radio were all written by the artists who sang them. Or so I thought. Secretly, I had this little dream in my head that maybe I could be one of those artists too.
That said, I went off to college and studied something else. Something safer. Something dependable. I was the daughter of an accountant and a part-time bookkeeper. Who was I to have fancy dreams? But when I graduated, I was right back at it. I got a waitressing job to support my habit. My folks never made me feel like they wasted their money. They knew a college education teaches us so much more than our area of study. I found independence, self-esteem, a larger world view than my little home town had offered.
After years of rejection I started making an actual living as a songwriter. I often wonder, if my mom had dissuaded me, would I be something/someone else today? Would I be happy? Would I be me?
One of my most vivid memories of my mother is seeing her washing dishes at the kitchen sink, staring out the window as I came up the stairs from the den where the piano resided. She’d say, “I like that number, mommi” — using the same term of endearment I would use decades later for my daughter. Then she’d ask, “Did you write it?”
Not quite a cheerleader, but a constant positive presence on the sidelines. And speaking of daughters, I like to think I’m paying my mom’s faith forward. From a young age, my girl wanted to make art. While I have no gift for the visual (and I know not where that muse comes from), I brought oils and sparkles into the house. Sketch pads and pastels and charcoal pencils. And then I left her alone. To see her so happy in her zone was all I needed to know. That was her muse.
Layla graduates college this month with a degree in Studio Art. Those sparkles and crayons paid off.
To take a leap of faith where your child’s dreams are concerned is not always easy. I don’t blame any parent for wanting to protect a son or daughter from the uncertainty of a competitive career. What if they don’t succeed and are devastated by a dream unfulfilled? On the other hand, there’s risk in trying to redirect their proclivities. It’s like trying to make a righty out of a lefty or fit a square peg in a round hole. It never feels natural. And it’s a sad regret for a young person to suspect they missed their calling — to wonder what would have been if they followed the path that set their heart on fire.
As challenging as it may be, perhaps the best thing we can do for our child’s creative journey is what my mother did: simply get out of the way. Believing in a child unconditionally — even when you’re terrified — is perhaps the most powerful type of love.
In Part 1 of this article we discussed how DSP (short for “Digital Signal Processing”) is used by powered loudspeakers. This month we’ll see how DSP is incorporated in mixers (both analog and digital).
A Rich Legacy
The Yamaha legacy of building studio-quality effects processors goes all the way back to the SPX90 introduced in the mid-1980s, and continues to be an important feature in current products. The SPX digital multi-effects processor built into Yamaha MGP, MGXU and TF Series mixers provides a wide range of digital effects including delay, echo, chorus, flange, phaser, tremolo, pitch shift and distortion. The incorporation of SPX effects in MGP and MGXU mixers marks the first time that these effects are available in Yamaha analog mixers. MGP mixers also feature the high-resolution, natural-sounding REV-X reverbs first developed for the Yamaha SPX2000 Professional Multi-Effects Processor.
A big advantage of DSP-based effects is that programs can be stored and recalled, allowing you to instantly change from one type of effect to another. For example, if you want a reverb on the lead vocal in the first song of a set and a delay on the vocal in the second song, you can switch between the two at the touch of a button. The MG20XU has a Program knob for recalling these effects, and a Parameter knob to adjust a characteristic of the Program such as reverb time or delay time:
Yamaha MG20XU SPX effects.
In addition, TF Series mixers allow you to name and store your custom settings to a library for recall at a later time:
Yamaha TF1 effects library.
EQ
The graphic EQ in MGP24X and MGP32X mixers is also DSP-based, and the ability to store these settings is an extremely useful feature. For example, let’s suppose that you’ve spent time tuning the EQ so that the PA sounds good in a specific club. You can store those settings so that the next time you return there you don’t have to start from scratch and do all of that work again:
MGP32X graphic EQ.
Dynamics
DSP can also, of course, be used for dynamic effects. For example, the stereo channels on MGP mixers include a ducker and a leveler.
A ducker automatically lowers the level of background music when an announcer begins speaking. Creating a ducker would normally require complicated signal routing, but the internal DSP of MGP mixers makes it very easy. Simply connect a music player to one of the stereo channels and an announce microphone to one of the mono channels (see the MGP owner’s manual for details). Turn the ducker on, and when the announcement begins, the music will automatically drop to background volume.
Sometimes when music is played back from a phone or MP3 player, the volume changes from song to song. The leveler function automatically adjusts the volume in such situations, preventing sudden jumps or dips in the overall sound level.
Decisions, Decisions
With such a wide variety of effects to choose from, how do you know which ones to use, and when to use them? Let’s look at some of the digital effects available in the MGXU, MGP and TF Series mixers.
Reverb is used to create the illusion of space around a sound (for a detailed explanation of reverb and delay, check out our Tools of the Trade postings Using Reverb and Delay, Part 1andPart 2.) Reverb can be used on just about any instrument, but you typically hear it on vocals, snare and toms, guitar, keys and horns. (You don’t usually hear reverb on bass or kick drum because it can make those instruments sound muddy and lose clarity in the low frequencies.) If you’re looking for an epic snare sound for a slow ballad, try using the MGP HALL program and turn the Parameter knob clockwise to increase the decay time. That will give you a large space with a long reverb “tail.” You can create a retro-80s snare sound using the GATE REV (gated reverb) program; here, the Parameter knob will control the apparent size of the room.
The REV-X reverbs in MGP mixers include three high-resolution, natural-sounding reverb effects: REV-X Hall, REV-X Room and REV-X Plate. REV-X Room is particularly useful when you want to create the illusion of a sound being in a room without adding length to the reverb, and REV-X Plate is a great way to make a lead vocal sound brighter and cut through a mix.
Delay and echoes are most often used on lead vocal and guitar solos. The SPX VOCAL ECHO built into the MGXU, MGP and TF mixers is one of my favorite echo effects because it adds depth to a vocal without excessive overlapping of the original sound. The Parameter knob controls the delay time (the amount of time between repeats). Try using shorter delay times for faster songs, and longer delay times for slower songs.
CHORUS and SYMPHONIC are doubling effects. They can be used to thicken up background vocals, but don’t overdo them because adding too much of these effects can make vocals sound out of tune. They’re also useful when you want to create a shimmery, doubled effect on acoustic or electric guitars, particularly when the guitar player is using a clean tone.
Programs such as FLANGER, RADIO VOICE and PITCH CHANGE are useful for special effects. FLANGER produces a swirling, swishy sound that almost sounds like a plane taking off. RADIO VOICE is great for when you want to make a vocal (or other instrument) lo-fi, like you might hear through an AM radio. PITCH CHANGE can create a comical, cartoon effect on a vocal when the pitch is raised, or a deep, scary tone when the pitch is lowered — but be careful because these types of effects can make an instrument sound like it is playing in a different key from the original key of the song!
MGP mixers provide two independent effect processors, enabling you to use a REV-X reverb at the same time that you are using an SPX effect:
The MGP32X has two independent FX processors.
This means that you could, for example, set the REV-X effect to the PLATE 2 program for use on the snare and toms, and then set the SPX effect to VOCAL ECHO for use on the lead vocal. That’s a huge benefit when you’re mixing a live band in that it gives you flexibility to create better mixes.
The TF series of mixers offer eight effect processors for even more creative possibilities, and all the consoles mentioned here offer a footswitch input so you can easily mute effects between songs or during spoken announcements, leaving your hands free for other duties.
The Yamaha FC5 footswitch can be used to mute effects between songs.
As you can see, DSP can help you in many ways when mixing live sound, providing a means for tuning your PA to the room, interfacing full-range speakers with subwoofers, and generating creative effects that enhance your mix. Happy tweaking!
To give a Mother’s Day gift sure to surprise and delight, put yourself in Mom’s world for a moment. What does she like to do? Where does she like to do it? What would make her happy, or make her life easier? OK, most of the answers to that last question are probably free (like spending more time with her!), but if you want to make it an extra special day, consider these gift suggestions for your mom …or any other person who has played that important role in your life.
For the Mom Who Enjoys Music Everywhere
If Mom loves to listen to music or podcasts while she’s working or enjoying a favorite pastime, the Yamaha MusicCast 20 is the perfect companion. This compact wireless speaker fits discreetly on the corner of any desk or counter, but don’t let the small size fool you. It provides rich sound that can fill the room. Wi-Fi®, Bluetooth® and AirPlay® allow her to listen to the music she wants, including popular streaming services, her own music library and internet radio. The MusicCast 20 also works with Alexa and Google Assistant voice control, so she won’t have to lift a finger to enjoy it!
MusicCast 20 wireless speaker.
For the Mom Who Loves Her Favorite TV Shows
If your mother’s idea of relaxing is binge-watching her favorite TV series, the Yamaha MusicCast BAR 400 sound bar (with included wireless subwoofer) gives her DTS® Virtual:X™ virtual 3D surround sound with a simple one-cable connection to a TV. In fact, not only can she enjoy must-see TV, but also popular music streaming services via Wi-Fi. And voice control with Alexa or Google Assistant means she’ll only have to get up to refill her popcorn bowl!
MusicCast BAR 400 sound bar with included wireless subwoofer.
For the Mom Who Loves Hi-Fi
If Mom’s happy place includes Hi-Fi, the Yamaha R-N303 network stereo receiver has it all. From modern technology like music streaming services and Wi-Fi to Bluetooth and AirPlay — not to mention a phono input for her turntable — every entertainment choice is at her fingertips. (Or should we say beck and call?) The R-N303 also works with Alexa and Google Assistant.
R-N303 network stereo receiver.
For the Mom Who Loves Vinyl
If your mother has a box of vinyl somewhere in the garage, a turntable may be just the thing to uncork all those fond memories associated with her favorite albums. After all, the best high-res audio in the world can’t take the place of holding iconic album art in your hands. The Yamaha MusicCast VINYL 500 turntable has Bluetooth, AirPlay and Spotify Connect as well as Wi-Fi, so Mom can also stream music when she runs out of vinyl to play. It also works with Alexa and Google Assistant … although you have to flip the records over yourself.
MusicCast VINYL 500 Wi-Fi turntable.
For the Mom Who Needs Her Creative Space
The Yamaha TSX-B141 desktop audio system is perfect for filling Mom’s creative space with music. Whether it’s a home office or a country chic loft, the powerful TSX-B141 can fill the room with music from AM/FM radio, a USB source, or streamed from a Bluetooth device. Despite its compact size, it boasts two full-range speakers, a bass-reflex port and a powerful integrated amplifier, plus easy-to-use alarm clock functions make it a useful addition to any bedroom.
TSX-B141 desktop audio system.
Whatever you end up giving your mom, be sure to spend time enjoying it with her. She deserves it!
For more gift ideas for Mother’s Day or anytime, check out our deals.
In my last two postings I talked about the fact that literally everything on this planet has a resonant frequency — a vibrational pitch that our senses can sometimes detect, and sometimes not. We can hear resonance within a certain frequency range, which we measure in Hertz (Hz), while our eyes can detect it within a certain range of color, which we measure in THz (TeraHertz).
I would argue, however, that even the vibrations we cannot detect with our five senses may nonetheless resonate throughout our body, and as a result, have a profound effect on us.
The Impact of Environment
The human voice and musical instruments produce frequencies within the audible range. These are notes that we can feel and hear as musical content. But what happens when we introduce those tones to the open space around us? Will the environment in which we produce and listen to music have a noticeable effect on how we perceive it?
When a sound is introduced into a room, for example, it will travel through the air until it meets with a solid substrate, like a wall, floor or ceiling. The signal will then bounce off that surface, creating reverberations, which are reflections of the original sound. Taken together, this is the ambient sound added to the original signal, and the type and degree of ambience depends upon factors such as the room dimensions and surface materials. In music production, the word “reverb” is used to describe this kind of ambience.
Digital simulations of reverbs have been used for decades in both live performance and recording to create artificial replications of environments such as generic rooms, halls, chambers, cathedrals, etc. There are also usually controls that enable you to make virtual alterations to the dimensions — and even sometimes to the virtual materials — in that space. This amazing technology allows us to capture the sound of an instrument or vocal in one environment and make it sound as if it had occurred in a completely different space. Imagine having the option of recording your acoustic guitar in Salisbury Cathedral or on stage at the Royal Albert Hall. Using devices such as the Line 6 Helix and HX Stomp, these days we can do just that … without the expense of traveling or other logistical challenges.
Producers and mix engineers use time-based effects like reverb and delay to place instruments within the soundstage, thus enhancing our listening experience and adding dimension to the songs we listen to. Instruments with less ambience will sound more present and “in your face,” while those with more ambient effect added will appear to sit further back in the mix.
Change Your Location
I believe our perception of a sound and the tone it produces can also aid the creative process and our learning experience. Guitar players often ask me for advice on overcoming writer’s block, or about how to maintain a consistent level of progress as a musician. The first suggestion I make is to have them practice in new locations around their house or apartment. Simply taking your instrument into alternate ambient spaces will often be the catalyst and spark for fresh ideas.
When I get a new commission to write for a music video, I take my guitar outside, to the back porch or the park … anywhere other than my studio chair and recording setup. I find that new locations bring new ideas. The unfamiliar surroundings and ambient reflections they impart can even make your standard repertoire resonate in a whole new way.
Of course, most of us have a specific area in the house where we usually sit down to practice, write or record music. Unfortunately, that means there isn’t room for new energy to flow or fresh ambient stimulation to come from the environment around us. Try sitting at the kitchen table or on the edge of the bathtub instead the next time you practice and you’ll find new ideas literally fall into your lap!
In addition, new pedals and effects often add that extra sparkle we’ve been looking for. This is the artificial version of creating new environments and may be equally valid as a physical relocation for sensory (or extra-sensory) input.
The TransAcoustic Experience
The Yamaha TransAcoustic line of acoustic guitars feature built-in reverb and chorus. However, unlike other guitars with onboard effects, these instruments don’t need to be plugged into an amp to experience the rich dimension those effects add to the sound. Simply hold down the volume control for a few seconds and then dial in the amount of effects you’d like to add to the acoustic tone.
Having the ability to create a variety of ambient spaces within the guitar itself and have them resonate through the sound hole into your location of choice is invaluable. Songwriters love the depth of field these guitars create to support their lyric and melodies, and performers appreciate the versatility and ease in which they have full control over their ambient sound.
TransAcoustic (TA) guitars are available in a variety body shapes and sizes to suit every player. New to the line for 2019 are the parlor CSF-TA (which you’ve seen me play in previous postings) and the CG-TA nylon string classical guitar. To promote the new TA additions, Yamaha asked me to compose a music score to drive the visual aspect of the promotional video and also demonstrate the tonal qualities of each instrument.
The Video
Here’s the promo video, which was used to launch the CG-TA and CSF-TA guitars at the 2019 NAMM show:
And here’s the original music file to compare it with so you can hear how the layers were superimposed into the video shoot. No outboard processors were used; all the effects you hear were produced by the TransAcoustic guitars:
The Wrap-Up
It’s my contention that every resonant frequency is also affected by the ambient space in which it resides. If you feel that your creativity is stagnating or your thoughts are becoming dull and unimaginative, open up your thought processes so that new ideas can reflect and reverberate within your mind. Change your practice location on a regular basis to allow the notes you play to expand beyond the same four walls and you’ll find that each tone, chord and song will take on a whole new expressive dimension.
Photographs courtesy of the author.
Audio copyright Robbie Calvo – TransAcoustic Music For Yamaha Guitars.
Timpani (sometimes known as “kettle drums”) are used in many types of ensembles, including concert bands, marching bands, orchestras and even by some rock bands. They consist of a membrane (a head) stretched over a large bowl traditionally made of copper, and they’re played by striking the head with a specialized drum stick called a mallet. Modern timpani can be tuned quickly and accurately to specific pitches by skilled players using a movable foot pedal.
Here’s an annotated illustration of a typical timpano (“timpani” is plural for a collection of timpano), followed by a description of each part, in alphabetical order:
Auxiliary Brake. This is located under the pedal. When locked, it keeps the timpano from moving.
Base. The mechanisms for tuning are placed under the base of each timpano. The base is heavy in weight to keep each drum balanced and to promote resonance.
Bearing Edge. The lip of the timpano bowl is known as the bearing edge. This transfers the energy from the head to the bowl to create a pitch.
Bowl. The shape and material of the bowl’s surface help to determine the drum’s timbre. Hemispheric bowls produce brighter tones while parabolic bowls produce darker tones.
Cable Band. Attaches the timpano cable to the strut.
Head. These can be made of either animal skin (generally calf heads) or plastic. The two types of heads need to be attached differently (see the instructions that come with the head.) Plastic heads are easier to take care of since they are not as susceptible to changes in humidity and temperature; they’re also generally easier to install.
Head Protector. Protects the head from dust. Always place this on the timpano when the instrument is not in use.
Hoop (Counterhoop). The rim that tightens the timpano head.
Main Caster. Casters allow timpani to be moved with ease. They should be locked during performance to prevent the drums from moving from side to side.
PAC (Pedal Adjustment Knob). This mechanism lets you adjust pedal torque (pedal weight) while maintaining pedal balance. Turn the knob counterclockwise (left) to release the lock. To give the pedal a heavier feel, turn the knob clockwise.
Pointer Lock Nut. Locks the tuning indicator into place after fine-tuning.
Spring Tension Adjustment Bolt. Adjusting this bolt allows the tension of the pedal to be set to individual preference.
Tension Rod. This threaded metal rod is inserted into the lug casing. It can be tightened or loosened to tune the drum to the desired pitch.
Tuning Indicator. A scale of measurement used as a visual guide in tuning the pitch of each timpano.
Click here for more information about Yamaha timpani.
Imagine that it’s a new school year, a new band/ensemble season, and the percussionist arrives to rehearsal to see what music is in store for the first concert. Alongside the percussionist is a mallet bag, and inside are his or her tools. When opened, the bag looks like a beautiful and colorful bouquet worthy of a centerpiece!
The other musicians glance over and are amazed by the bag’s alluring contents — blue, green, red, small, large, metal and plastic mallets. How does a percussionist decide which is right for the occasion?
Besides simply producing sound, mallets are used to achieve different articulations, colors, characters and dynamics. Choosing the right mallet is the first step in producing the best possible sound for a piece.
With the number and types of mallets on the market, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. It’s important that your band/ensemble has a good selection of mallets to begin the music-making process. As your mallet collection grows, you can focus on how to choose the right mallet for the music, repertoire or style you are playing.
Marimba
Marimba is the ideal instrument for introducing the capabilities of mallets. All of the principles listed below apply to other mallet instruments.
Marimba mallets generally are made with yarn or synthetic yarn. The yarn is wrapped around a core and is glued to a rattan, birch or fiberglass shaft.
Articulation: Determining your desired articulation is the first step in finding the right mallet. The hardness of a mallet — very soft, medium, very hard, etc. — determines the articulation at the instrument. For rolls, a soft to medium-soft mallet is recommended for a nice smooth legato tone. For articulate passage, a hard mallet should be considered to allow all notes to speak.
Range: When choosing a mallet for marimba, you must take the range into consideration. Most marimbas are made of rosewood, a hardwood that needs to be protected due to its limited amounts. To avoid damaging the bars, the lower the range you are playing, the softer the mallet should be.
If you are covering a large range, I recommend starting with a medium yarn mallet. This will allow both the high range to speak with little force, and the low range to sing without damaging any of the bars. If more articulation is desired in the low range, try switching to a soft cord mallet.
Graduated Mallets: If you are playing with four mallets, it is common to graduate then. For example, you may wish to have a soft mallet in the bass, along with three medium mallets. This allows for a nice full tone throughout the instrument. This is often seen in solo playing, but can be effective in some of the band and ensemble parts requiring four mallets.
Weight/Color: Not all mallets weigh the same. Weight can come from several factors, including the mallet’s core, the core’s materials and how much yarn is wrapped around the core. The heavier a mallet, the darker the sound will be. The material of the core can also affect the color produced by a mallet. A harder core will produce a brighter sound.
Glockenspiel
The most common mallets for glockenspiels (aka orchestra bells) are general poly (plastic) mallets and brass/aluminum mallets. For the best fundamental tone, I recommend a medium-hard poly ball.
Like all mallets, the hardness of the ball affects articulation on the glockenspiel. Due to its high frequencies, the instrument’s sound can cut through very easily. If you desire the instrument to be more blended in musical texture, I would recommend a soft poly ball.
Depending on the size of the mallet’s head, articulation and dynamics will be affected. A smaller ball will sound thinner in tone, while a larger ball will provide a fuller response from the bar. This principle can be applied to all mallet instruments, although most commonly seen on the glockenspiel.
Metal mallets, such as aluminum and brass, are also commonly used on the glockenspiel. While not providing a full fundamental sound like a poly mallet, brass provides a different possibility in color. Some composers specifically ask for a brass mallet, so it is always good to have a pair in your collection. Metal mallets provide a brighter sound and more articulation on the instrument. If you really want a glockenspiel part to broadcast sound, brass mallets will allow this.
For warmer or darker tones, try a soft or hard rubber mallet.
Vibraphone
For vibraphone, I recommend cord mallets. While yarn marimba mallets would produce a good sound from the vibraphone, the metal bars will damage the yarn and lessen the articulation.
For band and ensemble playing, a hard cord mallet is my go-to vibraphone option. From my experience, softer vibraphone mallets sound great on the instrument, but articulation and tonal clarity is lost among the other member of the ensemble.
In smaller ensembles or chamber groups, choose a mallet that best fits the character of the piece. For a bright sound and sharp articulation, a very hard mallet is best. For a soft legato sound, I recommend a soft cord. Although not ideal, yarn mallets can be used at softer dynamics to produce different tone qualities. Take a moment to try all of your mallets to see their sound capabilities on the vibraphone.
Xylophone
Finally, let’s look at the xylophone. Mallets for the xylophone are typically made of poly (plastic) material, rubber or wood. Up until now, articulation played a big role in mallet selection. The marimba, glockenspiel and vibraphone all have resonance that are affected by mallet choice. The xylophone, however, is different. It has a very short staccato response. When I look for the right xylo mallet, I ask myself, “What color do I want?”
Words such as bright, dark, warm and shrill describe sounds I might want for a xylophone passage. The specific sound I want depends on several things: what other instruments are in the ensemble? What is the band’s texture and articulation while the xylophone is playing? What is the character of the music?
The hardness of the mallet will change how the initial attack of a note sounds. Harder mallets result in a brighter and louder tone, while soft mallets, such as rubber, produce a warmer and more rounded tone.
Wooden mallets are also a good choice. Although I do not use wood mallets often, the sound of wood against wood can be just right for a piece, especially one with a thick texture. Wood mallets allow the shape of the ball to be altered. Some wooden mallets have a much larger surface area, producing a full rounded sound, while others have a small surface area that results in a chirpy sound.
Other Considerations
Rehearsal/Performance Space: It is important to know that a mallet that sounds great in a practice room or rehearsal room may sound different in the performance area. Depending on the acoustics of the hall, a hard mallet may sound several degrees softer. While the winds and string players are warming up, take the opportunity to go out in the hall and hear the mallets. If possible, record a rehearsal in the performance area and see if you can hear the desired articulation. From cafetorium to concert hall, mallet choice is constantly changing.
Instrument Care: Never use a mallet that is harder than the material you are playing. You run the risk of damaging the instrument and diminishing its sound. Even if the texture of the ensemble makes the marimba or vibraphone almost inaudible, it is not worth damaging the instrument to be heard. We especially need to protect the rosewood instruments.
Changing Mallets: It is acceptable to change mallets during a piece, so have a trap table with several pairs to best reflect the changing articulations, dynamics and color of the music you will be performing. If you have isolated rolls, a softer mallet will produce a legato sound. Later, if the piece has fast 16th note runs, switching to a hard mallet will allow these to be heard with the best possible sound.
Changing Instruments: The instrument you are playing will determine mallet choice as well. Oftentimes you arrive to a gig or concert area that has different instruments. Be sure to check if the mallet you are using remains unchanged or if the new instrument affects its articulation.
Shaft Considerations: There are three common shafts for mallets — birch, rattan and fiberglass. Birch is stiff and often longer in length. I tend to use birch for four-mallet playing because I have a bit more control of the mallets. Rattan is more flexible. I almost always use rattan for two-mallet playing in band and ensemble. I enjoy the feel, and opposed to birch, it gives a slightly more open sound. Fiberglass is good if you want to play lightly on an instrument; it is easier to control without the flexibility of the rattan.
Sound Advice
With a nice selection of mallets, you and your percussionists will be prepared for band and ensemble. Keep your mallets on hand and know their individual capabilities so when a piece calls for a brighter or darker sound, you will know which mallet to choose.
You want to make sure the notes you and your students have been learning are balanced with the band or ensemble are musically appropriate. With all the mallets on the market, it can be overwhelming where to start. A mallet you purchase one day may not be right for the piece you are playing, but I promise it will come in handy for another piece down the line. Hang on to all of your mallets, and rely on your ears to make musical decisions for mallet choice.
When purchasing your first mallets, it is nice to have soft, medium and hard pairs. I recommend buying them all from one line to have a consistent sound across all articulations. From there you can expand, widening your color and articulation options.
I recently attended a concert by a somewhat famous guitarist of the 60s/70s who shall not be named for reasons that will soon become obvious. I had never seen this particular musician in live performance before but have enjoyed many of his recordings over the years and appreciate his obvious mastery of the instrument, so I was looking forward to the evening.
It did not turn out well. And, judging from the smattering of applause coming from the audience after every song, I wasn’t alone in my assessment.
The reasons are almost too many to list, but I’ll try. Too loud. No stage presence. Self-indulgent. Uninteresting songs. Lack of tonal variety. Dreary tempos. A poor sound mix.
They say that every cloud has a silver lining, though, and I guess the upside of my having been there (three hours of my life down the drain, just like that!) is what I learned from the experience. So here now, without further ado, are Six Easy Steps to Boring Your Audience to Tears:
1. Play for yourself, and no one else. Love that little lick you stumbled upon while tuning up backstage? Play it. Then play it again. And again. And again and again andagainandagainandagain, as many times as you like. Change a single note if you must. Try it an octave higher, or in a different key. But then go back to playing it again. And if you’re happy with your sound, keep using that sound. Use it all night long. Even if it’s too loud or too piercing or too overpowering or too whatever. Find your tone and stick with it, no matter what the song calls for. Who says variety is the spice of life?
2. Disengage. From your audience, from your backing band, your manager, your fiancée, whoever. Stage patter is for sissies. Maybe mumble a “thank you very much” into your mic every now and then like you don’t mean it. Rock-star grimaces (the “constipated duck” look) are allowable, but don’t ever smile, don’t ever look like you’re having any fun, and above all never exchange glances with your fellow musicians onstage — it will only encourage them.
3. Keep the music to a minimum. Hummable melodies are overrated. Ditto interesting chord changes. Go for monotone instead — it makes the jamming easier, and, after all, everyone is here to revel in your abilities to improvise over a basic I-IV-V blues progression, right? Wouldn’t want to confuse them with anything more than that.
4. Get loud. If that doesn’t work, get louder. Makes it easier to get your message across … if your message is “I couldn’t care less.” The crowd still not responding? Crank it up even more. Yeah, that’ll teach ’em.
5. Slow it down. Alternate the tempo of the songs in your set list between slow and funereal. Anything faster than that could cause the audience’s hearts to start pumping, which might, you know, wake them up or something.
6. Make sure your instrument is heard … even at the expense of everything else. Every note, every riff, every scrape of the pick against a string, every nudge of the whammy bar — that’s all that counts. Vocals? Nah. (Who cares about lyrics, anyway?) Bass? Shouldn’t be anything more than a distant rumble. Drums? Just enough to pick up the backbeat. Keyboards? Horns? Fuggettaboudit. Instruct your sound guy carefully in these fundamentals; tell him to gaffer tape your fader up and the band’s faders down if necessary. After all, the punters in the seats came to hear you play, not those other guys.
Honestly, I mean no disrespect to this particular artist. He may be the nicest guy in the world (and I have it on good authority that he is indeed pleasant to work with), but at least at this one concert, he showed a distinct lack of regard for his audience. Worse yet, he exhibited no particular interest in entertaining them. To me, that’s a cardinal sin for any performer, regardless of genre.
So next time you hit the stage, keep these tips in mind … and do all you can to avoid repeating any of them.
As an educator, I have never understood why young percussionists are not taught more about musicality. My wife is a flute teacher, and she teaches musicality to kids in sixth grade. Why is it that percussionists get to college and still do not know the basics about shaping a line?
I believe there are several reasons why percussion students do not learn about musicality.
Percussionists often do not learn a mallet instrument until high school. It is not very exciting to learn music on a toy (i.e., a bell kit). Marimbas are expensive and not readily available for students to use at home. The introduction of tabletop xylophones and portable marimbas is helping solve this issue.
Young percussionists often do not study mallet instruments with a private teacher. This has changed over the past five to 10 years, but it is an issue in smaller schools and rural locations.
With a variety of techniques on so many percussion instruments, instructors often do not have time to address musicality.
The list could go on and on, but these are just excuses. Music educators need to address the problem and incorporate solutions into their private and ensemble percussion teaching.
As you teach students about musicianship and musicality, remember to stress the importance of theory, history, aural skills and analysis, in combination with active listening (listening to music with focus and attention). These are the building blocks of becoming a better musician.
The approach to and interpretation of a repertoire piece, such as a concerto or sonata, that your student is playing today will be very different in five years because of the knowledge and experience he or she gains as a musician. The goal of musicality is to communicate expressively, and these steps will help you teach musicality in your studio.
Start with the Voice
Have the student put down the mallets and step back from the instrument. Then ask the student, “How are you?” To which the student responds, “I’m doing well.” Now, analyze the conversation.
Notice that when you ask a question, you end the sentence on a higher pitch than you began. When the student answers, he or she ends the sentence on a lower pitch than they began. Next, try the same exercise and ask the student to use the opposite tonal inflection or move the inflection to different parts of the sentence. HOW are you today? How ARE you today? How are YOU today? How are you TODAY? By using different inflections in the sentence, the student will begin to see multiple meanings to the same question.
Now, try the same thing with a common melody. Ask the student to sing the first line of “The Star Spangled Banner.” This works well because the first phrase outlines a major arpeggio, and the melody goes down and then up. The goal of this exercise is for students to realize that in speech and familiar melodies, we don’t speak or sing without inflection. Once this point has been established, it’s time to pick up the mallets and apply this lesson to a musical phrase.
Do Something with the Notes
Just playing the notes and dynamics is not enough. You must teach students to “do something” with the notes.
If your student’s playing sounds like the playback of a MIDI file, no musicality is present. The best way for students to tell if they are “doing something” with the music is to record them so they can immediately hear how they sound.
You don’t need a great recorder to accomplish this. Use a smartphone or laptop to record your student playing through the piece two or three times, each time using different musicality. Then review and compare the performances with the student. It is also helpful to record yourself playing the passage so your students can hear how their teacher shapes the line.
Musicality is subjective. You must teach your students how to make informed decisions. Active listening, music theory, awareness of different styles and aural skills will develop their musicality. Music theory includes knowledge of music fundamentals (elements of music notation, meter and rhythm, key signatures and scales, triads and other chords), basics of common practice harmony and analysis. Each era of music and genres within those eras have particular conventions that may not be apparent in the notation. Aural skills practice develops the inner ear; the ability to “hear” the music in one’s mind allows the student to create a conceptual performance. The student can then compare this internal performance against the actual performance to identify errors and enhance expression. These building blocks will help develop more musical percussionists.
Follow the Shape of the Line
One of the basic rules of musicality is to follow the shape of the line. One concept I teach is to remove all the stems, beams, flags and barlines from the music. Only noteheads remain. You can visualize this, write the pitches on staff paper or input them into notation software if you want to be sure the student sees the result.
Next, take a pencil and connect all the noteheads:
Now play the line. Instruct the student to get a little louder as the line goes up, and to get a little softer as the line goes down.
Here comes the subjective part. How loud or soft should you get? That is a good question. It should not be a full dynamic louder or softer. A listener should be able to hear that you are getting louder or softer. Dynamics are relative. There is “room” within a dynamic to add shape. Record and play back the performance so the student can hear if he or she is shaping the line.
Practice, Practice, Practice!
Repetition is key to improving your students’ musicality. I cannot stress how important it is for students to record their performances and listen back.
Another idea is to have your students listen to recordings of the pieces they are preparing. If they are working on a violin sonata, find a couple of recordings and bring them to a lesson so you can demonstrate the different performances.
Some Final Thoughts
Do not let your students copy someone else’s musicality.Students often listen to recordings online and then imitate what they hear. This does not help them develop their own musicality! Require students to record themselves and practice playing sections of the piece with different musical approaches. (Tip: If they don’t hear a difference, have the student post the video online [e.g. YouTube, Facebook] and ask their friends for comments.)
In the beginning, do more than normal with your phrasing.Students are often shy when first learning how to shape a line. In my experience, it is easier to ask students to reign in their musicality than to get them to do more. Make sure the student understands the basic principles of performance practice. A piece of music that was written in the Baroque era is performed differently from a piece written in the Romantic era. If the students do not know the difference, assign them some listening examples. Teach your students to not be afraid to ask questions and encourage them to get feedback from their peers, teachers or mentors. As with anything, there is a learning curve.
This article only scratches the surface of teaching musicality, and I hope it gets you thinking about how to incorporate musicality into your students’ curriculum.
Students are capable of learning how to be musical at a young age, and it is our role as music educators to introduce this concept prior to high school or college.
You already know that explosions and battle scenes sound amazing on your sound bar, but did you know that sometimes it’s the quiet scenes that really show it off best?
Not every sound bar can bring out the dialog in an action scene or the subtle sounds in a quiet, intimate scene that lets the acting take center stage instead of the sound effects. Current Yamaha sound bars feature a proprietary technology called Clear Voice, which brings dialog to the center channel so that it’s understandable even during a raging firefight.
What’s more, if you have a sound bar that uses DTS® Virtual:X™ to create virtual 3D surround sound all around you — overhead, too! — everything, including those incredible battle scenes, gets even better.
Especially on May the Fourth, you don’t have to flip channels searching for a good movie scene to make your sound bar shine. Check out these five exciting (and great-sounding) Star Wars™ scenes: (If you’re using a Yamaha sound bar, make sure you turn on Clear Voice before watching them.)
1. The Opening Crawl – Star Wars: A New Hope (1977)
We’ve discussed the opening crawl in a previous post, but if you saw this movie in 1977 — the opening salvo in the entire Star Wars saga and a film that raised the bar for special effects for a generation — what happens next is seared into your memory. When that rumbling Imperial Star Destroyer glides into the scene right over your head and seems to go on forever, your mind is blown … and then it’s blown even further when you hear the sounds of a Star Wars space battle for the first time. Check it out here.
2. Battle of Geonosis — Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones (2002)
This battle scene has it all: the laser flak and explosions you’d expect, and dialogue that you can hear clearly over the roar of the gunships. And when the Trade Federation core ship crashes to the ground, you can feel it in your subwoofer. A bonus is a rare grammatically correct sentence from Yoda, “Concentrate all your fire on the nearest starship.” Cool that is! Check it out here.
3. Battle of Coruscant – Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith (2005)
The enveloping sound of this spectacular “Top Gun in space” battle makes you feel like you’re right in the thick of the fighting. Check it out here.
4. Han Meets Lando – Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)
Good sound doesn’t always mean loud sound, just as good acting doesn’t always mean impassioned speeches. In this scene, in which Han Solo meets Lando Calrissian for the first time, the subtle sounds that tell us we’re in a different world set the stage for the actors to establish the characters we know and love. Check it out here.
5. Trailer – Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
Get ready for two minutes of awesome. From the breathless beginning to the last tantalizing laugh, you’ll be riveted. Even with your eyes closed, it’ll give you chills. Check it out here.
Want to know more about the sound coming from your sound bar? Check out these posts:
Here are five fun facts about string instruments even some experienced players don’t know:
1. Violins Come in Seven Standard Sizes
That’s because it’s not unusual for string players to begin at a very young age. The popular and widespread Suzuki Method, for example, promotes learning in children as young as three years old. Instruments are therefore scaled down to fit young violinists as necessary. The standard sizes are:
Arm measurement from neck to middle of palm:
Violin size:
14 1/8"
1/16 size
15 3/8"
1/10 size
16 7/8"
1/8 size
18 1/2"
1/4 size
20 3/8"
1/2 size
22 1/4"
3/4 size
23 5/8"
4/4 size
There is one additional size outside of the standard: The 7/8 size violin, which fits in-between the 3/4 and 4/4 sizes. These instruments are made specifically for adults who are petite and therefore cannot comfortably play a full-size violin. Yamaha makes a “fit stick” for its dealers to quickly and accurately fit their customers with the correct sized instrument:
2. Antique Violins Often Need to Have Longer Necks Grafted On
The technique of grafting a new neck on to an old instrument, as well as adding a longer bass bar to increase the stability of the instrument, is one of the evolutions that allowed preciously crafted instruments to survive for centuries so that we may still enjoy their sound today. Noted luthier Charles Rufino of the Long Island Violin Shop, explains how this became accepted practice:
“In the early 19th century, the treasured 18th century instruments faced several challenges. Modern, larger performance spaces demanded greater volume and projection. New music written in ever-higher positions was difficult to play on the original shorter and thicker Baroque-style necks. Grafting the head of a violin onto a new neck by cutting a tapered mortise into the bottom of the pegbox allowed luthiers to insert a new neck while preserving the original head of the instrument. The result was a thinner and longer neck with a longer fingerboard that increased the tension on the strings, giving greater sound as well as permitting musicians to perform the thrilling passagework of the great 19th century concertos we all love.”
3. The Bass is the Only String Instrument Not in the Violin Family
An internet search for instruments of the violin family will probably include the bass. However, the family originally only contained the violin-shaped instruments: the violin, viola and violincello. At some point, the bass developed, likely from the Viol Da Gamba family, but no one really knows for certain. Its sloping shoulders and large body have gone through many variations over time. It’s also tuned in fourths to the pitches E-A-D-G, as opposed to the tuning in fifths of the violin family. Perhaps the bass is only a cousin to the violin family, but it’s nonetheless a welcome member!
4. String Instruments are Surprisingly Resistant to Temperature Variations … Though Not to Sudden Shifts in Humidity
Ever been told not to allow your violin, viola or cello to experience extreme heat or extreme cold? Temperature has very little to do with it. Wood is a hygroscopic material, meaning it always contains some water. As the humidity of the environment around it changes, it will absorb or release water, making it shrink or swell. In contrast to their resistance to temperature change, string instruments react harshly to rapid humidity changes. A slow change can cause string clearances to vary. That’s why cellists will often carry a winter and a summer bridge that they can swap out in order to match the level of humidity their instrument is reacting to. Under fast humidity swings, the movements of the wood can become so erratic that glued seams can pop open, or worse, wood cracks will form that can necessitate expensive repairs. Keeping stringed instruments in a stable climate or protecting them with a humidity device is important for the long-term health of the instrument.
5. The Beautiful Spiral of a Violin Scroll Occurs Widely in Nature … and in the Universe
The traditional spiral scroll of the violin family instruments is one of the most recognizable shapes in the world … or in the universe, for that matter. The shape follows a mathematical formula known as the Fibonacci Spiral, or Golden Spiral. It is a combination of the sums of a sequence of numbers:
Here are some of the places where nature has put this equation to use:
A hurricane:
A flower:
The human ear:
A sea shell:
Click here for more information about Yamaha acoustic stringed instruments.
The digital audio workstation — DAW for short — is a staple of today’s home and professional studio environment, offering powerful recording, editing and mixing of both audio and MIDI tracks. It has completely replaced the analog and digital tape-based formats that preceded it. Not only that, it’s largely superseded recording consoles and outboard effects processors, since it incorporates their functionality in one integrated software application, with full onscreen visuals to boot.
The advent of the computer-based DAW in the early 1990s was the result of concurrent high-tech innovation and improvements in the areas of personal computers, digital audio recording and MIDI — a perfect storm of technology.
On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Steinberg Cubase — one of the leading DAWs on the market today, and one that was integral in the development of the format — it seems appropriate to kick off this series of blog postings about home recording basics by telling the story of how the DAW was born.
When Dinosaurs Ruled the Studio
We’ll set the way-back machine to the year 1983 to start our story. That was the year the MIDI standard was introduced to the world, making it possible to connect one keyboard with another and even to a computer. The sequencing applications that soon followed allowed musicians to record and edit MIDI tracks in their computers, and were in many ways the precursor to the modern DAW.
In those days, personal computers were primitive compared to what we have today. The Mac® was still 12 months away from its introduction (it came out in 1984) and Microsoft wouldn’t release Windows until 1985. The dominant music computers at that time were the Commodore 64 and the Atari ST, and so software developers began by releasing MIDI sequencing applications for those platforms.
In 1984, two men in Germany — Karl Steinberg and Manfred Rürup — launched a software development company called Steinberg. (Karl was an audio engineer and Manfred a professional keyboard player.) In 1985, they released Pro-16, a MIDI sequencer for the Commodore 64 that offered 16 tracks of MIDI recording and editing. In 1989, Steinberg launched an advanced version for the Atari platform, which they called Cubase.
Cubase 2.0 for Atari ST.
Turn Up the Audio
The science of digital audio recording technology was also making rapid strides during that era, though it was hardly a brand-new concept. In fact, the theory of digitizing audio actually goes back all the way to 1938. That year, a British telephone engineer filed a patent for a technology he’d developed called Pulse Code Modulation, or PCM, which was a system for converting analog signals to digital data. To this day, PCM technology is still the basis of most digital recording.
Through the 1950s and 1960s, scientists continued experimenting and trying to perfect digital audio. By the early ’70s, the technology had progressed enough that there were sporadic releases of digitally recorded albums, mostly live recordings of jazz and classical material.
By the end of the decade, digital multitrack technology started appearing in recording studios. The 3M company introduced a 32-track digital tape recorder in 1979. That year, the artist Ry Cooder used one to record Bop ’Til You Drop, which was the first digitally recorded pop album on a major label. Although that technology marked a significant step forward, the marriage of digital audio, computers and MIDI was still several years in the future.
Dawn of the DAW
In 1989, a company called Digidesign released a Mac product called Sound Tools. This was a computer-based stereo digital audio recorder (with both a software component and a hardware audio interface) that featured non-destructive editing. This concept — where you can cut, copy, paste, move around and process the recording without affecting the original audio — represented a huge leap forward; up until that time, editing involved physically cutting and splicing analog tape.
Digidesign Sound Tools.
A year later, another milestone was achieved when the Opcode company released a software product (also for the Mac) called Studio Vision — essentially an update to its Vision MIDI sequencing software, but one which added digital audio recording with the use of Digidesign hardware. It was the first recording application to offer both audio and MIDI recording and editing.
Opcode Studio Vision 1.0.
In 1991, Digidesign introduced a four-track successor to the stereo-only Sound Tools. It was called Pro Tools, and iterations of that software are still in use to this very day.
Pro Tools 1.1 circa 1992.
The DAW Starts Maturing
In 1992, Steinberg released Cubase Audio Mac, a computer-based digital audio recorder for the Mac that, like the Opcode products, also utilized Digidesign hardware. This was the first DAW to incorporate audio, MIDI, and scoring (music notation). In 1994, Steinberg collaborated with Yamaha to produce a Cubase software front end for the Yamaha CBXD5, a hard disk recorder that worked with Atari, Mac and PC computers.
Steinberg released another breakthrough application that year called Cubase Audio Falcon — a 16-track recorder and editor for the Atari Falcon computer. What made this product so significant was that it was the first native, computer-based hard-disk recorder, meaning that it didn’t require an external hardware device to handle the digital signal processing; instead, it used the computer’s built-in DSP capabilities.
Cubase Audio Mac was released in 1992.
Another major innovation from Steinberg was Cubase VST, released in 1996. It introduced the native Virtual Studio Technology (VST for short) audio system and offered a whopping (for that time) 32 tracks of audio, plus integrated MIDI editing and recording, as well as numerous onboard effects and support for third-party effects “plug-ins.” It also was the first DAW to comprehensively recreate the paradigm of the modern recording studio — a multitrack recorder with an effects rack and an automated mixer. One could argue that Cubase VST signaled the beginning of the end for the analog tape-based studio.
Cubase VST 4.0.
It didn’t take DAWs very long — maybe 10 years or so — to become the dominant recording format. Their combination of high-quality audio, non-destructive editing and comprehensive automated mixing proved too much for tape-based systems, which required separate mixers and processors, and offered comparatively primitive editing capabilities.
