Sound

In the title sequence, the music forebodes something eerie is about to happen. The instruments create a sound similar to a wolf howling. The drum beats whenever the camera focuses on the game or when the game is near. The music imitates many animal sounds. French horns are like elephants. From 1:37:50-1:35:40 (digging out the past soundtrack) the drums beat, then stop, then beat again. Then the leitmotif of French horns to French horns. The drums beat faster as he gets closer.

Ritualistic rum sounds from 1:19:35 (mention the meter of the drum beats – triple meter), when the drums suddenly stop when they find the game. The drum beats arouse our curiosity about what Is about to happen. It also makes us anxious, apprehensive because of the suspense that It creates. To young children, this may create fear In them, Flutes come In (leitmotif scalar to that of horns). Dissonance, Lots of It. The music gets very dissonant (tremolo? ) when he opens the game set. Drums pound. This drums pounding motif.

It gets louder, crescendo, foreboding omitting ominous. Drums abruptly stop when the game Is found. Cymbals when mosquitoes come, and the French horn leitmotif keeps repeating. Violins violins and harp, consonant sounds, signifying a home feeling, feeling of comfort, The film was an adaptation of a “1981 children’s book of the same name”. Thus, some of the music may have been used with kids in mind. Search analysis of James Hornier music http:”vindictiveness.

Introduction

Oboe and Bassoon By Marie A Rogers 300005290 Woodwind Techniques 1 1010-1100 Mr. Robinson The oboe is a soprano-range double reed instrument with a length of 62cm. Its wooden tube is distinguished by a conical bore that expands into a flaring bell. The modern oboe’s range extends from the B flat below middle C (b3 flat) to about 3 octaves higher (A6). The oboe has a very narrow conical bore. It is played with a double reed consisting of two thin blades of cane tied together on a small metal tube called a staple, which is inserted into the reed socket at the top of the instrument.

Traditionally made from African Blackwood, also called grenadilla, the instrument is made in 3 parts. The top joint has 10 or 11 holes, most of which are manipulated by the players left hand. The bottom joint also has 10 holes, which are predominately controlled by the right hand. The bell has 2 keys that are not used very much by the player. Oboe History The baroque oboe first appeared in the French court in the mid-17th century, where it was called “hautbois”. This name was also used for its predecessor, the shawm. The basic form of the hautbois was derived from the shawm.

Major differences between the two instruments include division into 3 sections or joints, for the hautbois, and the elimination of the pirouette, a cup placed over the reed that enabled the shawm players to produce greater volume. The latter develop more than any other, was responsible for bringing the hautbois indoors where, thanks to its more refined sound and style of playing, it took up a permanent place in the orchestra. Classical period brought upon an oboe whose bore was gradually narrowed, and the instrument became outfitted with several keys, among them were those for the notes D#, F, and G#.

A key similar to the modern octave key was also added called the “slur key”. It was used more like the “flick” keys on the modern German Bassoon. Only later did French instrument makers redesign the octave key to be used in the manner of the modern key i. e. held open or upper register, closed for lower. The narrower bore allowed the higher notes to be played easier, and composers began to utilize the upper register of the oboe in their works. Oboe Reeds Most professional oboists make their own reeds since every oboist needs a slightly different reed to suit his or her individual needs.

By making their own reeds, oboists can precisely control factors such as tone color and intonation. Novice players often begin playing on “fibrecane reed” which is made of synthetic material. Fibrecane reeds are much easier for the novice to control and take a shorter amount of time to ‘break in”, and usually last longer. After learning on fibrecane reeds, which are available in several degrees of hardness, a medium reed usually being used. These reed, like Clarinet and Bassoon reeds are made of arundo donax.

Different types of Oboes

The oboe has several family members. The most widely known today is the Cone Anglais or English Horn, the tenor (or alto) member of the family. A transposing instrument, it is pitched in F, a perfect 5th lower than the oboe. The Oboe d’ Amore the alto (or mezzo soprano) member of the family, is pitched in A, a minor 3rd lower than the Oboe. A less commonly played instrument is the Bass Oboe which is an octave lower than the oboe. Even less common is the Hecklephone, which has a wider bore and larger tone than the bass oboe. Only 165 hecklephones have ever been made.

