Music comes at a price 050910
I enjoy music because it has a way of encouraging me when I am discouraged, and cheering me up when I am feeling low. I also play music when I am excited Music is one language that is understood by everyone regardless of race, colour or creed. There are many pieces of music performed in a language that I do not understand that I still enjoy. This is because musical instruments have a way of telling their story without words. This ability makes music to be appreciated by many.
If we were to focus for a moment on the instruments that make music enjoyable, we would find that they do not produce these masterpieces without a cost. They go without certain luxuries in order for us to be entertained.
For music to be produced, the instrument must be played in some way. This playing makes the parts of the instrument to vibrate. The vibrations are the ones that produce music. For string instruments, there are certain properties that determine the quality of the sound produced. The first one is the tension of the string. This is basically the tightness of the string. If the string is tighter, the pitch of the sound produced is higher. This is the reason why the guitar players tighten or loosen the strings when they tune the instrument. High pitched music is pleasant to listen to but it is only possible if a string is under serious stress.
The quality of the music can also be varied by altering the length of the string. If the tension is the same, a shorter string will produce a higher pitch. This is why the lead guitarist always plays the high pitched tunes by holding the string closer to the place where he plucks the string. This short distance ensures the increase in frequency that produces the high notes that the musician will be seeking.
The thickness of the string also matters in the quality of music. Thick strings produce low pitched sounds, the reason why a bass guitar has thicker strings compared to a rhythm or lead guitar. To produce quality music you will find that every six stringed guitar will have strings that have different thicknesses and different tensions. The length is usually the same in a guitar but for other stringed instruments this may be varied from string to string to ensure that each produces a different sound. This accompanied with the changes in length brought about by the musician’s hands produce many different notes. These, like I mentioned in the first place, produce music through vibrating.
The other family of instruments is that of pipe instruments. These make music by causing the air inside them to vibrate. The quality of the sound, like that of string instruments, is affected by certain factors. One of these factors is the length of the tube or pipe. A longer pipe has a lower pitch, and vice versa. The width of the pipe also affects the resonant sound produced. Pipes are often used as amplifiers of the sound produced. They can also be used to alter the frequency of this sound if there is a way of changing the length of the pipe, as in trumpets.
To understand how music is produced by pipes we can look at the marimbas. The pieces that produce high pitched sound have short and thin pipes underneath. The sound is produced by the wooden pieces that are struck by the player. These pipes intensify the sound and give it the pitch required. If you look at the baritone pieces you will find that they have bigger and thicker pipes that make the sound deeper.
The other instruments that we can talk about are the drums. These produce sound when they are struck with hands or with a stick, depending on the type of drum. The pitch of the drum depends on the tension in the drum and also on the width and length of the cylinder of which the drum is made. The tension can be adjusted by controlling the amount of water in the skin that makes the drum. A dry drum will have a higher pitched or sharp sound while a wet one produces a deep sound. In the olden days they would prepare for an all night of singing and drumming by placing their drums by a fire so as to evaporate all the water, making the skin tighter and therefore able to produce music of high quality. In other functions where a deeper sound was preferred, water was poured on the drum to reduce tension.
When we look at the production of sound in all these instruments, we will see that for us to enjoy music the instrument has to be constantly under pressure or tension and being struck continually to make sure the strings, the pipes or the skin is constantly vibrating. Those who are enjoying the music may never realise how much these instruments are paying for them to be entertained. It is only in the occasional case where the string gets broken where people appreciate the fact that the guitar is important for their entertainment.
When you find yourself enjoying yourself, not necessarily because you are listening to music, it might be because there is someone somewhere who is taking the pressure so that you get to enjoy yourself in that way. Do not take such people for granted. If they stop ‘producing the music’ so to speak, you will find that they are important after all. It might actually be too late for you to recover. How much do you appreciate those who make your life what it is? The teachers; the pastors; the parents; the friends; the employees.
It is also good to realise that you are also an instrument making music for others to enjoy. Instruments produce better music when they are playing in unison. Do not be tempted to think that you are the most important of instruments. You need others in order to be effecetive.