Into the Future
Since the turn of the 21st century, DAWs have improved steadily in quality and features, as computer speeds have increased and data storage costs have dropped. Cubase remains a leader in the DAW market, and Steinberg (which was acquired by Yamaha in 2005) has also created numerous other ground-breaking and influential products for audio production.
Perhaps the most notable was the 2000 release of Nuendo, a DAW that was originally designed to meet the needs of broadcast and post-production facilities but has since become a prominent application for producing and mixing immersive audio for virtual reality and video games. In addition, Steinberg has made its mark producing hardware, with a line of quality audio interfaces (such as the recently released AXR4) that offer state-of-the-art, high-resolution audio using the latest protocols such as Thunderbolt 2.
It’s fair to say that over the past four decades, the Digital Audio Workstation has played a huge role in revolutionizing the production of audio as well as democratizing the creation of music. It’s one technological development that truly has made the world a better-sounding place!
Here’s the thing about smart phones and smart homes: It takes a lot of brain power to keep straight what capabilities they have and how to make them work for you. Now, with the availability of Apple® AirPlay 2® on the latest Yamaha MusicCast-enabled devices, a solution is at hand.
AirPlay® is Apple’s proprietary technology that allows users to stream audio or video from any current Apple device to an enabled device, such as a speaker. It’s been an integrated part of MusicCast speakers, receivers and more since their inception.
AirPlay 2 takes things one step further by adding the ability to share music (or video) with multiple connected devices, as long as the Apple device is running iOS11 or higher. Compatible devices include the HomePod®, iPad®, iPhone® and Mac® computers. Audio streaming can be done through any AirPlay-compatible speaker, stereo receiver or AV receiver. Video streaming is limited to Apple TV® devices.
Let’s take a look at the features and capabilities that AirPlay 2 adds to MusicCast:
Expanded Streaming Service Choices
Aside from being able to use a wide array of existing streaming services with MusicCast, such as Spotify, Pandora® and TIDAL, you can now add Apple Music® to the mix. As the number one streaming service in the world, Apple Music offers 50 million songs with different tiers of membership access, including a three-month free trial. Users can download their favorite tracks to play them offline and have access to their entire iTunes® library at the same time. They can also listen across all Apple devices, including iPhone, iPad and Home Pod.
Stream to Multiple Rooms Simultaneously
The MusicCast Controller app now allows you to stream Apple Music (as well as other streaming services) from your iPhone, iPad, HomePod or Mac to multiple Yamaha devices and other AirPlay 2-enabled speakers, all perfectly in sync. (You can also use Airplay 2 to stream via Bluetooth® to any single MusicCast device.) Compatible Yamaha products include the MusicCast 20 and MusicCast 50 wireless speakers, MusicCast VINYL 500 Wi-Fi turntable and the latest MusicCast-enabled AV receivers.
To stream to different rooms at the same time, open the MusicCast Controller app, click on the device you want to stream to (this is normally a room name or names) and select the streaming service of your choice:
To add rooms, click the link button and select the room or rooms you wish to add. It’s that simple! If you prefer, you can also use the Home app on your iOS device to make custom configurations.
Voice Control with Siri
AirPlay 2 simplifies your experience with voice control too. Using the Apple voice assistant Siri, you can now send music to any eligible MusicCast-enabled device with phrases like, “Hey Siri, play Favorite 1 in the living room.” Or, try, “Hey Siri, add the bedroom” if you want to link rooms together.
With AirPlay 2 and MusicCast, playing your favorite tunes from any streaming service and listening in multiple rooms has never been easier.
Click here to learn more about MusicCast and its capabilities.
Registrations (or “Registration Memories,” as they’re sometimes called) have been around for decades on a number of Yamaha keyboards. They allow users to quickly save nearly all panel settings to a Registration memory button, which can then be instantly recalled with the press of that button. The Genos arranger keyboard offers ten Registration Memory buttons. What happens when you’ve filled up all ten? Well, you can save those together as a Registration “Bank,” and you can have an almost unlimited number of Banks. You can then create a folder (or folders) to store your Registration Bank files.
The beautiful thing about a Registration is that it can recall something as simple as an instrument voice you play regularly, or you can create more complex Registrations that include tempo, Style Control settings, Vocal harmony settings, and more.
So let’s go ahead and save and recall a Registration. First press the MEMORY button (located just to the right of the ten Registration buttons):
The Registration Memory window will appear, allowing you to select which items you’d like to save. For example, if you want to save Vocal Harmony or Mic settings to a Registration, the Vocal Harmony/Mic Setting box must be checked; if not, Genos will not save those settings. Conversely, you can deselect items that you don’t want included in your Registration:
Once you’ve done your selecting and deselecting of the items you want to include in the Registration Memory, simply press any one of the ten registration buttons and voilà, you’ve just saved a Registration.
Let’s assume you’ve filled up all ten Registration buttons (as indicated by the fact that they’re all glowing blue). It’s now time to save those ten to a Registration Bank. To do so, press the REGIST and BANK buttons simultaneously. The Regist Bank Display screen will appear:
Simply touch the File icon at the top of the screen and select SAVE. Genos will now ask you where you want to save it.
Important note:Don’t be afraid to select an existing registration memory as a save location. As long as you change the name of the Registration, it will be saved as an entirely new Registration. This is a concept that can trip some people up as you obviously don’t want to overwrite any existing saved registrations.
Recalling a Registration Bank is just as easy: Simply press the REGIST and BANK buttons together, then select the Registration Bank you want to recall. Alternatively, you can use the REGIST BANK Plus or Minus buttons to cycle through the existing Registration Banks, thus bypassing the Registration Bank screen altogether.
It is also possible to edit an existing Registration bank. To do so, once again press the REGIST and BANK buttons simultaneously. In the resulting Regist Bank Display, touch the Menu icon at the top of the screen (located next to the File icon), then touch Regist Bank Edit. The Regist Bank Edit display screen will appear:
You now have the option of either Renaming or Deleting an existing Registration. Cool tip: delete all ten Registrations in a Bank to give yourself a clean slate to work with. After you’ve made your changes, don’t forget to touch the Save icon.
It’s well worth spending time creating and saving Registrations, because in live performance it’s a total time-saver. Thanks for tuning in, and as always, don’t forget to keep practicing!
Since the introduction of music streaming, services have only offered audio in CD-quality resolution; in fact, some don’t even come that close. While that may be fine for the average listener, it leaves out more serious listeners who demand nothing less than high-resolution audio.
Now, with the availability of Qobuz in the U.S. and its compatibility with the latest line of Yamaha MusicCast speakers and receivers, you can stream high-res music to every room in your home!
Known for its mission to “make you listen to the music the way it was conceived, played and recorded,” Qobuz offers both a streaming service and a download store that boasts around 40 million CD-quality tracks and millions of high-resolution tracks. And Yamaha is one of only a few companies that offers products capable of streaming Qobuz’s top offerings of 192 kHz/24-bit high-res audio files wirelessly.
To help you make the most of this service, unleash your inner audiophile and maximize your gear, here’s how to enjoy Qobuz on your MusicCast devices.
Weapon of Choice
If you’ve already set up your MusicCast devices using the MusicCast Controller app, the next step is to set up Qobuz. Like all streaming services available through the app, Qobuz can be accessed to stream songs, albums and to create playlists.
To begin, select the device in MusicCast Controller (devices in the app are commonly given room names) that you want to use for high-res streaming:
It’s important to note that high-res quality audio streaming works with only one device at a time. Linking to additional devices will change the resolution to CD-quality (44.1 kHz/16-bit).
To capture every nuance that high-res audio provides, we recommend listening through either a Yamaha MusicCast 50 wireless speaker or a quality set of wired speakers (such as the Yamaha NS-F901) powered with one of our AV receivers like the RX-V685. Needless to say, the better speakers you use, the better the fidelity.
Streaming Options
Once you’ve selected your device, click on the Qobuz logo, which you’ll find listed along with the other available streaming services:
Once you’ve done that, you’ll see different options for streaming content, including Search, Discover, Playlists, Favorites and Purchases (the latter shows previously purchased tracks you own):
Inside of Search, you’ll see the options Artists, Albums, Tracks and Playlists, which allow you to create personalized collections of music:
Voice Control
Be sure to set up a playlist or two so you can test out another cool feature: voice control. Voice control functions work with Qobuz just the same as they do with any other compatible streaming service on MusicCast (i.e., Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri® or Google Assistant™), so long as a Qobuz playlist is selected:
For more information, check out our Voice Control with MusicCast page. Tip: You may want to name each playlist with the name of the service and a number (i.e. Qobuz Playlist 1) to avoid confusion if you use multiple streaming services.
Multi-Room Options
Thanks to the flexibility of MusicCast, you can pick which device you want to stream to — and that device can be in any room of the house. But that’s not all. Although Qobuz is known for high-res streaming, it also offers other levels of streaming, including CD-quality and MP3-quality tracks, all of which work with multiple devices linked together simultaneously, just like other services available through MusicCast.
And, even though MusicCast uses Wi-Fi® to communicate to multiple rooms at once, you can also use Bluetooth® to stream to individual devices in case your Wi-Fi router acts up, which can happen occasionally. To do so, simply open your settings and connect your mobile device to the MusicCast device you want to use. Then open the Qobuz app and select the song, album or playlist you want to play. Finally, press the arrow on the left side of the screen to select the device you want to stream to. Note that Bluetooth does not stream in high-resolution.
One last tip: If you have a set of analog speakers and are looking for a new turntable, consider the MusicCast VINYL 500, which can both stream your favorite records and be used to stream high-res audio from Qobuz as long as the speakers are connected directly.
Check out these related blog articles to learn more about MusicCast and MusicCast firmware updates:
The last time your clarinet (or your student’s clarinet) was played things seemed to be functioning well, but now it mysteriously stops working entirely. What’s the cause? Here are two easy ways to determine the problem:
1. Do a visual inspection. Is the reed in good condition and aligned properly? Are there any pads missing? Are there any obviously bent keys? Has a tenon cork (particularly mouthpiece or barrel) disintegrated? If not …
2. Do a pressure test. If the barrel-to-upper joint tenon cork appears intact, clean the barrel with sanitizing spray, then cover all open tone-holes and the bottom of the bore with your fingers as shown in the illustration below. After sealing the barrel against your lips, blow firmly into the bore and see if it holds pressure.
If the top joint does not hold pressure and nothing is obviously damaged, a common issue is that the A to A♭ adjuster screw (shown in the illustration below) may be out of adjustment:
When the A key is pressed, there should be a tiny bit of motion before the A key touches the tip of the screw and begins to lift the A♭ key. This ensures that the A♭ pad is allowed to sit firmly and seal securely against the tone-hole. Sometimes the A pad will swell slightly, raising the position of the A key and eliminating the needed free play. Another possible cause is that a student may have adjusted the screw and turned it too far clockwise. Sometimes the adjustment is off so slightly that the clarinet even passes the pressure test described above. Either way, the solution is simple: Turn the screw counterclockwise 1/8th of a turn and recheck for free play between the A key and the screw tip. Repeat as necessary until a small amount of clearance is achieved.
Photos courtesy of the author.
Click here for more information about Yamaha clarinets.
Welcome to Part 3 of our series of blogs for newcomers to guitar and bass.
When you first bought your electric bass, it came with a brand-new, shiny set of strings. However, after a while, you may notice that the sound of your bass is getting dull, and your fingers don’t slide over the fretboard quite as easily as they used to. Time to change your strings! If you’re new to bass, this may seem somewhat intimidating, but it’s actually quite simple.
The video below explains how to restring an electric bass guitar. All you need is a new set of strings, a wire cutter (most pliers will cut wires too) and a clip-on tuner such as the Yamaha GCT1:
Click here for Part One: How to Change Strings on an Electric Guitar
Click here for Part Two: How to Change Strings on an Acoustic Guitar
Click here to find out more about Yamaha guitars and basses.
If you’re accustomed to mixing music in stereo (or even conventional surround sound), you’ll likely find that mixing for virtual reality (VR) and video games is fundamentally different. In this article, we’ll look at the way those kinds of projects are mixed, and discuss how the new features in Steinberg Nuendo 10 help make those endeavors easier.
Alphabet Soup
The most popular format used in audio for virtual reality is Ambisonics. In addition to giving you left-to-right panning, as in stereo, Ambisonics also provides for up-and-down and front-to-back panning. The result is full 360-degree audio — perfect for immersive content. Ambisonic audio is used in Facebook and YouTube’s VR content and YouTube 360-degree videos, as well as in VR games.
There are several different quality levels, with the most commonly used called “First Order Ambisonics B-Format.” Additional levels (known as Second Order and Third Order Ambisonics) offer larger channel counts and allow for more accurate positioning of objects in the spherical field. However, they’re more complicated to execute.
There are several ways to create Ambisonic content. One is to record live audio with a specialized Ambisonic microphone that utilizes multiple capsules to capture 360-degree sound into a dedicated type of 4-channel audio file.
The second way is to create a 360-degree Ambisonic mix in a compatible DAW such as Nuendo, using conventional audio tracks (individual mono, stereo or surround tracks) as source material. After adjusting the volume and adding effects to those tracks in the mixer, you can position (and move) each in the Ambisonic sound field using an Ambisonic panner plug-in such as the Nuendo 10 VST Multi-Panner, which, as a bonus, also converts the mix to B-Format.
Alternatively, you can use your DAW to mix non-Ambisonic audio together with mic-captured Ambisonics audio into a B-Format mix. For example, if the video for a VR project includes a street scene in a city, you could capture some ambient sound with an Ambisonic mic to serve as the primary structure (the “bed”) of your audio track. Then you could mix in supplemental audio such as dialog, sound effects or music to go along with it. Using VST Multi-Panner, you could then pan those extra elements to go wherever you needed them in the 3D sound field, in relation to the “bed” track.
The Nuendo VST MultiPanner.
Secret Decoder Ring
In any kind of mixing, it’s always good to be able to listen to your mix the same way an end user will. However, monitoring 3D Ambisonic audio over a stereo monitoring system presents a challenge. Even if you had a full Dolby Atmos® speaker system (a surround system with front, back, side and overhead speakers), you still couldn’t listen directly to B-Format, because it contains no speaker-specific information for the content, only directional data for the 3D sound field.
To listen to 3D Ambisonic audio over a stereo system, you need to first decode it, using a plug-in such as the Nuendo VST AmbiDecoder on your monitor bus. This plug-in converts B-Format into a variety of formats for monitoring. The most practical is binaural 3D output for stereo headphones, which provides a simulated 360-degree listening environment. It’s especially useful because it simulates the way most people experience VR and 360 video content: through headphones of some sort, such as a VR headset.
The VST AmbiDecoder was upgraded for Nuendo 10.
In Nuendo 10, Steinberg upgraded the VST AmbiDecoder plug-in with two additional modes for enhancing Ambisonic content and also added a new feature that allows you to use your stereo monitors to listen to Ambisonics content.
Head’s Up
Then there’s the issue of head tracking. B-Format Ambisonics can respond to head movement and rotate the entire spherical image in your headphones, as if you were wearing a VR headset. All you need to add that capability is a relatively inexpensive head-tracking device that clips to the top of your headphones and can be tracked by a compatible DAW such as Nuendo.
When you’re making placement decisions during an Ambisonics mix, you can designate any of the tracks in your mix to be “head locked,” which means they’ll stay anchored in place even when the user changes head positions. Mixers often head-lock elements like music and voiceovers so that they stay centered while the rest of the audio follows the listener’s head movement. Incorporating head-tracking into your mixing setup will help you check that the various elements are behaving as they should in reaction to the listener’s movement.
Nuendo 10 also adds support for DearVR Spatial Connect, a system that allows you to mix while wearing an actual VR headset for watching the video while adjusting audio balances using VR hand controllers. This puts you inside the environment in which the game or VR video will be viewed by the end user, thus dramatically aiding in your mixing decisions.
Gaming Improvements
Nuendo has long been optimized for game audio workflows, thanks to something called “Game Audio Connect,” a toolset that enables a direct connection to Audiokinetic’s Wwise® game audio middleware. Starting with Nuendo 8, an enhanced version (“Game Audio Connect 2”) added the ability to transfer interactive sections of your compositions from Nuendo into Wwise as music segments, including audio and MIDI tracks as well as cycle and cue markers. In addition, Game Audio Connect 2 allows you to create Nuendo projects directly from Wwise segments, effectively allowing you to use Nuendo as a MIDI editor for Wwise.
Nuendo 10 continues that support while adding a number of new features ideal for game mixing or sound design. For instance, there’s a Doppler plug-in, which simulates the Doppler Effect: the change in pitch of a sound when a fast-moving object goes past a stationary listener. (The classic example is the sound of a police car, fire truck or ambulance siren as the vehicle drives by.) It’s one of the more difficult audio phenomena to replicate artificially, but this plug-in not only does so with superb accuracy, it also allows you to adjust the start and end positions of the sound as well as the position of the listener, opening up a world of sonic possibilities.
Another Nuendo 10 plug-in that’s handy for gaming sound design is VoiceDesigner. This powerful creative tool offers an array of parameters you can adjust to alter a vocal recording in a myriad of ways, such as morphing it with the vocal characteristics of another voice. For example, if you were creating a monster voice for a game, you could take a recording of a human voice and morph its characteristics with that of a lion or a bear.
VoiceDesigner allows vocal morphing and more.
There’s little doubt that the field of immersive audio will continue to grow in the years ahead, making it ever more critical for audio engineers and recording musicians to keep up with these changing technologies. So what are you waiting for? It’s time to conquer the complexities of mixing for VR and gaming so you can let your creativity bloom.
Click here for more information about Steinberg Nuendo 10.
As the world’s leading (and largest) manufacturer of musical instruments, Yamaha has a singular responsibility to the environment, and it’s one we take very seriously.
Our company has long been committed to sustainable practices that balance social and environmental concerns. We are constantly striving to conserve resources in a variety of ways, including reducing product size and packaging, and we are constantly developing alternative materials that can be substituted for scarce timber for use in our products, such as biomass-derived resins. In addition, our production facilities have established sophisticated recovery/separation procedures to reduce waste produced at factories and offices and promote recycling. The Yamaha Group in Japan, for example, has a recycling rate of about 99%.
Our approach is multi-faceted but focuses primarily on four areas: Green procurement, initiatives for timber resources, water conservation practices, and the creation of “Yamaha Eco-Products.” Let’s take a closer look at each of these.
Green Procurement Policy
The Yamaha Green Procurement Policy ensures that we obtain materials from suppliers that promote environmentally-friendly management, with a priority on materials that have a low environmental impact. We procure products, parts, and raw materials that have eco-friendly features such as reduction of substances of concern, conservation of energy and prevention of global warming, and recycling of resources and conservation of materials.
Initiatives for Timber Resources
Many Yamaha products, including pianos as well as string, percussion, and woodwind instruments, require a primarily wood construction for acoustic reasons. Large amounts of timber are also used when making electronic musical instruments and speakers due to the merits of wood in terms of acoustic performance, function, design and texture.
We are working to reduce waste by improving the yield ratio in timber processing, and by reusing and recycling wood chips. We make a practice of selling offcuts to building material makers as raw material for hardboard, in addition to using them to create other product components. As an example, some timber offcuts previously disposed of as waste are instead reused as angle rafters (reinforcing materials inside guitar bodies).
Some timber offcuts previously disposed of as waste are instead reused as angle rafters.
We have also established a formal Timber Procurement Policy to set the direction of our timber usage in order to better conserve this precious resource, as well as ensure its availability for continued use in the future. This policy states the following:
We will procure timber that has been legally logged and traded from clearly identifiable sources.
We will give priority to procuring timber that has undergone reliable forest certification.
We will obtain sufficient confirmation of the sustainability of any endangered tree species from which Yamaha obtains wood materials.
We will not procure timber derived from logging that destroys ecosystems, or from logging of High Conservation Value Forests.
We will not procure genetically modified tree species.
We will confirm that our timber procurement practices do not have any adverse effects on local communities, such as violation of the rights of indigenous peoples that occur in the course of logging and trading.
We will work to transition to the procurement of wood-based materials that utilize substances such as planted wood and recycled wood, and therefore make efficient use of resources.
In addition, Yamaha suppliers are encouraged to observe a formal Code of Conduct, which clearly stipulates points related to the harvesting and trading of timber resources.
Together, these initiatives aim to maximize the use of timber as a first-rate recyclable resource without waste. As an example, in 2016, Yamaha began investigating African Blackwood, an important material used for woodwind instruments, specifically regarding the ecology, amount of resources, and forestry management status in the United Republic of Tanzania where the timber was being procured at that time. This tree is classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List and in recent years the resource volume has been trending down. These investigations showed that sustainable procurement is possible with proper management and so we aimed to construct a business model which could sustainably use African Blackwood as a material for musical instruments. In 2018, we began tree planting activities for African Blackwood and formed a partnership with local timber producers to explore the efficient use of existing resources.
African Blackwood seedlings.
Another important development in March 2016 was the creation of circulating-type “Piano Forests” in Japan, in cooperation with government agencies and a local manufacturer. This is aimed at preserving the forests and to ensure a stable supply of high quality Picea glehnii timber, used in the manufacture of piano sound boards.
A Picea glehnii plantation.
In addition, Yamaha is proactively introducing wood cultivated specifically for industrial purposes on planned plantations as well as certified wood, which is properly managed so that the lumbering process does not harm the forest or the ecology. These measures aim to use the excellent renewable resource of trees on a sustainable basis. We are also focused on developing alternative materials that accurately reproduce the sound quality of rare wood materials best suited for instruments.
Preservation of Water Resources
Like all manufacturers, Yamaha uses water to wash products and cool facilities. However, we do not have large-scale production activities in areas where water resources are poor, so we believe there is minimal impact on the environment due to such usage. In addition, we continually conduct surveys and evaluate factors such as physical water stress, water quality and regulatory risks related to water resources.
Significant amounts of water are used in the plating and washing process during the manufacture of wind instruments. Accordingly, since the early 1970s, Yamaha has been recycling cooling water and wastewater using reverse osmosis, as well as actively pursuing policies to prevent leakage in water facilities.
Yamaha Eco-Products
Established in 2015, the Eco-Products program is a Yamaha initiative aimed at certifying environmentally-friendly products that meet certain standards, such as:
Reduction in contained harmful substances and volatile organic compounds (“VOCs”); for example, the use of lead-free solder in all brass and woodwind instruments.
Employment of alternatives to rare woods by switching to materials that contribute to sustainability.
Promotion of saving and reuse of resources.
Reduction in energy consumed during usage.
The aim of this program is to provide customers with environmental-related information and facilitate their identification of our products meeting these standards when they select items to purchase.
Ecodear pellets before processing.
To date, over 600 products have met these guidelines and another 30 will receive the Eco-Products designation in 2019. Some examples include plant-based Ecodear® plastic recorders, as well as MusicCast networked Consumer Audio products, which have low networked standby power consumption. In addition, many of our PA powered mixers (such as the EMX Series), powered speakers (such as the DBR Series, DXS Series and DXS XLF Series) and complete powered PA systems (such as STAGEPAS products) fall into this category due to their usage of high efficiency amplifiers.
We only have one planet to live on! Let’s celebrate the wonderful resources nature has provided us with, and to resolve to do all we can to preserve those resources for generations to come.
Click here for more information about the Yamaha commitment to sustainability.
The mallet percussion family is made up of five instruments: marimba, xylophone, vibraphone, glockenspiel (sometimes called “orchestral bells”) and chimes. In the a recent blog posting, we discussed the wooden mallet instruments: marimba and xylophone. Now let’s talk about the metal mallet instruments: vibraphone, glockenspiel and chimes.
Range and Tonality
The sound characteristics of vibraphone, glockenspiel and chimes differ due to factors such as the bar material (aluminum or brass), physical construction, and the type of mallet being used. In addition, as you can see from this chart, the three instruments have different ranges:
The vibraphone has the lowest range of the metallic percussion instruments (beginning at C) and has a soft mellow sound. The glockenspiel occupies a higher range (also beginning at C) and has a sharp, piercing sound. Chimes have the smallest range of any mallet percussion instrument (one and a half octaves) and are sonically reminiscent of church bells.
The vibraphone and some glockenspiels have metal resonators (sometimes called resonator tubes or resonator pipes) suspended beneath the tone bars, with the length of each resonator varying depending on the pitch of the tone bar; the lower the note, the longer the resonator. (Some glockenspiels use a wooden box as the resonating chamber.) On the vibraphone, motor-driven rotating disks (called “fans”) are also situated at the top of each resonator, allowing the player to add a vibrato effect to the sound by turning the motor on or off and varying its speed.
These videos demonstrate the sonic differences between the three instruments:
Tuning
Glockenspiels and vibraphones use the same tuning system as the marimba: octave-tuning. Octave-tuning involves tuning the fundamental and 4th overtone. Chimes have the most complex tuning system of any mallet percussion instruments. According to Grove Music Online, “An interesting acoustical property of chimes is that there is no mode of vibration with a frequency at, or even near, the pitch of the strike tone one hears. Modes 4, 5 and 6 appear to determine the strike tone. These modes are nearly in the ratio 2:3:4, so the ear considers them as overtones of a missing fundamental an octave below mode 4.”
Bar Material
The bars of the vibraphone and glockenspiel are made of an aluminum alloy. Vibraphone bars are anodized and can be matte gold, matte silver or glossy gold. Chime tubes are brass and are sometimes chrome-plated.
The mallet percussion family is made up of five instruments: marimba, xylophone, vibraphone, glockenspiel (sometimes called “orchestral bells”) and chimes. In this article, we’ll talk about the differences between the wooden mallet instruments: marimba and xylophone. (Check out our blog posting about the metal mallet instruments: vibraphone, glockenspiel and chimes.)
Range and Tonality
The sound characteristics of the marimba and xylophone differ due to factors such as the bar material (rosewood, padauk or synthetic), physical construction, and the type of mallet being used. In addition, as you can see from this chart, the two instruments have different ranges:
The marimba is the largest instrument in the mallet instrument family. Its range can cover over five octaves (beginning at C), with a dark, full sound. The xylophone occupies a higher range (beginning at F) and has a brighter, more piercing sound. Both instruments have resonators (sometimes called resonator tubes or resonator pipes) suspended beneath the tone bars. These amplify the sound and cause the note to resonate fully when the bar is hit with a mallet. The length of each resonator varies depending on the pitch of the tone bar; the lower the note, the longer the resonator.
These videos demonstrate the sonic differences between marimba and xylophone:
Tuning
Xylophones and marimbas also utilize different tuning systems. Xylophones use quint-tuning, which involves tuning the fundamental and 3rd overtone. Marimbas use octave-tuning, which involves tuning the fundamental and 4th overtone. This is a simplified description of the tuning methods, but it is important to know because it affects the sound characteristics. The marimba has a similar harmonic structure to wind and string instruments, while the xylophone stands out because of its usage of quint-tuning.
Bar Material
Traditionally, marimba and xylophone bars are made out of rosewood. However, over the past few decades, manufacturers have experimented with other materials. In addition to rosewood, Yamaha makes marimba and xylophone bars out of padauk and Acoustalon™.
– Padauk is a hardwood native to central and tropical West Africa. In addition to bars for mallet instruments, it is used in making drums, string instruments and furniture.
– Acoustalon is a synthetic material developed by Yamaha, produced from fiberglass-reinforced plastic in a one-step manufacturing process. Bars made of this material provide exceptional durability and a pure tone. Each Yamaha Acoustalon bar is scientifically designed with Sonic Tone Holes to yield a tonality similar to rosewood.
A Yamaha Disklavier is an important investment that can provide you (and, if you’re an educator, your students) with years of reliable performance. Here’s a guide to ensuring that you’ll be enjoying its benefits for a long time to come.
Where to Locate Your Disklavier
You don’t always have a lot of choices when placing big instruments, particularly in institutional settings. However, following these guidelines will maximize the sound and stability of your Disklavier:
1. Put your Disklavier where it sounds best. Try to avoid being near reflective surfaces that will cause harsh echoes.
2. Provide sufficient ventilation. Disklaviers need ventilation, but don’t need to be placed directly in the path of blowing air. The best location for your Disklavier is in the center of a room or against a wall dividing two rooms. If possible, avoid placing it next to an exterior wall where outside weather conditions might cause tone quality and volume to suffer. If there is no other choice, at least make sure that the Disklavier has adequate space on all sides.
3. Avoid windows. Try not to place the Disklavier near a window. A Disklavier cabinet is made of wood and must be protected against direct sunlight, humidity and sudden changes in temperature. Windows that open to the outdoors offer the least protection. If you must place the Disklavier near such a window, put a heavy curtain over the window for protection.
4. Avoid heat sources. Keep the Disklavier away from sources of heat such as radiators or hot air registers. Excessive heat can damage the finish and internal parts, causing tone and balance to deteriorate, and may possibly dry and damage the soundboard.
Optimize Your Disklavier’s Environment
Yamaha pianos are renowned for their stability and durability. Through a process known as “seasoning for destination,” Disklaviers, like all Yamaha pianos, are carefully prepared to perform well in a wide variety of environments. However, because it is made of wood, felt, leather and metal, it must be treated correctly in order to extend the life of the instrument. Here are some tips for doing so:
1. Control the humidity. Generally speaking, a relative humidity of between 40 and 45 percent around the piano is ideal.
2. Protect against excessive moisture. Your local Yamaha Disklavier dealer can advise you how best to compensate for climatic conditions in your area. However, there are some general tips for proper care: On cloudy or rainy days, close all windows in the room where your Disklavier is located. Also, be sure to close the top board each time after playing. Finally, be especially careful about excessive moisture if you live in one of the following places:
– Along a seacoast or in a rainy or humid region
– In a valley, in a house facing hills, or in an area with poor drainage.
– In a concrete building less than one or two years old.
– In an area where air exhausts are directed into a room, or in a dark room facing north.
3. Beware of excessive dryness. Too much humidity is a problem, but excessive dryness is an even more serious one, especially where heating or cooling systems are used that can create artificially dry rooms. Used in naturally dry climates, the Disklavier has enough natural moisture to prevent excessive drying. However, if the air becomes too dry, the wooden and felt components will shrink. In extreme cases, the soundboard, joints and other laminated sections may even come apart, even though they have been glued together carefully. Slight distortion of the parts may cause noise, and the swelling and shrinking of the wood in the piano may make it difficult to keep your Disklavier in tune. To avoid excessive dryness, it’s best to keep a humidifier in the room where your Disklavier is located.
4. Avoid sudden temperature changes. When a cold room is warmed suddenly, moisture may condense on the Disklavier strings and other metal parts, causing them to rust. In addition, felt parts absorb moisture, affecting their function and resulting in unclear sound. Be especially careful about sudden temperature changes when moving your Disklavier into a room in a cold climate or into an airtight room in a concrete building.
Care Practices and Good Habits
As with any fine piano, the use of materials such as wood, felt and cloth in Disklavier construction means that many parts are quite delicate. If not properly cared for, they can be easily damaged. Here are some good practices to adopt:
1. Dust your Disklavier regularly. Particulates can affect the action and cause noise, so dust your Disklavier frequently with a feather duster or slightly damp soft cloth, then dry the finish with a soft cloth.
2. Keep the keyboard clean. Your Disklavier keyboard should be wiped periodically with a soft, dry cloth. Never use cleaners containing alcohol, as the keys will become cracked. If the keyboard is very dirty, wipe it with a cloth dipped in a solution of soap and water and wrung out well. The same cloth should not be used for cleaning the surface of the Disklavier, however. A good habit to cultivate is never to play the Disklavier with dirty hands. That way, the keyboard will stay clean for a long time.
3. Do not place objects on top of your Disklavier. We know how much pianists love coffee (and other beverages). Regardless, please keep them off the Disklavier! Even small amounts of liquid of any kind may rust the metal parts of the Disklavier and damage the hammers and action, not to mention the electronic components. In addition, the delicate and very precise fiber-optic sensors that make a Disklavier so accurate can be damaged by items that may drop in between keys or below the music desk. Avoid costly accidents and never place anything on the piano that could spill or drop between the moving parts.
4. Avoid contact with certain materials. Your Disklavier’s finish is very durable, but all wood finishes can be damaged from long-term contact with certain substances. These include plastic products, vinyl products, anything containing alcohol, and liquids such as cosmetics, insecticides, paint thinner, and petroleum-based products. Never use any kind of aerosol near your Disklavier. If such cleaning products must be used, spray directly into the cloth instead of in the air.
Note: Yamaha is unable to assume responsibility for damage resulting from abuse, harsh treatment, or extended exposure to adverse conditions.
Institutional Service Schedule
We strongly recommend that you adopt a schedule of regular service for your Disklavier, including regular tuning and adjustment. In institutional settings, it is advisable to put such maintenance on the school’s administrative calendar, since it may require work by someone other than the school’s usual technician. In addition, we recommend using a Disklavier-trained technician for all service. At least twice per year, your Disklavier should receive the following maintenance, in this order:
1. Perform any mechanical maintenance or adjustments. Voicing, regulation, or mechanical repairs should be done before any other electronic or acoustic maintenance.
Institutional technicians take note: Always mechanically adjust the damper and shift pedals as specified by Yamaha, then run pedal calibration. Also, make sure the key balance rail holes are free.
2. Update to the latest operating system. Yamaha periodically offers updates to operating systems for Mark IV and E3 Disklavier and Disklavier PRO models. These updates can be performed with the piano online or manually. Even for older models, you should make sure you are running the latest firmware. Check the Yamaha Disklavier System Software Support Page to see if an update is available for your piano. (If you don’t know your model number, click here for a handy guide.)
3. Run full calibration. The Disklavier has a self-monitoring calibration mode that ensures the most accurate reproduction of performance, regardless of changing conditions. This is normally performed by a technician, but can also be done by the user. Calibration instructions vary by model, so please contact your local Disklavier technician for the instructions specific to your Disklavier. If at any point during the calibration process you hear the piano play a minor or diminished chord (yes, we assume you’ll all be able to tell which is which!), you may need to call a Disklavier-trained technician.
4. Tune your Disklavier. Like all pianos, Disklaviers must be tuned regularly. Since the calibration causes each note to play at high velocity, it’s best to wait until after the calibration to tune the piano.
Remember, Disklaviers are acoustic pianos with sophisticated electronic and electro-mechanical components, so don’t attempt to service these components. Many of these components rely on highly precise adjustments and can be easily damaged. If you or your technician ever has a question about your Disklavier’s maintenance or repair, or to find a qualified technician, call Yamaha Piano Service at 800-854-1569.
Question: What could make a home with a MusicCast wireless multi-room audio system even better?
Answer: The ability to control those MusicCast devices simply by speaking.
Now that the entire family of Yamaha MusicCastproducts works with all Google Home products, you can control the audio throughout your home with “Actions on Google” voice commands that tell Google Assistant what you want it to do. Let’s take a look at how it works.
Yamaha MusicCast product family.
MusicCast works with the entire Google family of voice products.
Getting Started
The first step is to get Google Assistant’s attention by saying “Hey, Google” or “OK, Google.” Once Google Assistant is listening (its LED lights pulse or spin), you can begin telling it what you want it to do by saying Actions. These give you the ability to control functions on your MusicCast devices, such as turning the volume up and down on a MusicCast BAR 400.
Using Smart Home Skills
To use voice control with Google, try any of the commands in this table:
Category
Intents
Invocation
Smart Home Skills
Note
Power on/off
Power On
Hey, Google,
turn on the [Room Name]
Power Off
turn off the [Room Name]
Power Off (All rooms)
turn off all
Play/Pause/Stop
Play Control (Play)
play in the [Room Name]
Play Control (Stop)
stop in the [Room Name]
Stop Music (All)
stop all rooms
Play Control (Pause)
pause in the [Room Name]
Volume Control
Volume Up
turn up the volume in the [Room Name]
Volume Up (Group)
turn up the group volume in the [Room Name]
Volume Down
turn down the volume in the [Room Name]
Volume Down (Group)
turn down the group volume in the [Room Name]
Volume Set
set the volume to [number] in the [Room Name]
0-100 volume levels
Volume Set (Group)
set the group volume to [number] in the [Room Name]
0-100 volume levels
Mute/Unmute
Mute On
mute the [Room Name]
Mute On (All Rooms)
mute all rooms
Mute Off
unmute the [Room Name]
Next/Previous (Skip/Repeat)
Play Control (Next)
play next song in the [Room Name]
Play Control (Previous)
play previous song in the [Room Name]
Play Control (Skip)
skip song in the [Room Name]
Play Control (Repeat)
play this again in the [Room Name]
Input Selection
Input Change
switch the [Room Name] to [Input Name]
Here are some examples:
To turn on a MusicCast device located in the kitchen, say, “Hey, Google, turn on the Kitchen”
To turn off all MusicCast devices in all rooms, say, “Hey, Google, turn off all”
To start a MusicCast device in the kitchen playing, say, “Hey, Google, play in the Kitchen”
To turn up the volume of a MusicCast device in the kitchen, say, “Hey, Google, turn up the volume in the Kitchen”
To turn down the volume of a MusicCast device in the kitchen by 20 levels, say, “Hey, Google, turn down the volume by 20 in the Kitchen”
To set the volume of a MusicCast device in the kitchen to 50%, say, “Hey, Google, set the volume to 50% in the Kitchen”
To mute a MusicCast device in the kitchen, say, “Hey, Google, mute the Kitchen”
To play the next song on a MusicCast device in the Kitchen, say, “Hey, Google, play next song in the Kitchen”
To change the input of a MusicCast device in the kitchen to Spotify, say, “Hey, Google, switch the Kitchen to Spotify”
It’s as easy as that!
Using MusicCast Actions
As you can see from the table below, all your favorite MusicCast functions are available through Google Assistant as well. As an example, just say, “OK, Google, ask MusicCast to link the Living Room with the Kitchen” and you’ll hear the same audio playing in the living room as is in your kitchen.
Category
Intents
Invocation
MusicCast Actions
Note
Room
Link
OK, Google, ask MusicCast to
link the [Room Name] with the [Room Name]
Link (All)
link the [Room Name] with all rooms
Unlink
unlink the [Room Name]
Unlink (All Rooms)
unlink all rooms
Sleep Playing
Set Sleep Timer
set sleep timer for [number] minutes in the [Room Name]
Number is 30, 60, 120 only
Unset Timer
cancel the sleep timer in the [Room Name]
Now Playing
Get Now Playing
what's playing in the [Room Name]
Disklavier ENSPIRE Control
Piano Control
play the piano in Quiet mode
play the piano in Acoustic mode
set piano control to Quiet mode
play the piano
stop the piano
skip the piano
play previous song on the piano
turn up the volume on the piano
turn down the volume on the piano
turn on the piano
turn off the piano
Play Piano
play [Song Name] on the piano
User Information
Tell Me ID
tell me my user ID
Tell Me Rooms
tell me all rooms
Setup
To use Actions on Google with your MusicCast products, here’s what you’ll need:
The Google Home app (Go to Google Play or the Apple iTunes® Store on your mobile device and search for “Google Home app”)
For more information on how to set up the apps, view or print our Setup Manual.
Helpful Hints
Here are some helpful hints for using Actions on Google with your MusicCast devices:
Keep some space between your Google Home/Nest device and your MusicCast device so Google Assistant can hear you.
Start off using the default room names that come with the MusicCast Controller app. You may have to rename some rooms to make sure that none of your MusicCast devices have the same name. Later, as you get more used to Google Assistant, you can switch to different room names.
Set up MusicCast favorites and playlists so Google Assistant can play them easily.
Introduce Google Assistant to your MusicCast products, and you won’t have to lift a finger ever again to enjoy wireless audio in every room of your home!
Question: What could make a home with a MusicCast wireless multi-room audio system even better?
Answer: The ability to control those MusicCast devices simply by speaking.
Now that the entire family of Yamaha MusicCast products works with all Google Home products, you can control the audio throughout your home with “Actions on Google” voice commands that tell Google Assistant what you want it to do. Let’s take a look at how it works.
Yamaha MusicCast product family.
Google Home product family.
Getting Started
The first step is to get Google Assistant’s attention by saying “OK, Google” or “Hey, Google.” Once Google Assistant is listening (its LED lights pulse or spin), you can begin telling it what you want it to do by saying Actions. These give you the ability to control functions on your MusicCast devices, such as turning the volume up and down on a MusicCast BAR 400.
To use a MusicCast Action, add the invocation, “ask MusicCast to,” then use one of the Google commands in the following table. For example, to turn on a MusicCast device located in the living room, say, “OK, Google, ask MusicCast to turn on the living room.” It’s as easy as that!
Category
Intents
Invocation
Actions (Commands)
Note
Power on/off
Power On
OK, Google, ask MusicCast to
turn on the [Room Name]
Power Off
turn off the [Room Name]
Power Off (All rooms)
turn off all rooms
Play/Pause/Stop
Play Control (Play)
play in the [Room Name]
Play Control (Stop)
stop in the [Room Name]
Stop Music (All)
stop all rooms
Play Control (Pause)
pause in the [Room Name]
Play MusicCast Favorites/Playlists/ Recents
Play Favorite
play [Favorite x] in the [Room Name]
Play Playlist
play in the [Room Name]
Play Recent
play recents in the [Room Name]
Volume Control
Volume Up
turn up the volume in the [Room Name]
Volume Up (Group)
turn up the group volume in the [Room Name]
Volume Down
turn down the volume in the [Room Name]
Volume Down (Group)
turn down the group volume in the [Room Name]
Volume Set
set volume to [number] in the [Room Name]
0-100 volume levels
Volume Set (Group)
set group volume [number] in the [Room Name]
0-100 volume levels
Mute/Unmute
Mute On
mute the [Room Name]
Mute On (All Rooms)
mute all rooms
Mute Off
unmute the [Room Name]
Next/Previous (Skip/Back)
Play Control (Skip)
skip song in the [Room Name]
Play Control (Previous)
play previous song in the [Room Name]
Play Control (Head)
play this again in the [Room Name]
Repeat/Shuffle
Shuffle On
shuffle all songs in the [Room Name]
Shuffle Off
turn shuffle off in the [Room Name]
Repeat On
repeat one song in the [Room Name]
Repeat On (All Songs)
repeat all songs in the [Room Name]
Repeat Off
repeat off in the [Room Name]
Input Selection
Input Change
switch input to [Input Name] in the [Room Name]
Room
Link
link the [Room Name] with the [Room Name]
Link (All)
link the [Room Name] with all rooms
Unlink
unlink the [Room Name]
Unlink (All Rooms)
unlink all rooms
Sleep Playing
Set Sleep Timer
set sleep timer for [number] minutes in the [Room Name]
Number is 30, 60, 120 only
Unset Timer
cancel the sleep timer in the [Room Name]
Now Playing
Get Now Playing
what's playing in the [Room Name]
Disklavier ENSPIRE Control
Piano Control
play the piano in Quiet mode
play the piano in Acoustic mode
set piano control quiet mode
play the piano
stop the piano
skip the piano
play previous song on the piano
turn up the volume on the piano
turn down the volume on the piano
turn on the piano
turn off the piano
Play Piano
play [Song Name] on the piano
User Information
Tell Me ID
tell me my user ID
Tell Me Rooms
tell me all rooms
As you can see in the table above, all your favorite MusicCast functions are available through Google Assistant. As an example, just say, “OK, Google, ask MusicCast to link the living room with the kitchen” and you’ll hear the same audio playing in the living room in your kitchen.
Setup
To use Actions on Google with your MusicCast products, here’s what you’ll need:
– Any MusicCast product
– Any Google Home product, Android®, or iOS® device
– The Google Home app (Go to Google Play or the Apple iTunes® Store on your mobile device and search for “Google Home app”)
For more information on how to set up the apps, view or print our Setup Manual.
Helpful Hints
Here are some helpful hints for using Actions on Google with your MusicCast devices:
– Keep some space between your Google Home device and your MusicCast device so Google Assistant can hear you.
– Start off using the default room names that come with the MusicCast Controller app. You may have to rename some rooms to make sure that none of your MusicCast devices have the same name. Later, as you get more used to Google Assistant, you can switch to different room names.
– Set up MusicCast favorites and playlists so Google Assistant can play them easily.
Introduce Google Assistant to your MusicCast products, and you won’t have to lift a finger ever again to enjoy wireless audio in every room of your home!
I am interviewing prominent people, some in the music industry, others not. For my first Q&A, I talked to prolifc GRAMMY®-winning composer and conductor Eric Whitacre.
I became aware of Whitacre’s special gifts many years ago when he was a standout undergraduate at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. His world view — that music education can be the gateway to building a better society because it informs the way that children see the world — is inspiring, thought-provoking and well worth exploring.