Its hard to find competent players because of the rarity of the instrument. The least common is the mussette or (piccolo oboe), the sopranino member of the family (usually pitched in Eflat or F above the oboe), and the Contrabass Oboe ( typically pitched in C, 2 octaves deeper than the standard oboe). The Bassoon Bassoon is a member of the double-reed family, and generally plays in the bass and tenor registers. The bassoon plays most commonly in concert bands, orchestras and chamber ensembles. It is a non transposing instrument.

The bassoon is generally made of maple, with medium hard types of wood, such as sycamore, maple and sugar maple preferred. Less expensive models are also made of materials such as polypropylene and ebonite, primarily for student and outdoor use. The bassoon is 4. 4 feet long. The bore of the bassoon is conical, and the two parallel bores of the boot joint are connected at the bottom of the instrument with a U- shaped metal connector. Both bore and tone holes are precision machined, and each instrument is finished by hand for proper tuning.

The bocal connects the reed to the rest of the instrument and is inserted into a socket at the top of the wing joint. The range of the bassoon begins at bflat 1 and extends upward over 3 octaves. Bassoon history Earlier bassoons were called “Dulcian”. They two instruments are quite similar; they both have a double reed fitted into a metal crook, obliquely drilled tone holes, and a conical bore that doubles back on itself. The origins of the dulcian are not clear, but by the mid 16th century it was available in 8 different sizes from soprano to great bass.

Its primary function seems to have been to provide the bass in a typical wind band of the time. Early “dulcian” technique was rather primitive, with 8 finger holes and generally one key, indicating that it could only play in a few keys. The Baroque period was when the bassoon became very similar to what it is today. The man most likely responsible for developing the true Bassoon was Martin Hottorre. He was responsible for breaking the instrument down the one-piece dulcian into 4 sections (bell, bass joint, boot and wing joint).

The modern Bassoon exists in two distinct primary forms the Buffett system and the Heckle system. Most of the world plays the Heckle system, while the Buffett system is primarily in France, Belgium, and parts of Latin America. Bassoon techniques The Bassoon is held diagonally in front of the player, but unlike the flute, oboe, and clarinet, it cannot be supported by the players hands alone. Some means of additional support is required; the most common ones used are a neck strap or shoulder harness attached to the top of the boot joint, a seat trap attached to the base of the boot joint which is laid across the chair seat prior to sitting down. To stabilize the right hand, many Bassoonists use an adjustable common shaped apparatus called a “crutch”, which mounts to the boot joint. An aspect of Bassoon playing technique called flicking involves the momentary pressing or “flicking” of the high A, C, and D keys by the left hand thumb at the beginning of certain note in the middle octave in order to eliminate the cracking or brief microphonic that happens without the use of the key.

Bassoon Reeds

Bassoon reeds, made of Arundo donax cane, are often made by the players themselves, although beginner bassoonists tend to buy their reeds from professional reed makers or use reeds made by their teachers. Reeds begin with a length of tube cane that is split into three or four pieces. The cane is then trimmed and gouged to the desired thickness, leaving the bark attached. After soaking, the gouged cane is cut to the proper shape and milled to the desired thickness, or profile, by removing material from the bark side.

This can be done by hand with a file; more frequently it is done with a machine or tool designed for the purpose. After the profiled cane has soaked once again it is folded over in the middle. Prior to soaking, the reed maker will have lightly scored the bark with parallel lines with a knife; this ensures that the cane will assume a cylindrical shape during the forming stage. On the bark portion, the reed maker binds on three coils or loops of brass wire to aid in the final forming process. The exact placement of these loops can vary somewhat depending on the reed maker.

The bound reed blank is then wrapped with thick cotton or linen thread to protect it, and a conical steel mandrel (which sometimes has been heated in a flame) is quickly inserted in between the blades. Using a special pair of pliers, the reed maker presses down the cane, making it conform to the shape of the mandrel. (The steam generated by the heated mandrel causes the cane to permanently assume the shape of the mandrel. ) The upper portion of the cavity thus created is called the “throat”, and its shape has an influence on the final playing characteristics of the reed.

The lower, mostly cylindrical portion will be reamed out with a special tool, allowing the reed to fit on the bocal. After the reed has dried, the wires are tightened around the reed, which has shrunk after drying. The lower part is sealed (a nitrocellulose-based cement such as Duco may be used) and then wrapped with thread to ensure both that no air leaks out through the bottom of the reed and that the reed maintains its shape. The wrapping itself is often sealed with Duco or clear nail varnish (polish).

