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AVAILABLE in Three Formats:
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ABOUT
THE
MUSICAL
INSTRUMENTS POSTER
The Musical Instruments Poster
provides information for mixing, arranging, and producing recorded or live
music:
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Comparative pitch ranges of more
than 70 popular musical instruments (by note and frequency)
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Six vocal registers (three male,
three female) aligned for comparison with each other, and for reference by
note and frequency: bass, baritone, tenor, contralto, mezzo-soprano,
soprano
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Tuning directions for 23 of the most
popular stringed instruments
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88-note Great Staff (Grand Staff),
with each note aligned to its frequency and piano key position
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Specific pitch frequencies (cycles
per second or Hertz) for all 88 notes
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Instrument families classified,
sub-classified (e.g. percussion, brass, woodwinds, strings, etc.), and
illustrated to the same scale
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"Once you have a close look at the
clever way it's structured, the Musical Instruments Poster has a lot more practical
information on it than first meets the eye. You have done a superb job of displaying
intelligent and instructive material ... yet the whole effect is entertaining."Bill Tully, Preston, ID
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EQUALIZATION
(EQ)
AND RANGE
GUIDE
FOR SOUND
MIXING,
ARRANGING,
AND SONGWRITING
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If you arrange, record, or mix music
(home recordings, live music, or studio recordings), you are aware of the
importance of equalization (EQ). To do it accurately, you need to know the
frequencies (number of cycles per second) of the notes associated with the
pitch ranges of each musical instrument and each voice range.
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Each musical instrument and vocal
register has a different range. The Musical Instruments Poster
displays the frequency (number of vibrations per second, or Hertz) for
each note playable on each instrument, including the various human vocal
registers.
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Sometimes you may use a multi-octave
electronic instrument such as a synthesizer to replicate the sound of some
other instrument, one you dont normally play, such as a bass clarinet or
mandolin. That means you need to take care not to play outside the
unfamiliar instruments natural range. The Musical Instruments Poster
shows which notes (referenced to an 88-key piano)and which corresponding
frequenciesdefine the natural ranges of most popular instruments. So,
even if you have never played the instrument you are emulating with your
electronic keyboard, you can at least make sure youre playing exclusively
within the emulated instruments natural range.
TUNING
DIRECTIONS
FOR 23 POPULAR STRINGED INSTRUMENTS
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The Musical Instruments Poster
provides tuning information for the orchestral stringed instrument family
(violin, viola, cello, double bass) and for the orchestral harp.
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As well, the poster shows how to
tune a variety of folk and popular instruments, such as the guitar, sitar,
banjo, pedal steel guitar, and Appalachian dulcimer. The notes
corresponding to the open pitch of each string are displayed on each
instruments range bar.
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The Musical Instruments Poster
also identifies special tuning relationships. For example, the violin and
the mandolin are normally tuned identically.
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"You have picked all the right
information to put on these posters ... I find all of them very practical, both for me and
the music classes I teach at night school. Especially the Musical Instruments Poster. Way
to go!"Charles Noga, Scarborough, ON
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RANGES
OF MUSICAL
INSTRUMENTS
AND HUMAN
VOICES
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The poster shows the pitch ranges
for more than 70 instruments in all (see the full list below). It also
displays the practical ranges of human voices (vocal registers) for bass,
baritone, tenor, contralto, mezzo-soprano, and soprano voices.
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A horizontal bar shows the range of
each musical instrument and vocal register. The left end of each bar,
representing the lowest note normally playable on a given instrument,
aligns vertically with its corresponding key on the piano. The right end
of each bar, representing the highest note normally playable, aligns with
its corresponding piano key. (For some instruments, some musicians are
able to play higher and lower notes than those displayed on the Musical
Instruments Poster. This also applies to vocal ranges.) Each end of
each range bar displays the name of the note aligned with the respective
piano keys.
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The 88-key piano keyboard displayed
across the middle of the poster visually aligns with the range bars of all
the instruments and voices. The left and right ends of each instruments
range bar align exactly with their corresponding piano keys.
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Just below the piano keyboard is the
Great Staff (or Grand Staff). It shows the pitches of all 88 piano notes,
aligned directly beneath each corresponding key of the piano keyboard.
This alignment extends to the uppermost and lowermost notes of the ranges
of all musical instruments (and vocal registers) on the poster.
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"[The Musical Instruments Poster] shows
some very valuable insights when you can see all the alignments [of the instrument
ranges].F. Girdler, Moncton, NB
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LIST
OF INSTRUMENTS
AND VOICES
FEATURED
ON THE MUSICAL
INSTRUMENTS
POSTER
The upper half of the Musical
Instruments Poster shows all the instruments of the symphony
orchestra, and their ranges:
ORCHESTRAL INSTRUMENTS
Tuned Percussion
Xylophone
Celesta
Lyra
Glockenspiel
Orchestral
Glockenspiel
Tubular
Bells (Chimes)
Vibraphone
Marimba
Timpani
(Kettledrums)
Brass
Trumpet
Cornet
Flugelhorn
French
Horn
Tenor
Trombone
Bass
Trombone
Euphonium
Tuba
Woodwinds
Piccolo
Flute
Alto
Flute
Oboe
English
Horn (Cor Anglais)
Clarinet
Bass
Clarinet
Bassoon
Contrabassoon
Soprano
Saxophone
Alto
Saxophone
Tenor
Saxophone
Baritone
Saxophone
Strings
Violin
Viola
Cello
Double
Bass
Harp
Piano
HUMAN VOICES
Female
Soprano
Mezzo-Soprano
Contralto
(Alto)
Male
Tenor
Baritone
Bass
The lower half of the poster shows a
variety of popular non-orchestral instruments:
NON-ORCHESTRAL INSTRUMENTS
Tuned Percussion
Jew's
Harp (Jaw Harp)
Steel
Drums
Mbira
(Thumb Piano)
Winds
Pan
Pipes
Whistling
Tin
Whistle (Penny Whistle)
Soprano
(Descant) Recorder
Alto
(Treble) Recorder
Tenor
Recorder
Bass
Recorder
Organ
Harmonica
Concertina
(English Type)
Piano
Accordion
Melodeon
(Button Accordion)
Harmonium
Melodica
Uilleann
(Irish) Pipes
Highland
(Scottish) Pipes
Northumbrian
(English) Pipes
Strings
Zither
Pedal
Steel Guitar
Appalachian
Dulcimer
Hammered
Dulcimer
Autoharp
Mandolin
Balalaika
Pi-pa
Sitar
Lute
Bouzouki
Banjo
Guitar
(Various Types)
Ukulele
Electric
Bass
Harpsichord
Celtic
(Irish) Harp
Hurdy
Gurdy (French Type)
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"The members of my choir find the
Musical Instruments Poster most helpful. They have a better understanding of where their
individual voices fit into the sound of the whole choir."Jose Amado, Fresno, CA
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COLOR-CODED
RANGE
BARS
AND SCALED
ILLUSTRATIONS
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Grey-green bars show tuned percussion instrument ranges
- Yellow bars show brass instrument
ranges
- Purple bars show woodwind
instrument ranges
- Red bars show stringed instrument
ranges
- Blue bars show human vocal ranges
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Except in a few cases (noted on the
poster), each instrument is illustrated at 1/30 scale on poster size A
(regular size). This includes a 1/30-scale silhouette of a person, so you
can compare the size of any instrument relative to the size of a person.
As well, there is a diagram of a typical symphony orchestra seating plan.
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