Q. Exactly when did you know that you were going to make music the focus of your professional life?
A. I’ve always loved music. I can’t remember a time that I didn’t have it in my bones, but I’m not sure I thought that’s what I would do with my professional life. I clearly remember the first time I heard a piece that I had composed performed. I was 21, and up until then I had only written pop and rock music. At the reading session of this piece called “Go, Lovely Rose,” I was able to hear music I had written in the bodies and lungs and brains of other people.
It was a transcendent experience, and I remember thinking, “I have to figure out a way to make this my world. This is my vocation.”
Q. What is your biggest pet peeve?
A. I don’t like negativity, especially when brainstorming an idea or in the throes of creativity. When people say, “no” or “that can’t be done” or “that’s not the way we’ve done that before,” it destroys the creative process.
I love that in improv, the No. 1 rule is “yes and …” Whatever question is asked of you in improv or whatever statement is made, you say, “yes” and then you add to it. You go!
In creative endeavors, I find that’s the best way to find the real juice and magic. Don’t say, “no.” Instead, say, “yes and … yes and … yes and …”
Q. Why is music important to humanity?
A. For me, music is a fundamental form of communication and expression. And by fundamental, I mean that it’s built in — it’s hardwired into our systems.There are studies that have shown that music creates empathy, compassion and a bond between people. There’s really no other discipline that creates a bond like this — and I don’t mean just a spiritual bond, but a biological, chemical bond.
Hormones are released in the brain that cause you not only to be less stressed but also cause you to bond — chemically bond — with people around you. I don’t think it’s overstating it to say that music will help save humanity — that the more we play music together, the better citizens we’ll all be.
Q. What is your favorite guilty pleasure food?
A .This is an easy one because I just came back from Christmas vacation, and I must have eaten my weight in M&Ms! My mother leaves them all over the house — literally every room has two or three bowls of Christmas M&Ms, and I can’t stop eating them. In my normal life, I usually eat very healthy with little sugar, but I do love those M&Ms!
Q. Why is it important to protect access to a musical education?
A. Children, even more than adults, absorb the lessons of musicianship, musicality and ensemble music making. Music transforms them. It informs the way they will see the world for the rest of their lives in profound ways and in ways that are important to building a better society.
On an individual level, access to music education just opens young peoples’ worlds! It’s not just music — they learn history, languages, sciences and mathematics all through the study of music! Even just the exposure to music — even if they don’t learn the hard lessons themselves, they learn it through an intuitive way. If it were up to me, everyone on Earth would have access to all the best music.
Q. Other than music, what brings you inspiration?
A. Everything! I’m inspired by literature, film, dance, art, poetry … but I’m also inspired by food and dancing (I’m learning tango now), and I’m hugely inspired by the natural world — by space, the beach, oceans. I’m also inspired by the physical underpinnings of the natural world. What makes a wave flow the way that it does?What makes space expand?What makes food taste the way that it does? I guess, ultimately, inspiration for me comes from a sense of fascination, and I tend to be fascinated by just about everything.
Q. What book is on your nightstand right now?
A. “Fear” by Bob Woodward — terrible nighttime reading, I have to say.
Q. What piece of music do you wish you had written and why?
A. The list is absolutely endless! The first piece that pops into my head is the Fifth Symphony by Prokofiev – it’s just mind-blowingly good! It’s so clever and beautifully orchestrated, constructed and crafted. It’s also the kind of thing that I don’t think I could ever do myself. There’s a formality to it and an abandon in the way he uses the orchestra that I just don’t think I’ll ever be able to achieve.
Q. Which person from history, dead or alive, would you want to have lunch with and what would you discuss?
A. I’d like to meet Isaac Newton. By all accounts, he was a true genius but also a little left of center — a real creative thinker. I also think he was one of the last spiritual scientists … mystic scientists. I’m utterly fascinated by the things that he discovered and also stories about him.
Q. What is your most embarrassing moment that you can share?
A. This is going to be a terrible answer, but I don’t embarrass very easily.I really can’t think of many moments when I was embarrassed. I usually just laugh at myself and let it go. It’s a terrible answer, but that’s my best answer.
Photo by Marc Royce
This article originally appeared in the 2019 V1 issue of Yamaha SupportED. To see more back issues, find out about Yamaha resources for music educators, or sign up to be notified when the next issue is available, click here.
“I’m kind of hard-wired to do things at a pretty intense level,” says Aaron Tindall. “In the low brass field, you just have to be relentless.” And Tindall expects the same passion from his students.
“He’s one of the most hard-working people I’ve ever met,” says TJ Graf, one of Tindall’s students. “What are you willing to do that other people aren’t? That’s his big thing. Are you willing to work on one note for two hours to play that note perfectly?”
But not that long ago, the driven Tindall was a driver — literally. “Ten years ago, I was driving limousines professionally,” Tindall says. “Whenever I had 20 or 30 minutes, I’d get in the back of the limo and practice on the tuba.”
Tindall was taking a semester away from graduate school. Practicing between customers was “the only way to keep my hope and dream alive to be the player I wanted to be.”
Tindall’s road to the top of his profession has not been smooth or straight, but his persistence has made the difference. He is currently associate professor of tuba and euphonium at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. In the summers, he teaches at the Eastern Music Festival in Greensboro, North Carolina. His fourth solo album, “Yellowbird,” comes out later this year.
These accomplishments are particularly impressive given the fact that Tindall didn’t focus on the tuba until his mid-20s. An accomplished euphonium player, Tindall added the tuba when confronted with the daunting prospects of earning a living playing the smaller instrument. “It was all or nothing,” he says, with euphonium players either getting plum positions in military bands or having to find work outside of music.
Tindall was able to play F tuba at the time, but he was very far from having the full tuba toolbox. “I knew in order to be a college professor, I needed to learn to play the tuba just as well as any other tuba player could,” he recalls.
Keep the Ignition Switch On
Getting better each day in steps that are carefully plotted on a mental map is the Tindall way. “One of my favorite expressions is: ‘Some people dream of success while other people wake up and work hard at it,'” he says.
As a teenager, Tindall trained Labrador retrievers for field competitions. He twice won national titles. That experience fine-tuned his approach toward success. “It’s just systematic,” Tindall says. “You can’t move to step two unless you’ve done step one really well.”
Tindall says that he expects his students to “have a clear game plan of what they’re going to do the next day” before they go to sleep. “They need to know what their warmup routine is going to consist of. Every hour of their day needs to be mapped out.”
Tindall practices what he preaches. Each night he plans what he will do the following day, finding a way to divide his time among his family, his students, his busy performance schedule and his own practice time.
When asked if there’s a certain personality type that thrives playing the tuba, Tindall pauses. “There’s a certain personality that thrives working with me,” he says with a laugh.
“The most important thing is work ethic,” he adds. “Everybody’s on a different trajectory, everybody’s on a different pace of learning, everybody starts at a different point. But I really want to find a student who will keep that ignition switch on week after week.”
Tindall says he works best with hyper-focused students. “The music field is incredibly tough. The minute that switch gets turned off, a lot of students quit trying as hard, and they don’t practice with the same determination,” he says.
Tindall is unapologetically intense about music, but his students are quick to call him caring, supportive and kind. They note that he applies his energy and focus to supporting them as people, not just as players.
Firing on All Cylinders
While he was in graduate school, Tindall won a prestigious solo competition and with it a scholarship to attend the Aspen Music Festival in Colorado. At the time he was exclusively a soloist. Tindall bought an orchestral tuba just two days before the festival started.
From that start, Tindall has become an accomplished group player. He’s now the principal tubist for the Sarasota Orchestra. “When you sit on a stage with 80 to 90 of your colleagues who are all performing at a high level, and you get to churn out this creation, a masterpiece, that’s pretty thrilling,” he says.
Tindall says that his orchestral role is “to take the low end of the brass and the low end of the woodwinds and meld that into the strings. Sometimes I have to sound like wood, sometimes I have to sound like metal, sometimes I have to sound like a strings player. The role of a tuba player in an orchestra is so diverse.”
He embraces the tuba’s prominent voice in a group and its role creating a rhythmic and harmonic foundation. “I love the pressure of it,” Tindall says. “I thrive on it. If I’m not on my game, everybody is going to know it.”
One vitally important performance principle that Tindall imparts to his students: “When things are consistent, things are authoritative. When things are authoritative, people listen.”
Road Map to Success
For his students, Tindall maps out challenging daily goals. “I ask them to practice four to five hours,” he says.
The day begins with an hour to an hour and a half of their “daily fundamental routine, where they’re working on their mechanics of playing,” Tindall says.
He likes his students to get this done first thing, before 9 a.m. Next is 30 minutes of working on “whatever their deficiency is.”
His students spend one hour practicing an etude, with different pieces each day of the week. “They’re learning how to deep practice something,” he says.
A recording device is an essential tool for musicians. “Record, listen, fix,” Tindall says. “That’s the mantra.” At the end of the hour, they perform the piece for themselves, recording it for future critiques.
The next hour they study solo material, using the same record-listen-fix process. Then comes an hour of orchestral or military band excerpts — “job material,” in Tindall’s words.
Tindall knows that not all of his students will have careers in music, “but the lessons that they learn in the music field are invaluable,” he says.
Time management, perseverance, high expectations and relentless effort are some of the traits Tindall works to build in his students. “Where else can you learn to be a leader and a follower, a collaborator, a doer, a team player, a problem solver?” he asks. “Sometimes we don’t do a good enough job marketing all the skills people learn from studying music.”
It’s no surprise that Tindall is methodical about imparting life lessons. He has developed a list of ways to build your self-concept. These include:
Value who you are as a person over who you are as a musician.
Value the idea that you can contribute to others.
Set realistic expectations on a daily, weekly, monthly and yearly basis.
Set aside perfection and instead learn from your accomplishments and mistakes.
Learn the difference between critique and criticism. A critique is a detailed evaluation of something while a criticism tends to be a negative reaction.
Don’t lose your self-identity. Hold on to your roots and the good things about where you came from and build on those.
Stay humble as you succeed. As pastor Rick Warren said, “True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.”
It comes down to drive — keeping the ignition switch on — and driving — following a map. It’s a good way to get places. And it’s clearly worked for Aaron Tindall.
photo by Rob Shanahan for Yamaha Corporation of America
This article originally appeared in the 2019 V1 issue of Yamaha SupportED. To see more back issues, find out about Yamaha resources for music educators, or sign up to be notified when the next issue is available, click here.
You became an instrumental educator because you love music and have a passion for sharing your talent with students. When your job inspires you, teaching may not even feel like work.
But if you notice yourself getting frustrated by your school’s administration, parents and students, or if you’re beginning to question why you devote so much of your free time to the music program, you may be on the verge of burnout.
Keep things fresh to enjoy yourself more and to offer your students your best self.
Have a Positive Network
If your friends and colleagues find fault in everything, you’re more likely to be negative too. Befriend people with a sunnier outlook; it’s better for your mental health.
“You’re the sum of the people you surround yourself with,” says Nolan Jager Loyde, assistant director of fine arts over instrumental music at Round Rock Independent School District in Texas. “Choose your friends wisely. Listen to what they’re saying and choose based on who you want to be.”
When you’re feeling frazzled, a mentor may help you find perspective. Good mentors are supportive, honest, positive and emotionally available, with enough experience and wisdom to make their comments meaningful and relevant.
“If you’re in a small school, and you don’t have other music staff, don’t get into your little hole and not get out of it,” says Richard Sherrick, a retired music educator, choir director and band director from Parkway Local Schools in Rockford, Ohio. “If you’re the only music teacher, you can feel isolated. Reach out to people in other schools in the area.”
Take on New Responsibilities
Scott Lang
Rekindle your passion for your work by attending professional conferences, teaching new material or becoming a liaison to the state music educators association. It may inspire you in ways that you couldn’t imagine.
“Where I really see long-term successful careers in music education are with those who continue to evolve their roles, not just within their classrooms but also within their community,” says Scott Lang, a music education advocate based in Chandler, Arizona. “They become mentor teachers [or] take on leadership roles [or] take on roles with a state music association. [They] chair the department [or] host a Facebook group or host a concert festival. That’s typically when I see long-term teachers who are just knocking it out of the park. After they conquer what has happened in the classroom, they try to conquer what happens outside.”
Sharing small and appropriate details about yourself can help you bridge the two main parts of your life — the classroom and home — and it can help you connect with your students in a meaningful way. All this can lead to greater on-the-job satisfaction.
“I might say I was with my girlfriend at one of our favorite restaurants having a really comforting meal — that’s the feeling I want to have when you play this song,” says Loyde, who addressed improving work environments and making each day more meaningful at the Music for All Summer Symposium in 2018 and The Midwest Clinic International Band and Orchestra Conference in 2012. “That helps me say, ‘This is my life. My life is here [during] the 13 hours that I’m spending here.’ I find that the teachers who are worn out keep it separate.”
Realize that You May Change
Just because your job was perfect for you 10 or 20 years ago doesn’t make it the right fit now. Some people have trouble realizing that when life circumstances change, it can impact work.
“I wasn’t shy about working 80 or 90 hours a week at [age] 25,” says Lang, who taught in the classroom for 16 years and now spends 200 days on the road annually speaking about topics like teacher burnout.
“I worked weekends, nights, summers. It’s an all-consuming profession, and you’ve got to be better next year,” says Lang. “But I’m 51. I have two kids and a wife, and I don’t want to sleep in the band room. Maybe I might be better off with a different school environment, or a different age range, or different curricula, or different music.”
Find Fulfillment Outside of Work
Richard Sherrick
Make time for activities like going to the gym or doing something else that keeps you physically active. “You need to find a secondary release,” says Sherrick, who occasionally gives seminars about passion for the job and avoiding burnout.
“I encourage some type of non-musical hobby or pastime. I have a friend, and we played racquetball on Tuesdays. Doing [this activity] with a friend made it easier to get out of the house and go,” Sherrick says.
Exploring your passion for music outside of the classroom may also bring you satisfaction. “I played in a little dance band, played in a community orchestra,” Sherrick says. “I tried to keep my playing skills up, and that fulfills you too. You’re socializing with [other] people.”
Look for a New Job
If something insurmountable at work makes you unhappy, search for a new position. “It’s okay to make a lateral move for personal and professional reasons,” Lang says.
“There will always be an opening somewhere. Teachers are making changes on a far more frequent basis than years ago. If they say, ‘I’m struggling here,’ that’s OK. Find a different fit. They feel like they’re trapped, but they’re not. Teachers shouldn’t be shy about using their free agency,” Lang says.
If you’re feeling the onslaught of burnout, your students will see it and suffer for it. Don’t stagnate. Assess your situation, which can lead to rejuvenation for your job or a resolution for a change.
This article originally appeared in the 2019 V1 issue of Yamaha SupportED. To see more back issues, find out about Yamaha resources for music educators, or sign up to be notified when the next issue is available, click here.
In music, tone is distinct and identifiable, and when played correctly and in harmony within an ensemble, it sets the overall mood and quality of a performance. However, mastering tone does not come easily. It requires hard work and a dedication to good musical habits, which come from a well-balanced “daily diet” of exercises, according to Jarrett Lipman, director of bands at Claudia Taylor Johnson High School in San Antonio.
Dr. Kirk Moss‘ high school ensembles received significant recognition for their beautiful tone. “One of the reasons I moved into higher education was to share how I was getting that sound with a broader population,” he says.
Both Lipman and Moss share tips on how wind and strings students can perfect their tone.
For Brass and Woodwinds
Jarrett Lipman
Breath Support: For good tone on wind instruments, Lipman tells his students to “breathe to play, not breathe to live.” Distinguishing “between a breath we might take walking around during the day versus the proper breath to play [an instrument]” can make a big difference in tone quality, says Lipman, who was on the brass staff for the Boston Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corps.
He recommends practicing breath support during sectionals because technique may vary depending on the instrument. For example, an oboe player wouldn’t need to “fill up” the same way as a tuba player, he says.
Embouchure and Posture: After breath support, students need to work on embouchure, tongue placement and posture. “We’re constantly monitoring their physical habits,” Lipman says.
He compares developing good musical habits to having a healthy, well-balanced diet. “We talk a lot with the winds players [about a] daily diet or daily drill,” he says. “For brass, you want whole-note scales [and] Remington exercises. For woodwinds, we try to do an interval exercise.”
To keep students practicing good tonguing and embouchure skills, Lipman recommends incorporating these exercises into the warmup music. “Nothing exists in a vacuum,” he says. “We always want our fundamentals exercises to directly apply to our music.”
For Strings
Dr. Kirk Moss
Focus on the Bow: According to Moss, the greatest factor affecting tone in a stringed instrument is how a player handles the bow. Bow use is one of the most important “variables of sound, whether we’re dealing with beginners or advanced artists,” he says.
Many facets of the bow work together to produce sound, and a change in any of those variables results in a change in tone. “The bow is a huge and often underestimated tool in the musician’s hand,” Moss says. “It makes more of a difference than the instrument or the strings themselves.”
Factors to consider include the placement of the bow relative to the bridge and fingerboard, the weight of the bow on the strings and the speed of the bow. “That can include the tilt of the stick, how the hair contacts the string and, finally, the direction — whether it’s a down bow or an up bow,” Moss says. “Those variables … dictate the tone that students are going to produce.”
Work on Both Hands: Moss explains that musicians often neglect their bow skills because “so many of the materials available for school programs [are] left-hand driven,” meaning that they focus on students’ finger skills with the fingerboard. That’s why Moss co-wrote several exercise books — including Sound Innovations for String Orchestra: Creative Warm-Ups and Sound Innovations for String Orchestra: Sound Development — that feature sections on bowing.
Strings students need to hone skills in both their right and left hands to gain a well-rounded string education. “It’s important to choose resources that teach the right hand beyond how to hold the bow,” Moss says. “Holding the bow is an important step, but it doesn’t end there.”
Moss recommends that educators work with students to develop finger flexibility in both hands. “It really comes down to treating the right hand [and the bow] as a separate instrument,” he says. “Once those right-hand fingers are flexible, [it] opens up all kinds of sound.”
For Everyone
Prioritize Daily Tone Practice: Regardless of what instrument you play, practice is necessary to master tone. Lipman recommends that educators break down their rehearsal time to allow for tone exercises. “If you have a 45-minute rehearsal, take 10 to 15 minutes [to] build their ensemble skills; [treat] it like a masterclass on tone quality,” he says.
This masterclass mindset is important, so students don’t treat the exercises like a warmup that they can later ignore. “A lot of times, when you do a B-flat scale to warm up, it becomes, ‘I played my B-flat scale to get to the music,'” Lipman says.
Listen to Great Music: According to Lipman, mastering tone comes down to the fundamental understanding of what good sound is and what the instrument is meant to sound like. “Listen to recordings, listen to symphony orchestras,” he says. “The hardest part is when you don’t know what you’re working toward. It’s important [that] you find something you really like and find [out] how they do it.”
This article originally appeared in the 2019 V1 issue of Yamaha SupportED. To see more back issues, find out about Yamaha resources for music educators, or sign up to be notified when the next issue is available, click here.
That performance inspired Lauren Ramey and Cassandra Brosvik, Ravenwood’s choir director and orchestra director, respectively, to help their ensembles strive for the same level of achievement.
“Watching [the wind ensemble] go through auditions and rehearsals and then getting accepted and preparing for this amazing experience inspired my kids to do the same thing,” Ramey says. “They saw what their friends got out of working really hard and coming up with a standard of excellence.”
Spurred by the exceptional talent of their students and motivated by their Music for All invitations, Brosvik and Ramey began their most ambitious collaboration. Last December, the orchestra and choir performed Antonio Vivaldi’s “Gloria” together.
“We’re picking and performing repertoire that includes choir and orchestra,” says Brosvik, whose chamber orchestra has consistently earned superior ratings at Middle Tennessee School Band and Orchestra Association‘s concert performance assessments.
In addition to working with the choir, Brosvik also works closely with the band. Last spring she and Mark Kinzer, Ravenwood’s former band director, created a full orchestra by combining her advanced orchestra and his wind ensemble. “It was the first chance we were able to do this based on schedules, but we wanted to do it for a while,” she says. “The students loved it and keep asking, ‘When are you going to do that again?’ We want to encourage that.”
Brosvik and Ravenwood’s new band director, Chris Janowiak, are eager to continue collaboration between the two programs. However, Janowiak and his assistant band director, Brianna Bjerke, who is also new to Ravenwood, want to first get comfortable at the school. Between the two of them, they teach a wind ensemble, a symphonic band, a percussion ensemble, a competitive marching band, a winter guard and a drum line.
Time to Plan
Brosvik has been directing Ravenwood’s orchestra since 2015, and this year, she began splitting her time between two high schools. She is starting an orchestra program at nearby Franklin High School and spends her mornings there before heading to Ravenwood for the afternoon. Because of this unusual schedule, Brosvik, Ramey and Janowiak do not share a common planning period. They do, however, share a common lunch period. “So that is when we get together and brainstorm,” Brosvik says.
At Ravenwood, Brosvik’s orchestra classes and Ramey’s choral classes share a room. When Brosvik arrives at Ravenwood for her afternoon classes, Ramey is busy teaching her choir. Often Brosvik will peek in on Ramey’s classes. “Our office opens up to the classroom, so as a result, I get to see her teaching, and she watches me teaching,” Brosvik says. “Her planning is during my advance orchestra class.”
All three directors also get together on “power Mondays,” a districtwide initiative that allows departments to plan as a team. On select Mondays, Ravenwood students report to school 40 minutes later than usual. “That gives teachers 40 minutes to meet with their teams,” Ramey says. With Brosvik joining by email, the directors “are able to come up with common assessments, set goals or talk about ways to hit some standards,” Ramey says.
Shared Students
As in most high schools, the fine arts students at Ravenwood tend to rub elbows with one another, making it easier for the directors to collaborate. In fact, sometimes they make accommodations to share students across their programs. “There are many kids who are in choir and who are also in band.” Ramey says. “Or there are kids who are in orchestra and choir or in orchestra and band. All the combinations exist.”
Sometimes Ramey, Brosvik and Janowiak get really creative and share a student during the same class period. “A certain choir and a certain band meet at the same time, and there have been times when we wanted a student to be in both ensembles,” Ramey says. “So we worked something out where the student comes to choir on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and to band on Tuesday and Thursday. And then they switch the next week.”
No One on an Island
Knowing directors can’t thrive in a vacuum, Janowiak is eager to support and partner with his colleagues. “You can’t build a program on an island by yourself,” he says. “You have to have everyone else’s interest in mind.”
Opportunity and success are recurring themes in the Ravenwood fine arts department as all three directors find new ways to cultivate student success. “We’re always trying to be innovative within the limits of what we can do,” Brosvik says. “The success breeds off each other.”
For example, the band program accompanied singer Thomas Rhett at the 2018 Country Music Awards. “I’ve never been in a room with that kind of energy,” Janowiak says about the experience. “With the excitement and nerves … that was definitely the coolest thing I’d ever done with kids!”
And the top choir ensemble performed in April 2018 with composer Eric Whitacre at Carnegie Hall in New York.
Brosvik, Ramey and Janowiak have laid the groundwork for a successful fine arts program, in part due to their genuine care for one another, and now they cast a collective gaze toward the future.
“[To] develop a thriving program, you have to be able to be honest with one another in a loving and supportive way,” Ramey says. “Cassandra and I can do that. And we’re getting there with Chris and Brianna. We’re set up for success. … I’m excited to see what the next couple of years will bring and what new ideas we can come up with together and [how we can] branch out from what we’ve [accomplished]. We have a good foundation, and I’m really excited to see where we go.”
This article originally appeared in the 2019 V1 issue of Yamaha SupportED. To see more back issues, find out about Yamaha resources for music educators, or sign up to be notified when the next issue is available, click here.
The idea behind these rules is to create consistency in everything musicians do to build their ears to listen for this consistency. They are:
Evenness of sound/tone
Fronts of notes
Release of notes
Shape of notes
Length of notes
Time (playing with the proper pulse or beat)
Rhythm (the value of the notes – what happens on or between each beat)
Pitch
Musical cohesiveness (do all of these elements start to snap together and create a musical idea?)
Sweep (is the music beginning to drive to the arrival point of the phrase without losing energy or power?)
Students receive a list of these “10 Rules of Play” on their first day as Tindall’s pupils. They are never far from mind, serving as a constant point of reference.
“You might not be able to hear all these elements, but we’re going to teach you to hear these elements,” he says. “We’re going to empower you.”
photo by Rob Shanahan for Yamaha Corporation of America
This article originally appeared in the 2019 V1 issue of Yamaha SupportED. To see more back issues, find out about Yamaha resources for music educators, or sign up to be notified when the next issue is available, click here.
As music teachers, we often focus on the aspects of program development that we can directly control — what and how we teach. We consider the value or danger of starting strings students using tapes, whether or not the French embouchure truly eliminates biting on the clarinet, when and how solfège should be introduced, and why every or no brass player should employ free-buzzing exercises.
However, the key to building a successful fine arts program also lies in the hands of the oft-overlooked counselors and master scheduler, who likely have no feelings whatsoever on the merits of the Eastman versus Traditional counting systems.
The manner in which your school’s master schedule is devised and how individual students are assigned their personal schedules within this system can make a tremendous difference in the level of success that your students can achieve. When speaking with educators about their scheduling challenges, I often find a mix of fatigue and resignation. However, there are some simple and effective steps you can take to schedule for success.
Start with the Arts
First, I recommend that you begin where you have the most influence — meet with your colleagues in the fine arts department to ensure that the band, choir, orchestra, theater, dance and art programs are not scheduling at cross purposes.
Does your varsity orchestra meet during the same period as varsity theater? Are students often forced to choose between enrolling in advanced studio art or varsity band because they meet at the same time each year?
Work together as a department to devise a schedule that emphasizes student choice, facility utilization and conflict-free scheduling. The challenging “give and take” that will certainly take place will be worth it because you will design an arts department schedule that solves problems instead of causing them. Plus, you will help create a more unified and stronger fine arts department overall.
Bring your unified plan to the master scheduler for review and feedback. You will be shocked at the positive impact this planning will have on your relationship with campus schedulers.
Advocate, Not Aggravate
A school’s primary goal is to successfully graduate students. In fulfilling this goal, the master scheduler and the counselors have some of the most important and thankless responsibilities in any school system. Therefore, make sure your relationship with the schedulers involve advocacy, not acrimony.
Ask to meet and learn about their process, what deadlines they face, and what changes or tweaks to your audition/placement procedures can make their jobs easier.
Find out which periods house classes such as Advanced Placement courses that have only one available section. Avoid scheduling varsity classes during these periods.
Succeed within the System
At some campuses, devising the master schedule is the job of a single individual who works out the details by hand or on a spreadsheet. At larger campuses, the master schedule is often calculated by software or a Student Information System (SIS).
When meeting with your scheduler, ask how your program’s scheduling needs fit into the way the software works. For example, if you have audition or placement information that will affect or change a student’s master schedule, find out if the software requires certain data (such as student ID number, local course number or section number) in order to set up a student’s schedule. Then make sure that whatever audition or placement results you provide the scheduler clearly includes that data.
I also recommend using the same spreadsheet template across all fine arts programs for audition results or schedule placements for consistency within the department. Ask your master scheduler if there is a particular format he or she prefers. Placing this data in an easily understandable spreadsheet template allows the scheduler to filter the data by student, course code and more. The earlier and more clearly you communicate the audition/placement information, the more success you will have with scheduling!
This article originally appeared in the 2019 V1 issue of Yamaha SupportED. To see more back issues, find out about Yamaha resources for music educators, or sign up to be notified when the next issue is available, click here.
Chris Janowiak, Cassandra Brosvik and Lauren Ramey use this same creative planning with their students.
Finding opportunities for students to work together within the music department can be difficult — though not impossible, Janowiak says. The three directors often use the lunch period to bring students together.
Janowiak’s wind ensemble and Brosvik’s honors orchestra meet during the same period but in different locations while Ramey’s chamber choir meets during another period. Conveniently, most of their students share a common lunch, or homeroom period.
“When a certain piece in choir calls for percussion instruments or a wind instrument, or when the choir and orchestra were doing all that work for the holidays, those rehearsals happened during lunchtime,” Janowiak says. “It’s just finding as much free time as possible during the day to cram all that stuff in!”
This article originally appeared in the 2019 V1 issue of Yamaha SupportED. To see more back issues, find out about Yamaha resources for music educators, or sign up to be notified when the next issue is available, click here.
Yamaha Master EducatorAnthony Maiello is a Distinguished University Professor at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. Below, he pens a letter to his younger self, sharing advice, anecdotes and inspiration for a fulfilling career in music education.
Dear Younger Anthony:
As you embark on your career, let me assure you that becoming a music teacher is the perfect profession for you. Teaching is a privilege and will give you the opportunity to demonstrate your passion for making music on a daily basis, and you will see music bring joy and happiness to others. Music is a blessing to be shared. Don’t ever forget this.
When did you find music and music find you? It happened when you were very young because music has always been a part of your life.
Remember the accordion your parents rented for you? Their support as your love of music grew was invaluable.
And never forget all the wonderful teachers who nurtured, encouraged and inspired you. They all believed in you and taught you to believe in yourself, especially when you questioned your musical abilities. You must now do the same for your students. Teach them music with love, care, kindness, humility and enthusiasm.
Remember the four-person dance band you started in 9th grade? You played the accordion and were joined by a drum set player, a tenor saxophonist and a guitarist — what fun the four of you had playing at weddings, dances and parties! You wrote and arranged music for the band — those skills helped direct you to follow a path to share your love of music with others.
You will meet a doctor, who also happens to be a fine French horn player, and he will define how important your work is when he compares his profession to yours. He will say that his work involves stitching wounds, prescribing medications and assisting people back to good physical health. Then he will tell you, “But you, with your music, you touch souls.” This will be the most powerful statement you will ever hear. It will have an incredible impact on you.
After 54 years as a music educator, I should have a long list of tips and advice for you as you begin your first year of teaching. But all I can say is: There is always more music to learn. If we lived 10 lifetimes, we would just begin to scratch the surface of music.
As a musician, striving for perfection is essential, although we must accept and know full well that we will never achieve it. Music teaches us that we learn by correcting mistakes, one note at a time.
Beethoven said, “To play a wrong note is insignificant; to play without passion is inexcusable!” To this I say, “Amen!”
Let me close by saying that we are so very fortunate to have music as our vocation and avocation.
Good luck!
Anthony in 2019
This article originally appeared in the 2019 V1 issue of Yamaha SupportED. To see more back issues, find out about Yamaha resources for music educators, or sign up to be notified when the next issue is available, click here.
It’s fun to sit down at your keyboard or strap on your guitar and create music by yourself, and it’s sometimes really important to work strictly on your own, especially when it comes to honing your craft. But one of the great things about music is that you it also allows you to collaborate with others in order to take your creations to a whole new place.
The word collaborate is defined by Merriam-Webster as “to work jointly with others, especially in an intellectual endeavor.” But this only touches the surface of what collaboration really is. Especially when it comes to music, collaboration is actually a healthy blend of skill, knowledge, psychology, personality, trust, talent, vision and the ability to envision what the end result could (and should) be.
In my line of work, I often collaborate with others. I do so for a variety of reasons, from the sheer fun of it to discovering something that might not have occurred to me if I were working alone. Along the way, I have found that one of the most important factors is being able to go into any collaboration with an open mind. You also must take into consideration the psyche of the person or people sitting across from you, and ascertain if they are taking the same approach as you, or a different one. Are they defensive when their ideas are questioned or changed? Do they welcome your ideas as much as you welcome theirs? Do they also have an end goal in mind that you should both be fighting for? These are all important clues as to whether the collaboration is working.
You also have to not be defensive or selfish about your own skills. I recently worked on a collection of emotive guitar cues with Ian Hatton — a well-seasoned guitarist who has worked with the likes of Robert Plant, Paul Rodgers and Jason Bonham. When I compose for TV, I normally do so on guitar, because that’s the foundation of my skill set. But I have an open enough mind to welcome working with another guitar player — someone who will bring to the table a variety of ideas, licks, phrases, parts and even instruments that I don’t have. So for this particular project I set my guitar playing aside and put on my other hats — that of composer, engineer, mixer and collaborator. Even though Ian handled all the guitar duties, I was able to create rhythmic loops as well as play bass, keys and percussion, in addition to using my mixing skills to pull it all together. Our open-minded collaboration yielded such great results that we are already working on several other projects together!
Collaboration can also be enhanced by a healthy sense of competition. In an article entitled How Lennon and McCartney Used Collaboration and Competition to Create Genius, author Dave Clark makes some interesting points. “[Lennon and McCartney’s] collaborative genius can be seen in what many consider to be The Beatles greatest song, A Day In The Life,” he writes, “where both members came to the table with parts of incomplete songs. While vastly different in musical composition, the pair fused these parts together to create an epic masterpiece that defines their greatness.”
Clark also refers to the writing of the psychedelic song Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, where, he points out, the duo “volleyed” lines back and forth, “coming up with ideas with ease, creating the definition of a true collaboration.”
But, he adds, competition also drove the pair. “During The Beatles’ heyday, when everything the [pair] wrote became a hit,” he explains, “they began to write significant parts of songs, or even entire songs, on their own. When John appeared in the studio one day with Strawberry Fields Forever, a melancholy reflection of his childhood, Paul immediately answered with Penny Lane; an interpretation of his childhood. Always trying to “one-up” each other, the pair kept raising the stakes on what it meant to write a great song. Because of this, the songs kept getting better all the time.”
So approach any collaboration with an open mind, and be willing to consider all possible ideas that may result, regardless of where they may come from. Don’t immediately discard an idea coming from your collaborator even if you may not like it. Instead, ask yourself what you can combine with their idea to create something you might not have thought of on your own. Don’t worry about who writes this part or that, and don’t fret about how much each person contributes overall. Remember, it’s the music that counts, not anyone’s ego. Think big picture, and you’ll find that sometimes one plus one equals three!
Good things come in waves. After a few years at a new high school, your marching band is going great. The booster program is very active and has been raising money.
It’s going so well that your new plans include purchasing a front ensemble.
Your band has about 150 students and is expected to grow to over 200 in the next few years when the new junior high school is completed. Your current students want to attend a Bands of America Regional next year, and there’s even talk of starting an indoor drumline.
You know that the top drum corps use all sorts of gear in their front ensembles, but you have no idea what you need to get started. This purchase must last at least eight years, and you may need to add more mallet instruments next year as the program expands.
The purchasing process for front ensemble equipment can be a bit complicated, but with a little research, you can make an informed decision. Here are 10 key things to consider:
1. Talk to Your Local Music Dealer
Local dealers are great resources, especially if they’ve been a dealer for a long time. Ask them which front ensemble brand they like to work with when buying instruments. Which brands hold up over time? Which brands can get parts without delay? How long does it take to get delivery? You need gear now and cannot wait for five months.
2. Understand Your Program’s Needs
Know the amount of activity your program will be undertaking during the year. Will you participate in a few or a lot of marching competitions? How many students will you have the first year? Will you have a percussion specialist running the program? The answers to these questions will narrow the choices relating to bar options, frame type, quantity, weight, wheels and purchase quantity.
3. What Instrumentation is Needed?
To get started, you will need one marimba, one vibraphone, one xylophone and one concert bass drum. All of these instruments should come on some sort of multi-frame, which are designed to be outside. (Never use any concert frame instruments outside.)
As your front ensemble grows, you may want to add another marimba or vibraphone before anything else. Most front ensembles only have one xylophone. Whether you purchase a timpani or an accessory rack will ultimately depend on the music, instrumentation needs and player ability. Consult with your music arranger and percussion instructor.
4. How Often Will the Instruments Need to be Moved?
This is an often overlooked consideration. Pushing a mallet instrument is not necessarily an easy task especially when it is loaded down with a fair number of accessories like cymbals or concert toms. Additionally, not all students can move this equipment. Take stock of where the instruments will be stored when not in use as well as the distance to and from the rehearsal field. You want multi-frames that are easy to push and pull and that are not bogged down in unnecessary weight.
5. Transportation
How will the instruments be moved to and from competitions and performances – by truck or trailer? Ensure that there is a ramp so instruments can be rolled on and off the truck. Make sure that you select field-frames that are not too heavy; three students should be able to lift the frames on and off the truck or trailer.
Remove the bars from all mallet instruments and store them in bars bags. This keeps the bars safe and in good condition during transport. Do not place anything on top of mallet instruments.
Finally, make sure students have parental permission to move instruments on and off vehicles.
6. Size and Range of Instruments
A common mistake is getting something larger than you need. A five-octave instrument may look appealing, but it is very expensive and very large – too large to fit on a lift gate. A four-octave vibraphone might also be unnecessary when a three-octave silver vibraphone will suit your needs just fine. While the difference between a 4.3- and 4.5-octave marimba might seem minor, the extra resonators on the low end of a 4.5-octave adds more weight. If you can manage with smaller range instruments, do so.
7. What Additional Instruments Will Be Mounted?
Cymbals, smaller bells, concert toms and concert snare drums are nice to have, but they are not necessary. The less you must mount, the less there is pack and unpack for performances. Ensure that the frames you get come with extra mounting clamps for accessories and they should mount to the places you need them on the frame. For example, suspended cymbals should be positioned within easy reach of the player. Remove all accessories from multi-frame instruments for transportation on a truck or trailer. The frames should be able to roll easily without any added accessories in the way of transport. A runaway mallet instrument coming down a ramp can cause serious injury – to the instrument and anyone in its path.
8. Wheels
Ensure that any mallet instrument you purchase has proper wheels. Make sure the wheels can navigate the terrain – dirt, asphalt, rocks, grass – from the band room to the practice field and back. A hammer caster wheel will work in most cases, and they do not need to be inflated.
Air-filled wheels are nice but not necessary. If you do opt for air-filled wheels, make sure you have access to an air pump always.
9. Ask for Advice
Ask your collegiate marching band director and percussion friends for the brands they prefer. Was the company sales representative available when needed? Were the mallet instruments easy to move? Does the metal frame protect the wooden frame of each instrument?
10. Protect Your Investment
To keep your front ensemble in top shape for several years, ensure your instruments come with covers to protect the keyboards from the damage of heat and moisture. Other accessories to consider include bar bags, moving blankets, cymbal bags, bungee cords and moving straps.
Research your options and ask a lot of questions when purchasing any instrument. By making an informed decision, you’ll equip your students and your music program with quality instruments that will last.
DSP (short for “Digital Signal Processing”) is used widely in live sound to process audio after it has been converted to digital information. Some of the advantages of digital processing, as opposed to analog processing, are reduced noise and distortion, as well as increased dynamic range. DSP can be used to perform a huge variety of audio functions such as equalization, compression, limiting, reverb, delay, and more. This month we’ll see how DSP is used in powered loudspeakers and their built-in amplifiers; next month, we’ll talk about how it’s used in mixers.
Getting In Tune
Modern Yamaha powered loudspeakers incorporate high-performance 48-bit DSP to modify EQ in order to tune them for optimum results in specific applications. For example, DBR Series powered loudspeakers provide two DSP switches, labeled D-CONTOUR and HPF:
DBR Series DSP controls.
D-CONTOUR (Dynamic Contour) is a multi-band dynamic processor that monitors the output of multiple frequency bands, and sends data back into an intelligent sensing system. This system automatically tunes the EQ for each frequency band so that the speaker can produce maximum Sound Pressure Level (SPL) while also maintaining clear and powerful sound regardless of volume level.
One of the advantages of the DBR Series is that their enclosure shape allows them to be used either as main PA speakers or as floor monitors. The D-CONTOUR switch modifies the speaker’s internal digital EQ for each specific application. When a DBR is used as a main speaker, it will usually be mounted on a stand such as the Yamaha SS238C or atop a Yamaha DXS Series subwoofer. Loudspeakers typically lose low-frequency response when suspended or mounted on a pole. The FOH/MAIN position of the D-CONTOUR switch boosts the low frequencies to correct this problem.
Placing any speaker near a boundary such as a wall or floor increases the low frequencies, often making the sound boomy and reducing clarity. Setting the D-CONTOUR switch to MONITOR reduces the DBR’s low-frequency range and restores that clarity when it is placed on the floor as a stage monitor. You also have the option to turn off D-CONTOUR if you feel that a flat response will work better in a particular situation.
Let the Highs Pass
The second DSP switch on the DBR is labeled HPF, short for high-pass filter. You may recall from our Tools of the Trade posting about Equalization that this kind of filter cuts low frequencies only, allowing the high frequencies to pass untouched (hence its name). If you’re using a DBR without a subwoofer, set this switch to OFF to extend the low frequency range. When you’re ready to play larger rooms, you can add a subwoofer such as a Yamaha DXS Series to enhance the low end capabilities of your PA system. In that case, set the DBR’s HPF to either 100 Hz or 120 Hz — whichever works best with your particular subwoofer (you can find that information in its owners manual.) As a bonus, using the HPF will also enhance the clarity of the DBR above the selected frequency.
Subwoofer Applications
Yamaha DXS Series subwoofers offer several rear-panel switches that are used to control internal DSP. One of these switches is for the crossover (“X-OVER”) frequency and it can be set to 80 Hz, 100 Hz or 120 Hz. In our Tools of the Trade posting “Deciphering Power Ratings, Part 2,” we explained that a crossover is a series of filters that direct certain frequencies to certain speakers (sending the low frequencies to a woofer, and high frequencies to a tweeter, for example).When using a DXS subwoofer and DBR speaker together, set the DBR’s HPF and the DXS’s X-OVER switches to the same frequency. This will ensure that the speakers don’t overlap and produce an unnatural low-frequency response.
The other switch on DXS subwoofers is the D-XSUB switch for EQ presets. The BOOST setting provides a tight, focused bass with a slight boost between 60 and 70 Hz. The XTD LF (short for “extended low frequency”) setting allows the DXS to reach down to lower frequencies, enabling it to produce powerful low end that other compact subwoofers can’t achieve. When the BOOST or XTD LF settings are used, the D-XSUB function controls the boost dynamically in relation to the volume level so that you’ll get powerful bass even at lower volume levels. The OFF position provides a flat frequency response without any D-XSUB enhancement.
DXS15 mk II subwoofer controls.
Crossover Filtering and Quality Control
One big advantage of powered loudspeakers is that their built-in amplifiers and crossovers can be perfectly matched to the transducers. DXS Series loudspeakers have an internal digital crossover that employs exclusive Yamaha FIR-X™ (Finite Impulse Response) filters to optimize frequency and phase response, resulting in better clarity and imaging than is possible using traditional analog crossovers. What’s more, each speaker and amplifier is measured and tested at the Yamaha factory, and DSP is then used to calculate the maximum safe output level for each component. The status of the power supply, amplifiers, and transducers are also constantly monitored by a microprocessor and DSP for excessive heat, shorts or other potentially damaging conditions, allowing the speakers to operate at their highest capability while maintaining safe, reliable operation — even in the most strenuous of conditions.
You’ve finally made up your mind to give up your VHS tape player, along with the stereo receiver you had in college and that cheap Bluetooth® speaker you won at the company picnic five years ago.
Tossing out old gear is easy. But disposing of unwanted electronics in a responsible way requires a little extra care (which is probably why it takes us so long to do it!).
In this blog posting, we’ll tell you how to do so … but first let’s start with three things you should not do:
1. Leave it on the street next to your trash cans on trash day. Definitely not. Electronics in your household trash may be sent to landfills or incinerators, allowing harmful substances to leach into ground water and make its way back into our food supply.
2. Throw it in the dumpster at work. Bad idea. Instead, check with your employer to see what recycling programs they have in place. If they do, they probably have a designated area for e-waste recycling that is not the dumpster behind the building.
3. Dump it behind the nearest Goodwill and drive away before they see you. No! But you are getting warmer, since many of these types of organizations have recycling/donation programs. (See below.)
Instead, here are five responsible ways to recycle your old AV gear:
1. Utilize local recycling centers – Check your city or town’s website for a list of e-waste recycling centers. If there are no permanent centers, they may have designated e-waste recycling days. You can also utilize the Environmental Protection Agency’s website for information about recycling electronic equipment. This comprehensive site also provides links to other resources where you can look up recycling centers in your state, such as the E-Cycling Central site.
2. Donate it, get a receipt, deduct it – Many charitable and nonprofit organizations such as Goodwill accept donations of working and even nonworking electronics. They will repair what can be repaired and separate out reusable components to sell to reputable recyclers. They can also give you a receipt that may allow you to deduct the depreciated cost of the gear you donate from your tax return. (Check with your tax specialist to see whether you qualify.) One of my favorite recycling options is provided by Los Angeles-based Homeboy Electronics Recycling, who even offer vintage electronic equipment for use as movie props. Very creative!