The bulge in the wrapping is sometimes referred to as the “Turk’s head”—it serves as a convenient handle when inserting the reed on the bocal. To finish the reed, the end of the reed blank, originally at the center of the unfolded piece of cane, is cut off, creating an opening. The blades above the first wire are now roughly 27–30 mm (1. 1–1. 2 in) long. In order for the reed to play, a slight bevel must be created at the tip with a knife, although there is also a machine that can perform this function. Other adjustments with the knife may be necessary, depending on the hardness and profile of the cane and the requirements of the player.

The reed opening may also need to be adjusted by squeezing either the first or second wire with the pliers. Additional material may be removed from the sides (the “channels”) or tip to balance the reed. Additionally, if the “e” in the staff is sagging in pitch, it may be necessary to “clip” the reed by removing 1–2 mm (0. 039–0. 079 in) from its length. Playing styles of individual bassoonists vary greatly; because of this, most advanced players will make their own reeds, in the process customizing them to their individual playing requirements.

Imagine you are listening to Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros close their concert with 0m Nashi Me, and the whole band stops right in the middle of the song. Or you are watching The Avett Brothers open up their concert with Paranoia In B Flat Major, and by the end of the song, they are playing nearly twice the volume they started out at, and the crowd grew right alongside them. Music has the ability to produce feelings and energy that few things are capable of reproducing.

There are any different elements that bring life to these feelings, but dynamics are something that possess the power to change the mood of a song, and the person listening to It. Simply put, dynamics are “variation and gradation in the volume of musical sound. ” (Merriam-Webster) They are what make it possible for a song to be barely audible at the beginning, and crescendo into a powerful and moving composition. They can also change suddenly and drastically, for example a, sforzando.

Sudden changes In dynamics can be notated by adding the word subito (Italian for suddenly) s a prefix or suffix to the new dynamic notation. Accented notes , which are notes to emphasize or play louder compared to surrounding notes, can be called sforzando, sforzato, forzando or forzato (abbreviated sfz or fz). There are two Italian words that are used to show gradual changes in volume, which are the opposite of accented notes. Crescendo, abbreviated cresc. , translates as “gradually becoming louder”, and diminuendo, abbreviated dim.. means “gradually becoming softer”.

The alternate decrescendo, abbreviated to decresc. also means “gradually becoming softer”. In addition to all of the volume Indications have mentioned, the execution of a given piece, for example the stylistic choices of staccato or legato are part of dynamics also. (Dynamics, music) When written in musical notation, for example in a band or orchestra piece, they are what allow for the whole band to be given very specific instructions on what the composer intended for an individual part to sound like” making dynamics Just another word in the beautiful language that music is.

Although dynamics seem to be what makes music possible, music actually existed before the Introduction of different dynamic levels. The harpsichord”which Is “a keyboard instrument, precursor of the piano, in which the strings are plucked by leather or quill points connected with the keys”, (Merriam-Webster) could play only “terraced” dynamics, which are either loud or soft, but not In between. (Dynamics, music)To get around this dilemma, composters would use the trick of layering chords together to create a contrast In sounds, without a single note having to be louder or ofter.

The Renaissance composer Giovanni Gabrieli was one of the first composers to Indicate dynamics In music notation, and since him, It Is hard to find a song that doesnt have variations in volume written in. (Dynamics, music) But, music is often left open to some interpretation by the performers or director, and dynamics are no exception to this rule. Dynamic indications are relative, not absolute. Mp does not indicate an exact level of volume; it just indicates that the part marked as such t Of3 snou10 De a llttle louder tnan p ana a llttle quleter tnan mT.

Ine ty to aec10e wnat would be appropriate or best contribute to the sound as a whole group is part of what makes music great. Counting Crows has a very wise song called Big Yellow Taxi that describes perfectly the idea of appreciating things more after the absence of them. The song says, “Don’t it always seem to go, that you don’t know what you’ve got til its gone. ” (Big Yellow Taxi) I think this song applies to music Just as it applies to the seasons during the year.

