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TIME

In music, time is the division of a measure into the fractional parts of a whole note. The sign which indicates the character of the subdivision, and which consequently regulates the rhythm of the movement, is called the time-signature. This is generally a fraction (2/4, 3/4, 6/8, etc. placed after the clef at the beginning of a movement. In the fraction the lower figures represent the kind of notes to be used as time standards, while the upper figure shows how many of them are to be given in a bar. There are two general classes of time, duple and triple; in the former, the number of beats in a bar is divisible by two; in the latter, by three. Common time, so called, is 4/4 and is represented by the sign C. Compound duple time and compound triple time differ only from their originals in that each beat (containing a dotted note or its equivalent) is divisible by three.

TOUCH

In music, a term denoting the manner in which the digitals of a keyed instrument are manipulated. Most important are the smooth legato touch and the detached staccato touch. it is of vital importance which muscles are employed in playing different passages. The muscles of the fingers, the wrist, and the arm produce very different effects, generally distinguished as tone-color. Thus, when we speak of a pianist as lacking in color, it means that he employs one set of muscles almost to the exclusion of others. it is the matter of touch that produces what are called singing, velvety, or hard tones.

TREBLE

The highest part in harmonized music, which in general contains the melody, and is sung by a soprano voice. The treble or G Clef is placed on the Second line of the staff, indicating that the note G occupies the line encircled by its lower curve. it is one of the two clefs in use in music for keyed instruments. For the history of the sign of the treble clef, see NEUMES.

TREMOLO

In music, an expression indicating that a note or a chord is to be reiterated with great rapidity for an indefinite number of times, so as to produce a quavering sort of effect. In singing, the tremolo is highly effective in dramatic situations. But with many singers it is a mannerism arising from improper control of the breath. For the stringed instruments the tremolo, is extensively employed by composers, and is written. It is produced by a very rapid alternation of the up-and-down stroke of the bow.

TRILL

In music, an embellishment produced by the continued and rapid repetition of one note alternately with another, either a whole tone of semitone above it. Its sign is tr placed over or under the principal note. The trill was known and used at the end of the sixteenth century, but its name was added considerably later.

TRANSPOSING INSTRUMENTS

Those musical instruments whose natural scale is always expressed in C major irrespective of the actual pitch. Such instruments are the horns, trumpets, cornets, tubas, clarinets, and cor anglais. The C major scale when played upon the B flat clarinet is identical in pitch with the B flat major scale. In order to play the real C major this instrument must play the scale written as D. In a composition in the key of F major the signature of the strings and all non-transposing instruments will, of course, be one flat; whereas the B flat clarinets must be written in the key of G.

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VALUE

In music, the time-value of a note of rest, in a general sense, is the length of its duration as compared with the whole note, which is the unit of time-measure. In a special sense, the value of a note or rest is the length of its duration as compared with the particular note adopted as the unit of measure for a particular composition. Thus, in 3/4 time the unit of measure is the quarter note, in 6/8 time the eighth note, etc.

VALUES IN MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

They are mechanical devices in some brass instruments for lengthening or shortening the column of air. By means of this mechanism the older natural horns and trumpets, which had only a diatonic scale, were changed to chromatic instruments capable of producing every chromatic interval within their range. The number of valves is generally three, though some instruments have four. Two systems of valves are now in general use, piston valves and rotary valves. The latter afford the player a lighter manipulation of his instrument, but are more likely to get out of order than the piston valves.

VOICING

A term applied to regulating the quality of tone in organ-pipes. Tuning has to do only with correctness of pitch; but in voicing a certain quality is aimed at. The first requirement is, that all the pipes must be made uniform. This is done by carefully regulating the amount of wind admitted and the angle at which it strikes the upper lip, and also by slightly changing the edge of the lip. Flue-pipes and reed pipes require different treatment, so that voicers today generally make a specialty of either of these pipes. Voicing requires a very fine ear.

VIRGINAL

So called probably because played especially by young girls. A keyed instrument, one of the precursors of the pianoforte. It resembled in form a small pianoforte, with a compass of four octaves, furnished with a quill and jack like those of the spinet, and a single string to each note.

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