3. Sell it – There is a large market for used electronics, even for devices that don’t work any more. Check out resources such as Craig’s List, Facebook Marketplace, Letgo, OfferUp, or eBay for Charity. Yamaha AV products are built to last, so even if you’ve had yours for years, it may be a gem that someone else can enjoy for a long time to come.
4. Trade up – As with most technology, we always want to have the latest and greatest AV system. In fact, the desire to upgrade is probably the most common reason for getting rid of your current components, and there are websites where you can trade in your old equipment and get credit toward purchasing a new piece. Check out AudiogoN and Crutchfield (powered by 2nd Life).
5. Take it to a retailer – Many large companies now offer recycling, trade-in or buyback programs. Check their websites for details.
Whichever option you choose, be sure to delete any personal information stored on your electronics before getting rid of them and check for any media left in players. I’m still looking for the second disk of my Dances with Wolves DVD, and I’m fairly sure that I inadvertently donated it!
If you think about the planet and future generations as you rid yourself of old or outdated gear, you’ll find that spending a little extra time to do so responsibly is well worth it. And think of what you can do with all that extra space you’ll have after recycling your old gear … like filling it with new AV gear!
Want to learn more about recycling electronics? Check out these resources:
NOTE: While we do our best to provide useful information and resources for our customers, Yamaha does not endorse or affiliate with any of these services.
In Part 1 of this two-part series, we talked about resonant frequencies as they relate to the human body, to “good vibes” (and bad), to colors, and to music in general. In this installment, we’ll talk about how they relate to guitars and the human voice.
I’m not a huge fan of other people playing my instruments. I believe that my personal guitars are resonating in the frequency ranges that I play them in. They have become part of my vibrational tone and so they respond perfectly to me, in the keys that I play them. I also believe each guitar will have developed a synergy with my body resonance and vocal tonality within those keys. Once someone else imparts their frequencies upon your instrument, it may take some time to re-establish balance between you and your guitar again.
Connect With Your Guitar
Do you have a resonant relationship with any of your guitars? One that really speaks to your every sensibility? Not because it’s the most expensive guitar you own, but because you couldn’t fully express yourself without it? Take a moment one evening before you start to play one of your guitars and try to get a deeper understanding of your relationship with that instrument. Are the frequencies between you and the instrument you play creating “harmonious vibes,” or is there some kind of disconnect?
Anything that stands between you and the notes you play will have a profound effect on your music, so you’d better make sure there are no broken lines of communication!
One of my favorite guitars being shown by Yamaha at NAMM 2019 was the new Revstar 502TFM. The flame maple top finished in the hand-rubbed Vintage Japanese Denim was visually stunning, so I automatically gravitated towards the instrument, which of course made me want to pick it up and play it. The guitar immediately felt good in my hands — familiar as expected, since I’ve long been a Revstar player. But the more I played that particular guitar at the show, the more I became connected to it. In effect, we were building a musical repertoire of frequencies, and the guitar was learning my resonant language.
Sing While You Play
When I work on a new song, I like to find the right key for my voice … but it’s not always about working within my range. It’s more about finding where the lyrics, chords and melody sit well. Sure, I could sing a whole step above where I perform some of my songs, but they may not resonate with me at those higher pitches and my performance may suffer as a result. You have to listen first to feel where the music lives in the song.
So it should come as no surprise that I’m a staunch advocate of having my guitar students sing when they play their instruments. When you use your voice to create melodies you will feel those tones vibrate throughout your whole body and the guitar too. Supporting your vocal melodies on your instrument will also help you develop a stronger chord/melody relationship, and you will literally feel it when the melodic pitches are vibrating in harmony with the chords. Chordal tones will sound and feel consonant. Chromatic tones will vibrate in dissonance with the chords, and you will hear and feel that too! It’s a deeper, vibrational understanding that you’ll only experience when you sing while playing a chordal instrument like the guitar.
When I write new melodies for the videos I create, I sing over the chords until I find ideas I like. Using my voice creatively that way allows me to emote with my personal instrument, an instrument that isn’t impaired by muscle memory and a limited knowledge of scales. I find that my internal musicality really shines when I sing. I create better melodic, motif-based hook lines — ideas that are usually quite simple but uniquely phrased; passages that I can transfer onto the guitar for my solos or instrumentals.
The Video
In this month’s video I’m playing my Yamaha Revstar 720B guitar into a Line 6 HX Stomp. This is my “go to” guitar for most of my projects these days. I love how it looks and feels, plus it translates my notes beautifully.
Take a moment to really listen to the notes I’m playing. Then listen again, but this time, rather than just listen, I’d like you to feel the notes. How do the notes resonate with you and make you feel? You may find that the chord tones evoke a peaceful feeling whereas the chromatic tones have a sense of movement and unrest within you.
It’s also no mistake that I chose to wear that blue shirt. I felt that it added a high-frequency vibrancy without distracting from the guitar and the music — a complimentary aspect of pitch that you can see but not hear.
The Wrap-Up
Some of the ideas I’ve shared with you in this two-part article may seem a little unconventional, but I hope I have given you food for thought or perhaps a deeper understanding of how closely we are connected to all of the elements around us on a daily basis.
When you feel something, pay attention to those feelings. They are vibrational signals that communicate with us to guide our decisions, musical or otherwise.
When it rains, listen to the tone and pitch of the drops as they fall gently on a tin roof. Pay attention to the traffic lights as they change color and try to hear the notes of red, amber and green. Feel the power of your own resonance within your body and try to emanate that wonderful energy out into the world like a sonic beacon for others to witness and enjoy.
Play your guitar, connect with your instrument, feel the synergy and every frequency throughout your body and know that every note, chord and composition you ever play will have a profound vibrational effect on everything around you!
When I was about 10 years old, my parents bought me a used upright piano for $150. It had a roughly textured black and white speckled finish. It was the oddest looking piano I’d ever seen. I wish I had a picture of it but this was before we were a culture that documented every moment of our waking lives.
Anyway, I didn’t care what she (the piano) looked like. I was just happy to have one and I couldn’t take my hands off of her. (I don’t know why she was a “she.” I just knew she was.)
Although her keys wobbled and there was no resistance in their touch, every ivory (and ebony) was intact. No breaks or chips. Tuning was, well, just okay, but whether or not she was perfectly tuned didn’t matter because I wasn’t even aware (yet) that there was such a thing as being sharp or flat. My ear wasn’t trained. The vicinity of a proper tone was just fine with me.
I loved that piano. She was my first collaborator. My first partner in crime. She accommodated my every musical whim. And she elicited creative impulse simply because she was there and I was starting to have something to say. I will never forget her.
Since then, I’ve experienced a variety of keyboards varying in quality, status and price, from an impeccably tuned 6-foot baby grand to the weathered spinet in my friends Wally and Xandy’s live room. The latter has what we call … vibe. An instrument’s vibe, or personality, gives it a unique voice. And that DNA is what matters most to me.
Recently I visited the Artist Exhibit at the Musical Instruments Museum in Phoenix, Arizona. Safely ensconced inside a Lucite case was the piano on which John Lennon conceived “Imagine.” I recalled a snippet of an interview with John in which he said he chose that particular piano because it was just a little bit “off.” I get what he meant. All vibe. “Imagine” wouldn’t be the same song if he wrote it on the gorgeous concert grand on display in the lobby …
… which of course I made sure to lay my hands on before I left. Between the favorable acoustics of the high ceiling overhead and the daily TLC maintenance it receives, I was admittedly transported by its superior sonics. Museum goers gathered ‘round to hear me play but in my mind I was alone on a planet. Inside my head. Under its spell. I could’ve stayed there for hours but 20 other people were waiting to give her a try.
At last January’s NAMM show I was introduced to an acoustic guitar with Yamaha TransAcoustic technology, with its built-in chorus and reverb — ambiance on steroids, and no amp required, either. As soon I started strumming her (guitars are females too) it was as if I was on a stage, plugged into the mixer and in the spotlight. Nice.
I felt like a better player than I actually am. Eureka! Maybe we’re more likely to bond with an instrument if it bolsters our ego. Because we write better when we’re confident. A delicious instrument shuts down any impulse to procrastinate, so we stay on the bench (or stool) longer. And let’s face it, the longer we tinker, the more likely something remarkable will fall from the sky. So personally I’m quite comfortable imagining I’m better than I am even if I’m not. (Oh, and I think one of those TransAcoustics is in my future.)
Your instrument is an extension of your soul. If it calls to you, get closer. Like Marie Kondo’s theory about keeping only items that “Spark Joy,” let’s not justify what we’re drawn to on the basis of brand name or price tag or because someone else is drawn to it. Ask yourself how an instrument makes you feel. If the answer is “inspired,” then she’s the one.
Trombonesare a critical voice in any band or symphonic ensemble, and compared to most other wind instruments, they are actually pretty simple machines.
However, if you haven’t spent much time playing trombones, they may seem like a bit of a mystery.
If you’re a band director with a robust and rambunctious trombone section, it’s important to understand how to keep trombone slides moving lightning fast. Here are some tips on the best options for lubricating trombone slides.
In the past, trombones didn’t have the option of special lubricants created with high-tech ingredients, so players improvised with whatever they had available. One of the most popular choices at that time was old-fashioned facial cold cream – the kind that came in a jar and had a creamy consistency similar to yogurt or toothpaste. This may seem like an odd choice, but believe it or not when applied properly, this greasy cream did make a pretty good lubricant for trombone slides! You probably won’t find many players still using facial cream these days, but official cream-style lubricants remain a popular choice today.
Here’s the way I was taught to apply slide cream when I first learned to play trombone:
Apply a thin layer of slide cream starting at the bottom, then spray a fine mist of water to the slide while playing to keep the slide slippery.
The cream must be applied to the entire inner slide, so remove the outer slide completely and set it aside. Put the outer slide in a safe location where it won’t fall or get stepped on – it is very fragile and easy to dent or bend!
Place a small amount of cream on your fingertip, a drop about the size of a pea. IMPORTANT: make sure you’re using trombone slide cream, and not tuning slide grease. Grease is too thick and sticky for the hand slide and should only be used for tuning slides!
Starting at the bottom of one of the inner slides, spread that drop of cream around the fat part of the slide (called the stocking). Then continue working that same drop of cream up the tube toward the hand section. You shouldn’t need to apply more than that one drop of cream.
Once you have coated that entire inner slide, grab the top of the slide with the tips of your thumb and first two fingers, forming a rough triangle around the tube. Then, with one quick motion, pull your fingers down the length of the slide to wipe off some of the excess cream you just applied. Your goal is to leave behind a thin layer of greasy cream spread evenly across the metal. If you can actually see the cream, there’s still too much!
Repeat this process for the other inner slide tube, starting with a fresh pea-sized drop and again wiping off any excess.
Once both inner tubes are coated, carefully put the outer slide back in place and work it up and down a few times to spread the cream evenly.
At this point, the slide should feel fairly smooth, but for the best action use a spray bottle to apply a fine mist of water onto the inner slide tubes before and as needed while playing. The water will bead against the greasy layer of cream and act like tiny ball bearings to cushion the slide and make the action super-fast.
Depending on how much you play, slide cream may need to be reapplied after a few days or weeks. However, be careful – it’s easy to over-apply cream or use too much. When that happens, the slide can get gummy and slow even with water. Remember, if you can actually see the cream, there’s too much, so clean the slide thoroughly and start over with a fresh thin layer.
For liquid slide lubricants, apply a few drops at the top of the inner slide tubes.
In more recent years, a variety of lubricants have been specifically created for trombone slides that are thicker than oil but still much thinner than creams. Some of these come as a two-part mixture, while others (like this Yamaha Trombone Slide Lubricant) come in a single bottle. Liquid lubricants are preferred by many professional players and are an excellent option for students and beginners because they are easy to use. And best of all, they make your slide incredibly fast!
There’s no need to remove the outer slide for liquid lubricants. Simply place a few drops of lubricant at the top of each inner slide tube and allow the liquid to run down the slide. Don’t worry about using too much – any excess lubricant will drain out through the water key, so there isn’t any risk of excess buildup.
Work the outer slide back and forth a few times to spread the lubricant evenly.
The slide may already be fast enough to use at this point, but for the best action, use a spray bottle to apply a fine mist of water as needed while playing.
That’s all there is to it! You may need to re-apply liquid slide lubricants a bit more frequently than the cream, but the process is much simpler and quicker, and your slide will still move just as fast and maybe even faster.
I don’t generally recommend using oil for trombone slides, but it is an option if you’re caught without anything else. Use a good quality valve oil, preferably something on the heavier/thicker side and apply several drops to the top of the inner slides just like you would with a liquid lubricant. However, do not use a water spray because that will wash away the oil, and you’ll need to reapply frequently.
No matter which type of lubricant you choose, it’s important to remember that a trombone slide must be clean, straight and free from any dents or physical problems to work properly. If you know there’s a dent or if the slide moves slowly or gets stuck even with proper lubrication, be sure to have the instrument looked at by a repair technician as soon as possible.
Let’s jump back to 1954. A lot of great things happened that year: From Here to Eternity wins an Academy Award®, Ernest Hemingway wins a Nobel Prize for Literature, Elvis Presley has his first commercial recording session … and the debut audio product from Yamaha introduces the world to Hi-Fi.
Yamaha HiFi Player.
Yes, that’s right: Hi-Fi (short for “High Fidelity”) began with Yamaha. The company’s HiFi Player — one of the first stereo record players and the first ever audio component bearing the “Hi-Fi” name — started it all. From the most demanding audiophiles to those who just appreciate great music and sound, Hi-Fi components represent the best way to enjoy music and sound reproduction. Let’s take a look at how far we’ve come in the world of Hi-Fi and explore the link of tradition and tomorrow.
Stepping Back
Prior to 1954, consumer audio components were mostly of lower quality and inferior sound, playing back 78 or 33⅓ rpm records or reel-to-reel tapes. Bell Labs and other companies had begun experimenting with various recording techniques in the 1930s, and some multitrack recordings (that is, recordings done on multiple tracks at once) were made on optical sound film in the early 1940s. Reel-to-reel recordings made by artists for consumer distribution began in around 1948, as well as the first introduction of FM radio, which offered a signal with wider bandwidth than AM radio.
After the introduction of the HiFi Player in 1954, and as recording quality began to improve with a fuller frequency range, audio consumers came to realize that separate components such as radio tuners, preamplifiers, power amplifiers, turntables and loudspeakers could deliver a better listening experience than integrated products. The term “Hi-Fi” soon became synonymous with componentry designed to deliver accurate sound reproduction.
Guest Speaker
The new playback equipment resulted in an increased need for better-sounding speakers, and once again Yamaha was ready to meet the challenge. In 1967, the company released their first Hi-Fi speakers: the NS-20 and NS-30, each configured identically (apart from differing cabinet size). For the first time, consumers could start to hear the depth and breadth of the music coming out of their systems, almost as if they were right there in the studio with the artists. Taking it a step further, Yamaha released the world’s first beryllium diaphragm speaker in 1974: the NS-1000M.
Yamaha NS-1000M speakers.
The early 1970s brought additional advances in audio reproduction technology. In 1972, Yamaha introduced the 700 Series component stereo systems. These integrated products featured additional input and output capabilities, including a separate phono input for records, AM/FM tuner, tape deck inputs and even a stereo microphone input on the front, allowing for additional uses for home audio, education and even semi-pro applications. At around that time, matched preamplifiers and power amplifiers began to be integrated in a single component — a trend that yielded improved playback quality.
Other Hi-Fi components continued to improve as well. In 1976, the Yamaha YP-1000 record player was released. This advanced product featured a direct drive system, a Stax UA-7 advanced tonearm and a precision turntable machined from a single aluminum plate. Even headphones incorporated new technologies. The Yamaha HP-1, also released in 1976, featured a voice coil printed directly on the diaphragm for advanced tonal balance, as well as a streamlined form commissioned from the renowned Italian industrial designer Mario Bellini. Bellini also designed the Yamaha TC-800GL stereo cassette deck, released at around the same time. This innovative design included a front panel that angled down for maximum viewing and could also run on separate batteries or even a car battery, offering portability aspects previously unheard of in Hi-Fi.
Yamaha TC-800GL cassette player.
In the early 80s, technology took a major leap with the introduction of the Compact Disc (CD) player, able to play digital recordings. Once again, Yamaha was ready. The CD-1, released in 1982, featured a slide-out disc loader and had linear 16-bit twin D/A (digital to analog) converters with separate power supplies for the digital and analog elements. Technology marched onwards, and in 1986, the Yamaha CDX-2200 offered the world’s first 18-bit precision D/A conversion system. This was followed by the CDX-2020 in 1988, which provided 22-bit operation and four DAC configuration.
Yamaha CD-1 compact disc player.
As components increased in not only quality but quantity too, consumer Hi-Fi products had to follow suit. By the 1990s and on into the early 2000s, there were a bewildering variety of tape machines, turntables, CD players, videocassette recorders (VCRs), DVD players, MiniDisc recorders, DAT machines, and a number of additional components such as outboard equalizers and signal processors. The late 90s also brought about the advent of 5.1 surround sound, where separate speakers for left, right, center, left surround and right surround, plus a subwoofer, became necessary add-ons in order to envelop the listener in sound. With all these advances, consumers now could play back movies and live concert videos (and even some studio recordings) in cinematic 5.1 surround, introducing the concept of the “home theater.” There were even “Home Theater in a Box” (HTiB) products that enabled consumers to purchase all-in-one systems that could be easily set up yet provide an enhanced listening experience.
Yamaha YHT-4930 Home Theater in a Box.
Where We Are Today
Current products such as the Yamaha CX-A5200 AV (audio/visual) preamplifier and the Yamaha RX-V685 AV receiver offer consumers extraordinary quality and flexibility that make the old days of stereo Hi-Fi seem practically prehistoric. These advanced receivers offer up to 11 channels of surround sound, Bluetooth®, Amazon Alexa voice control compatibility, multi-room listening via MusicCast, built-in music streaming services, and even a phono input for vinyl playback.
Yamaha MusicCast VINYL 500 turntable with MusicCast 50 wireless speaker.
Speaking of vinyl, this is a playback format that has had a resurgence in the past few years, mainly because it’s one that some people feel sounds better than digital. In addition, many classic recordings have been released on high quality 180 gram vinyl, which is significantly thicker than the traditional 120 or 140 gram releases. Considered “audiophile grade,” these records have helped spur on an upward sales trend that sees no end in sight. Yamaha still offers a line of turntables for vinyl playback, including the new MusicCast VINYL 500, which allows you to stream playback to wireless speakers in your home such as the Yamaha MusicCast 50 or MusicCast 20.
Today, if you want to hear some great music from your favorite artists, listen to a podcast, play the latest video game or check out a wall-shaking, room-pounding surround sound movie, just think about the options you currently have. From home theater AV receivers to sound bars, from turntables to DVD and Bluetooth players, from streaming media to wired or wireless speakers (and subwoofers) or even just a great set of headphones, options abound.
Hi-Fi is alive and well, and we can look back to 1954 and reflect on how far we’ve come. But we can also look forward to what’s next, as audio and audiophile technology continues to march on.
Before any dress rehearsal or live performance in your House of Worship comes the all-important sound check. In this video, Yamaha product manager John Schauer takes you through all the steps required, including checking physical connections as well as the importance of setting input and output gains at the mixer before creating a balance and adding effects. Also covered is grouping, the use of smartphones and tablets for remote control of the mix, and troubleshooting procedures to trace a signal if one is missing. There’s even a brief tutorial on correct gain staging — a critical part of creating a great mix. Follow these tips and all your soundchecks will be successful!
Click here to find out more about Yamaha professional audio products.
Once upon a time, radio was free. So was broadcast television. Then along came cable and satellite and streaming, and soon we all got used to paying to be entertained, same way we always had to buy a ticket to watch a film at our local movie theater.
Ever since the advent of recording more than a century ago, we’ve had to pay to listen to music too, from buying vinyl to purchasing tunes for a smart device. But up until now, one of the few areas of entertainment that was free to all comers was the making of music. Sure, you had to buy or rent an instrument first (unless you were lucky enough to have a friend or relative willing to loan you theirs), but there was no obligation to shell out for the privilege of strumming your guitar or blowing your saxophone or bashing away on your drum kit. There was no levy on writing songs, either — anyone with the talent and inspiration could do so, free of charge.
Now, with the introduction of Music v.2.0, all of that’s changed. From this day forward, you’re going to have to pay to play. Every time you pick a note, strike a key, crash a cymbal, it’s going to cost you, courtesy of a patent that has just been granted on … can you believe it? Music itself.
Note values are similarly categorized, with quarter notes costing four times as much as whole notes, and triplets costing three times as much as quarter notes. Scales are priced similarly, though since they consist of only one note at a time, the patent concedes that a slight discount should be applied. Double-stops fall somewhere in-between, but as you can see, a dense solo consisting of single lines interspersed with chordal tones can mount up quickly, particularly if you’re playing an instrument like guitar and are prone to bending notes (which, you guessed it, cost extra too.)
It’s not just chords, note values and scales, either. Dynamics and tempo are appraised as well, from pianissimo and adagio (least expensive) to fortissimo and allegro (most expensive). You might be able to cut costs somewhat if you play ppp at a lento tempo, but get a little carried away and jump up into fff at presto and you’ll pay a healthy premium. It’s all swings and roundabouts: you might be able to offset the extra premium incurred for a crescendo with the discount that comes with a diminuendo — but only if they are of equivalent duration. Admittedly, these extra charges are mostly just fractions of a penny each, but sit down and practice a sonata (or a prog-rock song) from beginning to end, and, trust me, those pennies can mount up rapidly.
This will eventually be challenged in the courts, of course, but until or unless a verdict is handed down voiding this (currently perfectly legal) patent, musicians, music educators and music students — or their parents — should gird themselves for a substantial increase in their entertainment expenditure each month. In other words, get ready to dig into your wallets a bit deeper, folks — the creation of music has finally been monetized.
Oh, and one last thing: Happy April Fools Day from everyone here at Yamaha!
How would your commute be affected if there were more lanes on the freeway? Not only would you get to work faster, but there would probably be fewer accidents and less road rage.
HDMI® can’t do anything about the freeway, but updates to the standard continually increase overall format bandwidth and add many features that take advantage of the increased capacity. This is great news for home theater enthusiasts!
One recent HDMI improvement is eARC(short for “enhanced Audio Return Channel”). You may already be familiar with ARC, which allows audio to be sent from your TV to your AV receiver through the same HDMI cable that carries the video signal in the other direction, from your AV receiver to the TV. The “enhanced” part of eARC increases bandwidth and adds several exciting new features, including:
Dolby® True HD and DTS-HD Master Audio™
An eARC-compatible TV can send full high-res multichannel audio without downmixing the signal to two channels as a means to conserve bandwidth. At last, you can enjoy an audio experience on par with the stunning display from your 4K TV!
Dolby Atmos® and DTS:X™
With eARC, 3D surround sound signal can be sent uncompressed to your receiver, so you can experience the same thrilling technologies you enjoy at the movie theater in the comfort of your own home. This means full 3D immersive sound from movies already offered by Netflix®, Amazon Prime® Video and many other streaming services — exactly as they were meant to be seen and heard.
Less wires
Because you don’t need extra wiring to get sound from TV-based apps to play through your receiver, you can use your smart TV as your main streaming video source and enjoy full surround sound through a single HDMI cable.
What You Need to Enjoy eARC
The fact that HD content is already available from streaming services means that some manufacturers already offer eARC-capable devices … and many more will soon. Here’s what you need to enjoy the benefits of eARC:
An eARC-capable TV
An eARC-capable AV receiver
Ultra High Speed HDMI cables or HDMI High Speed Cables with Ethernet
Compatibility
If you’re wondering whether eARC is backwards compatible with ARC, the answer is maybe. The standard does not define eARC to be compatible with ARC, but manufacturers may build their products to be compatible with both. Check back here for updates about eARC compatibility with Yamaha AV receivers.
HDMI has widened the high-res audio freeway so that HD content is moving smoothly. Sit back and enjoy the ride!
(Note that not all HDMI features are supported by all manufacturers, so you should always check your device’s owner’s manual to make sure the feature you want is supported.)
September 2016: World-renowned pianist Maestro Byron Janis conducts a master class with students from the Moscow Conservatory.
July 2018: José García-León of The Juilliard School and Lisa Yui of the Manhattan School of Music evaluate the performances of four Argentinian pianists.
January 2019: A piano student in Xinhua, China plays a Liszt Etude while UCLA Keyboard Department head Inna Faliks watches and listens attentively.
Sound pretty mundane? Think again. In each instance, these teachers and their students were on different continents, separated by thousands of miles. Yet thanks to the powerful capabilities of the Yamaha Disklavier™ reproducing piano, along with Yamaha Remote Lesson™ technology, the participants were able to experience these sessions as if they were together in the same room.
Every Nuance Captured
It all starts with the Disklavier. Not only is it a stellar-sounding Yamaha grand, it’s the most technologically advanced piano in the world. Fitted with a collection of state-of-the-art optical sensors, it captures every nuance of a piano performance, from the pressure of the keystrokes (it can sense up to 1024 levels of hammer velocity) to the subtle gradations of pedal movement. It converts every aspect of a live performance into digital data, which can then be used to reproduce that performance with perfect precision on the same or a different Disklavier — without the pianist touching the keys.
Remote Auditioning and Teaching
This reproduction is so precise that it can even be used for auditions for college music programs. Students in the United States and elsewhere have taken advantage of the Yamaha Disklavier Education Network (DEN) Auditions program to record a performance to be used as an audition … and that same performance can even be presented to multiple participating schools. (Currently, nearly two dozen colleges and universities are part of the DEN Auditions program.) These remote auditions save time and travel expenses and make it possible for students to apply to more music schools and conservatories than otherwise would be possible.
Yamaha Remote Lesson technology takes the process even further by connecting Disklaviers in different locations, networking them together so that master classes can be conducted from anywhere in the world to students anywhere in the world. As the instructor or student plays their Disklavier, the performance data is sent instantaneously over the internet so that the performance can be reproduced on another Disklavier in a remote location in real time … whether it’s around the block or around the world. As long as there’s an internet connection, the distance is irrelevant. What’s more, synchronized video streaming in each location allows the instructors and students to see each other and communicate as if they were in the same room.
From Russia with Music
In the case of Maestro Janis’s master class, the 90-year old master sat at a Disklavier at the Yamaha Artist Services facility in New York City, where he listened to real-time performances by two Moscow Conservatory students: Dmitry Mayboroda, who played Beethoven Sonata Op. 10 No. 3, 2nd movement, and German Kitkin, who played Chopin Etude, Op. 10: No. 3 In E “Tristesse.”
Byron Janis converses with a student in Moscow while seated at a Disklavier in New York.
As the students played their pieces from Moscow, Janis was able to evaluate their performances, not just by listening but also by intently watching the keys and pedals moving on the Disklavier in front of him. Then, the conclusion of each performance, Janis was not only able to offer advice and critiques, he was able to play examples for the students too, who in turn had the ability to watch the Disklavier in their location as it accurately reproduced whatever Janis played in real time.
Play for Me, Argentina
The remote master class that Yui and García-León put on with the Argentinian pianists was the first ever such session in Latin America. The historic event was held as part of “Teachers del Norte-Pianists del Sur” (Teachers of the North-Pianists of the South), a festival created and directed by Yamaha artist Mirian Conti, designed to promote young Argentine pianists to the world and strengthen ties between nations.
García-León (upper left) and Yui (lower left) during their remote master class.
Yui and García-León evaluated performances by Tamara Benítez, Matías Palou, Natalia Suriano and Mariano Manzanelli. The instructors were located at the Yamaha Artist Services facility in New York City, while the four students were 5,300 miles away in Buenos Aires.
From LA to Beijing
The remote session UCLA’s Faliks participated in was a one-on-one piano lesson, just like those that happen thousands of times a day all over the world, except for one thing: the student and teacher were on opposite sides of the Pacific Ocean.
Faliks taught from a Disklavier-equipped studio in the Ostin Music Center at UCLA, while the student, Meng Xinyuan, sat at another Disklavier at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, China, performing Liszt’s Etude de Concert #2. Faliks then offered suggestions for how Meng could improve her pedal technique in order to add more expression… and Meng was able to comply in real time, earning praise from her instructor more than 6,000 miles away!
Faliks (second from left) conducts a one-on-one piano lesson in LA … with a student in Beijing.
The session was the first in which educational institutions in China and the United States were connected using Yamaha Disklaviers and Remote Lesson technology. Undoubtedly, there will be many more opportunities for events of this type.
Seamless Connection
The Yamaha Disklavier, in conjunction with Remote Lesson technology, gives new meaning to the term “long-distance learning” by providing piano students and teachers with a unique way to take advantage of the world-shrinking benefits of the internet. But perhaps more importantly, it does so while retaining the traditional student-teacher dynamic, which is such a vital component to music instruction.
Photographs courtesy of Yamaha and Xinhua News Agency.
Click here for more information about the Yamaha Disklavier.
Click here for more information about Yamaha Remote Lesson Technology.
Have you ever gone to a concert and remember more about the poor stage etiquette than the performance? Me too!
Teachers can only do so much during lessons and ensemble rehearsals. There is so much to know about being a musician that sometimes the little things — like etiquette — are not addressed. Here are some tips to use at your next performance.
Entering the Stage
When you first walk onto the stage, smile and acknowledge the audience. Walk with a purpose and get to your instrument without looking around or trying to see if your mom is in the audience. The person with the longest distance to go should enter first. If the applause continues once you arrive at your destination, take a small bow or acknowledge the audience with a head nod. Look like you are excited to play and, again, smile. The folks in the seats have taken time out of their schedule to come see you and it’s your role to be positive about your performance. Look like you are having fun even if you’re nervous. If you look uncomfortable, the audience will be uncomfortable too.
During the Performance
Don’t talk during the performance, even if you have a lot of rests. Sit there and enjoy the music and be ready to play when it’s your turn. Remember, once you are on the stage, the audience can see everything you are doing.
And if you make a mistake, keep going. Mistakes are inevitable, and it is your responsibility to perform through them as if nothing happened.
Take a Bow
When you bow, bend at your waist and don’t look at the audience — you are not greeting someone. My college percussion teacher used to tell us say “I can see my shoes” to ourselves while bowing. This translates roughly to a count of 2 (that is, two quarter notes at 60 BPM).
Enjoy the moment. People are clapping for you! Take your bow (or two) and then exit the stage quickly — don’t ham it up. If people continue to clap, go back out and take another one.
Dress
Wear something that is professional but not distracting. The audience is there to see your performance, not what you are wearing. Remember, your outfit should never be flashier than your performance.
By the way, I always recommend that my students do a run-through in the clothes they intend to wear for the concert itself. Performing in dress shoes may mean you have to adjust the height of the instrument, or long sleeves may get in the way. Better to be prepared for these kinds of gremlins ahead of time!
Stagehands
If you are going to use stagehands to help you move equipment (something I highly recommend!) make sure they dress in all black so they are not distracting to the audience while they are on stage. Before the concert, make sure you go over the set-up diagram with them and let them know how and when they should move the equipment.
A note for stagehands: Make sure you move purposefully and efficiently, and don’t interact with the audience. Do your job in a completely unobtrusive way.
Stage Clutter
There should be nothing on the stage other than what you need to perform the concert. That means no backpacks, stick bags, instrument covers, jackets, empty soda cans, etc.
After the Concert
During the reception, the rule is simple: No negativity. Don’t talk about the mistakes you made. Be sure to say hello to all of the people who came to your recital and thank them for being there to support you. Engage with your audience and be positive.
Finally, don’t go home and watch your video right after your performance. Wait at least a week and when you do watch it, learn from it and don’t beat yourself up for every little mistake.
Typically, you don’t need to load new songs into either the Yamaha Smart Pianist or Chord Tracker apps. When you purchase new songs from iTunes® or Google Play, you are automatically adding new songs to these apps, since their content is derived by looking directly into your iTunes Music Library:
However, your new songs must be purchased in iTunes, not downloaded as part of Apple Music™, which is a streaming service. Files from Apple Music, even if they are downloaded for offline listening, have DRM (Digital Rights Management) codes in them that prevent Smart Pianist and Chord Tracker from accessing the data. If there is DRM in the file, you will see an error in red like this:
So you may well be asking, “Can I load additional songs into Smart Pianist or Chord Tracker without buying new songs in iTunes?” The answer is “Yes!” In fact, there is additional memory inside each of these apps for storing additional songs outside of those in your iTunes library. They will be located in a folder called “User Songs,” located directly beneath the Music Library folder. There are a few different ways in which you can load additional songs into this folder without using the typical iTunes gateway, the most efficient of which is via the commercial file-sharing service Dropbox™.
To do so, you need a Dropbox account. If you don’t have already have one, get one now! The basic account is free and includes 2 GB of online storage space.
Start by downloading the Dropbox app directly into your iOS device from the Apple App store. This will make things much easier when you subsequently log in to Dropbox from within the Yamaha apps. Then, after signing into your account in the Dropbox app, open Smart Pianist or Chord Tracker and log on to your Dropbox account again from there. Depending on the app, you will find this option in different locations.
In Smart Pianist, it’s located in UTILITY —> SYSTEM :
In Chord Tracker, it’s located in the Settings menu:
Because you’ve already signed directly into your Dropbox account on your iOS device, logging on to Dropbox from within Smart Pianist or Chord Tracker will automatically create the proper folders that allows them to access your new songs. Your iOS device will then request access to automatically create a folder in your Dropbox account called “Apps” (and then another subfolder called “Smart Pianist” or “Chord Tracker” respectively):
Once this process is completed, any songs that you place in these folders will be directly accessible to the Yamaha apps. This will also allow you to download songs to the “User Songs” folders from your Dropbox account:
To retrieve a song from Dropbox, go to the “User Songs” folder in Smart Pianist or Chord Tracker, then touch the IMPORT logo (shown below), and follow the prompts:
Note that you need to make sure all of the files you put in these special Dropbox folders are in the proper audio format. Any of the following formats (set to 16-bit / 44.1kHz) work well with Smart Pianist and Chord Tracker:
.AAC
.AIF
.M4A
.MP3
.WAV
You can also use Dropbox to email or message yourself content: Simply attach audio files to your e-mails or texts. After downloading the attachment by tapping on it, press and hold the attachment to see a dialogue that lists your Dropbox options. Select either “Save to Dropbox” or “Copy to Dropbox,” but make sure you navigate to the proper folder in Smart Pianist or Chord Tracker so the app can find the file.
By the way, you may have noticed that Smart Pianist allows you to directly “copy to” the app itself, allowing you to skip the Dropbox option. (This option is not available at this time for Chord Tracker.) I still prefer to use Dropbox to keep all of my data organized, in effect using it as my “cloud memory.”
As you can see, Dropbox makes it easy to enjoy your new songs in Smart Pianist and Chord Tracker. Happy downloading, and happy playing!
For many people, hearing every nuance of sound in a recording can be almost more important than the songs themselves. Some may think that an analog Hi-Fi system is the only way to enjoy this level of detail. But with the rise in popularity of digital audio and continuous ongoing innovation, analog may have met its match. There are already some wireless speakers that can stream Hi-Fi audio from any mobile device without a significant drop-off in sound quality.
If you’re ready to make that transition, here’s how to get started:
Know Your Audio
Before you begin, be sure you understand the differences between the types of audio files you can stream. “Hi-Fi” stands for High Fidelity, a term used to describe high quality sound reproduction, including both analog audio and high-resolution digital audio.
Digital audio compared to analog audio is kind of like watching a film on DVD versus watching it on a 4K Blu-ray Disc™. As shown in the illustration below, analog audio is usually represented as a wave. You can think of its digital equivalent as boxes that fill in the space with small gaps in-between:
There are two important terms to understand here. The first is something called the sampling rate (sometimes called “sample rate”). This describes the number of times per second the incoming analog signal is analyzed. The higher this rate, the more accurately a sound is recreated — in other words, the better the audio. The downside is that higher sampling rates result in more numbers, so the files created are larger … and therefore require more bandwidth to be streamed. (The term bitrate describes the “throughput” of a streamed digital signal in terms of kilobytes per second [kbps].)
The second term is bit resolution. This describes how large each digital word is. The more “bits” (that is, the greater the number of ones and zeroes) used, the more increments are available to represent the position of each sample of an analog wave. A 24-bit digital word, for example, will yield better audio than a 16-bit word. However, there’s a downside here too, in that the use of longer bit resolutions again require larger file sizes and therefore greater streaming bandwidth.
As an example, CDs store data as 16-bit words, with a sampling rate of 44,100 times per second (44.1 kHz). MP3s can use various bit resolutions and sampling rates but the most common is 24-bit / 44.1 kHz. This is what many streaming services provide, and therefore what many wireless speakers support when streaming.
High-resolution audio is typically produced at 24 bits but with higher sample rates of 96 or even 192 kHz. The file type also needs to be in a lossless format to be considered high-res. These types of formats include FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec), WAV, AIFF, DSD, and ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec). “Lossless” simply means that the decoded file contains all of the audio information. Obviously this is optimum but, again, the downside is that this makes for much larger files than “lossy” formats such as MP3, which are designed to remove unnecessary audio in order to compress the file to an easily downloadable size.
Streaming in Style
There are currently several streaming services that support CD quality (16-bit / 44.1 kHz) files. Yamaha wireless speakers work with two: Deezer and TIDAL. They also work with Napster, which can stream MP3 files with up to 320 kbps bitrates, although these files are significantly less than CD quality.
To stream high-res audio, you’ll need to use a Wi-Fi™ connection instead of Bluetooth®to maximize output. Dropouts with Bluetooth are common because the device you’re streaming from is typically required to be within 32 feet. There are also limited hi-res streaming options on the market for Bluetooth. Wi-Fi offers more stability and distance, in addition to the ability to stream to multiple devices at the same time.
Coming to the U.S. this spring is French company Qobuz, one of the few commercial streaming services that currently supports high-resolution audio (though TIDAL has a hi-res streaming option too). However, you can also stream high-res files that have been downloaded to a local storage drive, such as a thumb drive or NAS (Network Attached Storage) drive. Due to the large size of high-res files, we recommend you use a 2 TB NAS drive if you have a large library of files.
However — and this is important — not all speakers are designed to support the streaming of high-res audio. The good news is that MusicCast-enabled devices from Yamaha (which also provide multi-room audio solutions) make it a breeze.
The Yamaha MusicCast Controller app offers a user-friendly option for streaming high-res audio to any MusicCast wireless speaker, such as the MusicCast 20. All MusicCast devices support Apple Lossless (ALAC) up to 24-bit / 96 kHz as well as WAV, FLAC, and AIFF up to 24-bit / 192 kHz. MusicCast AV receivers, Hi-Fi components and powered monitor speakers also support DSD up to 11.2 MHz.
Start by launching MusicCast Controller on your mobile device, then follow the steps to add a MusicCast device to the network if you haven’t done so already. Next, select the device you want to stream to.
In the menu that appears, select the streaming service you want to use and you will be shown the different options available with that service, which may include things like New, Playlists, and Genres; there will also usually be a Search option. These will all be available within the app to make it easier to navigate, but there’s one catch: High-res audio only works when you stream to one device at a time. Once you add a second or third device, the resolution automatically drops from 24-bit / 96 kHz to CD-quality 16-bit / 44.1 kHz. If more than three additional devices are linked at once, audio is provided in a compressed format.
That’s all there is to it! Now you’re ready to stream music digitally while still enjoying all the clarity and quality you’d get from a quality analog Hi-Fi system.
If you’d prefer to keep your traditional Hi-Fi setup but want the added benefit of streaming capability, check out the MusicCast VINYL 500 Wi-Fi turntable.
Welcome to Part 2 of a new series of blogs for newcomers to guitar and bass.
When you first bought your acoustic guitar, it came with a brand new, shiny set of strings. However, after awhile, you may notice that the sound of your guitar is getting dull, and your fingers don’t slide over the fretboard quite as easily as they used to. Time to change your strings! If you’re new to guitar, this may seem somewhat intimidating, but it’s actually quite simple.
The video below explains how to restring an acoustic guitar. All you need is a new set of strings, a pair of pliers, a wire cutter (most pliers will cut wires too), a clip-on tuner such as the Yamaha GCT1 and optionally, a peg winder (an inexpensive guitar accessory that helps speed up the process).
Click here for Part One: How to Change Strings on an Electric Guitar
Click here to find out more about Yamaha guitars and basses.
When you’re recording digitally, the higher you set the audio bar, the more data-intensive the process becomes. For so-called “high-resolution” recording, which is typically defined as 24-bit with sampling rates of 88.2kHz and higher, computers and audio interfaces must to be able to exchange lots of data very quickly in order to support multitrack recording and playback.
How fast the data transfer can move back and forth depends on the type of connection between the computer and the interface. Connection formats include various incarnations of USB, FireWire™, and Thunderbolt, including Thunderbolt 2, which we’ll focus on here.
Digital Refresher
First, a little background. In digital audio, when you record a signal from a mic or instrument, it goes through your interface’s preamp, and then into an analog-to-digital converter (ADC for short), where it is turned into digital data (a mathematical representation of the audio) before being sent to the DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) or other recording software in your computer.
The ADC “samples” the analog audio a specified number of times per second before converting it to digital data. The speed with which it does this is called the sampling rate. A good analogy would be movie frames. The more frames per second, the more accurately the film will capture the live action. If you have too few frames per second, you’ll get jerky playback, closer to a flipbook than a movie.
The bit resolution specifies how many bits (think of these as the digital “letters” that comprise a digital “word”) are used. The more bits used (i.e., the longer the “word”), the more detail can be captured for each sample. The combination of a high sample rate and high bit resolution gives you the most accurate and nuanced recording quality.
When digital audio is played back, it goes through a digital-to-analog converter (DAC), which does the reverse of an ADC; it takes those numbers and converts them back to analog audio (in the form of an electrical signal), which can be sent to your speakers or headphones.
The Data Highway
There’s one last term you need to know: throughput, which specifies the maximum possible speed and bandwidth of data transfer. This bit rate (sometimes just shortened to bitrate) is typically expressed as megabits-per-second (Mbps) or gigabits-per-second (Gbps). The faster the data transfer, the more simultaneous tracks you can record or play back at a given sample rate and bit resolution, and the lower the latency (the delay between when audio is input and when it is heard after being processed by the computer — something that can be distracting during recording if it’s too long).
Audio interfaces equipped with Thunderbolt 2 connectivity (such as the Steinberg™ AXR4T) offer significantly better throughput than previous formats. That in turn allows for large sessions to be recorded at the highest resolution available today: 32-bit / 384kHz.
Drive Time
To give you context for the speed of Thunderbolt 2, let’s compare it with other hardware connectivity formats that are widely in use. USB2 is the one most commonly found on audio interfaces, and it offers a relatively slow throughput of 480 Mbps. It’s sufficient for most home recording, which typically involves 24-bit / 44.1kHz or 24-bit / 48kHz audio, although its latency numbers are not that good. USB3 is significantly faster but still lags behind both the original Thunderbolt and Thunderbolt 2.
Maximum throughputs (transfer speeds) for various connection formats.
FireWire 800 is a connectivity format that’s still found on a lot of older computers, although it’s no longer included on new Mac® models. When FireWire 800 came out (supplanting the first version, FireWire 400), it was considered quite fast, with transfer speeds up to 800 Mbps. But in 2011, Intel® introduced Thunderbolt, a new format that offered a substantially faster 10 Gbps transfer rate, which was quickly adopted by Apple®, dooming FireWire to obsolescence.
In time, even the 10 Gbps of Thunderbolt became too slow, primarily because of how much data was needed for the new 4K video standard, so Thunderbolt 2 was developed, which, instead of offering two 10 Gbps channels like the original, provides a single channel with an impressive throughput of 20 Gbps.
Chain of Peripherals
Thunderbolt, no matter which version, gives you another significant advantage over USB: You can daisy-chain (serially connect) up to six Thunderbolt devices per port. So, if you are using a Thunderbolt-equipped interface like an AXR4T, you can also connect hard drives and other Thunderbolt 2 peripherals using only a single port on your computer.
Thunderbolt 1 and 2 have the same size connectors, and Thunderbolt 2 devices are backward compatible. That means you can connect a Thunderbolt 1 device to a computer’s Thunderbolt 2 port, or vice versa. (You’d only get the speed of Thunderbolt 1 in a mixed setup like that, however.) In addition, an even faster version — Thunderbolt 3 — has recently been released, which is backward compatible with earlier versions of Thunderbolt with the use of an adapter.