When you’re listening to a song that is very quiet, and radually or suddenly grows loud, that makes a much larger impact on the emotion of the song than if it had Just started at the louder volume. Or, if you are listening to a song that has unexpected loud notes, that instantly makes it more interesting to listen to. This applies to the seasons, especially in Minnesota, that you think you appreciate summer weather, but after a long winter, you realize how much you had missed it and welcome it much more. Contrast and diversity are what make things beautiful in all things.

Whether its music, weather, people, religion, or any other xample. There is much to be learned from diversity of appearance, beliefs, experience, sound, or qualities. Early on, composers realized the power of dynamics and many uses of them in compositions have become iconic in a sense. An example is when John Cage took a chance and composed a song in 1952 that instructed the musician to go to their instrument and be silent for 4 minutes and 33 seconds. (4′ 33′)The idea was that in the absence of what the audience was expecting, they would hear all the environmental noise around them, and appreciate everyday sounds as music.

Another example of an iconic use of dynamics is in Beethoven’s 5th symphony, which was written between 1804 and 1808. (Symphony No. 5 (Beethoven)). The song starts out really intense with the 4 note fgure that everybody seems to know– regardless of their music taste. It remains intense for about a minute only to back off, then build, alternating between loud and soft and finally end with an impressive crescendo. This constant variation makes it very interesting and emotional. Another iconic example is when Count Basie and his Orchestra performed All of Me in 1965.

It starts with a mooth piano and percussion line, then about a minute into the piece, almost startlingly sudden, the horns Join and instantly add life and excitement to the song. (Basie, Count) These musical geniuses, though they composed during very different stages of the development of music, all appreciated the effect dynamics could have on music. Music as definitely evolved over the years, as has the use of dynamics. There is a wide variety of musicians and bands that make dynamics a key element to their music.

Vocal Technique is the method of using one’s voice in a specific manner in singing. IT can be rehearsed and adjusted in such a way that will attribute to better singing. By turning to vocal techniques, the voice can have a better sound and quality. These techniques require the singer to control the voice. The posture of the person while he is singing has an effect on the sound coming out. There are a lot of techniques in singing. These were developed over the years to help singers achieve the full potential of their voices.

As time progressed, musical tastes have also changed so singers continue to learn the various techniques involved in different genres of music. As a number of genres emerge, so do the physical anatomy of the voice that is needed in order to strike the chord to suit the feeling of the genre of the song. There are ways to learn how to control the voice in order for the singer to produce the particular sound he is aiming for. Most vocal stysles are divided into classical and non-classical techniques. There are genres such as rock, pop, rnb and more. This paper will talk of the basic vocal techniques that apply in any category and genre.

First and foremost, the singer must gain control of his voice. He must concentrate on the three distinct areas that are important in producing the voice. It depends on the style that the singer is attempting to achieve. These different areas respond on various ways but the principles are all the same. One, all singing starts with breathing. The vocal sounds are results of the vibrations in the individual’s larynx. This is created by the air that is formed in the lungs. Breathing is an activity in everyday life so this can be done subconsciously and naturally.

For the singer, he must be able to control and regulate the intake as well as the exhalation of his breath in order for him to get the best results of his voice. Singers know the term “Sub-Glottic Pressure” and take this seriously. This is the regulation of the flow of the breathing in and out of the lungs. This allows the air to flow right throught he individual’s vocal tract. This is very simple in terms of theory but when put into effect, it is not as simple as it sounds. The singer realizes that the process is complicated and he must therefore consciously control his breathing.

This means that the diaphragm, the muscles, the stomach, the waist and the back must be in proper positioning. Just like anything in life, practice makes perfect. The actual sound that is heard when a person sings is produced by the vocal tract or the throat. This is in conjunction of the cricoid and the thyroid cartilages. The proper anatomical term that singers are also aware of is the vocal folds. They do their best not to strain these cords or strings because once these have been stretched, their singing voice will be affected and the sound it produces will no longer have the same quality.

The singer regulates the pitch and the frequency of the voice by controlling the vocal folds. This is done by breathing and building up the vocal folds that creates the pressure amidst the sub-glottic pressure. The air coming from these folds create the sound. The wider the vocal folds, the more air coming through. The folds then fibrate slowly and creates a low and deep sound. In order to enhance their craft, singers continue to find our more vocal techniques that will allow them to expand their voice. As long as they want to increase the range of their vocal chords, they can soar the high notes.

