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6D Experimental Music – Unit 6: Music Electronic ♫ 6D Experimental ♫ and Experimental Music Unit 6: Electronic & Experimental Music Icons key: For more detailed instructions, see the Getting Started presentation Flash activity. These activities are not editable. Composing activity 11of of77 Listening activity Performing activity Teacher’s notes included in the Notes Page Sound Accompanying worksheet Weblink © Boardworks Ltd 2014 Learning objectives To recognize the features of a range of 20th century experimental music. To devise and perform music in an experimental style. 2 of 7 © Boardworks Ltd 2014 Notation and experimental music Standard musical notation (staves, clefs, notes etc.) has been used for hundreds of years. A pianist can look at the score of a piano sonata by Mozart and be able to reproduce what the composer wanted in precise detail. However, for experimental composers, this form of notation was not appropriate. ♫ What if a composer wanted to leave some decisions about how the music should sound up to the performers? ♫ 3 of 7 © Boardworks Ltd 2014 Three line staves Experimental composers can leave some degree of choice to the performer through the use of the three line stave. Unlike conventional notation, this form of notation allows the performer to decide the actual pitches of notes during the performance, from within a range set by the composer. ♫ The sound clip is one example of how this stave could be played. Can you think of any more? ♫ 4 of 7 © Boardworks Ltd 2014 Graphic scores 5 of 7 © Boardworks Ltd 2014 New uses for old resources Composer John Cage is best known for his piano piece 4’33”, an experimental piece which focuses on background noise. In the 1940s, Cage wrote a number of pieces for what he called ‘prepared’ piano. The piano is ‘prepared’ by inserting various things such as metal screws, bolts and pieces of rubber in amongst the strings of the piano. The result is that the piano’s sound is very much altered. 6 of 7 © Boardworks Ltd 2014 John Cage: ‘prepared’ piano Although Cage made ‘prepared’ piano more popular by using it extensively in his work, he did not invent the concept. Since the time of the harpsichord (the 17th century), keyboard instruments have been able to produce different sounds using different settings, like the pedals on a piano. In the early 19th century, some pianos had a stop (like stops on an organ) which lowered a strip of paper onto the strings, and there were other types of stop which made more percussive sounds. In the early 20th century, Eric Satie placed pieces of paper onto piano strings to create a mechanical sound. inside a grand piano ♫ Listen to an extract of ‘Mysterious adventure’ by John Cage. Discuss its melodic and rhythmic qualities. ♫ 7 of 7 © Boardworks Ltd 2014