The Speed of Audio
The Steinberg AXR4T offers a total of 28 inputs and 24 outputs when you include its digital expansion ports for ADAT, S/PDIF and AES/EBU audio. It provides four specially designed hybrid mic preamps that all offer switchable SILK circuitry from Rupert Neve Designs. SILK emulates the warm transformer-saturation of vintage Neve mic preamps and can be dialed into the circuit either completely or partially, giving you control over how much saturation you include on your recordings. (For more information, see our blog article “The Rupert Neve Connection.”)
The AXR4T’s mic preamps offer Rupert Neve Designs SILK circuitry.
The AXR4T’s built-in digital signal processing (DSP) is controlled by Steinberg’s included dspMixFx software, which adds a powerful virtual mixer along with no-latency monitoring and a suite of Yamaha effects including the Sweet Spot Morphing Channel Strip, REV-X reverb and the Vintage Classics VCM Compressor 276 and VCM EQ601.
Steinberg dspMixFx software.
Reaching New Heights
And, of course, the AXR4T offers Thunderbolt 2 connectivity, with all the sonic advantages that come with it, not least of which is the ability to record at sampling rates up to 384kHz — double the 192kHz rate that until recently was considered the upper end of “high-resolution.”
What’s more, you can set the bit rate to 32-bit integer, which allows for more detail and clarity than 24-bit, because each sample has 8 additional steps of resolution. It’s even better than 32-bit floating point, which you may have heard of. The latter gives you extra headroom for internal processing, but your audio still ends up as a 24-bit file.
The ultra-high quality offered by the AXR4T allows you to create recordings that represent a major raising of the bar for high-resolution audio. Thanks to the blazing speed of Thunderbolt 2, this new standard is now a reality.
Click here for more information about the Steinberg AXR4T audio interface.
The life-changing power of music all over the world is well documented. A case in point was a recent program sponsored by Yamaha called “I’m a HERO,” designed to allow the children of the Republic of Colombia to discover the strength within themselves to face and overcome barriers such as social inequality, poverty, delinquency and crime.
The program culminated on Sept. 30, 2018, at Atanasio Girardot Sports Complex in Medellín, Colombia, when 26 children, aged 7 to 13, performed the Colombian national anthem on Yamaha Venova casual wind instruments prior to the Categoría Primera A soccer match. All were members of the Red de Escuelas de Música de Medellín youth orchestra or part of the local Yamaha scholarship program ToKANDO.
Their performance fulfilled the “I’m a HERO” program’s noteworthy message: “With an instrument in hand, you become a hero.” Undoubtedly, the experience of performing in front of a huge crowd and receiving thunderous applause gave the children confidence, strength and a sense of purpose that will last throughout their lives.
Two months later, Yamaha released a moving Spanish-language documentary about the program. It begins with the students receiving Venova instruments and ends with their rousing performance at the soccer match. Also included are interviews with some of the students and their parents, showcasing the powerful and transformative impact of the program on the participating children.
The genesis of the “I’m a HERO” program actually began more than a century ago, with the establishment of a treaty that created a diplomatic relationship between Japan and Colombia. Yamaha has worked with youth orchestras and bands in Colombia for many years and found that groups often had no knowledge of instrument care. This led to the formation of the AMIGO Project in 2014, through which Yamaha offered workshops and training on instrument maintenance and repair, while continuing to search for a better solution with the development of new instruments.
Enter the Venova. For more than 20 years, Yamaha designers investigated creating an instrument with a simple structure that could reproduce the complex tonal quality of the saxophone. The Venova fulfills that goal. It features a branched pipe structure and meandering pipe design, yet is durable, versatile and low-maintenance. Made from ABS resin, the instrument can deliver everything from delicate melodies to blasting notes. Most importantly, it’s affordable and has the potential to bring the joy of music making to children around the world.
This month I set out to write an article about the top five ways to achieve better live sound, but quickly realized there are lots more than five. That said, here are the tips I would rate as being the most important:
1. Focus On On-Stage Monitoring
The louder the stage volume, the more the main “front of house” (FOH) sound is colored because audio from various onstage sources — especially drums and amplifiers — “bleed” into microphones (particularly vocal mics) that are supposed to be picking up something else. This makes getting a clean, clear mix out front nearly impossible.
This actually affects the music too: If everyone on the stage is subjected to sound levels that are too high to safely listen to for long periods of time, the drummer will have to play harder and will tire faster, and the singers and instrumentalists won’t hear subtle timing and harmony clues that they rely on to give the best performance.
Correct placement of floor (“wedge”) monitors like the ones shown above is an important key to solving this problem. Get out from behind the console and up on stage to learn what the performers are encountering. Often moving things around (even small amounts) can help improve the situation, giving you a better performance to mix out front. The best monitor engineers in the business all agree: Quieter on stage means better sound out front!
2. Choose The Right Microphones For The Job
Each different make and model of microphone comes with two important graphs that help predict how they will perform in your system. You can find these on the manufacturer’s websites.
First is the frequency response graph. This shows how the microphone responds to different audio frequencies. For example, here’s the response curve for the popular Shure™ SM58 vocal microphone:
Shure SM58 frequency response graph.
Since the main (“fundamental”) frequencies of the human voice are in the 80Hz – 1100Hz range, you can see that this mic will do a great job on vocals. Of course, there are also harmonics and overtones, and so the fact that the response increases at higher frequencies is another reason why this microphone is so widely used on stages around the world.
The other graph you’ll want to look at is the polar pattern, often shown at various frequencies. These graphs allow you to see how well sounds that aren’t directly in front of the microphone are rejected:
A cardioid microphone pickup pattern.
As you can see, this mic does a good job of rejecting all off-axis frequencies, though some are rejected better than others (which is normal). Now you can really appreciate why, in live sound, we want to use microphones with this kind of “cardioid” (heart-shaped) pickup pattern. This will pick up the singer or instrument directly in front of the microphone while rejecting sounds coming from behind (at around the 180° mark) or off to the sides (at around the 90° mark). Note that, in the particular graph shown above, at lower frequencies, the pattern is more round (omnidirectional), meaning that these low frequency sounds are picked up more equally all around.
Once you know the frequency response and polar pattern of the microphones you are using, you can better place floor monitors to reduce feedback and help the performers hear themselves better. As an example, for a cardioid microphone, the best spot for a floor monitor is going to be directly in front of the performer.
3. Turn Off Channels On The Mixing Console When You Don’t Need Them
Just about every mixing console — be it analog or digital — offers individual channel on/off switches. When a microphone is not needed, turning its channel off (i.e., muting it) will give you two very important advantages: One, the signal going out to your PA will be cleaner, since only the sources you need are going through the system, and two, each time you mute a mic, you add to the gain your system can produce before feedback occurs. (For more information, see our blog article on how to fight feedback.)
A word of caution, though: Be sure to turn the channel back on before the talent steps up to perform!
4. Make The Effort To Train Your Ears
Since lots of us live sound engineers started as musicians, you might already be familiar with the notes on a piano or guitar. If you are in this crowd, you’re way ahead of the game when it comes to ear training. If not, it behooves you to at least learn the fundamentals of musical pitches.
We all could use help in identifying audio by frequency though, and there are apps (such as Quiztones, available for both Apple® and Android™ devices) that can help you get more accurate results when adjusting EQ to gain more musicality in your mix and/or fight feedback. (For more information, see our blog article about equalization.) As with most anything musical, practice makes perfect!
5. Follow The Golden Rule
While not always exactly technical, sometimes we all need to remind ourselves of what we can do to improve the experience of both our onstage talent and the audience.
In no particular order, here are a few:
– Come with a “can-do” attitude. This is the golden rule for a sound person. Performers want to trust you. It’s about learning to anticipate the performer’s concerns before they become a problem.
– Keep an open mind. There’s always another way to do everything. You never know what you’ll learn, or what laughs you can have later!
– You’re going to have less than perfect shows. It’s inevitable. Learn from them and try not to make the same mistakes again. The best live sound engineers on the planet never stop trying to attain perfection. There’s always room to improve!
– Murphy will always be nearby. The more complex your system(s) are, the more chances he will visit you. Keep him at bay by using the right gear, replacing intermittent cabling, and using fresh batteries. Oh, and put the wireless receivers up on stage, near the performers, not out at the Front of House mixer.
– Make your performers comfortable onstage. It’s the little things that count. Grab a bottle of water and put it on the drum riser or over near the lead vocalist’s area. If possible, print out or write the set list in a large font and put it on the floor by the microphone stands. Make sure the microphones are the right height for the performers. (Have you ever had to adjust a mic stand with a guitar on your shoulder? Not easy.) If you know that a particular performer likes chocolate, make sure there’s always a candy bar waiting when they hit the stage. Small gestures go a long way to show your talent you care and want a great show too.
As I said, there are lots more tips out there but I hope these at least get you started down the right road to better live sound.
If you want a trumpet that plays well, you need to pay attention to valve alignment. In fact, proper alignment can be the difference between a good instrument and a great one! Misaligned valves can slow the instrument’s response, cause an unevenness of timbre, and create variable resistance for each of the valve combinations. When the valves are lined up properly, the player does not need to compensate for the inefficiencies of the instrument, which means greater ease of control and improved playability.
To illustrate how critical accurate valve alignment is, consider the effect of even small changes along the bore of an instrument. For example, opening the throat of a trumpet mouthpiece one size larger is a change of approximately .002″, and playing a medium large bore (.459″) trumpet as opposed to a large bore (.462″) trumpet is a difference of only .003″. Valves, however may be misaligned by as much as .015″ to .080″! Considering that each valve has six ports, three valves combined provide eighteen possibilities for significant misalignment, which has a tremendous effect on the playability of the instrument.
In all brass instruments, this refers to correctly setting the position of each valve in both the up and down position so as to align the ports in both the valve casing and corresponding valve port. Each valve assembly consist of the finger button, top cap, valve stem, spring barrel (top of valve), valve guide, and the valve/piston body itself. Alignment depends in part on the accuracy of the manufacturing of these components: When any one of these parts is not made to the exact dimensions required, both the up and down positions can be misaligned.
Another factor is the choice of bumper materials, felt and rubber being the most commonly used. Rubber bumper materials are stable and resist compression. Low-quality felt is generally less stable than rubber. The thickness of a single batch of this kind of felt can vary up to .020″; when used in valves, this variance can seriously affect their alignment. Additionally, over time, low-quality felt washers will compress with constant use, moisture, and oil. As the thickness of this felt changes, the player is forced to adjust to the ever-changing valve alignment.
Yamaha trumpets incorporate two different materials that have been developed to achieve optimum results. From a student Yamaha trumpet to the professional Xeno line, a high-quality felt material is used that is consistent in thickness. In all Artist Model trumpets, a special synthetic pad has been developed that is unaffected by compression, moisture, and/or oil. Using this extremely stable synthetic pad ensures precise valve alignment that will endure for many years before any replacement is required. Yamaha synthetic pads also contribute to a quicker response and increased harmonic depth through less dampening of the energy used to create the sound.
Yamaha Valve Felt Adjustment Pads
Yamaha Synthetic Valve Adjustment Pads
Top Cap
Valve Stem
Top Cap
Valve Stem
A1641050
A0141060
A7V41050
A7V41060
Whether your Yamaha trumpet uses felt or synthetic pads, you can expect to experience a faster response, greater evenness of timbre and resistance, and better efficiency of sound production. With the valves properly aligned, players can produce a full sound with less effort; at the same time, technique can be improved because of the quickened response from note to note. Instead of being an obstacle, your instrument can now assist you in creating music.
For more information, check out our four-part blog series “Guide to Brass Mouthpieces”:
The human body, as well as the hard and soft objects around us, water, air and gas, are all vibrating at specific resonant frequencies.
Testing shows that the human body resonates between 5 and 10 Hz. (“Hz” is short for Hertz, a unit of measurement indicating frequency as the number of vibrations per second.) This is a very low frequency — a pitch that is inaudible to the human ear. But can we feel those vibrations when we come into close contact with other people? I believe we can. That, to me, is what the terms “good vibes” or “bad vibes” mean when we refer to a person, place or physical encounter.
So what are our own personal resonances, and how do they affect our lives, opportunities and those around us? I once asked a drummer friend of mine how he kept such a fun, upbeat attitude all the time. His response was that he thought of himself as the positive energy that flows between all things. His presence in a session or gig definitely made everyone in the band happier and we always had a productive, good time.
Bringing your highest self-resonance to any situation will elevate the energy in the room. It’s an infectious attribute that everyone can feel immediately. Interactions will become smoother and people will want to spend more time in your company. Conversely, we have all heard the term “emotional vampire”: a person that sucks the positivity out of those around them, including friends and family.
Keeping a positive mental attitude always helps too, because, in my opinion, what you think is also a resonant frequency. And as numerous studies have shown, thoughts can literally affect your physical strength, life and well-being.
Kinetic resistance is a simple test to show the power of positive and negative thought. Ask a friend to raise their left arm out in front of them and to think positive, happy thoughts. Tell them to keep their arm in that position and push down on it after they have established those memories; you’ll feel a strong resistance to your efforts to lower their arm. Then have them raise their arm again and think negative, unhappy thoughts. When you push down on their arm this time, there will be less resistance and a weaker effort to maintain arm tension. I’ve done this with a lot of people and it’s a great way to demonstrate the power of positive thought.
You may have experienced the many ways that your mind can affect the outcome of a situation. Stage fright, for example, is a very common occurrence in performers and public speakers. I’ve studied this quite a bit and found that what we think can literally sabotage our muscle memory and impair performances, speeches and social interactions. I counter this by preparing myself in advance for any public engagement or interview with a series of verbal and visualization techniques to affirm my skills and create the perfect performance in my mind’s eye.
The Importance of Affirmations
Verbal affirmations (short personal statements that confirm positive attributes) are a great way to clarify and solidify how we feel about ourselves. They can also be used to replace the negative commentary that often runs through our mind on a daily basis. You know what I mean: the “small voice” that keeps a running dialogue about everything we do!
When that internal narrative starts, decide whether it’s positive or negative. If the thoughts are negative, shut them down immediately and replace the dialogue with a kind statement or personal affirmation. You’ll find that the lighter, peaceful mind will help productivity and settle your physical being … and those around you will notice your happier self-image.
You can create your own affirmative statements for anything you’d like to reinforce, empower or would like to see change in your life. Affirmations in the present tense are best as they are stating that the change has already occurred. “I am calm, peaceful, relaxed and joyous at all times” is a great affirmation that states that you are currently in that mindset. But affirmations that start with “I want” or “I will” only support the notion that your desires haven’t yet been attained and are somewhere out there in the ether waiting for you to claim them.
Resonance and Music
How does any of this relate to music? Simple: Resonant frequencies are also musical pitches. The inaudible human body at 5 Hz, Middle C on a piano at 261.63 Hz, the open 5th string of your guitar at 440 Hz — they’re all vibrations at particular frequencies.
When we combine notes and instrumentation to play music, those vibrations create harmonic and melodic content that we hear … and perhaps more importantly, “feel.” Musical information is carried through the air in the form of vibrations that our ears pick up. From there, they are sent via nerve pathways to our brains, which process the information as either pleasing or not. But I’d argue that what we feel (as opposed to just what we hear) also plays a significant role in how we form our preferences.
Lady Gaga.
As an example, I really like the Lady Gaga song “Poker Face” for a variety of reasons. For one thing, the production is deceptively simple. The low pulse of the drums and bass can be felt in the chest region, the male vocals are pitched below the synth chords, and Gaga’s voice sits in her lower frequency range for the verse sections. When the song transitions into the chorus, the vocal melody rises in pitch to add intensity and lift the song. After the first chorus, the vocal pitches are lowered again and the male and female backing vocal lines add rich rhythmic coloration. Each of the frequencies in the mix have been carefully shaped to blend as a vibrational whole, from low to high and everything in between.
Gaga’s album title, Artpop, succinctly describes her theatrical style of video and live performance art. This combination of stimuli is perhaps the key to why her work resonates with so many people … which leads me to the vibrational aspect of color.
Resonance and Color
Colors all have a resonant frequency in the Terahertz range, where one THz is equal to one thousand thousand Hz (that is, one trillion Hertz). We can’t hear frequencies that high but we can see them. In fact, the highest color frequency that humans can discern is a really nice blue, before it turns to violet, around 770 THz.
The same color, in fact, as Lady Gaga’s outfit in the “Poker Face” video.
Coincidence? I think not. Blue is often depicted on the musical stave as the note B. And “Poker Face” is in the key of G# minor, which is the relative minor to B major.
Without talking to Lady Gaga or her producer, I can’t say this with absolute certainty, but I believe that the use of this color in the video was a carefully orchestrated vibrational component — a component that made a major contribution to a musical masterpiece. After all, designing a hit pop song takes more than just the music! And this particular song sold over 14 million copies and is one of the best selling singles of all time.
The overall visual aspect of the song’s video, in my opinion, played a huge role in making “Poker Face” a success. The costumes are colorful, the settings interesting and the images work well with the groove. The music is equally powerful: the song has well-written harmonic and melodic structures, coupled with lyrical content that is unique, interesting and culturally relevant.
My point here is that everything resonates and has a set of organized frequencies that we can see, hear, smell, taste and touch. Add to that the extra-sensory aspect of the human experience and we are all pure vibration, bathing in external resonant frequencies at every moment of our day.
In Part 2, I’ll talk about establishing resonant relationships with your instrument.
Photo by Kevin Mazur / Contributor, Getty Images North America
Enjoying major sporting events at home is the reason you have a 70″ 4K TV and a legit sound system. The Super Bowl™, Kentucky Derby, Daytona 500, the Masters — all are must-see for sports fans.
For these events, all you need to know to watch the action from beginning to end is: what time does it start and what channel is it on? It’s that simple because they happen just once a year, at one specific time, and the broadcasting networks do their best to make sure they don’t conflict with one another. Even NFL, NBA and MLB playoffs and championships (including the World Series) are coordinated so the start times don’t overlap. That way, dedicated fans can see all the action … and the networks can maximize their ratings.
There is, however, one huge exception to this meticulous planning. Around the middle of March, the NCAA® Tournament begins. This culmination of the college basketball season presents a challenge for the fan who wants to enjoy a real home court viewing advantage.
Once the final 64 teams are seeded into four single-elimination brackets, the fun begins. A full schedule of 48 games are played in the first four days, making it impossible for a network to broadcast them all on one channel. With so many games being played at the same time, game conflicts simply can’t be avoided.
The networks have, however, come up with a solution: Spread all the games across four different channels: CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV. Sound good? Not really. Surfing between the four channels with your remote only guarantees you’ll miss a lot of great plays. The best way to watch is to pick up all four broadcasts on four separate TVs.
Sound complicated? Not really. Not if you’re a serious sports fan. In this article, we’ll show you how easy it is to convert your living room into a multi-screen, tournament-ready sports lounge. With a creative combination of cable, satellite, terrestrial broadcast and internet streaming devices, you’ll be able to watch four games simultaneously without interruption. But be sure to start planning early, so you’re not running to the store on game day.
What You Need
1. Four TVs in one room.
You’ll need one for each broadcast channel, so gather the television sets from around the house (bedroom, kitchen, borrow from a friend, etc.) and set them up in your living room alongside your main monitor.
2. Access to streaming apps for each TV.
If all the sets are smart TVs, they should be able to access the most popular streaming apps: YouTube™ TV, Hulu™, Sling™ and others. If they’re a little older and don’t support the latest versions of these apps, don’t worry — there are hardware add-ons available to get the job done, such as Apple® TV, Fire® TV, Roku®, Chromecast® or Xbox™ One. Any of these can upgrade any monitor to a state-of-the-art smart TV.
On the left: streaming services. On the right: streaming devices.
3. Indoor HD antenna for terrestrial broadcast.
You’ll need an antenna to pick up your local CBS channel. HD antennas are available online or from any big-box store. Models vary, but to ensure clear picture quality, get the one that can pick up the farthest digital station.
Indoor HD antenna.
You’ll also need to subscribe and register your smart TVs and/or streaming devices to a streaming services app like YouTube TV, Hulu, Sling or any other that carry the four channels you’ll need to watch the tournament (i.e., CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV).
Note: If you don’t already subscribe to one of these services, do a little research. The services vary in terms of broadcast content and the hardware they support. The number of simultaneous streams each subscription supports is important. Some services limit the number of channels that can be simultaneously streamed into the home. You’re going to need two to three streams to see all the games. The good news is that these are normally month to month services with no penalty for subscribing for a single month.
Set Up Your TVs
There are many ways to make this happen, but the good news is that all are equally effective. Here’s an example that uses a combination of connections from cable TV, terrestrial broadcast and two internet streaming devices. (If you’re tech savvy, get creative with the hardware and streaming services you already have available.)
1. Monitor One (TBS broadcast):
This is the main TV that normally sits in your living room. Use the cable or satellite service already connected to this TV to receive the TBS broadcast.
2. Monitor Two (CBS broadcast):
This monitor will get its signal from local terrestrial broadcast using an indoor HD antenna.
3. Monitors 3 and 4 (TNT and TruTV signals via internet streaming):
These last two monitors are going to get their signals from the internet using the built-in apps or external streaming devices mentioned above.
Switch the Sound
Now that you have different games on all four monitors, it’s just a matter of switching the sound to the one you want to watch. This is simple if you’re using a Yamaha AV receiver that has a SCENE function. (All models made in the past 15 years have it.)
Here’s how:
1. Connect each TV’s audio output to an analog or digital input on the receiver:
2. Set the receiver’s input to the monitor you want, then press and hold a SCENE button for five seconds to set the scene. For example, connect Monitor 1 to the Audio 1 input and set SCENE 1, then connect Monitor 2 to the receiver’s Audio 2 input and set that to SCENE 2, and so on.
3. During the games, simply press one of the four programmed SCENE buttons on your remote to select the sound from the desired monitor. See the action, hear the action!
Now you’re all set to watch the drama of the tournament unfold in the comfort of your home theater. Grab your bracket, your favorite snacks, and enjoy! Will it be March Madness™ or March Sadness for your team?
A few years ago I wrote a mission statement for my website that defines what drives my creativity. Here’s what it says:
“I’ve always been inspired by the place within us that’s in a continual state of pursuit — a search for something different, something better, or what might have been while still feeling that if given the choice, I wouldn’t trade my world for any other. Life isn’t perfect. But some days it’s filled with so much joy it seems as perfect as perfect can be. Still, that state comes and goes. It’s from that divine discontent that songs (or for you, perhaps sonatas or novels) can’t help but emerge.”
This has been my modus operandi since I began my journey.
When I first started out, a producer colleague said he hoped I’d always be troubled because I wrote the best material when I was in distress. There were a couple of songs he’d helped me get recorded and indeed they were terribly sad.
I thought I was doomed.
It’s not that I was always somber, mind you. I was simply more prolific when I was in that state of mind. Otherwise, I was a pretty happy gal. But his words stayed with me.
Over time, I’ve come to believe that longing, even change for the sake of change, is muse-worthy — the desire to make things better even when they’re already okay. Divine discontent. My favorite oxymoron.
I’ve talked to a lot of other creative people over the years about what propels them and there’s a common theme that it’s in our nature to reside in this state. That’s where we’re comfortable. Where we thrive. It makes sense because art doesn’t come from contentment, but from struggle and angst.
I had an interesting conversation with my attorney recently. He posited that it’s a writer’s job to explore and examine, to “what if” ourselves to death. We’re drama kings and queens. We go into caves with flashlights looking for trouble. If we can’t find it, we make stuff up! Or if we’re at a point in our lives where there aren’t bumps in our emotional road, we draw from the past. We have good memories. (Or we write a happy song. ☺)
My lawyer is more left-brained — factual, analytical, methodical, orderly — than right-brained creative folks who rely more on intuition and imagination. (You can read more about the role of the two brain hemispheres here.) I wouldn’t trade being right-brained for anything in the world but perhaps the facts, and an acceptance of the way things are, make for a less complicated life.
I dunno. I’m just musing. That’s what I’m supposed to do.
The most authentic artists, it seems, are often the most troubled. They don’t even have to look for drama — they’re embedded with it and it translates into their art organically, automatically, effortlessly. Amy Winehouse. Kurt Cobain. Janis Joplin. Chris Cornell. Where they are now? I don’t want to exchange fates. But fascinating artists? Absolutely.
So are we doomed if we’re content — if peace and calm replace push and pull? Do we risk writing from an emotional flat-line? I imagine that would be creative death. But no need to fret if we’re going through a period of emotional calm. Enjoy it. Breathe and be thankful it doesn’t last, at which point we can get back to making engaging art.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m still that happy gal who wrote those sad songs. I have love, health, a family, a roof over my head … yet I’m still searching for more.
My father-in-law once asked me, “Do you ever stop?” No, I don’t. It’s ongoing. Life is a Rubik’s cube. A crossword puzzle. A treasure hunt. Maybe that’s what Bono meant when he sang “I still haven’t found what I’m looking for.”
I haven’t either. I’ll let you know when I find it. But at that point I’ll probably start looking for something else.
Daylight Saving Time is here again: the days are getting longer and the nights shorter. But with that one hour of time you just lost, you missed out on some great binge watching in your home theater. Here are a few recommended television episodes that will help you eat up the hours — night or day — and catch you up on what you might have missed.
1. Game of Thrones – Season 6, Episode 9
It’s hard not to start here due to the sheer intensity of this hit HBO show. This episode features a scene that reportedly took 25 days to film and used 500 extras, 600 crew members and 70 horses, but it’s the silence underlying the bombast that speaks so loudly. Thousands of men line up across a field from one another, and all you hear at first is a few horses snorting and flags blowing in the wind. It’s a great example of “less is more,” because you know that an epic battle is sure to follow. Check it out here.
2. Mindhunter – Season 1 Finale (Episode 10)
This American crime drama is based upon the true crime book Mindhunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit. In it, FBI agents interview serial killers to try to understand how they think. In the first season’s final episode, there’s a chilling scene where special agent Holden Ford stares down a chained killer in a hospital Intensive Care Unit, accompanied by music that slowly grows increasingly more uncomfortable as the tension grows. When the killer grabs him in a hug, a classic Led Zeppelin track fills the speakers and … well, I don’t want to give any more away. Check it out here.
3. BoJack Horseman – Season 2 Finale, Episode 12
This unusual animated comedy drama stars Will Arnett as the title character, BoJack Horseman. It takes place in a Hollywood populated by humans and tailless anthropomorphic animals. The Season 2 finale ends with an inspirational scene that has BoJack running up a hill to the point of exhaustion, when he encounters a bearded baboon who urges him to keep on going. “Every day gets a little easier,” the baboon says. “But you have to do it every day, that’s the hard part. But it does get easier.” Words to live by. Check it out here.
4. Spartacus – Season 1, Episode 5
You can’t go wrong with a good fight scene rocking your home theater speakers and subwoofer. Produced in New Zealand, this series was inspired by the historical hero Spartacus. In this episode, he and fellow gladiator Crixus take on their dreaded enemy Theokoles. What follows is an intense battle scene, accompanied by thundering music. You might want to put the kids to bed first! Check it out here.
5. Homeland – Season 4, Episode 7
There’s a scene in this episode that provides a good example of how sometimes you don’t need any music or action to create something truly compelling: It can be as simple as well-written dialog, excellent acting and a good drama series. Here, Saul (played by Mandy Patinkin) gets into it with Haissam Haqqani (played by Numan Acar), who is a Taliban leader and therefore a high-priority target. Check it out here.
6. Stranger Things – Season 2, Episode 8
This spooky series is guaranteed to put you on the edge of your seat. It takes place in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana in the 1980s, where, under the guise of the Department of Energy, experiments are being carried out delving into the supernatural and paranormal. In the climactic scene of this episode, Eleven, a young girl with psychokinetic abilities, makes her grand entrance — an appearance marked with both tension and relief. Check it out here.
7. GLOW – Season 1, Episode 1
Sometimes you just need to get your GLOW on. This series takes a look at the characters and gimmicks of a fictional 1980s women’s wrestling circuit called GLOW — the Gorgeous Ladies Of Wrestling. The last scene of the very first episode sums things up as we watch ladies with big hair battle each other in the ring, to the sounds of Journey. Check it out here.
8. Westworld – Season 1, Episode 5
This science fiction western series is based on the 1973 film of the same name. Westworld is an amusement park that caters to high-paying fantasies and is populated by android hosts. This episode is worth watching just for its “man walks into a bar” scene alone, where Anthony Hopkins, who plays the co-founder and director of Westworld, invites himself to join Ed Harris for a drink because he doesn’t like to drink alone. As their conversation unfolds, the conflict — and the self-discovery — begins. Check it out here.
What do all these episodes have in common? They all benefit from being watched in a home theater, where the sights, sounds and spectacle all come to life. There’s no better way to enjoy a spare hour!
It’s true that new waves of technology make it easier to access information when you need it and however you need it. Need to learn a quick “hack” — simply Google it, right?
Given all of these advances, why do teachers still need to pack up, leave the comforts of their classrooms and head to the music education association (MEA) conference? Simply put, it’s integral to your growth as an educator.
Beyond the simple transactional value that any conference can provide, there are still many reasons for you to attend your local MEA conference.
Reason 1: Be Part of a Professional Community
Lawyers are part of their bar associations, doctors are part of their medical associations — so why shouldn’t music educators be part of their own professional community? As professionals, teachers should allow themselves to grow and evolve. Annual MEA conferences provide that regular opportunity to do just that — to immerse yourself in your professional community and continue to understand what it means to be a professional music educator.
Reason 2: Be in the Room Where it Happens
The sessions are just one aspect of MEA conferences, and while an important one, it’s the informal conversations that happen in those rooms, in the hallways outside those rooms and in the exhibit hall that put you in a position to gain access to knowledge, opportunities and experiences that can’t be replaced with a simple Google search.
Reason 3: Get One-on-One Coaching
With so much knowledge and experience in one area, MEA conferences provide a valuable opportunity to get one-on-one coaching from some of the finest master teachers around the country. In a webinar, you can’t stay after the meeting to ask for clarification. A Google search can’t lead you into a conversation that uncovers something else. The back-and-forth dialogs and interactions allow for the generation of ideas and the gaining of insight.
Reason 4: Get Beyond Yourself
MEA conferences also provide an opportunity for you to explore your interests within music education. Concurrent sessions and multiple tracks allow you to learn about new trends or refresh yourself in areas that you need to improve on. Or you could sit in on topics that you do not need now but that may strike an interest down the road. When you search on Google, you’re looking for now. When exploring at MEA conferences, you have the opportunity to explore past, present and future.
Reason 5: Own Your MEA Conference Experience
Find a new favorite restaurant and arrange a reunion with a classmate or two who work on the other side of the state. Take the opportunity to immerse yourself in fantastic music. Whatever your motivation, own your MEA conference experience so that it’s memorable from a learning perspective and meaningful on a personal level. You will feel refreshed (albeit tired from all the constant activities!) when you go home, and you will be motivated to go to MEA conferences in future years.
Whatever your reason — and hopefully there is more than one reason from my list above that convinces you — attending an MEA conference is an opportunity to grow and better yourself. If you haven’t been to a conference yet, take this opportunity to participate in and engage with your professional community and gather the tools and contacts that will make you a better educator and person!
Timpani are expensive instruments. An average set can cost between $10,000 and $15,000, so damages caused by careless cartage can result in significant expenditure. Here are three steps you can take to ensure proper timpani movement.
Step 1: Planning
Before you move your timpani, it’s important to have a good plan. As time management expert Alan Lakein says, “failing to plan is planning to fail.”
1. Know the route beforehand.
2. Determine what will be required to move the timpani. Will you need:
– A cart, truck or dolly?
– Moving blankets?
– Straps, bungee cords, tie-downs or rope?
– Helpers to lift the drums?
Step 2: Prepping
1. Adjust the pedal to the highest position to protect it from hitting the ground and to brace the head for any stress it may endure.
2. Remove mallet bags and accessories from the instrument to avoid losing any mallets or damaging the bowl of the timpano.
Step 3: Moving
1. Always move slowly and carefully while transporting timpani. This simple step will prevent most accidents. Avoid big bumps and uneven surfaces.
2. When moving the instrument, be sure to hold the drum by its struts at all times and avoid touching the counterhoop (also known as the rim). Pulling by the counterhoop may cause permanent damage to the hoop and distort the pitch of the drum.
Correct movement is displayed in the left image (holding by the struts). Incorrect movement is displayed in the right image (grabbing the counterhoop).
If you are using a truck to move the timpani, be sure to lift them by their struts when loading and unloading. Once the timpani are on the truck, always use moving blankets to cover each drum completely and lock the wheels. This will protect the drum and help them from rolling during transportation.
Be sure to tie down each drum separately to the floor or wall and not to each other. Use straps or tie-downs on the struts only. Ensure that nothing will fall on or bump into the timpani.Here are a few other things to remember:
– The heads of timpani are never meant to act as tables. Do not let anything rest directly on the head.
– Cover the heads when not playing the timpani.
– Wheels are a crucial part when it comes to moving. If one or more become lost or broken, a new one can be purchased from your local music dealer.
– Timpani may become out of tune after any move, so allow time to balance the heads and adjust the gauges before any performance or rehearsal.
– Inspect the drums once a month. Refer to our “Timpani Maintenance” blog post for more information.
– Timpani are designed to be moved and stored upright on their wheels. Any other position, such as on the counterhoop or struts, will cause unwanted stress on the head and/or body of the drum.
Following these simple steps will prevent common timpani damage and keep them looking and sounding brand new even after years of play!
Photos courtesy of the authors.
Click here for more information about Yamaha timpani.
When it comes to monitor mixing in a House of Worship environment, the rule to live by is: Less is more. The quieter the onstage sound is and the better the performers can hear themselves, the better the main (“Front of House”) mix will be for your worshippers. In this video, Yamaha product manager John Schauer provides tips and techniques for using the two different types of monitors: classic onstage “wedge” monitors and in-ear monitors worn by each band member individually, where no sound is produced that can be picked up by any of the onstage microphones — hence, no feedback. He also covers positioning speakers and amplifiers as well as dealing with the loud sound levels that come from acoustic drums, along with the importance of setting input gains and crafting an overall Front of House mix before creating a monitor mix.
Click here to find out more about Yamaha professional audio products.
There are a wide range of apps out there for drummers, many of them specially designed to be used in conjunction with electronic drums. Here are three ways these kinds of apps can help your drumming:
1. They Simplify The Navigation Process
Most electronic drum modules — where all the sounds and features are housed — have very small LCD screens, which makes it difficult to navigate the menus and view notifications or any changes you have made. But apps make it easy. No more searching through the user manual to get a Ph.D in “Menu Diving”! No more learning button combinations to customize sounds, change kits or add effects.
2. They Provide Beneficial Educational Exercises
Apps provide training functions and exercises that can assist you to build the skills necessary to become an efficient drummer. Whether acting as a metronome or virtual teacher, they can also provide important visual cues that you can’t get from a small LCD screen.
For example, the training exercises offered by the Yamaha DTX402 Touch app focus on several important skills that every drummer should work on. They even provide you with audible feedback and a grade! Let’s take a look at a few of them:
Rhythm Gate – Play along to the songs in the module (or to the module’s metronome), and if you’re not playing in time, sounds won’t be produced from the pads you are striking.
Dynamic Gate – Pick the dynamic category you want to improve on, and just as in the above exercise, if you don’t play within the selected category, no sounds will be heard.
Song Part Gate – Breaks down each section of every song in the module and gives you an audible and written example of each part from start to finish so you can play along to the entire song efficiently.
Part Mute – Allows you to isolate each drum part in a song in order to learn all the distinct parts happening within the groove, making it easier to understand the role played by each limb.
Fast Blast – Counts all your pad hits within the desired set time. This is a great tool to develop your endurance and speed. Challenge yourself and continue to beat your scores!
Recorder Mode – Listen back to your accuracy and assess your time-keeping abilities by recording your audio performance, whether you’re playing solo or are playing along to any of the ten songs in the module.
3. They Allow For Video And Audio Recording
Having the ability to record high quality audio and video simultaneously is a tremendous benefit, not only for practice purposes, but for performance as well. The Yamaha Rec’n’Share app, for example, captures the audio from your DTX6 Seriesor DTX402 electronic drums (or EAD10 module) and combines it with video taken with your smart device. You can then download your performance from the app and share it on social media, or send it to a friend in a text or email.
You can opt to record just a solo performance, or, you can download songs from your iTunes® library or Dropbox™ and record yourself drumming along. If the song you’re learning is difficult and you need some assistance in getting up to speed, you can utilize an A/B Loop function to repeat tricky drum parts for efficient learning; you can even manipulate and slow down the tempo as needed.
So avail yourself of some of the fine electronic drum apps out there. Time to ditch the menu diving and focus instead on enjoying your drumming journey!
For more information, check out these blog articles:
The debut of Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris on May 29, 1913 was met with outrage. The orchestral score to the ballet was not just avant garde, it was guttural, bestial, almost carnal … and wildly different from anything that had come before. During the Dance of the Adolescents section — the first moment of extreme dissonance and skewed rhythm — nothing less than a riot broke out. “Cries of ta gueule [shut up] came from behind me,” Stravinsky recalled. “I left the hall in a rage. I have never again been that angry.”
Igor Stravinsky.
It was an inauspicious beginning for a work that many today view as one of the most influential pieces of music of the 20th century — one that would inform movie scores for decades. And despite the fact that Stravinsky’s legacy endured (indeed, for more than fifty years after that raucous debut, he would compose hundreds of lasting works), few had the visceral impact of that one. “Very little immediate tradition lies behind The Rite of Spring — and no theory,” Stravinsky later said. “I had only my ear to help me; I heard and I wrote what I heard. I am the vessel through which The Rite passed.”
In other words, it was a work that was breaking new ground — pushing the envelope, in the modern vernacular. Personally, I’m of the opinion that the very best music comes from doing just that.
No one had ever before experienced songs like the ones Chuck Berry wrote, nor had they ever heard a big band arrangement swing the way Ellington’s or Strayhorn’s did. No one ever heard vocal stylings like those of Sinatra, Elvis, Little Richard or John Lennon, nor had they ever heard trumpet solos phrased the way Louis Armstrong played them. No one had ever made a saxophone wail the way John Coltrane did; no one ever made a guitar sing the way it did in the hands of Jimi Hendrix. They booed when Dylan picked up an electric guitar at the Newport Folk Festival; they were baffled when Miles Davis ushered in the era of jazz fusion. Both The Beatles and the Stones were met with a withering wall of criticism when they first appeared on the scene, based more on their appearance than their musical skills. But all would not only leave lasting legacies but serve as an inspiration to generations of new musicians.
Jimmy Douglass
Engineer Jimmy Douglass once related a story that has stayed with me for years. He got his start at the in-house Atlantic Records recording studio back in the 1970s, where he was encouraged to find new, unsigned artists to audition for the prestigious label. “One of the first acts I brought in sounded just like Crosby, Stills and Nash,” he told me, “and when [staff producer] Jerry Wexler heard the tape, his comment was, “They sound like CSN,” and I got all excited.
“But then Jerry pointed out that Atlantic already had Crosby, Stills and Nash,” Jimmy added with a laugh. “As a young kid, I didn’t understand that concept: I thought that if something sounded like the hits I was hearing on the radio, the label would want to sign it.”
Now while it’s true that many record companies in those days were always looking to cash in on a fad — something that’s sadly true to this very day — the bottom line is that an artist who sounds like someone (as opposed to sounding like themselves) can only go so far. They may enjoy some commercial success for a time, but the odds of them making a lasting impact are minimal.
So if you take your music seriously, your goal should be to innovate, not imitate. Forge a path where no one has gone before, and walk it fearlessly. We all have influences, and especially early in our careers we rely heavily upon them; after all, they are the bedrock atop which we build our own sound and reputation. But true greatness can occur only when you are prepared to move on to higher ground.
Michael Pote, an award-winning band director and highly sought-after speaker, clearly demonstrates that success in a large, high-profile program stems from understanding and utilizing the strengths of everyone involved. He equips students with the musical tools necessary to guarantee achievement at the highest level.
Under his leadership, Carmel High School in Indiana has garnered national recognition, including being named one of NAMM’s Best Communities for Music Education in 2019 as part of Carmel Clay Schools.
Pote believes that notoriety takes a back seat to creating a balanced program where every student’s musical and educational needs are considered. He strives to create a highly collaborative environment where students are active, critical listeners and an integral part of every rehearsal.
Directors who attend Pote’s presentations or read Process, his sets of ensemble exercises, will learn how his keen approach to rehearsal strategies blurs the line between traditional warmup and finetuning musicality and musicianship. Focusing on the “why” and “how” of every exercise, rather than the “what,” gives purpose and strategy to rehearsals. With clear and specific communication, music educators should help students see the value of building a skill through a particular exercise that can translate into a portion of the score or their musicality.
This strategic and focused approach provides an economical path to integrating skills directly into music. Through these tactics, Pote is a master at sharpening musical reflexes through effective warmups, which leads to students being able to rely on those concepts when a musical challenge arises. He emphasizes that all practice or exercises that students are asked to perfect should have real, tangible applications.
A few of Michael Pote’s session titles are:
Less is More — Create an Ensemble Basics Program that Really Works
There is No Off-Season — How to Create a Balanced Program that has Concert Literature at its Core
Blurring the Line Between Warmup and Literature — A Holistic Approach to Utilizing Your Rehearsal Time
Ensemble — An Integrated Approach to the Yamaha Harmony Director
Teaching from the Light — Crafting Positive, Student-Driven Feedback
To learn more about clinics by Michael Pote, please contact Jalissa Gascho at jgascho@yamaha.com.
I recently ran into an old friend — two old friends, in fact. One of them joined me for lunch at the recent NAMM show, where we spent a pleasant couple of hours catching up with life. Then, knowing of my long history with the Yamaha CP80, he asked if I had seen the new CP88 stage piano … and that’s who turned out to be my second old friend.
We took a walk over to the Yamaha exhibit area, where I quickly spotted the CP88 on display. Even before I heard a single note, I was impressed with its sleek look. Then I started exploring its simple and intuitive design: It was laid out in three sections, each with color-matched LEDs and switches. There was also an old school mini-toggle switch to turn each section on and off (which was a nice little surprise), plus an effects area that could be assigned to each or all sections.I was told by the friendly Yamaha rep that the CP88 came loaded with all the classic keyboard instruments, many of which I had used on tour and in the studio. The first sound I dialed up was, of course, the CP80. I started to play … and there it was! The sound was so exact, it took me back to the day I first heard a CP80, when I was working as a keyboard technician (a fancy name for “roadie”) for Chick Corea.
Let me digress here and tell you a little about my history. I started out as a guitarist but was inspired to make the switch to keyboards and synthesizers when I started listening to artists like Chick, Walter Carlos, Keith Emerson and Herbie Hancock. I soon dove into the world of analog keyboards (these were the days before digital ones), and took a job at a rehearsal studio in Los Angeles. Then one day in late 1976 a dream came true: I received a call from Chick Corea’s manager saying that Chick had just moved from New York to LA and was looking for a local keyboard tech, and my name had come up. It was the chance of a lifetime! I could learn from one of the true masters of the keyboard, and also possibly contribute my programming skills, if and when the opportunity allowed.
Without a moment’s hesitation I took the gig. In early 1977 Chick recorded a new album with his band Return To Forever before beginning rehearsals for the planned tour to follow. Chick had Gayle Moran on additional keyboards and vocals in that rendition of RTF, and she had a brand-new CP80 along with her other instruments. The CP80 was a real piano, though one with no actual soundboard, so it had a unique tonal quality and identity.
So here I am, playing this latest keyboard at NAMM, and I find myself taken straight back to a rehearsal room in Los Angeles more than 40 years ago. It was like reuniting with an old friend, bringing back great memories.
Next, I dialed up the C7 piano sound, since almost every studio I worked in had one; they had a crisp, bright tone that was great for recording. Bam! I was instantly transported back to a session at A&M Studios in 1992 when I played a C7 on Joe Cocker’s Night Calls album. It was an especially memorable session for me because it was the first time I ever played acoustic piano on a record — everything prior to that always all synthesizers.
But it wasn’t just the sound that transported me. Even the action of the CP88 reminded me of the C7. It’s comparable to some high-end acoustic pianos I’ve played — instruments that cost many tens of thousands of dollars.
After that eye-opener, I ventured on to some of the other classic keyboard sounds. I started with the Rhodes, which is a staple on so many great recordings. There are actually many variations of the Rhodes sound, but what the CP88 delivers is an exceptionally dynamic and pure tonality, so reminiscent of the early days. The Wurly sound was equally impressive, as was the Clavinet, originally used on many of the great R&B hits of the 1960s and 1970s by artists like Stevie Wonder and others.