By practicing, they will be able to hit the “full” voice that they want to achieve with such power. It may seem impossible at first but as long as they know how to do so, then they will not have a hard time pulling this off. Some singers make the mistake of wishing to hit the soaring and the high notes in order to lift the audience up to their feet. Truth is, the proper singing is not really breaking into falsetto or yelling. It is keeping the notes into order and the tone in its place. By practicing the proper vocal techniques, singers will be able to hit the high notes.

They can do this the minute they know that they are ready. The proper vocal techniques allow them to prepare for that moment when they have to register their voice in upper scales. There are vocal techniques to expand the individual’s voice. As long as he discovers the connection between the lower vocals and the higher vocals, the singer can practice the vocal techniques needed. In order to explain it properly in this paper, let us call these vocal registers as “mixed voice” and “head voice. ” The mixed voice is similar to the chest voice because of its low tone. The difference is that it is more subtle.

If the singer developed a strong mixed voice then he could hit the high notes with complete vindication. It would also appear to be powerful and in tune. Whereas the head voice is the classical tune. Those who perform in opera and symphonies often use their “head voice. ” Notice that the pitch and tune they sing in is very different from what you hear on MTV and the concerts of your favorite singers. This is because the head voice appears to have a classical tune when it is registered. The most common vocal teachnique is the expansion of the diaphragm. The singer is taught to sing an octave higher than his usual pitch.

This exercise forms the bridge between the lower ranges and the higher ranges. Once the singer practice these exercises, he will be able to effortlessly escalate the pitch from low to high. Once the singer is used to doing this vocal technique, he will not notice that he floats through the various registers because he does this naturally. A really good singer can bridge the gap between the lower register and the higher register and appear to be as stong as ever. When the singer does this with his vocal registers, he realizes that he is doing the proper vocal technique of pacing his diaphragm as well as his posture.

It also helps that he does not focus on just hitting the high notes. He must be aware of the vocal registry in order to get to that high pitch. He can do this by practicing his vocal folds over and over again. He can do this for ten minutes every day. (Russell) As soon as the singer figures out the basic vocal techniques, he can understand better the different vocal techniques in the various genres. You see, these various genres are like instruments and the singer is the player of the instrument. In order for the singer to play the instrument better, he must be an expert to begin with.

Like in the various musical styles such as pop, country, rock, soul or classical, the singer must consistently serve a function in order to sing properly and hit the notes of the song better. There are more to singing than practicing the vocal chords. Like what have been mentioned in the earlier paragraphs, the singer must also be aware of his posture and breathing. The most important vocal technique a singer must learn is breathing. The vocal chords need the proper airflow in order to make sound. By vibrating, the voice of the singer can participate in any style or genre of music.

Note that the really good singers are those who know how to breathe. (Manning, 110) Take this for example. Whenever some acclaimed singers like Beyonce, Christina Aguilera and Nicole Scherzinger sing in front of a live audience, there are times they lose their breath. That is because they are too energetic that they ignore their breathing vocal technique. This results to their need to catch their breath. Their voices shake and it falters. When they are going to reach for the high notes, their voices shrill. Now compare these with Broadway actors such as Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, popularly known as the leads in “Wicked.”

Different Vocal TechniquesLike Beyonce, Christina Aguilera and Nicole Scherzinger, these two stage actresses also sing in front of the live audience but they rarely lose their breathe and miss a note. This is because theater actors are trained to breathe properly. The next vocal technique that must be really given attention to is the torso. This is the very focal point where the breathing procedure takes place. The torso has three chambers. The first chamber is the bottom. This is the area between the lowest rib and the pelvic bone. The second chamber is the middle area. The third chamber is the top, the one in the chest region. A good singer uses chambers 1 and 2.

The air he reserves is located in chamber 3. This applies to any genre in singing. A secret technique some singers use is they leave the gateway open so that more air can enter the passage. By standing up straight, they are able to elongate the vibrations of the vocal chords that allow their voice to be executed better and with a finer sound and quality. Try this. Try singing with your shoulders slumped back and standing like a hunchback. Your voice will not be as powerful compared to the minute you straighten your back and belt out. Finally, another important vocal technique in singing is taking care of the resonance chambers.

