Table of Contents

What is Music Resource?
Music Resource
Unusual Pictures
Unusual Videos
Music History Book Reviews
What is music?
Why does music move us?
What is music?
Music Movie Reviews
Music Genres List
Momentous mood music for relaxation, revelation and rejuvination
Who makes music?
The three best rock star movies
Music Bush
Music Resource Outro
Music book

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What is Music Resource? It's a music hangout for experiencing early music in an unusual and original format. You can read unique articles, watch uncommon videos, view early music pictures & paintings, and learn about the origins of music.

Music Resource takes pride in a different approach in learning about and experiencing early music. So why not travel back in time and start with the musical melodies of nature and the early songs of humans while viewing some interesting music pictures and videos? Enjoy your journey :)

What is the original music resource? What are the origins of music? Music has been around since long before the written word. It is an integral part of every culture. Humans, enthralled by natural sounds such as thunder, rain, ocean waves, and bird songs, surely began to imitate the hymns of surrounding soundscapes.

They learned to use their vocal chords to make melody (a series of single note pitches) and harmony (two or more simultaneous pitches). They also learned to thump, tap, and pound on things such as wood, stone, the ground, and perhaps each other. Nature and culture are an abundant music resource.

Let's add some visual aids so that we might begin to "see" the origins of music. A single picture is worth a thousand words and pictures will help us with our desire to learn about early music. In this picture series we have three unusual pictures followed by one music pic you've seen before. One of three - Ancient Cave music painting showcased below:



Later, with a desire to express sound with something more than the human voice alone, humans learned to create musical instruments. Some were moved by bird songs and flutes of bone and bamboo were created. Some were amazed by thunder and rain. The drum and the daff (ancient tambourine) were created. Some were moved by the inner mystical music and several additional instruments were created. The sitar, the didgeridoo, and the conch came into existence.

Then came harmony-based instruments, which were capable of playing chords (harmony) and melody at the same time. Man-made instruments are a music resource. Notorious examples of harmony-based instruments are the guitar and the piano. There are earlier versions of each. The second of three unusual pictures of early music - Harpist Tomb 1800 B.C. displayed:



Some where along the line, folks realized that they could musically interact with each other and create music as a group. Enter music ensemble. The first music hangout came into existence. An ensemble is two or more musicians who perform music. Pic three of three unusual pictures - Early Music Ensemble drawing pictured below:



Most of us have seen orchestras, school bands, rock bands, jazz groups, operas, musicals, and other types of musical performances. Each group member tends to serve a general function. These music groups contain someone who plays the bass lines, keeps the beat, and someone who plays rhythm. There are usually one or more leads or melody makers - a sophisticated music resource.

Those who play leads are backed up by the rest of the members for most songs. The lead players tend to get noticed as they are usually standing out in front and/or their melody is purposefully accentuated. The lead music resource is the star player in this scenario. Furthermore, though there are many great rhythm players, the leads tend to be the ones who have the most musical talent within a given group of musicians.

For example, when you hear Dorothy sing the song from The Wizard of Oz - "Some Where Over the Rainbow", she is singing the melody a.k.a. the lead. The rest of the musicians are said to be backing her up. Most of you have seen this endearing pic before:



Another good example is when you hear a lead guitar scream out during a rock song, when a saxophone stands out in a jazz song, or when the main singer in a group sings. The lead will use the backup players or singers as a point of reference when determining which notes to sound. Backup players and singers are a foundational resource that support the leading role.

Music harmony or back up involves playing more than one musical pitch at a time. While on occasion, it can be two or more leads forming the harmony, it is usually the backup instruments and vocals. Sometimes more than one instrument is harmonizing with another while at other times, a single instrument is playing the harmony or chords. Harmony is a layered music resource.

Pianos and guitars are probably the most famous of the harmony-based instruments. Relatively speaking, only a minority of instruments are harmony-capable. When you hear someone playing a chord, they are playing a harmony.

Some argue that a two note harmony can be considered a chord while others argue that a chord has to be at least three notes. A three note chord is called a tetra chord whereas a two note chord is called a diad. Chords are used to add color and layers to music. The banjo and the organ are also considered chorded instruments. Chorded instruments are a popular music resource.

So what do some of these early instruments look like? Experience some of the unusual pictures of early instruments below to learn about early music:

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Hard to find music

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U
nusual videos are an excellent resource to experience the musical instrument sounds from earlier times. Music has come a long way in its evolution. However, there are times when turning back the hands of time has value. If you felt the unusual pictures were interesting, you'll probably enjoy the early music videos even more.

The videos contain early music created with instruments such as the didgeridoo, the flute, the darabukka (darabouka), the djembe, various strings, and the tanbur (tanbour).

Unusual videos of early instruments tend to generate feelings of reverence and marked curiousity. Expand your music horizons. Enjoy something soothingly ancient...and tastefully different. Musical instrument sounds from earlier times:

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What is music? How might we describe it? Music is vibration. Simply put, music is sonic movement through time. It is the artistic expression of sound. It's a change in pitch on the backdrop of meter and tempo. The change is known as melody. If there is no change in pitch, then what you may be hearing is either harmony or you are hearing sound - a superset of music. The color or flavor of music is achieved largely through meter, dynamics, and timbre.

Professional musicians tap subtlties to add new dimensions to sound.

Pitch is how high or how low a musical note sounds to our ears. Sounds manifest as waves. The actual pitch of a music note can be measured by electronic or by digital devices. Sound frequency is described in terms of Hertz.