By now, I was pretty much convinced that the CP88 is a must-have keyboard for every live and studio gig, but I kept trying out new sounds. The Bösendorfer Imperial Grand: stunning. Upright pianos: fantastic. Layered pianos: inventive, and fun to play. There are also a bunch of classic organ sounds, which, in conjunction with the onboard rotary and depth section, provide faithful renditions of the originals. And then there are a whole series of synthesizer sounds, including, of course, many of the classic DX7 tonalities I used on tour with Michael Jackson and other artists. There are also a number of excellent pads, strings and percussive sounds — even some guitars!
My encounter with the CP88 was like having a reunion with an old friend. No, better than that. It was like being reintroduced to a whole series of old friends — friends that defined the sounds of an era. This brand-new keyboard keeps them alive for a new generation to explore.
MusicCast is a powerful Yamaha technology that enables you to share audio sources in every room of your house, all under the control of a free app called, appropriately enough, MusicCast Controller. This app, available for both iOS® and Android™, is packed with features — so many, in fact, that it’s possible there may be some you aren’t aware of.
We’re here to help! Here are five cool things you may not know about MusicCast Controller:
1. You Can Access Room Settings with a Single Tap
Here’s a feature that can be a real time-saver. For example, with just a single tap you can set your receiver to deliver your favorite wake-up music playlist to your bedroom, at just the right volume and with the perfect DSP settings … even if you were watching a football game on the TV connected to the receiver the night before.
Just pick the playlist as the source for your receiver and adjust the volume and DSP settings to taste. Then press and hold the Room to save the current room settings (Room, Link, Source and Volume) as a Room Preset. When you wake up in the morning, tap the Room Preset icon or the MusicCast Room Presets widget to recall your settings. (You can, of course, do the same before the next game to recall those settings). It’s a win-win!And here’s another way to use this feature: If you have all your rooms linked to enjoy that perfect party playlist in every room, save it as a single Room Preset. You can unlink rooms the day after the party, then recall your whole house preset for the next party without having to relink all the rooms manually
2. It Lets You Share Customizations with Other Devices
With the Share Custom Preferences feature, it’s a snap to share customizations (such as photos, presets and renamed inputs) with other devices, such as your spouse’s, or your kid’s, phone.
Here’s how it works: Access Share Custom Preferences from App Settings in the Settings menu. Then click Share Custom Preferences and follow the instructions that appear on the next screen. Now every device will see the same room customizations.
3. Save Yourself from Yourself
The Volume Fade Control feature (which is turned on by default) prevents you from accidentally increasing the volume too suddenly — something that can damage your speakers.After you get used to using the slider to control the volume, you may want to turn this off so you have tighter control. Access Volume Fade Control from App Settings in the Settings menu. If you turn it off, you’ll see the warning above.
4. Widgets!
You can think of “widgets” as convenient mini applets that are just a swipe away. For example, the MusicCast widget allows you to quickly see what’s playing and adjust its volume.
Need to do more? Just tap the M button to access the MusicCast Controller app. The Room Presets widget allows you to quickly access your room presets. Remember your morning wake up routine we talked about earlier? Just one tap on this widget will recall your room presets.
5. It Makes It Easy to Add Wireless Surround Speakers and a Subwoofer
We saved the best for last. If you have a MusicCast surround-capable AV receiver or sound bar, you can add YamahaMusicCast 20 or MusicCast 50 wireless speakers as rear surround speakers, then add a Yamaha MusicCast SUB 100 wireless subwoofer to create a 5.1-channel system. No mess behind your receiver and no running wires in your walls! Change your mind about where the speakers should go? Just move them. Adding rear surround speakers and more bass has never been easier.
After adding rear speakers and/or subwoofer to your MusicCast network in the app, tap MusicCast Surround/Stereo in the Settings menu. In the next screen, link the Surround Speakers or a Subwoofer by simply picking them from a list. Now you’re ready to enjoy your favorite movies and music in 5.1-channel surround sound.We’re constantly improving the MusicCast wireless multi-room audio experience. Explore the MusicCast Controller app to find more time-saving features, and check back here for more articles about this exciting technology.
When it comes to convenience, digital multitrack recording has it all over its predecessor, analog tape. You can record with a wider frequency range and lower noise. You can make copies without degrading the quality. You can slice, dice, cut, copy and paste your audio at will, with incredible precision and without affecting the original recording. You can record an unlimited number of tracks in a session, as long as you have a fast-enough computer and sufficient hard drive space to store the data.
This is all possible because the digital recording process turns analog audio into numerical data that can be freely manipulated before converting it back to sound when you play it back. When you edit digital audio, you’re simply rearranging numbers in a computer. When you edit a recording made to analog tape, you have to physically cut the tape to remove or move parts around, and then put it back together with splicing tape.
However, despite its many advantages, digital recording has a downside: It can sound too clean — even sterile — because it lacks the random irregularities that make analog recordings so endearing. In a somewhat ironic twist, many recordists these days try to make digital audio sound less perfect by adding “vintage” (i.e., analog) characteristics.
Clipping: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
What are those analog characteristics? An example is the slight random pitch variations (called wow and flutter) that are caused by minor inconsistencies in a tape recorder’s — or turntable’s — speed and physical infrastructure. Digital playback, on the other hand, has no inconsistencies whatsoever.
Another essential characteristic of analog sound is saturation. One of the advantages of analog gear compared to digital is what happens when you overload it. In digital audio, overloading the input of a recording device or processor can create harsh and nasty distortion known as clipping. The waveforms are clipped (flattened) when they overload the input because, in the digital domain, there’s literally nowhere for the audio to go beyond zero. It’s like getting smashed into a brick wall.
Unfortunately, when the waveforms flatten out, some very unappealing distortion artifacts are created. (Note that the technical definition of distortion is a waveform that’s a different shape at the output than it was at the input.)
The flat sections at the top and bottom indicate digital clipping.
In analog gear, whether you’re recording to tape or using equipment with tubes or transformers (or both), overloading also causes distortion of the waveforms, but instead of the harsh nastiness of digital clipping, you generally get a much more pleasant effect, sometimes referred to as “soft” clipping. That’s because its transient — the loud initial part of the sound — tends to get squashed down a little, reducing its hard edge, which is similar to what happens when you compress a signal. Also, additional harmonics (i.e., components of a sound that are multiples of the base “fundamental” frequency) are created. As a result, the audio sounds richer and more supple. In audio parlance, those qualities are referred to as “warmth.”
Deliberate Overload
In the era before digital recording, many audio engineers discovered that overloading analog gear could often make their recorded tracks sound better. For example, it became commonplace to intentionally overload drums when recording them to tape to get a saturated sound.
Comparing a clean signal with a saturated one.
Engineers also noticed that overloading tubes resulted in the creation of even-order harmonics (that is, octave multiples of the notes being played), which are particularly pleasing to the ear. The overdriven tube amplifier, particularly for guitar, is another mainstay of “vintage” sound.
The transformer — a common component in electronic circuitry that changes voltage internally — was also discovered to cause pleasant saturation. In particular, overloading the input in a transformer-coupled microphone preamp was found to create warmth when recording vocals. Rupert Neve, one of the pioneers in audio equipment design, established his name creating mixing consoles, preamps and signal processors (such as equalizers and compressors) with transformers that produced extremely pleasant “soft clipping” when overloaded.
That Silky Sound
In recent years, Neve, through his company, Rupert Neve Designs™ (RND), has collaborated with Yamaha to bring vintage sounds to modern audio devices. The first Yamaha product to incorporate Neve technology was the Rivage PM10, a digital live mixer, followed by the Steinberg™UR-RT series of audio interfaces, which have circuitry that incorporate Rupert Neve Designs transformers. The Steinberg AXR4 is the latest fruit of the Yamaha-Neve collaboration. It’s a premium Thunderbolt 2 audio interface that features precise digital emulation of the highly regarded SILK circuitry found in RND hardware.
The Steinberg AXR4.
When you plug a mic or instrument into the AXR4, you can turn on the SILK process with the press of a button, allowing you to imbue your digital tracks with classic analog-saturated sound. As a result, you get the best of both worlds: the convenience and flexibility of digital recording, along with the warmth of analog.
One of the seminal events in the history of instrument design was the invention of the valve in the 1820s. Shortly thereafter, valves were incorporated into numerous existing brass instruments (such as the trumpet and horn) and spurred the creation of many new musical devices such as the basstuba, historical precursor to the modern tuba. This instrument made its appearance on September 12, 1835 — the date a patent application was filed by its inventors, German military bandmaster Wilhelm Wieprecht and musical instrument developer Johann Moritz.
The name “tuba” comes from the Latin word for “tube,” but was also used for an ancient bronze instrument used in Greece and Rome. It was later used as a blanket term for horns, trumpets, and bugles. Moritz called his invention the “basstuba” since it had a lower tone than historical “tubas.”
Forerunners of the Modern Tuba
The serpent.
Although their structures were entirely different, instruments such as the ophicleide and serpent had a similar function to the modern tuba in orchestras. Widely used until the mid-19th century, these used keys (metal caps over the tone holes) like woodwind instruments. For example, Mendelssohn’s overture A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1826) calls for an ophicleide. And when Wagner first wrote his Faust Overture in 1840, he did so with the serpent, not the basstuba, in mind.
Three years after inventing the basstuba, Moritz created the tenor tuba, an instrument with a higher tonal range. Fellow inventor Ferdinand Sommer then made the tubes of the tenor tuba thicker and more tapered, calling this instrument the “euphonium.” The name was taken from “euphonos,” which means “beautiful sound” in Greek.
While Sommer was developing the euphonium in Germany, Adolphe Sax, noted father of the saxophone, was creating one saxhorn instrument after another in Paris: first the sopranino, then the soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone saxhorns. All had high tonal ranges that exactly matched the increasingly popular euphonium. (In addition, a bass saxhorn, sold under the name “euphonium,” was also developed and was a great success.)
A modern tuba is typically a C or B♭ tuba. Different varieties of the instrument can have various pitches, but these were not all invented by the same person. Regardless, as a group, we call them tubas.
The Tuba Family
Even though they have the lowest tonal range of all the brass instrument, there are slight variations of tubas. In addition to different possible structures, the four main pitches are F, E♭, C, and B♭. The baritone, euphonium, alto (tenor) horn and sousaphone are also related to the tuba.
The Baritone and Euphonium
Usually equipped with three piston valves, the baritone (which is a B♭ horn) has the same tonal range as the euphonium. As a result, many euphonium players also play the baritone, and vice versa.
Compared to a euphonium, the timbre of a baritone is brighter and its tubes are considerably thinner. In the U.S., a euphonium with the bell and pistons facing forward may be called a baritone to differentiate it from a true euphonium.
The Alto (Tenor) Horn
This is an instrument pitched in the key of E♭, five tones lower than a trumpet, sometimes played by trumpeters or horn players.
The Sousaphone
John Philip Sousa, the famous American conductor and composer of many marching tunes, came up with the idea of redesigning the tuba in a larger size and naming the new instrument after himself. An instrument manufacturer completed it as a special order in 1890.
The sousaphone’s prominent feature is the large bell that sits over the player’s right shoulder and faces forward, which allows the instrument to project its sound toward the front. The large, round bell is often a feature of marching bands and other ensembles that line up and play in formation.
The sousaphone looks truly heavy … and it sometimes is. When constructed out of brass, a sousaphone can weigh more than 27 pounds; however ABS resin material brings the weight down under 10 pounds.
Here’s a chart that shows the frequency ranges of the instruments in the tuba family:
Audio Examples
In the first of these audio clips, a tuba is playing from the prelude to Wagner’s The Mastersingers of Nuremberg; in the second one, a sousaphone is setting the rhythm:
In this next audio clip, a euphonium is playing Holst’s Second Suite for Military Band (Op. 28 No. 2):
In this final audio clip, a baritone is playing the British lullaby The Blue Bells of Scotland:
Tuba Tidbits
How is the tuba able to produce such low tones?
The tube of a tuba can be as much as 31 1/2 feet in length(!), which is why it can play extremely low pitches.
Can smaller people play the tuba?
You may have heard that the tuba is not suited to smaller people or those with less robust lung capacity. However, this is not necessarily true. Anyone with normal lung capacity is encouraged to give it a try!
That said, there is no denying that having greater lung capacity is an advantage for playing larger tubas and sousaphones. Dedicating some time to daily training can assist with increasing your lung capacity. The ideal approach would be to adopt an exercise habit like swimming or jogging. If this is not feasible, you might want to try deep breathing practice called “abdominal breathing.” If you practice breathing by using your abdominal muscles to fully exhale to the bottom of your abdomen, you will boost your lung capacity while also increasing control of your breath.
Borrow a desk or chair when setting down your tuba!
It’s common sense to rest a tuba on a flat, sturdy surface with the bell facing downward. However, even by doing this, there’s no guarantee that your tuba will be safe from damage to the bell (however slight); in fact, even worse damage can result if you stand it on the wrong surface, if someone bumps into it, or if another accident occurs. In extreme cases, your damaged tuba will no longer be able to play any notes at all. So when placing your tuba on the floor, make sure there’s a desk or chair nearby to ensure that it will not tip over easily. Keep this in mind whether you are in the music room or preparing for a performance!
What’s the largest tuba in the world?
A music school in Kraslice, Czech Republic has a tuba on display that is taller than the height of a person. Apparently made for the World’s Fair held in New York in 1913, it is said to be able to produce notes two octaves lower than an F tuba.
Imagine if there was an app that could take a song you love, analyze the audio and convert it to a chord chart! Now imagine taking that data and sending it wirelessly so that Genos could play the song back in a totally different style of music.
All of this is actually possible. And in today’s lesson we’re going to do just that.
As you may or may not know, out of the box, Genos has LAN (Local Area Network) capabilities (though not available in some countries outside the U.S., so please check with your Yamaha retailer), which means it can transmit MIDI and audio data wirelessly. “Wow, that’s cool!” you may be saying, “but how does that help me make music?” Well, I’m glad you asked, because I’m going to provide the answer.
There are, however, a few things you’re going to have to do beforehand in order to follow along with this exercise. Begin by securing a flash drive with at least 500MB (half a GB) of space available. Then back up your Genos files to the flash drive. To do so, press the MENU button, select MENU2 and then touch Utility:Now go to page 2/2 in the Utility Menu and touch Backup. Once that’s done, you’ll need to update your Genos’s firmware to version 1.30 if it is running an earlier version. Simply click hereand follow the download instructions.
Okay, now there are two more puzzle pieces you’ll need to make this work: an Android™ or iOS® (15.2 or higher) smartphone or tablet and the Yamaha Chord Tracker app, which you can download for free from the App Store. This is the amazing software that converts the audio in your music library to chord charts. (For more information, check out our blog article “Chord Tracker and the Sonogenic keytar.”)
Once installed, make sure WiFi on your iOS device is turned on, then launch the Chord Tracker app:
Now let’s go back to Genos and get wireless connectivity going so the two can talk to each other. Press the MENU button, go to Menu2 and select Wireless LAN in the lower right-hand corner of the screen. You’ll see all the available networks pop up, as they would with your phone or tablet.
While you could connect Genos and your iOs device to your home WiFi network, I recommend instead using Access Point Mode. The benefit is that, in this mode, Genos and your device will be communicating peer to peer instead of sharing a network. Accordingly, go ahead and change the mode by touching Mode and selecting Yes when the “Changing to Access Point mode” dialog appears:Now go into the WiFi settings on your iOS device and you should see Genos pop up in the network list. Select the network ap-Genos-380672; the password is 00000000 (eight zeroes). You should see a check mark next to the Genos’s IP address. (It’s okay if it says “No Internet Connection” underneath.)
On the Chord Tracker Home screen, under the ”Instrument” menu, you should see Genos in the list. (If it’s not there at first, just give it a couple of seconds.)Once this connection appears, select “Music” to access your iTunes music library. (Only music you own can be analyzed by Chord Tracker; it does not support music streaming services.)
Next, select a song. For this exercise, I’m going to select one I wrote called “Ain’t Gonna Forget My Keys.” Once Chord Tracker finishes analyzing the audio — a process that takes just a second or two — a chord chart will appear. Pretty amazing stuff!
Now we’re going to send the chord data to Genos. In Chord Tracker, select the little box with the three dots in the upper left-hand corner of the screen, then select “Send to Instrument”:
You can now select a style within Genos to play back the MIDI chord data. For example, try choosing the SheriffReggae Style, under the Caribbean category. Once you’ve selected a style, touch “Send.” The Genos screen will show that it is connecting to your device:Now let’s find that chord chart in Genos. Select Song A on the Main screen (make sure you select MIDI instead of Audio), and then select the Chord Tracker folder. (This will contain the MIDI chord charts you transferred from Chord Tracker.)
All you have to do now is select the song you wish to play — in this case, “Ain’t Gonna Forget My Keys”: The song title will appear in the Song A area. Finally, press the SONG A PLAY/PAUSE button and enjoy hearing chords from a favorite song being played in a totally different style!
Have fun exploring the limitless possibilities that Chord Tracker, wireless data communication and Genos have to offer … and don’t forget to keep practicing!
In Part 1 of this two-part article, we looked at the Chord Trackerapp. This time around, we’ll focus on its partner in music-making, the Yamaha Sonogenic SHS-500. On its own, the Sonogenic is a 37-key portable instrument with 30 different sounds, but when used in conjunction with Chord Tracker it becomes a powerful tool for jamming along with your favorite music — and the best part is you don’t need any keyboard skills!
You hold the Sonogenic like a guitar (it even comes with a strap) but play it like a keyboard, which is why it’s called a “keytar.”
The Yamaha Sonogenic SHS-500.
The Sonogenic is easy and fun to play, but it’s when you’ve established the connection between it and Chord Tracker that the fun really begins. Let’s take a look at how this dynamic duo work together.
Making Connections
The best way to hook up Sonogenic to Chord Tracker is by using a USB cable and an Apple® Lightning™ to USB Camera adapter (not included) to connect the USB To Host terminal on the Sonogenic to the Lightning jack on your iOS® device. This sends both MIDI and audio data through the USB cable. One big advantage to setting up this way is that you can use the Record feature in Chord Tracker to capture your Sonogenic performance into the app.
Here’s an illustration that shows the ways you can use the Sonogenic with other devices, such as smartphones, audio players, laptops, headphones, speakers and MIDI instruments:
Sonogenic’s many interconnection possibilities.
Alternatively, you can use Sonogenic’s Bluetooth MIDI capabilities and a 1/8″ stereo mini-jack cable to plug your device’s headphone output to the aux input of the Sonogenic. This allows you to listen to both the output of the Sonogenic and the songs playing from Chord Tracker over the headphone jack of your iOS device. (On newer iPhones®, you’ll need an Apple Lightning to 3.5mm adapter [not included] in order to connect your headphones.) If you don’t have headphones with you, you can always use the Sonogenic’s speaker and the speaker on your iOS device for your music making.
Jam It Out
With Sonogenic and Chord Tracker, it’s easy to play along with your favorite music. Simply cue up a song from your music library in Chord Tracker, and after it analyzes your song and prepares a chord chart — a process that takes just seconds — grab the Sonogenic, turn on the Jam function and start playing. You’ll sound like a pro, even without ever having had a lesson!
That’s because Chord Tracker is sending data to Sonogenic in real time, updating it with the chord changes to the song you’re playing. All you have to do is start tapping the Sonogenic keys: every note you play will match the chords of the song, so you can relax, have fun, and just express yourself musically, knowing it’s always going to sound great. Any of Sonogenic’s built-in instrument Voices (other than the two drum kits) will work when you have Jam turned on, giving you a huge variety of sounds, including guitars, pianos, synthesizers, basses, horns, strings and more.
A Mode for Your Mood
The Jam function offers several different modes. In 1-Finger mode you can use just one finger to press any key on the Sonogenic and you’ll hear full chords, which will always follow the song’s chords, as displayed in the Chord Tracker chart. Just tap in rhythm to the song, and you’ll sound like you’ve been playing for years.
If you want to use more than one finger, try Backing mode. It lets you use two, three, four or more fingers — press them at the same time to play a correct but distinct chord tone. The more fingers you use, the fuller it sounds.
If you want to play single-note accompaniment such as melodic lines and lead solos, try one of the three Melody modes, each offering slightly different scale tones that give your solos and melodies a different flavor. Experiment to find the one that best matches the style of a given song. No matter which Jam mode you select, Sonogenic will always present you with notes that fit with the song’s chords.
Each press of the Sonogenic’s Jam button turns on a different mode.
Of course, you can always leave Jam mode off altogether, in which case Sonogenic will play like a standard keyboard. It comes with a MIDI break-out cable and can be used like any other MIDI controller to play the virtual instruments in your computer or other MIDI sound sources.
Stay In Control
Speaking of control, the Sonogenic offers several ways to make your playing more expressive. For example, you can manipulate the Pitch Bend wheel with your left hand to raise or lower the pitch, or add a vibrato-type effect with the Modulation wheel.
These can be used anytime, whether you’re in or out of Jam mode. You can also change the Octave (register) of the notes you’re playing with the Octave + and – buttons. What’s more, you can get sustain-pedal effects — like on a real piano — by holding down the Sustain button.
The Transport buttons let you start and stop songs playing in Chord Tracker.
You can even control Chord Tracker’s transport (Play, Pause, Fast Forward, and Fast Reverse) with your left hand, using the buttons on the far left of the Sonogenic. These functions are great when you’re jamming because you don’t have to constantly reach over to your iOS device to start and stop a song or move around within it.
The Effect is Striking
Sonogenic also gives you the ability to customize its sounds by adding onboard digital effects. You can choose reverb, chorus, filter or other kinds of effects with the Effect Select slider on the right side of the keyboard and then dial in the desired amount with the Effect Control knob above it.
The Effect Select slider and Control knob make adding effects easy.
You can even layer a second effect, such as distortion, dynamics, tremolo, rotary speaker and more. Add subtle textures or crank them up and go wild!
Sonogenic Synergy
On their own, the Yamaha Sonogenic hardware and the Chord Tracker software are really impressive pieces of technology, but when combined together, they offer capabilities you simply can’t find anywhere else. The sum of their parts is a cutting-edge digital instrument system that can be played and enjoyed by anybody, regardless of their skill level.
In a previous blog, I shared some tips on how to keep brass instruments clean, both inside and out. In this article, I’d like to talk specifically about swabbing.
For brass instruments to perform well, it’s important to use swabs regularly. While a thorough professional cleaning should typically done once a year, the use of swabs on a frequent basis plays an important role in preventative maintenance.
The reason is simple. The mouthpiece and leadpipe/mouthpipe on brass instruments are naturally the first places where moisture and debris accumulates before moving into the rest of the instrument. Keeping those two areas clean on a consistent basis will delay the need for a thorough cleaning while deterring corrosion in the leadpipe/mouthpipe. Removing the loose collected debris also allows the instrument to respond, play and sound better.
What Is Microfiber?
The coated weight on a Yamaha swab.
The best swabs today are made of microfiber cloth. This is a synthetic material that consists of very fine thread woven into a silk-like material. The microfiber structure allows it to be more effective in trapping and retaining debris and moisture but leaves no lint in the cleaning process. Their strength and soft texture is what gives these swabs the ability to be pulled through the complex interiors of mouthpieces or leadpipes without fraying like cotton.
Yamaha microfiber brass instrument swabs use a flexible nylon cord attached to the swab on one end, with a coated weight that helps guide the cord through the interior with ease. The fact that there’s no exposed metal on these swabs also helps protect your equipment against accidental scratches. Swabs are available for both instruments and mouthpieces.
Mouthpiece Swabs
Mouthpiece swabs help to keep a brass mouthpiece throat and backbore clean and free of collected debris. Yamaha offer these in three different sizes for a variety of instruments:
Size
Instrument
Model Number
Small
Horn, cornet, trumpet and flugel
YAC MPSS
Medium
Tenor and bass trombone
YAC MPSM
Large
Tuba
YAC MPSL
Instrument Swabs
Instrument swabs can be directed through just about any area of your instrument to clean out loose debris, including leadpipes or tuning slides. Yamaha offer swabs of various sizes, with the length of the nylon pull cord varying accordingly for each instrument:
Instrument
Model Number
Trumpet
YAC BSTPHR
French Horn
YAC BSHR2
Trombone Slide
YAC BSTB2
Baritone / Euphonium
YAC BSTBEP
Tuba
YAC BSBB
Yamaha YAC BSTPHR trumpet swab.
Eventually, any swab will accumulate enough dirt and debris and become dirty from use. Microfiber material is easily cleaned by just soaking it in water and dish soap, then rinsing it out with clean water. Once dry, the swab is ready to be used again.
A clean instrument will always respond better, making it easier to play. It will also produce a more even tone because it is able to produce sound more efficiently. So swab regularly!
Clickherefor more information about Yamaha brass instrument swabs.
Welcome to Part 1 of a new series of blogs for newcomers to guitar and bass.
When you first bought your electric guitar, it came with a brand-new, shiny set of strings. However, after awhile, you may notice that the sound of your guitar is getting dull, and your fingers don’t slide over the fretboard quite as easily as they used to. Time to change your strings! If you’re new to guitar, this may seem somewhat intimidating, but it’s actually quite simple.
The video below explains how to restring a wraparound electric guitar. (The term “wraparound” refers to a common type of bridge — the metal component down at the bottom of your guitar that anchors and supports the strings.) All you need is a new set of strings, a wire cutter (most pliers will do that too), a clip-on tuner such as the Yamaha GCT1 and optionally, a peg winder (an inexpensive guitar accessory that helps speed up the process).
Click here for Part Two: How to Change Strings on an Acoustic Guitar
Click here to find out more about Yamaha guitars and basses.
Much has been written about the relationship between music and architecture. For Dan Brunn, it’s not just some abstract academic discussion, it’s the story of his life.
Dan Brunn.
Brunn got into music early. “I grew up in Tel Aviv, and remember my mom playing Beatles records. I would listen along, and it was everything to me. Evidently, when I was seven, I turned to my mom and said, ‘When I grow up, I’m going to be a singer, but in English.’”
After moving to the U.S. at age eight, Brunn started playing piano and eventually switched to the guitar. His love for The Beatles remains to this day, and he doesn’t shy away from playing guitar and performing live when the opportunity presents itself.
Finding Inspiration
Brunn, who studied architecture at the University of Southern California and the Harvard Graduate School of Design, says his professional life has become an extension of his appreciation of both music and art.
His architectural vision was informed by the two cities he calls home: Tel Aviv and Los Angeles. The former, known as the White City for its Bauhaus-rich architecture style; and the latter, marked by the work of mid-century notables like Richard Neutra, Craig Ellwood and Pierre Koenig.
Brunn’s LA-based firm, Dan Brunn Architecture (DBA), has built many award-winning and noteworthy projects including “The Hide Out,” a renovation of a Frank Gehry home, now occupied by renowned artist James Jean, and the “Flip Flop House” in Venice Beach.
Exterior of “The Hide Out.”
Interior of the “Flip-Flop House.”
Brunn says his passion for music has influenced his architecture. “I don’t think about it when designing,” he says, “but I go back and look at my designs, and then I figure it out. I talk a lot about choreography: The choreography of time, space and light.”
Measuring Up
Brunn’s musical sensibilities also played a significant role in his latest project, known as Bridge House, a one-of-a-kind home on an oversized lot in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Brookside. The name reflects what Brunn’s design was meant to achieve and communicate: a raised structure, sitting above a brook that peacefully runs through the property.
In partnership with Dwell Magazine, Dan Brunn Architecture jumped at the rare opportunity to design a home on such an unique site. The house is 210 feet in length and 20 feet in width (4500 square feet in total). It’s entirely energy self-sufficient, thanks to an array of solar panels on its roof, and is made from steel that’s up to 90-percent recycled.
The main entry hall is framed by oversized pivot doors, ten feet tall and almost 20 feet wide. Brunn says they’re designed to evoke two open arms, greeting you with a hug. The four-bedroom house also features amenities like a bar area, an outdoor living room and a terrace.
Bridge House was designed to offer a cohesive, immersive experience that is both practical and innovative. Each room creates its own distinct experience by using openings, colors, textures, sounds, smells, and space to inspire curiosity or stimulate a connection to the people and things around you.
Turning Around
Because the building is situated on an oblong lot that includes a wooded area, Brunn was able to set it back and turn it 90 degrees. This unusual placement disrupts the traditional idea of having a front and a back yard.
Blueprints of Bridge House.
This setting also made it possible for some of the rooms to have a completely natural view. “There are seven layers of landscape,” he says. “You have no idea you’re in the middle of LA. The house is just a few blocks from Wilshire and Highland, but you feel like you’re in a forest.”
One of the ways that Brunn was able to create a different aesthetic and spatial experience for each room was by creating dramatic variation in the natural light — changing the rhythm, as it were, as you walk through. “There are four windows that are at the fulcrum of the house, right where it sits over the water,” he explains, “and light from the south goes through them, so as you’re walking, you get light that staccatos across your face, just like you were driving through a forest at sunrise. That is rhythm through space.”
Four windows at the fulcrum of the house.
The next room is highlighted by a large window that hits visitors with a burst of light as they walk in. “You can imagine it as like hearing a big bass drum during a symphony,” says Brunn. The room after that one is lit by ten small skylights, each of which creates its own ray of light.
“Bridge House can be described having a pattern of time and light,” Brunn enthuses, “and it gives you that pace as you’re moving through that zone. That’s how I think rhythm is so connected, and that’s how music is so connected. I think you could literally write a score in Bridge House by walking through it.”
Skylights in the ceiling create rays of light.
Sounding It Out
So there is plenty of tech in the house, but Brunn designed it to integrate seamlessly. “You have to really think through everything and make technology disappear into the background of the house,” he says, “so the number one thing that you experience — and feel — is the space.”
Besides the musical influences on the architecture, there is a lot of actual music playing in Bridge House, thanks to the natural weaving and subtle inclusion of Yamaha audio gear, including low-profile ceiling speakers, receivers and more. All were chosen and placed so that they subtly allow music and sound to amplify the visual experience. For example, there are Yamaha surround systems in the den and master bedroom — Dolby Atmos® and 5.1-channel, respectively.
“Throughout the house, we have ambient music,” Brunn explains, “and I love that — to be able to walk in and have some kind of experience through sound … via speakers that enhance the space. [And] just as we have light, we have a system that works with the air conditioning to put out a scent. So we’re incorporating all the senses. We want to integrate [the] overall experience to include vision, feeling, touch, sound and scent.”
Basking In Nature
Brunn’s design philosophy is remarkably similar to that of Yamaha: the evocation of joy, encouraging discovery, and celebrating natural beauty. An example is the den in Bridge House, which has a forest-like view.
The den in Bridge House.
“Enhancing nature is extremely important for me,” Brunn says. “I want to connect the inside to the natural beauty around me. The den is truly immersive, with floor to ceiling wood panels. A window in the room creates a portal and frames a view of the wooded area outside.
“Imagine you’re elevated above the ground,” he continues. “Looking out, you’re in the tree line, and you have this innate connection from inside to the view of nature that rests outside. You feel like you’re immersed within the nature outdoors. To be able to have music and sound delicately enhance that experience is critically important. And it’s pure.”
In Part 1 of this two-part article, we talked about the importance of matching power amplifiers to loudspeakers. Now we’ll take a look at powered speakers and how they make it easier to configure your PA system.
A powered (“active”) speaker such as the Yamaha DBR15is a loudspeaker that has one or more built-in amplifiers (contained inside the speaker cabinet), so there’s no need for an external power amp. The most important benefit it offers is that there’s no guesswork involved regarding which power amplifier to use because the designers of the speaker have already done that for you. You simply connect the outputs of your mixer to the inputs of the speakers, and that’s it — you’re done. Unlike passive speakers (i.e., speakers that have no built-in amplifier), most powered speakers offer XLR or combo (XLR/TRS) input jacks.
Connecting a mixer to a powered speaker couldn’t be simpler.
The DBR15 actually has two built-in power amplifiers. One is dedicated to the woofer (which reproduces low frequencies) and the other is dedicated to the tweeter (which reproduces high frequencies). This two-amplifier arrangement is called biamplification and provides several advantages. In addition to matching each amp to a specific driver (i.e., woofer or tweeter), power is used more effectively. Woofers are much larger, heavier and less efficient than tweeters, so they require more power to generate sound. Biamplification allows different power amps to be used for each driver. For example, the DBR15 has a total continuous power output of 465 watts; one amplifier provides 400 watts for the woofer, and the other amp provides 65 watts for the tweeter. That might seem like a small amount of power for the tweeter, but high-frequency drivers are small and light so they require less power to achieve high volume levels. Biamplification allows putting the power where it’s needed most.
Advantages of Powered Loudspeakers
Powered speakers are more efficient than passive speakers. Most speakers that use separate low- and high-frequency drivers have a built-in circuit called a crossover. This is like a traffic director for sound. It sends the high frequencies to the tweeter and the low frequencies to the woofer. The crossover in a passive speaker has to handle high power levels from the amplifier and, as we discussed last month, that can be as much as 1,000 watts or more! Most tweeters can’t handle as much power as the woofer, so part of the job of a crossover is to reduce power going to the tweeter by turning it into heat — and that’s wasted power.
However, a powered speaker (unlike a passive speaker) can put the crossover before the amplifiers, so power going to the tweeter is used more efficiently and not wasted as heat. That’s another reason the high-frequency amplifier in a biamped speaker can be less powerful than the low-frequency amp. Placing the crossover before the amps also reduces a type of distortion called Intermodulation Distortion (“IMD”).
When choosing a powered speaker, pay attention to the speaker’s Maximum SPL (Sound Pressure Level) specification, which tells you how loud the speaker will sound. Many powered speakers are rated to produce upwards of 125 dB SPL — plenty for most small and medium-size clubs or coffee houses.
Powered speakers also sometimes include onboard DSP (Digital Signal Processing) such as EQ or filtering. The DBR15 has two rear-panel switches that adjust the response of the speaker depending upon how you plan to use it. A D-CONTOUR switch changes the onboard EQ to make the DBR15 suitable for use as either a main speaker or a monitor speaker. A second switch called the high-pass filter (“HPF”) cuts the low frequencies for use with a subwoofer such as the Yamaha DXS15.
Yamaha DBR15 rear panel.
The DXS15 has an onboard low-pass filter (“LPF”) that cuts the high frequencies because there’s no need for a subwoofer to produce them — the main (full-range) cabinet will do that. These switches, combined with the DBR15’s “thru” jack, make it very easy to link the DXS15 to the DBR15 when you are ready to add the subwoofer. You won’t have the worry of crossover settings that you would if you were using passive subwoofers and speakers. The DXS15 sums the left and right outputs from the mixer to mono in the low frequencies, so you can start with one sub and add another when you need to expand your PA for larger gigs. (Output from the DXS15 remains stereo for the full-range speakers.)
Connecting a mixer to full-range speakers and subwoofer.
Another advantage of a powered speaker is that in some cases it may allow you to do a gig without a mixer. As an example, the Yamaha DBR12has two inputs on the rear panel, each with a separate level control. It also has a “CH1+2 MIX” switch for the output that enables inputs 1 and 2 to be mixed together. If you have a show where you need just one microphone and a keyboard, you could connect the microphone to input 1 and the keyboard to input 2. The level controls allow you to balance the two channels, and you can even connect an additional playback device such as a laptop, smartphone or tablet using the RCA jacks:
The Yamaha DBR12 provides two separate inputs.
Powered speakers can be a little bit heavier and more expensive than passive speakers, but on the other hand you won’t need to carry around or buy a rack full of amplifiers. You’ll also use fewer cables to connect everything so your setup will be faster and less complicated, and you’ll know that the power amps are matched perfectly to your speakers, so a lot of time they’re a great choice, especially for smaller live sound rigs.
Falling in love with love is falling for make believe
I remember hearing those haunting lyrics from the Rodgers and Hart classic “Falling In Love With Love” as I played on the kitchen floor of my parents’ Manhattan apartment. Rendered by Frank Sinatra with effortless intimacy, they suggested a world of adult sophistication a universe away from the rough-hewn, working-class life my family lived. Regardless of that chasm, my father — a tough Italian-American who had dropped out of high school years earlier and read electric meters for a living — loved listening to the masterpieces of the Great American Songbook.
William B. Williams.
His favorite show was The Make Believe Ball Room, hosted by William B. Williams, the man who famously dubbed Sinatra “The Chairman of the Board.” The glorious voices of Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Rosemary Clooney, Nat King Cole and others floated constantly from the radio near our kitchen table, where my father sat reading the New York tabloids and studying the horse racing forms. When he was home, the radio was always on.
I was unaware that this music was making any impact on me at all. It was simply omnipresent, no more notable to me at the time than the linoleum on our floors or the paint on our walls. But rock ’n’ roll and its variants? That was another story. Late-period doo-wop, Elvis, Dion, girl groups, early Motown and, cataclysmically, the Beatles — those all made a dramatic impression.
In my immigrant Italian neighborhood (all right, it was Greenwich Village, but still), so European and old school, this was the sound of America — modern, youthful, hip, colorful, raucous, unruly and joyous. Suddenly, my father’s supper-club songs seemed as outdated as the stack of old newspapers that he’d pile on the radiator cover next to his chair. I became obsessed with rock ’n’ roll and sought out every occasion to hear it on the radio, watch it on TV and read about it in the magazines I searched through on local newsstands. When host Dean Martin mocked the Rolling Stones during their incendiary appearance on “Hollywood Palace” in 1964, I was infuriated. Even at twelve, I could tell that his condescension was the last gasp of an older generation desperate to hang onto its beliefs and musical tastes.
With the benefit of hindsight, I believe that my falling in love with music was a result of the strange combination of styles I heard during those early years. It was akin to a child learning about loving relationships simply by living in the world of affection his parents created; after all, the best learning is done when you are not even aware that you’re being taught. So I absorbed the elegance and melodic genius of the songs my father loved without even realizing it.
Dion DiMucci.
My dad pushed the envelope further still a few years later when he managed to find the only country music station in New York City. Soon our radio was cranking out a steady stream of George Jones, Tammy Wynette, Charley Pride, Johnny Cash and other practitioners of the genre during that era. I liked some of it but it was so foreign to me, it was as if he’d discovered a station that broadcast only in Croatian. I was reminded of it years later when I interviewed Dion DiMucci (formerly of Dion and the Belmonts fame) and he described tuning into a station that transported the sounds of Hank Williams into his family’s apartment in the Bronx. “I’d sing ‘Honky Tonk Blues’ or ‘Jambalaya’ on the stoop,” he told me. “My friends would go, ‘What’s honky-tonk blues?’ I’d go, ‘I don’t know.’ ‘Well, what’s jambalaya?’ ‘I don’t know.’ I didn’t know what they were, but they sounded so good coming out of my mouth.”
What Dion and I heard in such music was the sound of a world beyond our own parochial environments. We were New York hicks and this music was our emotional education. And that is what love does: It opens your mind — and your heart — to possibilities you didn’t even know existed. When inducting Dion into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Lou Reed described fighting his way through his math homework as the radio brought him “the dusky, musky, mellifluous, liquid sounds of rock ’n’ roll. The sounds of another life. The sounds of freedom.”
Mick Jagger.
I once described to Mick Jagger, who actually seemed touched to hear it, how I felt that the Stones were the first band that required something of me. They required my defense — against my elders and my teachers, even some of my more conservative friends. I once read that you feel the deepest love not for the people who do the most for you, but for those for whom you do the most. Great as they were, it was easy to love The Beatles; after a while it seemed that everyone did. That was never true of the Stones, and it deepened my commitment to them. Of course, they, too, introduced me to another world: the world of the blues and R&B — black American music that a white kid like me otherwise had virtually no access to. It seemed that my love for that band just kept giving in the form of other styles of music that I also grew to love. Even now, as the Stones get ready to tour once again, the members of the group all well in their seventies, they continue to give.
Jackson Browne.
Music is the gift that truly keeps on giving. Jackson Browne once told me that “If, when I die, they open my brain and do a cross-section, like the rings of a tree or something, they will find several years in there where there’s nothing but Bob Dylan.” Dylan eventually inspired Browne to write his own songs, just as the doo-wop that Lou Reed revered “made me believe that I could write a song.”
That might be the greatest thing about love: that when you fall in love you both lose yourself and begin to discover yourself; discover what you can do and who you want to become. What begins as “falling for make believe” in the Make Believe Ball Room can lead you to your truest self. And music serves as much more than the soundtrack to that deeply personal journey. It is the entire story, the very journey itself.
Photos by Joseph Scherschel/The LIFE Picture Collection, David Kennedy, David McGough/The LIFE Picture Collection, and Ebet Roberts/Redferns.
Each and every one of us is born with a unique DNA strand and genetic code of characteristic qualities. We inherit personality traits and physical features from our parents. Our interactions with friends and family, as well as our education, further develop our unique personality and cultural habits as we grow into young adults. We then continue to learn new skills and expand our minds with the experiences we have and the knowledge we gain throughout our lifetime.
Our public brand may also be well established, whether we like it or not. How we present ourselves to the world is how we represent ourselves. First impressions really do matter; most of us make judgments based on the appearance of a stranger literally within seconds of casting eyes upon them!
That’s why I prefer to brand myself before someone else does. By presenting my authentic self in every situation, I take any guesswork or assumptions out of the equation. I understand that “clothes do not make the man,” but if you work in the entertainment industry your image is part of the marketing package. Think of your style and appearance as your product label and the content and substance of the product as your personality and the person that you are on the inside. And take the time to assess your public image on a regular basis to make sure you are representing your brand in a credible, current and appealing way.
Here I am performing at NAMM.
For me, it’s less about fashion and more about authenticity — how you wear what you wear, your posture, personality, presentation and owning your personal space. Jeans, boots and a T-shirt are just as powerful a statement as a business suit, when they are worn with the same attitude and confidence.
Having great interpersonal skills will also elevate your personal brand. Maintaining eye contact shows that you are engaged and present in the conversation. Listen first, respond second, be impeccable with your word and above all, be a person of integrity: If you don’t back up what you say, eventually your brand will suffer and lose value.
Musical Branding
Can we also build upon our musical identity, update and refresh our signature sound for a revitalized career? I believe so.
My students often ask me how much time they should spend working on the skills and techniques that they aren’t very good at. My response is to tell them to stop focusing on the weak aspects of their playing and instead magnify and expand upon the best aspects. There simply isn’t enough time to waste on the negatives!
Other instructors may not agree with this advice, but I would argue that Eric Clapton didn’t become an icon by practicing his sweep picking technique, and Eddie Van Halen probably didn’t spend decades practicing jazz standards. They focused on what they were good at, and the rest is history.
The Videos
The videos below are live performances of me demoing guitars for Yamaha at NAMM 2019. Listen to the approach I take in playing relatively simple ideas over the chord changes for maximum musical impact:
In these stage performances, I’m using a Yamaha Revstar 720B. I love this particular guitar because it faithfully represents my sound. The FilterTron-style pickups are warm, clean and articulate, and the chords, double-stops and melodies come out sounding just the way my hands played them.
There were several custom one-off Revstar guitars on display at the show this year, just to tease us and keep us guessing as to what might appear as standard models — next year perhaps?
By the way, Yamaha did a little rebranding themselves at NAMM this year, introducing a new message of “Make Waves,” as featured on a huge backdrop facing the main stage that urged musicians everywhere to make the world listen, make music, make waves:
I came home from the show so inspired by this (and by so many wonderful interactions and incredible musical performances) that I wanted to take stock of my own evolution for this year. Where can I apply positive change in my life and my music? How can I express myself with a clearer voice and vision? One thing I do know for sure is that I will be a constant work in progress, and I’m open to the infinite possibilities of personal evolution!
The Wrap-Up
Due to personal injury and tendon issues I suffered in my twenties, I was unable to play guitar for several years. I continue to have those issues, and it’s sometimes very painful when I perform. Physical speed and supreme dexterity on the guitar is out of reach for me, so I decided to focus on the aspects of my playing that would allow me to have a unique personal voice, using simple techniques and approaches that I can manage on a daily basis.
I focus on hitting the chord tones and double-stops with accuracy, and I utilize simple melodic motifs and repetitive phrases. I don’t fight my weaknesses. Instead, I choose to embellish the positives, and ultimately this gives me a distinctive sound that I’m very happy with. I know my limitations and I’m at peace with them. Understanding this allows me to focus purely on the signature aspects of my style … although I am constantly refining those traits to make them better.