This is a very important component because this is where the sound of the voice is enhanced. It depends on the style of the music the singer wants to sing. If he wants to sing with the lowest note, then he can gather the air from chamber 1. These are mostly the rnb and jazz tunes. If he wants to sing pop and rock that shrieks at some parts, then it is best that he turns to chamber 2. Whichever chamber the singer chooses to use, he should feel his diaphragm. He will notice that his breathing repsonds to the pacing of his notes and the way he is singing. These factors are all interconnected.

Some singers make the mistake of forcing the pitch to come out of their head. This is because the head is also a form of resonance chamber because of the nasal passages that are apparent. The sinus cavity, the hard palate and the soft palate contrinbue in the “head voice” that have been discussed before. But there are some music genres that are not appropriate for the head voice. This is when the overtone ring aims through the sound of the low and soft palate. (Mabry, 311) Classical singers resort to the resonance of their soft palate whenever they sing their songs.

Examples are Sarah Brightman, who is popularly known for her role as Christine Dae in “The Phantom of the Opera. ” If you want a better and more accessible example, buy Emmy Rossum’s new album “Inside and Out. ” Rossum is Christine in the 2004 movie “The Phantom of the Opera. ” She took a hiatus from making movies to concentrate on making an album. Her debut album “Inside and Out” features Classical-Pop-Techno songs. Rossum is an example of a singer who uses he soft palate. Now popular singers such as Britney Spears, Fall Out Boy, Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson, Rihanna and Sean Kingston also use their resonance chambers.

Country singers such as Dolly Parton, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw and Rascal Flatts use both their hard and soft palates. Yodelers such as Shakira can do this by keeping their soft palate at a low key then they aim for the tune by using their head voice. In a nutshell, the important thing to remember from all these pointers on vocal technique is that the larynx affects the tone quality. By lowering the larynx, the pitch of the voice also goes down. When it is at its lowest, the register of the key is low as well. Therefore, whenever the larynx reaches its highest peak, the singer is prepared to reach the high notes as well.

Compare and Contrast Music in the Late 90s and 2000s As all of us know, music is the universal language. It is the art of expressing and interpreting an opinion or expression through the creation of sound; and it certainly has histories of many centuries and periods since the existence of human. The question is- would you consider music as a necessity in your daily life? Well, I would easily agree to it; with more quotes popping up recently that are related to music, such as, ‘No Music, No Life’, and ‘Music is the Essence of Life’.

These quotes never fail to prove how strongly music influences in all our daily lives. However, music is created very uniquely and differently in every century and here we are now, to compare and contrast between music in the late 90s and in the late 2000s, in terms of the style, the presentation, and the genres. From J. S. Bach, to W. A. Mozart, to Ludwig Van Beethoven, to Claude Debussy, to Scott Joplin, to Miles Davis, to The Beatles, and then to the current Justin Bieber; these people are to be said as the ‘icon’ of their century.

Each of them showed progression of music along the century; portraying individualistic in music of the century. As for music in the late 90s and 2000s, contrasts in their musical style and elements have been clearly shown through their music. Judging by the music in the late 90s music, musical instruments used seemed to be more original in the sense of its sound and timbre produced compared to the more technology infused music in the 2000s.

This creates a huge contrast in both musical style as the sources of the sound produced is very much differ from each other. Besides that, the song lyric in the late 90s music can be judged as more meaningful compared to the 2000s- more insightful lyrics were incorporated in the 90s with more decent vocabulary compared to the more trendy lyrics style in 2000s with more foulness and wildness usage of vocabulary in expressing a music.

This clearly shows the influences of generation in the past and in the present that indirectly influence their musical style in music of the century. Next, how do we audience perceive a kind of music? This is a general question with a general answer; which is presentation of the music itself. A presentation of the music is affected mainly by its outlook- recording. In the 90s, the quality of the music recording seemed to be not as excellent as the ones in 2000s; due to the progression of technology at that period.

However, music in the late 90s provides and instills good vibes and awareness of quality music into the society with its positively contented music compared to music in the 2000s which concentrated more on catchy and trendy music videos for publication to attract more audiences while neglecting the education of music towards the society’s mind- videos are recorded with more sexual and violent actions incorporated are indeed deluding and corrupting the generation of the century.

This shows how a presentation of a music recording affects the perception of the audiences towards the music in the late 90s and the 2000s. Last but not least, technology does play a critical role in music. Evidence could be seen with the increment of music genre that is well equipped with technology influences, especially through the music progress from the 90s to the 2000s.