Rhythm consists of tempo and meter. Tempo is how fast or how slow music is played. Meter divides groups of notes into measures, which are units of rhythmic notes. Meter is one of the main components that give each song its "feel".

Meter is what we tune into when we go dancing. The drum beat helps determine the cadence of a song. Tempo influences how fast we dance. Some of the best Jazz and Progressive Rock groups use a change in meter as a corner stone of style.



As mentioned above, melody is usually the part that stands out the most. It is often sung by the lead singer or played by the main instrument. Harmonies tend to compliment each other rather than compete. When the two join together, we have a complex resource of movement.

Sophisticated forms of music contain elements of flavor. In addition to meter, musical flavor is often achieved through dynamics and timbre. Good composers will use this resource to add various shades of gray and tints of "color" to their music.

Dynamics not only involve loudness and softness, but they also include the suddenness of struck notes. Additionally, dynamics involve gradual fade-ins and fade-outs of various melodies, chords, and other sounds. Dynamics are often used to project emotion.

Timbre refers to the sound quality. To better understand this, think of the different sounds that various instruments project. A trumpet creates a distinct sound and it sounds very different from a piano note. A rich assortment of various subtleties are pleasing to the ear and to the mind.

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Why does music move us? Music is like a magical language that speaks directly to our emotions. It reaches so deeply that at times it feels like it literally connects with our spirit. We can describe it or categorize it. We can praise or criticize it. We can even create it, but words don't do it justice. Music is beyond the written or the spoken language.

The emotional connection and impact of soothing sound: Music awakens passions. It inspires creativity. There is no doubt that it lightens a heavy workload and acts as a comforting balm for those low in spirit. Music boosts the moral of dogged troops in lengthy battles and serves as a call for unity during a charge. It provides the beat on the dance floor and it helps athletes focus. Music is an intimate friend. It is always there when you need it most and it always does its job.

Music has a very significant impact upon the imagination. It paints pictures of adventure and drama. The mind and the emotions associate it with memories. It instills sensuality on the dance floor and in private. It can pump up an audience to the point of frenzy or hold a King Cobra in motionless rapture. At times, it serves as a muse; inspiring master poets and painters to the highest of heights. It has the power to bring heart-felt tears to the eyes or to enrage. Music magnifies drama in movies. It is a powerful. Who is like unto music?!

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P
hew! Compiling that resource list sure took a while. It is kinda purty though :)

It's nice to have a broad resource of ear candy at your disposal to cater to your every mood. Music is quite therapeutic and moving. It can also be recreational, sensual, intriguing, and just plain fun.

Though we have many moods and emotions, there are two main categories of mood music - stirring and relaxing. The first type tends to have a stimulating effect and the second, a calming effect. Related resource categories are listed in each type below. What kind of music are you in the mood for right now?

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Resource for relaxation, comfort, centering, stress, calming, chilling out, depression, loneliness, romance, nostalgia, negativity, peace, and vulnerability: New Age, Classical, Ambient, Mellow Jazz, Psychedelic Rock, World Fusion, Piano Music, Orchestra, Meditation, Minimalist, Opera, Lounge, Lullaby (One for little baby), Jazz, Hawaiian, Instrumental, Indie, Elevator Muzak, Electronic, Easy Listening, Drone, Zen, Down-tempo a.k.a. Chill-out, and Chamber.

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What is the music production industry and record label management? Who makes music? Musicians would be the short answer. Record labels are music companies that record music groups, market the recordings, and handle music distribution. The record, tape, or nowadays - C.D. (Compact Disc), usually ends up in the music section on a store shelf for sale to the public. At least that has been the traditional method.

There are four main labels that control the majority of the music market worldwide: Sony BMG, Warner Music Group, EMI, and Universal Music Group. Music groups that aren't into recording, marketing, and distributing their own music often strive to capture a contract or record deal with these heavy hitters. These labels are a major music resource in just about everyone's life.

Some labels are owned by bigger labels. An Imprint is like a project or a project section of a record company. A Vanity label is like a project run by a specific artist. Often, record labels will create a Vanity label in order to create the impression that a certain artist actually owns the Vanity label. Occasionally, an Indie label will get snatched up by a major label. In this case, the artist or groups of artists will have more creative decision power.

Collectively, these subordinate labels are referred to as Sublabels.

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As of late, music has been available for download from the internet. Thanx to the power of today's computer hardware and recording software, individuals like you and I are able to create high quality music. We can sell it through the same avenues as the big labels. The smaller recording outfits - even single person outfits - are referred to as Indies. Indie is short for Independent label. Recording, distributing, and selling music can be very inexpensive, even for an individual.

Some of the advantages of an Indie label are:

More profit
More creative decision making
Much less overhead (thanx to digital store fronts, internet marketing, and low-cost website hosting)
Low cost recording
No record contracts
Touring control
Project and record release schedule control
Ability to create new genres

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Free sheet music downloads

Free Sheet Music Downloads

Music Bush...what the heck is that, a little shrub that sings? Watch the video below to find out :)


Rewind The Music

Music Resource Outro (summary) - Did you
enjoy the music hangout? What did you like best about this lens? Did you enjoy:

* The site as a learning resource
* The site as a music hangout
* Exploring the origins of music
* Reading about history
* Viewing unusual pictures
* Watching unusual videos
* Music articles
* The appearance and layout of the site

Music Resource Beginning