So, if like me you have physical limitations, let those limitations shift your focus to finding musical alternatives around your current capabilities and define a sound that is uniquely your own. Take a moment to identify your musical strengths and make a conscious effort to refine those ideas, distill the magic and refresh some old licks or chord passages until they feel cleaner, clearer and represent your current modality of playing.
Listening to a great surround sound mix in a well-equipped, properly set up home theater is an extraordinary experience. But it should not be assumed that it is always better than listening in stereo. In this article, we’ll take a look at four common myths of surround sound.
1. Everything Sounds Better In Surround Than It Does In Stereo
Sorry, that’s simply not always the case. There are in fact a number of variables that dictate just how good (or bad) a surround mix is — the skill of the mix engineer being paramount. After all, nothing more has an impact on exactly what the listener will ultimately hear.
It’s equally important that the room in which the mix is created be properly set up and calibrated, so that what the engineer hears as he or she blends the tracks together is similar to what the end listener hears in their home theater. While most engineers and production facilities do take great care to ensure the mix translates well, that is not always the case.
Another issue is the fact that some surround mixes are not even created by an engineer. Yes, you read that right. The term “upmixing” (or, for the more cynical among us, “Faux 5.1”) describes the process of building a surround mix by using software or audio signal processors that automatically convert a stereo mix into a multichannel one with the use of digital algorithms and/or phase manipulations. It’s true that when the original multitrack tapes or files are damaged or unavailable, upmixing is pretty much the only way to create a surround product, and there is often some degree of control offered. However, the results are generally not nearly as good as having a professional skilled engineer create a true surround mix from the original multitrack files.
2. The Sweet Spot Is Bigger When Listening In Surround
Nope, it’s actually smaller. Professional surround sound mix rooms have carefully calibrated speakers systems and acoustic treatments so that the levels, balances and frequency responses are all accurate. The mix engineer sits in a fixed location in front of the console (referred to as the “sweet” spot) that lets him or her hear the sound coming from all the speakers at the same time in order to make proper mix decisions. While a good engineer will try to evaluate the sound outside of that sweet spot, the actual space where the mix sounds accurate can be challenging, due to the fact that there are typically five or more speakers involved, as well as a subwoofer.
Unfortunately, consumer home theaters are rarely set up in such a pristine fashion. They tend to be placed in living rooms or environments that vary widely as far as walls, carpets, ceiling heights and the all-important placement of the couch or chairs. With all these challenging variables, a quality calibration technology like YPAO™( Yamaha Parametric room Acoustic Optimizer) takes on increasing importance.
With stereo, there is actually a wider sweet spot: You can hear and experience the accurate playback of a mix from multiple positions and still get satisfying results. The actual acoustic elements of the room and the speaker placements are less important because there are only two speakers (augmented sometimes by a subwoofer) to align properly.
3. A Subwoofer Isn’t Really Necessary
When it comes to surround sound, it’s totally necessary. That’s because the subwoofer is not only handling the low frequencies that your sound bar or satellite speakers cannot, it’s also responsible for playing back a special LFE (Low Frequency Effects) channel — the “.1” in a “5.1” surround sound mix.
In a typical home theater surround sound playback system, the subwoofer reproduces the low end of all the main channels using the bass management circuitry built into most AV receivers. This is essentially a crossover network that directs the bass information into the subwoofer. By utilizing the subwoofer for what it does best — reproducing low end information — this helps lighten the load on your other speakers so that the overall sonic picture is tight and clean.
In fact, having more than one subwoofer in the room can help fill the sound out even more. The flagship Yamaha RX-A3080 can handle a second subwoofer along with nine full-range speakers; it also offers 11.2 channel processing. Or you can choose to take the single subwoofer output from a standard 5.1 AV receiver like the Yamaha RX-V485 and split the signal off to a second sub, which can then be placed in a different location in your room.
4. Speaker Positioning Is Less Important
Again, not true. If anything, speaker positioning is more critical to getting the full surround experience, as intended by those who created the content.
Unfortunately, many home theater users position their surround satellite speakers in a less than optimal way. The left, right and center speakers may be on top of the television or video monitor in a straight line without being angled in. Rear speakers are often on the side of (instead of behind) the listening position, placed behind furniture or mounted too high to properly hear. This can cause the audio to be smeared, muffled or improperly scattered throughout the room.
Ideally, all the sound coming from all the speakers in a surround system should arrive at the listening position at the same time. Without an auto-calibration system like YPAO to get you close, this can take quite a bit of time, effort and experimentation to achieve. Stereo speaker setup is way simpler: just place the two speakers at approximately the same distance, angle them in towards your ears, and you’re good to go. You can use fancy measuring devices and/or apps to optimize stereo speaker positioning, but any tinkering you do will affect the overall sound far less than in a surround system.
Don’t get me wrong: Surround sound is a wonderful format for experiencing music and film … when done correctly and listened to in an optimized environment. But there’s a reason why stereo has stuck around all these years: it’s still the easiest, and sometimes best way to enjoy audio.
In a recent blog post, my colleague (and blog editor) Howard Massey wrote about how to know when a recording is done. I’d like to talk about how to know when a song is done … or to put it another way, how do you know when it’s over? (No, that’s not the title of a break-up song — although it wouldn’t be a bad one. ☺)
There are some simple, pat answers: That there are no more i’s to dot or t’s to cross. That you’re pretty sure you won’t wake up the day after mastering your single and realize you dreamt of a stronger opening line.
But I think there’s more to it than that.
For songwriters, our songs are our babies. Like real babies, we want to protect them and ensure that when they go out into the world they’re ripe. Ready. Prepared to do their job. But until we set them free, they’re still a work in progress. A work that needs time to breathe, to simmer. A work that needs to be rolled over this way and that, looked at from all angles.
(And like babies, when you send your child off to college / send your song out for consideration and ask yourself, “Did I do everything exactly right?” the answer is: probably not. But they usually turn out pretty wonderful anyway.)
Here’s my real baby.
We songwriters are all too familiar with that sinking feeling when we realize we might have signed off on a song too soon — when a tastier chord progression or a more natural, unique or quirkier phrasing occurs to us after we’ve left the studio. Do we call the engineer on the way home and tell him (or her) we’re making a U-turn? Maybe. How much does that engineer love you?
I have, on more than one occasion, felt my body tense up at a certain spot in a song when playing it to a prospective artist, producer or record label. Not until that moment was the weakness so obvious. Why now? I’ve often wondered if there’s some kind of psychology to the mind pushing a boundary only after we’ve committed to the mix.
There are those whose nature it is to overthink. They can drive themselves (and their collaborators) crazy. A work-in-progress can go on indefinitely if we let it. My friend and one-time American Idol judge Kara Dioguardi once posited (and I Kara-phrase), “If it feels inspired going in, it will feel inspired coming out.” Touché. Maybe that’s enough. “Done” is so subjective!
I’ve found that mornings are an opportune time to assess a new work. Our slates are clean and batteries recharged after a night’s sleep. We can be more objective about things like: Have we left out a piece of information that will leave a listener unsatisfied? Have we included enough emotion and not just fact, so the listener can feel you, not just hear you? At the end of the day, we have no choice but to trust our instincts. The good news is that the longer you practice your craft the sharper your instincts will get.
For example, I know that, when it comes to lyrics, I over-write. I ramble. Until I stumble — usually quite randomly — on the final thought about the point I’m trying to make (something called the “sum up.”) It arrives on its own clock. Luckily, my seasoned antennae usually recognize it as a golden nugget, at which point I put my pen down (or close my laptop) and make a beeline for the fridge.
Look on the bright side. If down the line you have some buyer’s remorse, it’s not the end of the world. You’ll write another song. The thing is, you’ll never move on if you can’t put a period after your last creation.
So don’t rush to cross a finish line just because you’ve written something amazing and you’re dying to play it for everyone ASAP! Take your time. Marinate. Eventually, after reasonable consideration and assessment (and instinct!) you’re gonna have to take the damn thing out of the oven and invite some guests to dinner.
If you’ve always wanted to play music but never learned how, you’ll want to check out the new Yamaha Sonogenic SHS-500. It’s a unique new keytar (a keyboard that you hold like a guitar) that features 30 instrument sounds and the ability to connect to your smart device so you can jam along with the tunes in your music library. Best of all, when used in conjunction with the free Yamaha Chord Tracker app (available for iOS® 15.2 or higher and Android™), the Sonogenic helps you play the right notes — even if you’ve never played an instrument before!
In Part 1 of this two-part series, we’ll focus on Chord Tracker, which has plenty of powerful features, even when used on its own, without a connected Sonogenic keytar.
What It Does
Chord Tracker is a way cool app that analyzes the songs in your library and nearly instantaneously shows you the musical structure of each in the form of an easy-to-understand chord chart like this:
Here’s what you see after Chord Tracker analyzes a song.
It has its own transport controls, so you can play a song directly from the app and watch the chords change in time with the music. Icons at the bottom of the screen enable you to view piano fingering, guitar fingering or standard music notation for each chord as it plays.
Using Chord Tracker is a great way to learn songs because the app lets you slow down the music to make it easier to play — you can even change the key if you want. There’s also an AB feature that lets you specify a section of the song that will loop (play repeatedly) so you can focus on practicing specific riffs or parts:
Onscreen sliders allow you to set volume and tempo, as well as transpose the key.
Ready to get started? Read on …
Striking the Right Chord
First, download Chord Tracker from the App Store. It’s free, and is compatible with iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch as well as Android devices.
Once you’ve installed and opened Chord Tracker, you’ll be brought to the home screen:
Chord Tracker Home screen.
Tap the Music tab, and you’ll see a complete list of the playlists, artists, songs, albums and genres from your iTunes® Music library. (You can also import common audio formats like MP3 and WAV files.)
(Note: In order for Chord Tracker to recognize a song you’ve purchased on iTunes, it must be downloaded to your device from iCloud®. If the song or album you want isn’t showing up in Chord Tracker, simply go to your Music app and download it. Other music file formats can be accessed in the User Songs folder by connecting Chord Tracker to your Dropbox account. And, since the app can browse your Play Lists, you can also get songs into Chord Tracker by adding them to a playlist in iTunes.)
Chord Tracker can analyze any song in your library except for those with DRM (Digital Rights Management) protection. If you try to load a protected song, you’ll see the message “This data cannot be selected” underneath the song title. But don’t worry — most iTunes music is compatible with Chord Tracker.
After you’ve chosen a song in the Music Library screen, the app will switch to the Player screen, and you’ll see transport controls on top and a red progress bar moving from left to right that indicates that Chord Tracker is analyzing the song. Within seconds, a chord chart will appear.
Each line of the chart has the chord name and four squares, known as “Blocks.” Each Block represents a (quarter-note) beat. Each group of four Blocks represents a measure. Hit the Play button in the transport controls, and the song will start playing back, with the cursor moving along in time.
Advanced Features
Chord Tracker is designed to be easy to use, but beneath the surface there are a number of advanced features.
For example, there’s a Melody Suppressor function, which, when turned on, significantly reduces the level of the lead vocal and/or lead instrument, making it easy for you to sing along (or play along) with the song’s instrument backing tracks.
Chord Tracker’s analysis is generally quite accurate, but there may be times when you want to experiment by substituting different chords for the ones it’s detected. No problem! Simply tap the Block with the chord you want to change, then tap again to bring up a window showing you other options related to the current chord. (You can also select “Others,” which lets you replace it with any chord.) When you make your selection, you’ll hear the sound of a piano playing that chord, and you’ll see the chord change in the chart.
You can change chords or song sections from this pop-up window, shown as it appears in an iPad.
You can also copy and paste a chord from one Block to another by pressing, holding and then releasing the chord name. This will highlight the Block that the chord is in, and you’ll get the option to copy, paste or delete it:
The Bm chord (highlighted in orange) has been selected and is ready to be copied, pasted or deleted.
The same pop-up window that gives you the ability to substitute chords also allows you to change the boundaries between song sections such as verses, choruses and bridges. During its analysis, Chord Tracker automatically detects up to four of these different sections and labels each with a color-coded letter (A, B, C, D). If you want to change where the boundaries fall, simply double-tap the chord name and touch either the A, B, C, or D box. That section will then start from where you tapped and continue to the boundary for the next section.
Once you’ve got the chords and section boundaries where you want them, you can save your altered song to a Favorites folder for easy access. Next time you visit the Home screen, you’ll find that song under the Favorites tab.
Be sure to check out Part 2, where we look at how to use Chord Tracker along with the hardware half of the equation: the new Yamaha Sonogenic SHS-500 keytar.
Since marching drums are used in both indoor and outdoor environments, a well-tuned bass drum is necessary for the maximum projection of sound. Yamaha Sound Impact Strips™ are designed to eliminate unwanted overtones and create the true resonant tones that are essential for contemporary bass drum sounds.
All Yamaha Marching Bass Drums — both the 8300 Field-Corps Series and the 6300 Power-Lite Series — come with REMO™ Smooth White Ambassador drum heads installed. These heads are recommended for marching bass drums as they produce the most desirable fundamental tone and are visually effective in drill patterns.
Bass drums in a set are usually tuned a minor third to a perfect fifth apart to give a feeling of melodic movement between drums. Applying the recommended length of Yamaha Sound Impact Strips around the perimeter of the bass drum head will help you achieve the sound you desire.
Instructions
Yamaha Sound Impact Strips are packaged in 15′ rolls. These must be cut into various strip lengths depending on the size of the bass drum. Each strip should be centered from the bottom of the drum in an arced or horseshoe shape, one strip per drumhead, and applied to the drumhead next to the hoop.
Recommended Strip Sizes:
Drum Size
Length of Sound Impact Strip
Total per Drum
14″ Bass Drum
Two 14″ strips
2′ 4″
16″ Bass Drum
Two 15″ strips
2′ 6″
18″ Bass Drum
Two 17″ strips
2′ 10″
20″ Bass Drum
Two 18″ strips
3′ 0″
22″ Bass Drum
Two 30″ strips
5′ 0″
24″ Bass Drum
Two 38″ strips
6′ 4″
26″ Bass Drum
Two 55″ strips
9′ 2″
28″ Bass Drum
Two 58″ strips
9′ 8″
30″ Bass Drum
Two 75″ strips
12′ 6″
32″ Bass Drum
Two 100″ strips
16′ 8″
Note that, depending upon the desired pitch of the bass drum, these recommended strip sizes may over-muffle the bass drum. If this is the case, reduce the strip size on each drumhead in small increments until your desired sound is achieved. (Do this either indoors or outdoors, depending upon your ensemble type.)
Carefully planned tuning and dampening are critical to the development of your percussion section and can help increase the musical effectiveness of the entire band and percussion ensemble. There are limitless combinations of pitches and tuning variations, with endless ways to muffle and dampen. The ones you choose will depend upon on your style and personal preference.
Click here for more information about Yamaha Sound Impact Strips.
One of the biggest challenges for every worship team is that many of the people participating in the service are not professional performers and therefore don’t have much experience using microphones. In this video, Yamaha product manager John Schauer shares tips for coaching inexperienced worshippers so they feel comfortable handling and using microphones, demonstrating two simple methods for correctly positioning handheld mics and describing multi-microphone placement techniques for capturing the sound of choirs. Also included is an explanation of the all-important “3 to 1” rule that dictates optimum placement when using more than one microphone on vocal ensembles, drums or piano.
Click hereto find out more about Yamaha professional audio products.
In Part 1 of this two-part article, we talked about Hi-Fi receivers. Now let’s shift the focus to AV receivers, which live up to the acronym in their name by supporting multiple audio formats (including surround sound) as well as video formats. Most AV receivers handle everything a Hi-Fi receiver can — plus a whole lot more.
If you have a home theater system, an AV receiver is a must for distributing video to your TV, video monitor or projector, and the audio to your multichannel speaker system.
What Goes In
The back of an AV receiver typically offers a collection of connectors that make the back of a Hi-Fi receiver look simple. For one thing, it will likely include multiple HDMI® inputs for connecting video devices such as cable or satellite TV boxes, game consoles, Blu-ray/DVD players and/or streaming devices such as Roku™ or Apple TV®. For example, the Yamaha RX-V685 receiver has five HDMI inputs and two HDMI outputs:
Rear panel of the Yamaha RX-V685.
When several video sources are plugged in, you can use the receiver, or its remote control, to select which input you see on your screen.
Other inputs you’re likely to find on an AV receiver include those for analog video formats such as component video and composite video, along with their accompanying audio ports, all of which are usually on RCA connectors. Although almost all video today is digital, these legacy ports are useful for supporting older devices (such as VHS players) that were manufactured when analog video was the standard.
On the audio side, AV receivers typically offer line-level audio inputs for devices like CD players, and many (including the RX-V685) even have phono inputs — which we discussed in Part 1 — for connecting a turntable such as the Yamaha TT-S303. You’ll also usually find coaxial inputs of the digital variety, which offer another option for audio input from external devices.
Not all the connections are on the back, however. In addition to a headphone jack, the front panel of most AV receivers will provide an input for connecting devices such as smartphones, tablets and laptops as well as a USB input for plugging in a storage device with music files on it, such as a flash drive. The reason these jacks are on the front is that they’re more likely to be used for temporary connections to devices rather than permanent ones, so accessibility is of greater importance.
YPAO (Yamaha Parametric room Acoustic Optimizer)-equipped Yamaha AV receivers such as the RX-485 also provide a front panel jack for their included microphone. This feature allows you to automatically tune your system based on the acoustics of your room.
The front panel of the Yamaha RX-V485 includes an input for the YPAO mic.
On the Network
It’s important for an AV receiver to be able to connect to the internet via your home network — a necessity for streaming online content. A network connection also lets you access music libraries and other content you have on your mobile devices or home computers.
Yamaha AV receivers like the RX-V485, RX-V685 and many others give you both wired and wireless network options: You can either connect directly from your router via an Ethernet cable plugged into the Network jack on the back of the receiver, or you can connect via Wi-Fi.
Another wireless format that some contemporary AV receivers support (including many Yamaha models) is Bluetooth®. This kind of connection allows you to stream music wirelessly from smartphones, tablets, laptops and other devices into your receiver and then route it to your speakers. The RX-V485 and RX-V685 offer not only this kind of input but Bluetooth output as well, for sending music to your headphones and earbuds.
There’s actually another type of wireless reception that most AV receivers support, though it may appear a little less obvious: AM and FM radio. Like Hi-Fi models, AV receivers will also typically include external antennas to improve radio reception.
On the Outs
Now let’s look at what makes these receivers really special: their ability to send incoming video to your TV or projector in up to 4K resolution, as well as decode and amplify incoming audio and route it to the correct speakers in your surround sound setup.
Nowadays, there are many different surround formats. Not all AV receivers can handle all of them. For example, the RX-V485 supports up to 5.1 surround sound (front left, right and center speakers, rear left and right and a subwoofer — the “.1” in the equation), while the RX-V685 gives you up to 7.2 surround, which adds two additional rear speakers and another subwoofer to the 5.1 configuration. It also supports two kinds of “immersive” surround sound: DTS:X™ and Dolby Atmos® (which adds elevated speakers so that some sounds come from above you).
Speaker placement for a 5.1 surround sound system
Many Yamaha AV receivers are also equipped with a feature called Cinema DSP, which is a digital processing system that simulates a selection of 3D sound spaces, optimized for a variety of categories in both video and music. For the former, you can choose from simulations for Adventure, Drama and Sci-Fi content, among many others. For music, the options include a Vienna music hall, the Roxy Theater and the Bottom Line (a former New York music club). Even if you only have stereo speakers, you can simulate surround with the Virtual Cinema DSP feature offered by many Yamaha receivers.
Amped Up
As we discussed in Part 1, Hi-Fi receivers are designed to provide amplification for the left and right speakers of a stereo system. The amplification sections of AV receivers have to be much more complex and powerful in order to drive the six or more speakers in a surround system.
With so many speakers and so many connectors, you might think connecting the speaker cables for a surround system would be a difficult and confusing task. Fortunately, most receivers have well-labeled output jacks on the rear panel, and as long as you connect the correct speaker to the proper jack, you shouldn’t have any problems. Yamaha offers a free mobile app called AV Setup Guide to help you get your system up and running:
The Yamaha AV Setup Guide app makes it easy to configure your system.
Many Yamaha AV receivers, including the RX-V685, RX-V485, AVENTAGE 1080 and AVENTAGE 3080, come with wireless remote controls that allow you to operate all their features from the comfort of your easy chair. They also all support the Yamaha MusicCastsystem, which lets you use wireless powered speakers for cable-free stereo or surround systems — even multi-room ones!
If you’re looking to create a versatile system that can play video and audio in all the popular formats, a quality AV receiver is essential. By allowing the interconnection and integration of virtually any type of consumer video or audio gear, it enables you to create a powerful home theater system that will keep you entertained for many years to come.
Clickhere for more information about Yamaha AV receivers.
Most creative projects have their genesis in inspiration. You have an experience so profound it begs to be shared with the world; you read something so impactful it stays with you long after the last page is turned; you encounter a wonder of nature or a painting so moving it brings tears to your eyes; you hear a piece of music that touches your soul.
So the way things start is usually pretty clear. But how do you know when your work is complete?
This is a topic that’s long interested me, because a defining characteristic of most creative folks is that they are never satisfied. That song you’ve written? That track you mixed? Never done. Not really. Sure, there are deadlines and other imperatives that force you to “finish” your work and move on (there are plenty of artists who will tell you, “I didn’t really finish the record — the clock finished the record”), but there’s always that little nagging feeling in the back of your mind: I could have done more. I could have done a better job.
In my years as a music journalist, when I was interviewing well-known record producers and recording engineers, it was a question I would ask often. The answers would fascinate me. They were frequently variations on a theme (“you feel it instinctively” was the gist of it), but the subtle shadings of their responses help explain why the choice of producer/engineer can be so critical to the way a record turns out — in some cases, even more so than the vision of the songwriter or the artist themselves.
Bruce Swedien.
“You can’t overthink things too much,” veteran engineer Bruce Swedien told me. Swedien, who crafted dozens of hits for Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson, recalled that “Quincy used to call it ‘paralysis through analysis.’ A record is done when the music feels complete, when the song has successfully made its musical statement. It’s done when I feel that, no matter who I play this recording for, they will get it. I know that people have a problem letting go. But there is a point where the music will say, ‘Get your ass outta here; I don’t need you any more.’”
Sylvia Massy.
Engineer Sylvia Massy, who cut her teeth with Prince and has since worked with everyone from Johnny Cash to Tom Petty to the Red Hot Chili Peppers, shared a little more detail. “As soon as it gets real crowded,” she said, “you’ve gone over the line. A production needs negative space as much as it needs space to be filled up. As long as you have left a pocket here and there, you’re doing okay. Simplicity always seems to be better when you’re talking about musical parts, so as soon as it feels claustrophobic, you might want to simplify it a bit.”
Andy Bradfield.
British engineer Andy Bradfield, who specializes in movie soundtracks, referred to the oft-quoted (at least in recording studios) Law of Diminishing Returns, which states that once you get past a certain point, things start to go downhill from there. “You have to ask yourself if you achieved what you’d hoped to achieve,” Andy added. “You can carry on past that point but experience tells you that things will just get worse, not better. You sometimes know when you’ve done one overdub too many when you ask yourself, ‘Do we really need this part?’”
John Leckie.
Perhaps things were summed up best by Radiohead producer John Leckie, who made the following observation: “At the end of the day, all you want out of a finished record is to hear everything. The worst thing is when [the musical elements] start getting obscured. People will turn the music off when it’s a strain to hear what’s going on. It’s like watching a film that’s been shot in darkness so you can’t see what the actors are doing.”
Focus. Openness. And above all, clarity. Once you achieve those goals in your creative endeavors, that’s the time to move on to the next great project.
Photos courtesy of Rowman & Littlefield, Andy Bradfield and John Leckie.
We’ve written before about how Surround:AI™, the breakthrough artificial intelligence technology in many Yamaha AV receivers, can enhance horror movies, but this time we’re going to dive a little deeper into the technology aspect for all you propellerheads out there.
In a nutshell, Surround:AI analyzes and optimizes the DSP parameters for each scene of a movie five times per second. That means instantaneously analyzing each scene in real time, focusing on distinct sound elements (such as dialogue, background music, ambient sounds and sound effects), and automatically optimizing the overall surround effect for your home theater.
Let’s take a look at how it works. The illustration below shows the audio for a scene in which there is dialogue only, with no background music or sound effects. DSP processing keeps the audio primarily in the center channel, so that the dialogue is clear and intelligible with no unnatural echo:
Dialogue on the center channel.
In your home theater, the sound field is confined to the center channel, as shown in the purple area in the illustration below. This keeps the focus on the actors’ on-screen performance.
Sound field is primarily dialogue coming from the center speaker.
In the next scene, background music is added to the left and right channels. Additional processing produces spacious front effects, while the dialogue remains focused in the center:
Background music is added on the left and right channels.
As shown by the purple area in the illustration below, the sound field in your home theater now expands to include the left and right front speakers, allowing the background music to accentuate the emotion in the dialogue:
Background music comes from the left and right front speakers.
In the next scene, sound comes from behind you and requires additional rear processing on the left and right surround channels. Note that the dialogue remains prominent on the center channel:
Surround effects on left and right surround channels.
With full 360 degree surround, the sound field feels naturally larger and enveloping, as shown below:
The sound field fills the room.
In the final scene, all channels are involved, providing effects such as explosions, crashes and shouting. As shown in the illustration below, enveloping DSP processing is applied to all channels:
All channels engaged.
As shown below, your home theater is cooking on all burners now, with the most immersive surround sound experience possible:
Fully enveloping sound.
Best of all, Surround:AI is easy to use. It doesn’t require changing multiple settings on multiple screens every time you sit down to watch TV. Just press the AI button on your AV receiver’s remote and enjoy your favorite TV shows, movies and sports events for a home theater experience that’s worth staying home for.
Click here for more information about Yamaha AV receivers.
It’s the night of the beginning band concert, and the curtain will go up soon. You’re back stage shepherding all of your students, who are bubbling with nervous excitement, to their chairs.
Then, from the rear of the ensemble one of your trumpetsraises his hand and says, “My valves are sticky – can you help me oil them?”
This could never happen because all beginning band students have received extensive training on how to properly care for their instruments, right? All of your brass players know how to oil their own valves, right? Unfortunately, all too often, this is not the case. To help clear up some of the mystery, here is our official Yamaha-approved method to oiling brass instrument piston valves.
Valve oil needs to go directly on the widest part of the piston.
Step 1: You’ll need both hands free, so place the instrument someplace that it can safely stay put with the valves easily accessible. Sitting in a chair with the instrument on your lap is a good choice – if you’re worried about oil dripping on your pants, put a towel or rag underneath the instrument to catch the drips.
Step 2: Unscrew the top of the valve oil bottle and set the cap aside. It may seem silly, but it’s a lot easier to do this now rather than after the next step!
Step 3: Starting with the first valve, fully unscrew the cap at the top of the valve until it comes loose. Then, with one hand gently slide the entire piston assembly up until you can see the wide silvery-gray portion of the valve body. The piston doesn’t need to come all the way out of the instrument – as long as you can see the top of that wide area, you’ve pulled it out far enough.
CAUTION: the piston can be easily damaged if it’s dropped or banged against something, so be very careful while it’s unscrewed and exposed!
Step 4: Place several drops of oil around the top of that silvery-gray area and allow it to run down the side of the piston and into the valve casing. Don’t be afraid to use more oil than you think is necessary – any excess will drain out the bottom of the valve and will help keep the instrument clean by washing out dirt, bits of food, saliva or any other debris that may have found its way onto the valves.
Step 5: Carefully slide the piston back down
into the casing, making sure that everything is still lined up the way it
started. For Yamaha trumpets, you will see the valve number stamped into the
metal near the top of the piston – this number should be facing toward the
mouthpiece, so that if you were playing the instrument you would be able to
read it. Depending on the instrument, there may also be an audible “click” as
the piston guide locks into place, so listen for that click as a good sign that
everything is where it should be. Once the piston is lowered all the way, screw
the top cap back into place until it is tight.
Step 6: Repeat steps 3 to 5 for the rest of
the valves.
Step 7: Once all the valves are back in
place, work all of the pistons up and down a few times to help spread the oil
around. This is also a good time to blow some air through the instrument to
make sure everything was put back together correctly – do this once with all
the valves open, and then again with all the valves pressed down. If the air
feels blocked or restricted, go back to step 5 and re-check each valve to make
sure each piston is lined up correctly.
Do NOT put oil down the valve stem or through the bottom vent holes.
I’ll confess that when I first started playing a valved instrument, I developed a few bad oiling habits because no one had taught me the proper way to oil valves. The first was dripping oil down the top valve stem without unscrewing the caps. At the time, I didn’t know that there was felt underneath the stem that was absorbing all the oil, so the oil never got where it needed to go.
The second bad habit was squirting oil through the vent holes in the bottom valve caps. While some oil might have found its way to the proper place, I didn’t realize just how filthy the bottom caps can get since they’re like a lint trap collecting all the dirt and debris that drips down from the pistons. Any oil that did make it onto the piston would have picked up some of that debris and put it right back where you don’t want it.
Unscrewing the caps may seem like a complicated process, but even a beginning student can learn to do this with a minimum amount of instruction and practice. My own son started playing trumpet in 6th grade, and he had no problems learning to safely oil his valves by this method. It’s also the best way to guarantee that the oil is getting right onto the sides of the piston where it will do the most good.
Spend a few minutes with your brass players to teach them this process – they’ll be self-sufficient and you’ll have fewer stuck valves to worry about!
We recently ran a series of articles here on the blog in which I introduced the elements that I believe should be a part of every snare drum warm-up. This posting will wrap things up for you, but before you continue, please read the previous posts to familiarize yourself with the key components:
1. Take 10-15 minutes to complete. (This exercise takes approximately 11 minutes.) Any longer and I probably wouldn’t do it every day.
2. Warm up my muscles and continue to build my technique.
3. Be flexible so I could adapt and change it over time as needed, based on the repertoire I am preparing.
I also created a play-along video on YouTube for this warm-up that you can find here. Here’s a brief description of each line in the routine:
A) 8 on a Hand “Cloned”: This classic exercise gives the hands and wrists a chance to move and gets the blood flowing to your extremities. Make sure to start at a slow tempo and use a big range of motion to get the muscles loose.
B) Singles (with Metronome Speed Up): Now that the blood is flowing, it’s time to do some singles. If you follow the YouTube video, the speed is increased by 2 BPM every time the exercise is repeated. This allows you to start slow and increase the speed gradually throughout the routine.
C) Paradiddles: This is the first time I start to use my arms as I do a wrist lift to execute the accents. Be careful with the stickings. The exercise starts with triple paradiddles.
D) Flams: I go back to 8 on a hand and add flams at the beginning. This also introduces a down stroke on the last eighth note of each measure.
E) More Flams: Now that you are halfway through the warm-up, it’s time to work on grace notes with the 4 flam rudiments that are in the Wilcoxin Rudimental books.
F) Rolls: I like to work on double and triple/multiple bounce rolls during my warm-ups so I can work on my fine motor skills. I generally do these exercises for 30 seconds and then switch hands. Make sure that once you start you don’t change the tempo.
G) Long Rolls: While long rolls are not difficult, it is important to remember to relax.
Once you have completed this routine, make sure you shake out your wrists and do some light stretching. Good luck and keep those warm-ups going!
With its remarkable capacity for expression and a sonic range unmatched by any other musical instrument, the piano has long played a major role in the sound of ensembles and bands performing everything from classical music through to jazz and rock. But with the rise in popularity of rock music (and all its related subgenres), the music industry was in desperate need of a piano that could hold its own with the explosive sounds of the electric guitar and could also be quickly and easily set up on stages both indoor and out.
The instrument developed to address this need was aptly christened the “stage piano,” the most well-known of which were the Yamaha CP70 and CP80 electric grand pianos. First introduced in the mid-1970s, they were used widely on records and in concert by major artists for more than a decade — and some even still use them to this day!
Yamaha CP80 and CP70.
Of course, technology has advanced by leaps and bounds since the ’70s, and now the time has come for the rebirth of the stage piano. With the release of the CP73 and CP88, Yamaha designers have reimagined the instrument from the fundamentals up.
Great Sound
Sound is, of course, the most important part of any musical instrument. The CP73 and CP88 stage pianos feature a wide variety of grand piano, upright piano, electric piano and keyboard sounds — including an extraordinarily dynamic CP80 sound — for playing any music genre. There are also synth sounds, including split, layer or solo warm pads, lush strings, deep synth basses, synth leads, brass and more, plus Virtual Circuitry Modeling of vintage effects and high-end studio signal processors.
Authentic Touch
The CP73 and CP88 also offer an authentic touch — something of paramount importance to keyboardists everywhere. The CP73 features a newly-designed 73-key balanced action that provides an electric piano feel, with an “E-to-E” keyboard perfect for playing in bands with guitar and bass. The full 88-key CP88 model provides pianists with a tactile response almost indistinguishable from acoustic pianos, with graded weighting that reproduces the feel of a piano’s hammers — heavy in the low end and light in the high end — and Natural Wood keys with synthetic ebony and ivory key tops that are lightly porous, which adds grip to the keys and helps maintain accuracy during long performances or practice sessions; it also enables grand piano-like key repetition, where notes can be re-articulated without a complete release. This makes it easier to play fast, repeated notes and is one of the main reasons pianists choose grand pianos over uprights.
Innovative Design
One of the most important features of the CP73 and CP88 is a user-friendly control interface that puts everything at the player’s fingertips and allows real-time interaction for instant sound creation: no programming, menu-diving or web searching required.
Both models are designed to withstand the rigors of the road, yet are among the lightest and most compact stage pianos anywhere: The CP88 weighs in at just 41 pounds, while the compact CP73 weighs only 28.9 pounds. Optional soft cases are available, with wheels and zippered compartments for storing pedals and accessories.
Check Out the Videos
Click here for more information about the Yamaha CP73 and CP88.
From the early days of audio recording and production, the name Rupert Neve has been inextricably linked with quality sound. Neve is a true recording technology pioneer fully deserving of the description “living legend.” The sound of Neve-designed equipment has been a huge part of countless iconic recordings for decades, and it continues to captivate listeners and inspire artists to this very day.
Rupert Neve.
The collaboration between Yamaha and Neve began in 2009, when a Yamaha design team headed up by Dr. Toshifumi Kunimoto (better known as “Dr. K”) visited Rupert in Wimberley, Texas to discuss creating software emulations of the Portico 5033 5-band EQ and Portico 5043 compressor. After two years of critical listening and development, the very first Rupert Neve Designs™ plugins were approved by Rupert and released by Steinberg™ to much acclaim. These plugins were also integrated into Yamaha CL Series consoles, and thus made available to live sound engineers working entirely in the digital realm.
Also discussed at that initial meeting were Rupert’s classic modules — specifically, his 1970s and 1980s EQs and dynamics processors — and their hallmark transformer saturation properties. With the release of the Yamaha Rivage PM10 in 2016, emulations of these vintage EQs (the Rupert EQ 773 and EQ 810), compressors (the Rupert Comp 754 and Comp 830), and the SILK feature from Rupert Neve Designs’ Portico II Series were integrated into a digital console for the very first time.
In addition, the Rupert Neve Designs 5045 Primary Source Enhancer is distributed by Yamaha. This revolutionary signal processor is capable of reducing unwanted signal well in excess of 20dB—a boon to live sound engineers coping with background sounds bleeding into mics. By simply reducing the background sounds relative to the main audio source, a high degree of clarity is achieved as well as additional gain before feedback.
In 2018, two Steinberg interfaces incorporating Rupert Neve Designs transformers were announced: the UR-RT2 (with two such transformers) and the UR-RT4 (which has four of them). Both models deliver the legendary, high-end Neve studio sound from real hardware, without software emulation — a landmark development for a truly mobile audio interface. These transformers are renowned for their highly musical and expressive sound with rich harmonics — especially beneficial for vocals, acoustic guitar and other instruments with a broad dynamic range.
And now there’s the Steinberg AXR4: a groundbreaking audio interface that provides four hybrid mic preamps designed by Yamaha that combine accurate component-level digital modeling of transformer-based preamplifier circuitry from Rupert Neve Designs with top-quality analog, similar in concept to those in the PM10. What’s more, these preamps incorporate SILK processing — another innovation from Rupert Neve Designs. This function enhances recorded sound with the same type of natural compression and saturation achieved by vintage audio equipment designed by Rupert Neve. The AXR4 offers two SILK modes: The “Red” mode emphasizes mid to high frequency harmonics for extra presence and sparkle, while the “Blue” mode focuses on low to mid frequency harmonics for a full, rich sound. There’s even a Texture knob to adjust the strength of SILK processing.
SILK controls on the Steinberg AXR4.
For more than a decade, these two pioneering companies have been working together to create the perfect blend of vintage and modern technology. That’s the true connection between Yamaha and Rupert Neve Designs.
Click herefor more information about the Steinberg AXR4.
Ever since the explosion of YouTube™, hopeful piano players everywhere have made a practice of searching for videos of pianists performing their favorite songs so they can learn to play by watching. These videos vary in terms of sophistication, but generally are shot with a camera mounted above the keyboard so viewers can see which fingers are used and which notes to play:
More advanced videos add visuals reminiscent of old player piano rolls, making it possible to see electronically which notes are “coming down the pike.” This allows viewers to anticipate the order and timing of notes in the song:
Now Yamaha and the developers of the popular flowkey app have combined their efforts to drastically improve this methodology. flowkey includes score notation, a “wait” feature and right/left hand selection. Combined with the newest Yamaha CSP Clavinova models, which feature Stream Lights above the keys, the two companies have created a system that can best be described as YouTube learning on steroids.
flowkey allows students of all levels (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Pro) to learn songs interactively. Versions are available for many platforms, including iOS and Android™, as well as Macintosh/Windows (running the Chrome browser), and the app works with any acoustic/digital piano or keyboard.
Simply select your level of play and choose a song (subscription required). You are then presented with scrolling sheet music below a video of an instructor’s hands performing the song on an 88-note piano keyboard. Additional teaching aids are visible, such as special orange video highlighting the pressed keys and note names above each key:
Now comes the best part. With YouTube, things are not really interactive: if you miss a note, the video and music keeps playing. With flowkey, if you select “Flow Mode” for either the right or left hand, the instrument waits for you to play the correct notes before proceeding. This is huge: if you miss a note, it shows you which note you missed on both the screen keyboard and on the scrolling score:
What’s even more amazing is that this “wait” functionality is available using any keyboard or acoustic piano. In its most simple form, the app uses the microphone built into the smart device or computer running flowkey and then figures out what notes you are playing by “listening” to the audio. (For the techies, this uses an “analog to digital converter” to convert audio sounds into MIDI notes.) Using a microphone is surprisingly accurate, although not perfect. For example, repeated notes sometimes get lost when you hold down notes and the music proceeds, even though you didn’t actually repeat the note.
If you want to improve the accuracy to 100% and are using a digital instrument equipped with MIDI (most are), a better option is to use a Bluetooth® MIDI adapter or a cable to provide the MIDI data directly to flowkey — something I find to be much more satisfying than relying on the microphone. You can even do this wirelessly by using a device such as the Yamaha UD-BT01 (which uses a USB port) or the MD-BT01 (which uses MIDI ports).
The ultimate setup is a combination of flowkey and a CSP Clavinova. Simply place an iPad® or iPhone® on the Clavinova’s music rack and you have the most sophisticated interactive learning system available today — much better, in my opinion, than any YouTube experience.
The CSP is available in two models: CSP-170 and CSP-150:
These are the first Clavinova pianos to not only have one light above the keys for teaching (called “Guide Lamps”) but four lights per key, called “Stream Lights.” These Stream Lights create a similar experience to a piano roll effect, but are located directly above the actual keys of the Clavinova piano: very direct, very clear:
To use flowkey on an iOS device with a CSP Clavinova, simply use the power cable supplied by Apple® for your iPhone or iPad and plug it directly into the CSP “To Device” port located just behind the music rack on the right:
This enables flowkey to access the Stream Lights directly above the notes on the Clavinova keyboard. (Note that Stream Lights can only be accessed via this wired cable connection.)
This also provides a direct connection between the notes on the scrolling sheet music in the app and the 88 notes of the CSP Clavinova keyboard. And if Flow Mode (the “wait” mode described above) is activated, the lights stop advancing when a note is missed, and missed notes start to blink. At the same time, you can see the notes that are coming up soon in the music, so you can anticipate where to place your hands. These notes will NOT be blinking:
After this connection is made, when you first select a song in flowkey, you will see all 88 Guide Lamps on the CSP Clavinova momentarily flash in series, indicating that the Stream Lights have been activated:
To check this connection, select the “GEARS” icon in the top right-hand corner of the flowkey screen and you will see a new option appear called “Activate Yamaha Stream Lights” (or “Deactivate Yamaha Stream Lights”). The app is able to automatically sense whether a CSP Clavinova is connected or not, and you can toggle the Stream Lights on or off at any time:
This exciting new collaboration between Yamaha and flowkey provides an extraordinary implementation of complementary technologies: the authentic piano touch, tone and pedals of the Clavinova with a state-of-the-art teaching app. The end result is that anyone can now learn notes, chords and songs interactively while receiving instant feedback from videos, digital highlighting, note names and streaming lights above the keys on the physical keyboard being played. In other words, the best of both worlds!
There’s no place like home. With its familiar sights, sounds and smells, home means comfort. When you travel, you can bring some of those comforts with you – a photograph of loved ones, your favorite cologne or aftershave, a delicious snack from the kitchen.
But what about sound?
The good news is that you’re not without options when it comes to bringing familiar audio with you wherever your travels may take you … thanks to something Yamaha calls True Sound: sound as it was meant to be heard by the artist, the producer, the composer, the creators.
Even if it’s not labeled as “portable,” your wireless speaker doesn’t need to be confined to your home, as long as you plan accordingly. Here are some tips for taking True Sound with you on your next journey.
Bring the Party with You
Ever get invited to a party, family function or work event where you think they may need an assist when it comes to sound? Ever have those suspicions confirmed when you arrive and find that the sound system is lacking? (Maybe the biggest speaker in the room is the one in your smartphone!)
That’s no way to enjoy music.
Bringing the party with you is the best way to share and enjoy True Sound, and it’s easier than you think. All you need is a wireless speaker or two, electricity and a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth® connection. (Wi-Fi usually works best.) Just plug in and connect, and you could be streaming your favorite music in no time, impressing friends, family and co-workers.
Packing and Transport
If you’ve kept the original box your wireless speaker(s) came in, the task of packing your True Sound system will be quite easy. If not, you’ll be able to find replacement packing material with a little resourcefulness. Alternatively, try and find a box that’s slightly larger than the speaker(s) but has enough room to put in packing material like Styrofoam, bubble wrap or even a blanket — anything to ensure that it won’t rattle around during transport. If you’re taking an overnight road trip, wrap the speaker in a blanket and tightly pack it in a separate bag to ensure complete protection.
Placement and Setup
Once you arrive at your destination, perform some quick reconnaissance on potential locations for your speakers, noting the space needed and proximity to an electrical outlet. The Yamaha MusicCast 20 wireless speaker, for example, has a width of 5-7/8 inches and a depth of 5-1/8 inches. If you’re bringing a larger model like the Yamaha MusicCast 50, you’ll need a little more space (its width is 15-3/4 inches, with a depth of 7-7/8 inches). Note that these particular speakers are intended for indoor use, and the power strip or wall outlet should be within 10 feet. If you’re using a different speaker, be sure to find out how long its power cord is prior to picking your setup location.
Once you’ve picked your spot, plug in, connect to the local Wi-Fi and fire it up. You could also connect via Bluetooth or Airplay®, in the event Wi-Fi is unknown or inaccessible. Start by playing music you’re familiar with so you can see how the speaker sounds at different volumes. If you can place it close to a wall or corner, that’s always a good idea since it allows the sound to bounce off the walls and have a better chance at filling the room.
Click here for more information about Yamaha True Sound.
Every January, the entire musical instruments industry — manufacturers, dealers, artists, fans and the merely curious — convenes in Anaheim, California for the annual NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) show. It’s quite an event. A wide assortment of music-related products and technologies are put on display, orders are placed for the coming year, autographs are gathered, and concerts and parties run long into the night.
If you weren’t able to make it to the 2019 extravaganza, these were some of the hottest new offerings from Yamaha.