In the 90s, the music produced are played with more authentic musical instruments, such as piano/keyboard, drums, guitars, and etc; while in the 2000s, the music are more technology based with frequent usage of synthesizer which is capable of switching to many types of instruments’ sounds and even have a function to play the drum beats in the background while you play the synthesizer, thus replacing the role of few musical instruments.

The dominance of contrast between music in the 90s and the 2000s is clearly seen with the genre of music the century focused on, which is pop/rap/rock music in the 90s and trance/techno/rock metal music in 2000s which obviously prove the influences of technology in music of 2000s. Music is deeply engaged in our daily lives without any doubts, whether we are in the 90s or the 2000s.

There is no ‘better’ music through comparison of music from different era. It is purely based on one’s preferences and understanding towards it. Music from the late 90s and the 2000s has strongly showed the musical style of their own with the contrasts found in their music, as stated above. Let us just embrace and appreciate music as it is instead of holding grudges towards them! Reference http://www. thepeoplehistory. com/90smusic. html

ANALYSIS OF THE MUSIC OF FANTASTIC MR. FOX INTRODUCTION Mr. and Mrs. Fox (George Clooney and Meryl Streep) have an idyllic home life with their son Ash (Jason Schwartzman) and his young nephew Kristofferson who is visiting. But after twelve years of quiet domesticity, the bucolic existence proves too much for the animal instincts of Mr. Fox. Very soon returns to his old life as a chicken thief from evil farmers (Boggs, Bunce and Bean), endangering not only his family but the entire animal community, which eventually unite to fight against farmers determined to capture the audacious Mr.

Fox. In the end, he uses his animal instincts to save his family and friends. The story is based on the famous novel by Roald Dahl, author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The film is directed by Wes Anderson director known for directing films such as The Royal Tenembauns, The Life Aquatic, The Darjeeling Limited. He has been nominated for best animated film and best soundtrack at the Oscars, Golden Globes and BAFTA awards.

The original music is by French composer Alexandre Desplat who has composed music for films, including: New Moon, Coco Before Chanel, The Golden Compass, The Queen, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I, among many others. ANALYSIS OF MUSIC Start The first thing you hear is a small piece of music that puts us in the context of what the film will be shown as the introductory part of the movie where this also occurs it is the book in which the story is based .

We will be located in the field by the instruments we hear mainly a banjo. The opening music is clearly an excerpt from the song you hear once the portable radio, and is notoriously recomposed by Alexander Desplat also proven to be the type of music and instruments that will be listening throughout the film, and to watch the scene Main beautiful scenery of a small mountain with a tree in red colors, brown, no doubt that the field will be the main stage.

The song is entitled The Ballad of Davy Crockett one old ballad that harkens back to a time where the heroes sung. The lyrics of the song refers to a folk hero of nineteenth century America named Davy Crockett and by the popular name “King of the Wild Frontier” (“King of the Wild Frontier”). The song is very long but in the film is cut the verses that really matter and we emphasize the personality of Mr. Fox and film what happens, a hero who fought in the war and restored peace.

The first theft The next song with lyrics we hear is when Mr. Fox and Mrs. Fox venture to catch some pigeons. The song titled “heroes and villains” sung by The Beach Boys also serve to narrate the action adventure is happening, also told through the lyrics a little junior partner relationship with these two foxes: “Fell in love years ago With an innocent girl From the Spanish and Indian home Home of the heroes and villains ” Here the music seems to end like the feat.

Only when his wife breaks the news that she is pregnant is when very far away, as in the mind of the fox (who is somewhat shocked principal plane) continued listening to the song. There is a cut, spend years and start another scene, which is linked to the previous thanks to this same song, which continues, now with a slower quieter tone almost like a lullaby, which similarly through letter tells us what happened in that long period of time, with only one stanza of four lines. My children were raised You know They suddenly rise They started slow long ago Ended up healthy wealthy and wise ” The next thing we see is Mr. Fox, his wife and the child she had, and a teenage children, all living in a hole. Many of the other songs that are not original compositions for the film we hear are very substantive and serve to acclimate the scene, but always keeping in context with history and the space-time is handled throughout the film. In some of them the composer’s

French influence becomes evident in songs such as “Street Fighting Man” by the Rolling Stones, “Une Petite Ile” and “La nuit americaine” by French composer George Delerue. Boggis, Bunce and Bean Mr. Fox looks out the window of the tree you intend to purchase and three farms currency, listen to a short snippet of melody that later accompany the owners of those farms, moving the camera for each of the farms the tune changes quickly main instrument, depending on the farm. Later when the Badger describes to Mr.