Sonogenic SHS500 keytar
The Sonogenic SHS-500 is a “keytar”— a musical keyboard that can be held like a guitar — that enables anyone to play their favorite songs, regardless of musical ability. It can be used in conjunction with the free Yamaha Chord Tracker app (available for iOS® 15.2 or higher and Android™), which analyzes the music library residing in your smart device and then sends data directly to the instrument via wireless MIDI over Bluetooth® so that keys on the SHS-500 trigger only the correct chords — and any soloing notes that go with them.
The SHS-500 can also be used to wirelessly control software-based synths and virtual instruments on a laptop computer or mobile smart device, plus it comes with 30 high-quality Voices (including piano, synths, and two drum kits) for stand-alone playing. Wheels and buttons along the neck provide pitch-bend, modulation, octave shifting, key transposition, playback control and more.
YVN Model 3 violin
The YVN Model 3 violin represents a major step forward in stringed instruments for developing players and school music programs. Drawing upon advanced building methods first developed for Yamaha percussion and wind instruments, the Model 3 is constructed with the tight tolerances normally associated with much more expensive, luthier-built models. These improvements allow the violin to sing with a rich tone while maintaining student-proof durability — all at an affordable price. Among its innovations is a proprietary graduated spruce top that offers exceptional tone and resonance for a student violin, as well as a new laser cutting technique that uses resin to create handsome inlaid purfling. The YVN Model 3 outfit includes a bow and sturdy shaped ABS case.
CP73 and CP88 stage pianos
The new 73-key CP73 and 88-key CP88 represent a radical reinvention of the digital stage piano, with three main sections that can quickly be split or combined as desired: Piano, Electric Piano, and Sub. Both models include voices sampled from the Yamaha CFX and Bösendorfer Imperial grand pianos, Yamaha U1 upright, CP80 electric grand and other instruments, including strings, pads, organs and chromatic percussion. Also provided is a rotary speaker simulation, as well as synth-like attack and release controls, plus tempo-syncable delay, lush reverb and a three-band global master EQ. The CP73 offers a Balanced Hammer action, while the CP88 features a Natural Wood triple sensor action as well as Synthetic Ebony and Ivory key tops to increase finger grip. Balanced XLR outs allow connection to a mixer or stage snake without direct boxes, and there are left and right 1/4″ inputs with their own gain control, allowing a second keyboard to be heard through the CP’s main outputs without the need for a mixer.
CG-TA and CSF-TA guitars
Yamaha first introduced its groundbreaking TransAcoustic technology in 2016 with the premium LL-TA and LS-TA models, Now, with the introduction of the CG-TA and CSF-TA, TransAcoustic comes to classical and parlor guitars. Like other TA models, they incorporate an actuator hidden inside the guitar that senses the vibrations of the strings, enhances them, and conveys them back to the body and the air in and around the guitar to create authentic reverb and chorusing … with no need for external amplification or effects devices.
The CG-TA is based on the popular, mid-priced CG162 nylon string guitar. It features an Engelmann spruce top and a body of ovangkol, an attractive rosewood relative with excellent tonal properties. The CSF-TA provides the affordability, portability and premium sound and construction of the Yamaha CSF line of parlor guitars. It offers a scalloped bracing to boost tone and projection and has a solid Sitka spruce top mated to laminated mahogany back and sides, nato neck, rosewood fingerboard and bridge, and abalone rosette. The 20-fret fingerboard sports a 600 mm (23.7″) scale length to offer easy playing without compromising the instrument’s range. Both models include a SYSTEM70 TransAcoustic + SRT Piezo pickup system.
MODX synthesizer
For over 40 years, from the DX7 to the MOTIF and MONTAGE, Yamaha synthesizers have inspired sound designers the world over. Now there’s MODX, a new synth with the DNA of MONTAGE plus upgraded sound engines and expression control, all in a compact, mobile and lightweight package. There are three models to choose from: The 61-note MODX6, perfect for synthesists seeking the dynamic sound of modern Frequency Modulation (FM-X) synthesis; keyboardists looking for realistic piano, electric piano, strings, brass and other imitative sounds will appreciate the versatility and expanded range of the 76-key MODX7; and pianists needing a realistic piano touch and sound will be inspired by the MODX8, with its 88 graded and weighted keys.
AvantGrand N1X piano
In 2009, Yamaha debuted AvantGrand, the world’s first digital acoustic “hybrid” instruments that successfully captured the sound, touch, action and physical resonance of a concert-quality grand piano … but without the tuning, cost or footprint of a comparable stringed instrument. The newest model to join the lineup is the N1X, an affordable second-generation instrument housed in a space-saving, vertical-style modern cabinet. It features samples of the Yamaha CFX and Bösendorfer Imperial grand pianos — even a binaural CFX optimized for listening through headphones — recorded at multiple velocity layers for seamless transitions, with extended dynamic and harmonic range suitable for all genres of music. In addition, Virtual Resonance Modeling (VRM) captures every detail of how the internal components of an acoustic piano vibrate in response to struck notes, including sympathetic string resonance, damper pedal resonance and the natural resonance of the soundboard.
Employing real wooden keys and hammers, the action of the N1X is the same as that of a grand piano, but with non-contact optical key sensors that detect every nuance of the player’s timing, velocity, legato and other musical techniques. The end result is a playing experience virtually indistinguishable from that of sitting at a top-notch concert grand. The N1X also provides an advanced four-channel speaker system that sends subtly different frequency information to each channel’s speaker so that the sound “blooms” from the instrument in the same manner as from a concert grand piano. Via Bluetooth, songs from a computer or mobile device can be wirelessly streamed through the speaker system, and the N1X’s onboard audio recording system even enables playback of downloaded song files.
Live Custom Hybrid Oak drum sets
The new Yamaha Live Custom Hybrid Oak series drum sets provide drummers with an enhanced and expanded sonic range, from powerful attack to low fundamental tones. Employing the hybrid shell construction from the acclaimed PHX series, the LCHO’s 7-ply shells are constructed with a phenolic ply between the oak plies, giving players more shell life, sustain and dynamic range. To cut unnecessary frequencies and boost low tones, Yamaha developed a new process called Bass Drum Frequency Control weight. This introduces dark chrome Absolute lug weights strategically placed inside the bass drum to provide a stronger low-end. Other features include a YESS III Tom Mount to allow the shells to vibrate more freely, as well as durable dark chrome lugs and hoops, plus Remo U.S. heads.
Live Custom Hybrid Oak snare drums in the 14″ x 5.5″ edition include high carbon steel 25-strand snare wires. Their hybrid shells allow for maximum protection and sensitivity, giving the classic cutting tone that comes with oak wood. The series features five new unique uzukuri finishes: UZU Ice Sunburst, UZU Magma Sunburst, UZU Natural, UZU Earth Sunburst and UZU Charcoal Sunburst.
Yamaha Live Custom Hybrid Oak drum set in UZU Ice Sunburst finish.
New Revstar guitar finishes
Yamaha also announced three new limited-edition Revstarsolid-body electric guitar models in bold finishes, plus an updated standard-edition model — each of them incorporating new woods, hardware and electronics. These include the RS702B in Black and the RS720BX in Vintage White. The RS702B takes the popular RS720B with Bigsby vibrato tailpiece and replaces its humbucker pickups with P-90 pickups, giving the guitarist a rich, warm, focused sound to explore. The RS720BX enhances the FilterTron look of the pickups with more traditional chrome pickup covers for a classic, elegant look.
Also added is the RS502TFM in Ash Gray and Vintage Japanese Denim finishes, with attractive flame maple tops for a textured, rippled effect. In addition, the standard-edition RS820CR is now available in Brushed Black and Brushed Teal, along with an updated black aluminum pickguard. The limited-edition Revstar models present a rare opportunity for collectors and enthusiasts since Yamaha will be shipping only 100 of each finish of the RS502TFM and 30 each of the RS702B and RS720BX to the United States.
Yamaha Revstar RS502TFM in Vintage Japanese Denim finish.
YFL-597H / YFL-697H / YFL-797H professional flutes
High school, college and professional level flutists will all appreciate the trio of new Yamaha flutes shown at NAMM: the YFL-597H, YFL-697H and YFL-797H. All three offer rich, nuanced tonality over a wide dynamic range, along with sterling craftsmanship, consistency, precision and visual elegance. The 597H and 697H models combine the brilliance of nickel silver with the characteristic mellow timbres of sterling silver, while the 797H delivers the warmth and expressive color that only the finest sterling silver flutes can provide.
The new instruments feature a newly-redesigned mechanism incorporating a split E key, a vital component now available as an option on all Yamaha professional flutes. Other highlights include a beautiful hand-finished sterling silver head joint on all models, and 0.43mm wall thickness and Straubinger Phoenix™ pads (in the 600 and 700 series), which provide a precise seal and quick response, especially when combined with newly redesigned tone holes and pad cups.
Yamaha YFL-797H professional flute.
TR-8310ZII(S) Custom Z trumpet
NAMM also saw the introduction of the TR-8310ZII — the second generation of the popular Yamaha Custom Z trumpet. The original Custom Z, released in 2001, was borne out of the company’s long and close partnership with legendary trumpet player Bobby Shew, who has been a Yamaha artist since 1992. Shew wanted to create one super-efficient instrument that could alternatively scream out a powerful lead, or play soft, mellow ballads. The result of this collaboration was the YTR-8310Z.
While maintaining many of the design features that made the original Custom Z trumpet so unique, the YTR-8310ZII has an updated leadpipe and a precise valve casing design. These modifications combine to offer unprecedented tonal richness and depth, while maintaining maximum efficiency and comfortable resistance for players in any setting and genre — from the jazz club stage to the recording studio.
YTR-8335IISKG (Kangakki) Xeno trumpet
Another major product announcement from Yamaha was the limited edition YTR-8335IISKG Xeno trumpet. Xeno trumpets blend outstanding instrument design and advanced technology with the experience of respected artists around the world, and the Xeno line was the company’s first to fully incorporate a “heavyweight” bell design across all models. These expertly crafted instruments are defined by outstanding power and projection, combined with refined resistance and highly responsive action for extraordinary tonal flexibility.
Only 100 of the new YTR-8335IISKG trumpets will be made, designed with unique features including gold-plated trim, black mother-of-pearl finger buttons and special “Kangakki” (which means “wind instrument” in Japanese) engraving on the bell. These enhancements speak not only to the rich history of advancements in Xeno design but also to their modern, state-of-the-art production.
See you at next year’s NAMM — and remember, if you can’t make the show in person, you can always catch the highlights here!
For more information about these and other great Yamaha music products, click here.
For many musicians, it can be difficult to maintain a high level of playing while at the same time managing a busy lifestyle. Normal day-to-day activities can make it difficult to keep our home, car — and yes, the instrument we play — in good condition. Here are some simple ideas that will allow you to keep your brass instrument in optimum working order and help avoid that panic trip to the repair shop.
Exterior Maintenance
The way to keep the exterior of your instrument looking good depends upon the type of finish. For most brass instruments, the finish will either be lacquered or plated in silver or gold. Many finishes are polished to a high luster and then a clear lacquer is applied to protect the metal underneath.
To remove fingerprints, dust and smudges (usually from tuning slide grease and/or valve oil) on instruments with lacquered finishes, wipe down the exterior with a soft cloth to which a small amount of furniture polish has been applied. This will help to protect the finish and reduce the need to clean it often. Most polishes contain wax or silicone and these will also work well to reduce the water spots that will collect on the exterior with regular use.
For instruments with plated finishes, start with a glass cleaner to remove grease and grime as well as those pesky fingerprints. Note that silver-plated finishes will also tarnish over time. An easy way to keep them looking good is to use a silver polish cloth impregnated with a dry polish. (This works equally well on gold-plated instruments.)
One more exterior maintenance tip: Avoid leaving your instrument in direct sunlight for extended periods. Sunlight can and will tarnish any plated finish, especially if the instrument is exposed on a daily basis.
Interior Maintenance
Over time, there will be a natural buildup of debris inside your instrument due to the saliva and organic material that collects during normal use. In addition, the natural oxidation of the metal surfaces inside will cause calcium and other deposits to begin to adhere. These conditions will get slowly worse if not addressed. Fortunately, there are some preventative measures you can take to avoid this.
Each time you oil your valves, apply five or six drops of valve oil down the leadpipe through the receiver. This helps to keep organic material from sticking to the inside of the leadpipe and valve ports, and at the same time serves to disrupt the corrosion process, which will otherwise act upon the brass in the absence of a preventative coating like valve oil. When the oil is applied this way, the organic material that would normally adhere to the interior will pass through and most times exit with the use of the instrument’s water key. (Click here for more information about Yamaha synthetic valve oil.)
Yamaha microfiber swab for trumpet.
In addition, use a swab on a periodic basis to clean the leadpipe and other parts of the instrument. This helps to not only remove loose debris, but will also absorb the moisture that has collected through normal playing. Note that emptying the water key after playing will only remove about half of the moisture that has collected. Most of the moisture that is left will be in the form of condensation and it is only possible to completely empty the instrument after it is set down and allowed to cool.
On small brass instruments, rinse out the leadpipe and tuning slides with dish soap and water and an instrument cleaning snake (a flexible coil with a small brush mounted on either end); this can go a long way in preventative maintenance. With larger brass instruments, this is not always an easy task, so you might want to use swabs instead. On baritones, euphoniums and tubas, you can remove the first valve and insert the pull cord through the leadpipe port inside the casing. The swab is then pulled back out through the leadpipe exiting out of the receiver. The Yamaha microfiber swab is an excellent tool to perform this job, not only on the leadpipe but the tuning slide as well.
The bottom line is this: A clean brass instrument will always play better, respond faster and have a fuller sound because it is more efficient in producing sound. Let’s not work harder than we need to!
Click here for more information about Yamaha brass and woodwind instruments.
A metronome is the most valuable tool a drummer can have. It’s a huge aid in becoming a good timekeeper, which is, after all, the drummer’s primary job.
Any metronome — even an old-fashioned manual one with a pendulum ticking away — can be used to help you practice at different tempos, and, needless to say, being able to play grooves and fills at all tempos is essential. Start by setting the tempo on your metronome to a relaxed 60 BPM (beats per minute) and then play a basic groove to the click. Gradually increase the tempo by 10 BPM until you reach 200 BPM, or as fast as you can play accurately. As you get more comfortable with this exercise, you can also change up the style of groove you’re playing and add a drum fill every four or eight bars to really challenge yourself.
As you go through the various speeds, you will find that there will be certain tempos that are harder for you to lock in with, especially the slower speeds. Repetition is the key for overcoming these problem spots.
If you’re using electronic drums (E-drums), you may not even realize that there is an onboard electronic metronome on your drum module. There is! And better yet, it’s often programmed with a number of exercises (both basic and advanced) to help you improve your playing. Let’s take a look at four cool E-drum metronome exercises built into the Yamaha DTX402 Series and DTX6 Series modules.
Measure Break
Rushing or dragging is a common problem for drummers. An effective way of working on consistent timing is with an exercise called Measure Break, which, in addition to the DTX402 and 502, is also built into Yamaha DTX-PRO, DTX400 Series, DTX700 Series and DTX900 Series modules. (The DTX-PRO is provided with all DTX6 Series drumkits.) This is one of my favorites because it’s great for practicing grooves and fills at different tempos. In this exercise, the metronome inserts breaks into the click track each time it loops around; your job is to continue to play through the silence until you hear the click again.
Start by setting the total number of measures you want the click to be audible, then select the number of measures you want it to go silent. For example, you could have a four-bar phrase consisting of two bars of click and two bars of silence, or you could set three bars of click and one bar of silence.
As the metronome begins looping, play a basic groove and continue playing through the silent measures. Eventually the click will come back in — right on time — on beat 1 of the next measure. As soon as the click returns, you will instantly know whether you are on the beat, behind the beat or ahead of the beat. If you’re off, don’t stop playing; it’s important that you try to catch up to the click and continue the exercise just as you would if you were playing a song with a band. After all, when you’re onstage, just because you rush a fill doesn’t mean you stop playing!
This training exercise (also built into the Yamaha DTX400, DTX700 and DTX900 Seriesmodules) measures how far behind or ahead of the beat your hits are. As you play to the click, Groove Check shows your hits in relation to a perfectly in-time quarter note. If your timing is rushing and you’re ahead of the beat, the hit marks will move to the left. If your timing is dragging and you’re behind the beat, the hit marks will move to the right.
This is also a great tool for learning how to play on top of the beat (if you want the music to feel a bit pushed) or behind the beat (if you want the groove to lay back in the pocket a la Charlie Watts).
Use the Tempo Up/Down exercise to see how fast you can play and still maintain accurate timing. As you play along, the metronome will automatically increase the tempo if your timing is good, but will decrease the tempo if you need more practice playing in time.
In Change Up, your goal is to maintain accurate timing as you play along with up to seven different practice rhythms (subdivisions) that change every two measures. You can increase or decrease the tempo as you go along.
As you can see, there’s more to a metronome than just a repetitive tick-tock. These exercises (or similar ones) should play a part in your weekly practice routine, along with working on rudiments, playing along to songs and just trying out new sounds. After all, playing drums is supposed to be fun!
Photo courtesy of the author.
Click here for more information about Yamaha electronic drums.
“Everybody has the Blues. Everybody longs for meaning. Everybody needs to love and be loved. Everybody needs to clap hands and be happy. Everybody longs for faith. In music … there is a stepping stone towards all of these.”
Those are the words of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the Berlin Jazz Festival in 1964. As we celebrate King’s many accomplishments (including the Nobel Peace Prize he won that year), it’s a good time to reflect on the contributions of black composers and performers to American music.
W.C. Handy.
Black composers and performers thrive on the creative DNA of the survivors of the transatlantic slave trade who brought with them the drum patterns and polyrhythms that influence and inspire all modalities of black music. Our story begins with the blues, a genre that began in the cotton fields of the Deep South throughout the late 19th century as musicians channeled African spirituals, chants, work songs and hymns into narratives that spoke to their condition. A pivotal figure was the composer and cornet player William Christopher “W.C.” Handy, considered “father of the blues.” Handy toured the Midwest and the South extensively, popularizing the style and exposing audiences to his particular brand of the 12-bar blues.
Scott Joplin.
In the latter part of the century, a piano-driven medium called Ragtime began to take shape, as exemplified by the popular tune “The Entertainer,” written by composer and pianist Scott Joplin in 1902 — a song that found a new life on the soundtrack for the award-winning film The Sting in 1973. Another piano man of the era, Jelly Roll Morton, straddled ragtime and jazz, gaining prominence through recordings he made with his group Morton’s Red Hot Peppers.
Louis Armstrong.
The next major superstar in black music was vocalist and trumpeter Louis Armstrong, who first rose to prominence in the 1920s. “If you love jazz, you have to love him,” said trumpeter and bandleader Wynton Marsalis on Armstrong’s importance. Louis Daniel “Satchmo” Armstrong is considered one of the greatest jazz soloists ever. Some critics have made the observation that he played “beyond the notes,” creating intricate layers of feeling and nuance. What is inarguable is that he influenced every jazz musician who came after him. This was particularly evident with saxophonist Coleman Hawkins. While the pair played in Fletcher Henderson’s big band in 1924, Hawkins took note of Armstrong’s patience during solos, his use of silence for dramatic effect, and his unique phrasing, and later used those techniques to later develop his own recognizable sound.
Duke Ellington.
And then there is Duke Ellington. The iconic trumpeter and jazz architect Miles Davis is credited with saying, “At least one day out of the year all musicians should just put their instruments down, and give thanks to Duke Ellington.” That’s not an overstatement. Edward Kennedy Ellington was one of the most consequential composers and bandleaders of the 20th century. He wrote thousands of songs and was a deft pianist, but his true instrument was his orchestra — an ever-changing cast of star musicians he led for over 50 years, often financing their expenses out of his own pocket. Among his enormous catalog, some of the Ellington Orchestra’s most well-known hits include “In A Sentimental Mood,” “I Got it Bad And That Ain’t Good” and their signature tune, “Take The A Train,” written by arranger Billy Stayhorn. But Ellington’s contributions to music and culture don’t end there. From 1965 to 1973 he wrote three lengthy compositions that fused elements of jazz, classical, choral music, spirituals, gospel, blues and dance — “sacred concerts” that were presented to audiences in churches and cathedrals across the globe.
As the big band era, dominated by figures like Ellington and Count Basie, began to fade in the mid-1940s, a group of younger and aggressive players began to put their imprint on jazz. The trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie was at the forefront of the Bop era, not only for his compositions and improvisational skills, but his willingness to mentor other musicians, including Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Clifford Brown, Lee Morgan and Arturo Sandoval. The era was also shaped by the contributions of drummer Kenny Clarke, guitarist Charlie Christian, saxophonist Charlie “Bird” Parker, and pianist Thelonious Monk.
Chuck Berry.
Images of Elvis Presley or Bill Haley and the Comets may come to mind when thinking about early rock’n’roll, but most music historians point to “Rocket 88” — ostensibly by “Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats” but in reality sung by Ike Turner (later of Ike and Tina Turner fame) — as the first rock record. Its up-tempo danceable pace set the framework for similar works by the likes of Chuck Berry, who gave the world unforgettable tunes like “Johnny B. Goode” and “Maybellene,” and Little Richard, whose high-tenor vocals and high-energy stage antics wowed crowds with “Tutti Frutti and “Good Golly Miss Molly.”
The 1960s saw the rise of Motown — the Detroit-based record label founded by Berry Gordy with the explicit aim of popularizing black music to the nation as a whole. For more than a decade, the company nurtured a roster of songwriting, producing and vocal talent that was staggering. Motown exported its unique brand of R&B through artists like the Supremes, the Temptations, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson and, later, The Jackson 5, singing hit after hit by the songwriting team of Holland-Dozier-Holland and other composers.
Jimi Hendrix.
In the late 1960s, innovative guitarist Jimi Hendrix came to prominence. Hendrix had served apprenticeships with both the Isley Brothers and Little Richard, but those were mere footnotes for a musician who expanded the possibilities of his instrument through the use of effects and feedback. He was also a master showman who could play guitar with his teeth and behind his back … and famously set fire to his instrument at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967. Hendrix’s life was cut short tragically at an early age but his experimentation with funk and blues set the path for later artists like George Clinton, Prince and Living Colour.
Rap and hip-hop are two genres dominated by black artists. Ever since the seminal 1979 hit “Rapper’s Delight” by The Sugarhill Gang, practitioners have steadily moved beyond simple party rhymes to addressing serious social and political issues. Some of rap’s most influential storytellers include Public Enemy, A Tribe Called Quest, NWA, Eminem, Mos Def, The Notorious BIG, Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg. In 2017, Jay-Z (Shawn Carter) was inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame and LL Cool J (James Todd Smith) received a Kennedy Center Honor; just last year, the rapper Kendrick Lamar won the Pulitzer Prize in music. This marked the first time the award went to a non-classical or jazz musician — an amazing achievement for a genre that was once derided by critics.
Sometimes performances by black artists are less about the art they make and more about the symbolism behind them. In 1939, opera singer Marian Anderson was dragged into a fight about segregation between a group called the Daughters of the American Revolution and then-first lady Eleanor Roosevelt. Anderson was invited to sing in Washington by Howard University, and the only venue large enough to accommodate the crowds was Constitution Hall — a venue that had instituted a whites-only policy. Roosevelt, a DAR member, was furious and canceled her membership. When the group refused to change their policy, the concert was instead held on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, with a desegregated crowd of 75,000 in attendance.
And this brings us to another defining moment at the Lincoln Memorial. The gospel singer Mahalia Jackson, who was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1997, played a pivotal role in Dr. King’s historic speech at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963. Often called “The Queen of Gospel,” she moved the massive crowd (over 300,000 strong!) with her renditions of “I Been ’Buked and I Been Scorned” and “How I Got Over.”
Mahalia Jackson and Dr. King at the March on Washington in 1963.
However, Jackson’s role at this event far outweighed the power of her vocals. Drew Hansen, author of “The Dream: Martin Luther King Jr., and the Speech That Inspired a Nation,” wrote in a 2013 New York Times article that King initially thought he wouldn’t have time to use the “I have a dream” imagery in his remarks. As he neared the end of the speech, King implored the crowd to return to their communities (“Go back to Georgia; go back to Louisiana; go back to the slums and ghettos of our Northern cities”) with the hope that America’s racial conflicts would be resolved. It was at this point that Mahalia Jackson, seated nearby, shouted, “Tell them about the dream, Martin.” What followed became some of the most famous lines in American oratory.
Perhaps the greatest contribution of black composers and performers has been their ability to bring our nation together. Sometimes in song, sometimes in protest, sometimes on the dance floor … but always to heal our wounds and celebrate our love.
Photos by Santi Visalli/Getty images, David Redfern/Redferns, Bettmann, Robert Altman/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images, and Bob Parent/Getty Images.
Every PA system — whether designed for a solo artist at a coffee house or an arena show in front of 15,000 people — employs amplifiers: devices that take low-level audio signal and boost it into a stronger signal. They are necessary because speakers are very inefficient devices, and the signal coming out of your mixer is not strong enough to move speaker cones. Ideally, an amp simply boosts the signal without changing it in any other way, but all amplifiers have a limit to the amount of power they can generate. If you try to go past that point (or, conversely, if the amp is delivering too little power to a particular speaker), bad things can happen. The trick is choosing the right amp for the job.
Types of Amplifiers
Power amps come in several different types of packages. A “stand-alone” power amp like the Yamaha PX5 takes the signal from a mixer, boosts it and delivers it to a passive speaker (that is, a speaker that does not have its own built-in amplifier):
Basic PA system with mixer, stand-alone power amplifier and passive speaker.
Stand-alone amps are versatile because they can become part of a larger PA system and grow with your needs. However, they require more connections, and you’ll have to match the amp to the speakers you are using. More about that in a minute.
The Yamaha EMX5 and EMX7 are examples of powered mixers; i.e., mixers that have a built-in power amp. Powered mixers are easy to set up because they require fewer interconnections — you simply hook them up directly to the speakers:
Yamaha EMX7 output connectors.
However, these kinds of mixers have somewhat limited flexibility because you can’t change the amplifier if you need more power. If you think you may need a larger PA system in the future, a powered mixer might not be the best choice.
Powered speakers like the Yamaha DSR115 have an amplifier built into the speaker cabinet. We’ll discuss these kinds of speakers in Part 2 of this article, coming next month.
Making Sense of the Specs
Choosing a power amp can be confusing because there are a lot of technical specifications to consider. Some of these specs are less important than others. For example, total harmonic distortion (THD) and noise levels in modern power amplifiers are so low that you’re not likely to hear them. Frequency response is also not a major concern because most modern amps can easily produce accurate response across the entire audible range of human hearing (20 Hz to 20,000 Hz).
However, one very important amplifier specification is power output, a number that tells you how many watts the amplifier can deliver into a specific load. A “load” is a device that consumes power — such as a loudspeaker. A speaker’s load is rated as its impedance and as you’ll see shortly, impedance affects the power amplifier’s output.
There are two things you need to keep in mind about choosing a power amplifier:
1. You want an amp powerful enough to not be overworked when playing loud music,
BUT
2. You don’t want the amp to have a power rating so high that there’s risk of damaging the speaker with excessive heat or mechanical stress.
For example, let’s suppose that you have a pair of Yamaha S115V passive speakers that you plan to use for gigging in a small club, and you want to pair them with an appropriate power amp. Start by looking at the specifications for the S115V, where you’ll find some important numbers. One is the sensitivity of the S115V, which is 99 dB. This means that the speaker will produce a Sound Pressure Level (SPL) of 99 dB measured one meter away from the speaker when the amp feeds it one watt. The illustration below shows the amount of power the S115V requires to produce various sound levels. (These numbers vary with the model of speaker.)
Yamaha S115V sensitivity.
As you can see, doubling the power increases the SPL by 3 dB, so if the amp feeds the S115V two watts, it will play at 102 dB; four watts will produce an SPL of 105 dB, etc. That may seem very loud, but remember the measurement is made very close to the speaker (closer than most audience members are likely to be), plus your PA system needs to be heard in a venue with lots of background noise.
Next, look at the S115V power capacity specs and you’ll see three important numbers:
1. 250 watts noise. This means that the S115V can handle 250 watts of power when producing a noise test signal over a long period of time.
2. 500 watts program. This tells you that the S115V can handle 500 watts when producing a “program” test signal, a signal which more closely resembles music.
3. 1000 watts maximum (peak). This is the maximum amount of power that the S115V can accept instantaneously (for a fraction of a second) without damage.
The other important specification for the S115V is its nominal impedance, which is similar to resistance. Knowing the speaker’s impedance helps you understand how the S115V interacts with the amp’s power rating. Like most power amplifiers, the Yamaha PX5 has different power ratings for different loads. If you look at the chart below, you’ll see that the PX5 (second column from the right) can generate 500 watts per channel into 8Ω (8 ohms), 800 watts per channel into 4Ω, and 500 watts per channel into 2Ω. These numbers are for a short burst of sound and they represent the peak power output of the amp. The S115V has an impedance of 8Ω, so when you use it with the PX5, the amp will produce a peak output of 500 watts per channel.
Yamaha PX Series power output.
Go back to the illustration before this one and check out how the S115V responds when fed 500 watts. As you can see, 500 watts will produce a SPL in the vicinity of 126 dB. (Way louder than you probably need!) What’s more important is looking at some of the lower numbers. At 256 watts, the S115V will produce an SPL of 123 dB, and at 128 watts, an SPL of 120 dB. That’s plenty of volume, plus it gives you significant headroom (extra power in reserve), meaning the PX5 is a good match for the S115V.
What happens if you try to run a pair of S115Vs from an amplifier that has a peak output of only four watts? Using such a low-powered amp would create a problem because it would drive the S115V to a maximum SPL of only 105 dB, and you’ll almost certainly need higher sound levels than that, even at small club gigs. When you increase the output of your mixer, the amplifier output also increases — but only to a finite point, and that point is called clipping. If you continue to raise the mixer’s output beyond that point, the amp’s output does not get any higher. Instead, the signal becomes distorted or “clipped.” You can see an example of clipping in the two illustrations below:
On the left is the maximum undistorted output of the amp; on the right, the input has been increased but the amp’s output cannot go any higher and so it chops off the top of the audio wave. This type of distortion is often the cause of loudspeaker failures, so it’s important to avoid underpowering your speakers.
Paralleling and Bridging
Some speakers, like the S115V, offer “parallel” connectors on their rear panel so you can link two speakers and power them from one amplifier channel.
Yamaha S115V input panel.
When you “parallel” two 8Ω speakers this way, the impedance presented to the amplifier changes to 4Ω — and that would increase the PX5’s output power to 800 watts per channel peak, so you’ll get more power out of the PX5 by running two S115Vs per channel. Is 800 watts too much power for a speaker that’s rated to handle 500 watts of program? Not necessarily, because the S115V specifications also tell you that the speaker can handle peaks up to 1,000 watts.
In addition, the PX5 has the ability to operate in a “Power Boost” mode, where the two channels are bridged to create one channel of higher output power (in this case, 800 watts into 8Ω, or 1400 watts into 4Ω). This means that you can use the amp with larger speakers — albeit monaurally — when the need arises in the future instead of having to replace it.
Traditionally a lot of pro audio engineers prefer to use power amps rated at twice the power capability of a speaker so that they have plenty of headroom. It’s kind of like driving a Ferrari in NYC traffic: You won’t need all that horsepower most of the time, but it’s nice to know you have it when you need it!
For most of us, a plastic recorder was the first musical instrument we encountered back in elementary school, and for that reason it’s something we tend to think of as a childhood toy. However, the recorder is actually a serious instrument, with a rich history that goes back to ancient times. Intrigued? Read on …
History
One of the very first recorders was the Quena — a Latin-American instrument that dates back to the ancient Incan Empire. The modern recorder was developed in Europe during the Middle Ages. From the second half of the 15th century to the 17th century it was frequently used in live performance, but in the late 18th century it began to be overshadowed by the flute, a related instrument, though one that differs significantly in terms of volume and timbre. In fact, the recorder was originally known by the name “flute.” Eventually, the modern flute began being referred to as a transverse flute in order to differentiate it from the recorder.
Recorders of the 17th century had a cylindrical bore, and a timbre that was broader and less piercing than that of today’s instruments. Initially, they played a substantial role in ensembles that included vocals, as well as in all-recorder ensembles (called “whole consorts”) as well as “broken consort” ensembles that included stringed instruments such as violin.
With the advent of the Baroque period (1600 – 1750), the recorder came to be used almost exclusively as a solo instrument. Because a more piercing sound was deemed desirable, the bore of the recorder was made conical. As a result, higher pitched harmonics became more prominent, yielding the distinctive timbre we hear today.
During this period, a great many “sonata” and “concerto” works were produced for the instrument — in fact, it could be said that this was the golden age of the recorder. In addition to G. F. Handel’s “Seven Sonatas” and “Two Trio Sonatas,” a number of operas and oratorios featured recorders. They were also used for solos in J.S. Bach’s “Brandenburg Concerto” No. 2 and No. 4, and as an instrument for performing obbligato in many cantatas. In addition, Italian composers such as Scarlatti and A. Vivaldi wrote numerous sonatas, triosonatas, and concertos for recorder — “Concerto in C-Major for Sopranino Recorder and String Orchestra” is one that is particularly well known.
From the time of the classical period, when works by Mozart and Beethoven became popular, orchestras began to develop, but due to its limited volume, the recorder was unable to hold its own. And since the flute was more expressive, the recorder gradually became less popular, although it still continues to be used widely in performances of Baroque music. Today, the recorder is the most popular instrument in early music education, with widespread usage in elementary schools the world over.
Varieties of Recorder
Yamaha YRGB-61 great bass recorder.
Recorders come in many varieties, from the sopranino recorder, which is about the size of a Sharpie™, to the great bass recorder, which is as big as a piece of furniture. The type most frequently used for solos is the alto recorder. There are also quartet ensembles that perform with four types of recorders; soprano, alto, tenor and bass.
Because they are so big, some bass recorders and great bass recorders cannot be blown directly with the mouth as with smaller-sized instruments. For that reason, a long pipe (called a blowpipe) extends from the sound-generating part of the instrument to the lips. Furthermore, as the gap between tone holes is wider, keys are added for the locations where they cannot be covered directly with the fingers. However, since the blowpipe is just a simple structure to channel the breath, anyone can quickly produce sound, and the fingering is almost entirely the same from recorder to recorder, although the timbre produced varies.
As the size of the recorder increases, its pitch range gets lower. Great bass recorders are twice the length of tenor recorders, and there are also contrabass (sub-bass) recorders, which are twice the size of bass recorders. In addition, there are many types within the soprano and alto recorder families, each about half an octave higher in pitch than the next larger-sized one, as shown in the chart below:
The pitch range of different types of recorders.
Plastic vs. Wood
Recorders were originally made of wood, but today there are of course also plastic recorders, which are moderately priced and robust yet produce a solid sound. Plastic recorders also have the advantage of relatively straightforward maintenance, although water droplets can sometimes clog the windway (airway) since these instruments do not absorb moisture. (This can be easily remedied by lightly tapping just above the windway, or by blowing or sucking to force out the droplets of water.)
The ABS material used in Yamaha plastic recorders gives these instruments exceptional impact resistance, making them extremely durable. They offer a clear timbre and exceptional intonation, and their overall pitch can be adjusted by simply changing the extension of the head joint, allowing the recorder to be tuned to participate in an ensemble with other musical instruments.
Wooden recorders have a distinctive, rich tone that is not generally matched by plastic recorders. However, wooden recorders are more expensive than plastic models, and require more maintenance. They can be made of rosewood, ebony, maple, Kingswood or Castelo wood. In general, the softer woods produce a softer sound, while the harder woods produce a more pronounced sound, though there is a broad expressive and timbral range within each variety.
Two Different Fingerings
In the 1920s, instrument designers in Germany felt that the standard Baroque recorder was too difficult for beginners to learn, since some notes put the player’s fingers in positions that can feel uncomfortable or unnatural. Because of this, they made a small change to make those notes easier for a beginner to play. As a result, there are two varieties of recorder in common use today: “Baroque style” and “German style.”
In “Baroque style” recorders:
– Soprano F (Alto B♭) tone fingering is not in sequence with the rest of the scale.
– Fingering for sharp (♯) and flat (♭) notes is simple.
– The same fingering can be applied when playing recorders that differ in size.
In “German style” recorders:
– Soprano F (Alto B♭) tone fingering is in sequence with the rest of the scale.
– Fingering for sharp (♯) and flat (♭) notes is difficult.
– The same fingering cannot be applied when playing recorders that differ in size.
On a soprano recorder, playing a simple melody with a narrow range in a pitch range such as C major or F major presents no particular issue with a German style recorder, but performing a piece with a wider range or accidentals (sharps and flats) is more difficult. Also, since models other than the soprano are mostly made in the Baroque style, if fingering is learned on a German-style soprano model, it cannot be applied on a Baroque-style instrument. For more information, see our blog article “Recorders: Baroque vs. German”
As you can see, a recorder is much more than just a toy! And now that you’re long out of elementary school, it might just be time for you to reacquaint yourself with this wonderfully expressive yet easy-to-play instrument.
I love the excitement, optimism and hope that comes with the start of a brand new year. Resolutions are shared, goals are set and plans are made to fulfill lifelong dreams.
The word “resolute” means that we are steadfast and courageous in achieving what we set out to accomplish. Spending more time at the gym, giving up smoking, working less in 2019 or booking the trip of a lifetime to French Polynesia could all be seen as worthwhile pursuits.
Whatever your personal desires may be, they can all be realized with a focused mind and tenacious energy for the task at hand.
Set Your Intention
Before I set my intention, I make sure that I am very clear on what my motives are. Then I plan, aim and shoot at the target. If my preparation is impeccable and the work I do is consistent I will have done everything within my power to land a bull’s-eye.
To this end, I use a series of tools to keep me on track and in forward motion. The first step (and, for me, the most important one) is to be very specific about the target I want to hit. Am I being realistic, sincere and honoring my authentic self in this pursuit? If anything about my goal is disingenuous, I won’t have achieved anything except to serve my ego. Intentions that are honest and true are also worth claiming when they come to fruition!
The next step is to visualize the “big picture” end result, see it clearly in my mind and take a mental snapshot of the finished canvas. Having a clear picture of your ideal horizon is going to help you forge a pathway towards it. Dreaming big is great, but envisioning those dreams is even better.
Do we always achieve what we set out to accomplish? No, and that’s because there are variables beyond our control. Objects hit the fan when least expected, other people convolute and shake our resolve … and sometimes life just happens. The key is to keep going, never give up — and, even in the face of adversity, adversaries and sheer misfortune, somehow find the strength within to keep going.
I have found that a great way to stay focused on a specific project is to create something called a mind map — a diagram that use shapes and colors to connect ideas or topics to a central theme. Using words, colors and shapes in this manner stimulates my visual nature and helps me to organize my creative thoughts. Some of my maps are ideas for guitar courses, while others are project lists with deadlines; in the case of the latter, as each deadline is met, I change the color to green and move the shape to a new location.
As an example, here’s a mind map for a guitar course I created a few years ago:
As you can see, sub-topics revolve around a central theme and related topics are joined as a thread. To me, these visual planners are less intimidating than a written list, plus they appeal to the eye and serve as constant reminders of work that needs to be done. So if you tend to procrastinate, try mapping out a project and self-impose a creative deadline. You’ll start to enjoy much greater productivity and personal sense of achievement.
Add Intention to Your Guitar Playing
When you pick up your guitar, do you have a specific goal in mind? Is it purely to have fun and unwind, or are you practicing scales, chord progressions and songs for a band rehearsal or upcoming performance? I’m a firm believer that five minutes of focused playing is far more productive than two hours of “noodling.” When you focus on a topic, you are dedicating time to improve. When you noodle you are mostly just reinforcing muscle memory. Sometimes that’s good, sometimes not. If you noodle and continue to make mistakes, you are programming those mistakes to be repeated perfectly every time. Thats right — you’re perfecting your mistakes!
Instead, the next time you sit down to practice, set your intention for that session before playing a single note. Decide what you are going to do before you even unlatch the case. Want to learn how to use an E9 arpeggio over a blues? Set your intention to learn one E dominant 9th arpeggio shape and a few licks within a single 20-minute practice session. Even if you have only five minutes a day to hone your chops, apply that time wisely and after a week of mindful practice you will have improved exponentially … trust me!
Create a mind map of the practice goals you want to implement and work through them methodically. Set realistic goals that are easy to accomplish. Small chunks are easier to digest than larger ones and eventually add up to a broader achievement.
The Video
In this video I wanted to demonstrate a finger-style blues and slide guitar solo. Notice how clean and precise the chordal and single note rhythm playing is and how the bass guitar follows the single note riffs. This was not pure chance; it was completely intentional.
Similarly, as you listen to and watch the slide playing, check out the right-hand technique and pay attention to the way the muting and picking deliberately coordinates with the left-hand slide. Again, every note was played intentionally. I wasn’t just hoping for the best; I chose the tones very carefully and decided what to play … and as you may know, playing slide guitar requires a lot more accuracy for correct intonation.
The cool guitar I use here is a Yamaha CSF3M parlor guitar with a passive pickup — the perfect choice for the style of music I’m playing in the video. The mahogany back and sides impart smooth warm tones and the Sitka spruce top provides the clarity for those single-note lines.
Yamaha CSF3M parlor guitar.
I plugged the guitar directly into a Line 6 HX Stomp pedal running a super low-gain patch I’d created (shown below) and recorded everything direct to my DAW:
The Wrap-Up
We have the power to pre-select what we want to say in our compositions and improvisations. If we target specific chord tones, phrase those ideas to be conversational and leave space between the lines for the breaths of air, it aids musical digestion and gives our audience time to relax and savor the notes.
So don’t be frivolous with what you play. Set your intention, articulate your sentences and make every note count!
Ever wake up with very little on your calendar and find yourself savoring the idea that you’ll finally get to finish something you started the week before?
Then midnight comes around and you realize you didn’t get anything done.
How can all those hours have slipped by?
Maybe there’s a danger in having too much time on our hands. After all, the more time there is, the more opportunity we have to waste it.
As a creative creature, I revel in a structure-free day, tending to tasks at my whim. I’d rather make art when inspiration strikes than force my muse to dance. But I’ve come to realize that even if I’m working on something solo, I might have to block out the time to do it — make an appointment with myself, just as I would if I were scheduling a co-write or a session with a collaborator. Even though making music is my joy, it’s also something I often resist. There’s that voice in my head: What if I sit at the piano for an hour and nothing comes out? And so the procrastination begins. The dawdling.
There are other thoughts that curb my enthusiasm, too, though they are really ones of pure arrogance. For instance: I don’t need to practice, I’ll be fine. Ridiculous. How can I expect to be on my game at my next performance if I let two weeks go by without picking up my guitar? How will my voice reach the high notes if I don’t do daily vocal warm-ups?
So I’ve been trying this new thing. It’s called scheduling myself.
Duh.
First things first. Wake up. Have coffee. (That’s non-negotiable.) Next, I ask myself: What are my commitments today, and what else do I (realistically) want to accomplish in the next 16 hours? And then I write it all down. With a pen on paper. (Why? Because we are more invested in that which we have written by hand. But that’s another blog for another day.)
Then I make a timeline blocking out my day down to the hour. No, to the minute. And I stick to it! It’s my personal AA meeting — the sponsor I must account to.
There’s little margin for error. Even folding two loads of laundry can make me late, so I account for that too. I know exactly how long it takes to do the stuff I’ve been doing for years. Work out: one hour. Drive to yoga class: 15 minutes. Social media: one hour. (OK, two.) 🙂 Calls, emails, that long overdue task of getting those extraneous papers off my desk. Ugh. They always come back too soon.
If my GPS says it will take 26 minutes to get to my meeting across town, I leave the house 26 minutes prior to that meeting and pray for no traffic and good parking karma.
This system has been working out so well that I’ve made a New Year’s resolution to keep it up. As regimented as it sounds, the alternative is having the most unproductive day ever.
You see, regardless of my resistance, when I’m finally sitting at the piano (or writing this column, for that matter) I’m back in my zone. In familiar territory. My happy place. Even if I felt empty when I first sat down, it doesn’t take long before I’m smiling and tapping away (at the laptop or keyboard) because I’ve found something interesting to say. Or sing. Or play.
I may not finish the lyric but I’ve most likely loosened the lid. After all, you never know when that magic song is going to fall from the sky, completely by accident. So we have to make time for the accidents and trust that they will happen. I want to be available for my muse to find me. Because if I’m not there, she may go somewhere else.
Have a happy and productive New Year, everyone. If you have a resolution of your own, you might want to put it in your calendar and make it happen instead of hoping it will.