Fox physical personality and the three farmers it is here when we have the complete melody with a steady rhythm marked by ukulele, blue and some other instruments but the melody voice changes, always a different wind instrument according to the characteristics of character, for example: a tuba for Boggis that is chubby and eats twelve chickens a day, some variation of flute that sounds almost ridiculous and is for Bunce which is ridiculously tiny, and for Bean who is the leader and the most danger is, a trumpet (or saxophone).

So the timbre changes to accentuate the personality of these characters. From here every three characters appear hear this melody with variations in timbre, rhythm and harmonies depending on the case, for example if it is a hunt, hear drums and trumpets we heard when we see a battle, such as those where the Fox lays out a plan later. Moving Mr. Fox ignored warnings about the warnings of the three evil farmers because he has an idea in mind, and moves to the tree near the farms.

When performed by moving the squirrel, the music you hear is music that clearly has the function of narrative accompanying a simple Music, with guitar, flute, celeste, violin and strings that give a pinched cheerfully comic to action to bring the furniture and build the house almost like a dollhouse that is arming, or something. Master Plan Phase 1 Mr. Fox decides to implement a master plan to steal chickens on the farm with is buddy Boggis Possum, while Fox explains the plan to this hear in the background a battle music, with a bell percussion compound and a guitar (ukulele, banjo or mandolin) that gives a touch of country necessary. The Music changed to a more forward when the plan is carried out, to narrate the action. The interesting thing about this part is that the music is interrupted constantly to accentuate some funny dialogue or action that works perfectly without disturbing the viewer.

There is a change in tone rhythm and melody in the middle and at the end when the situation has eased a bit, the music is much more country like adding trumpet and possibly accelerated noting that the plan has to hurry. This melody of battle was heard later in different robberies that take place. Master Plan Phase 2 Is the farm theft Bunce, who absentmindedly see a magazine, while listening to music on his headphones and eat a donut. Behind him we see all the action happens on TVs connected to security cameras.

It may well be nothing of music, but the fact that the Music, classical instrumental melody, is heard through headphones Farmer theft makes everything simpler and easier, like comic. The game of Whack-bat The music you hear in the game background and clearly this is used to narrate the action is happening. The melody is the same we hear the squirrel in the move, only this one has a different timbre and harmonies we hear brass instruments and the snare, the bands typical sports games. Master Plan Phase 3

Theft Bean’s farm is a little more tricky because Rat watching this place. The music we hear in this part is the melody of the Rat that accentuates your personality and with guitars, drums, Jew’s harp, tambourines, whistles, wooden flutes, etc.. to create a western atmosphere as for the duel between Mr. Fox and the Rat. This melody apparatus appears near the end when the rat turns to face Mr. Fox but in dying tone changes to a more melancholy with the ever-present blue and some string instruments. Song to Boggis, Bunce and Bean

It is that same melody as the song becomes a Boggis, Bunce and Bean sung by human children of the place with a creepy but funny rhyme to describe the malevolent farmers and is used in the final showdown between animals and farmers, their harmonies higher tones reveal what you know is obvious: in the end the animals get away with it. The end Near the end, when animals were victorious, and the battle ended (for now) listen to The Beach Boys again, we hear not only the beginning but in the middle with the song “I get arround” when given encouragement to his animal friends giving their positions and Latin names, and now with “Ol ‘man river”.

Then when Mr. Fox gives the final toast Kristofersen hear the theme actually for my Ash theme because we hear when leaving Ash, and we listened to the beginning when Mr. Fox is proud of and will be fox and what he has done, so we know that Ash will be (and was) like his father. And finally the movie ends with the monkeys dancing in the supermarket and the song “Let her dance” Bobby Fuller Four with a style similar to The Beach Boys as this type of music seems to be representing the personality and style of Mr. Fox.

GLOSSARY Academic style – also scientific style, a style of speech used in lectures, scientific discussions, conferences, etc Accent – 1) type of pronunciation, that is the way sounds, stress, rhythm and intonation are used in the given language community. 2) see stress. Accommodation – modifications of consonants under the influence of the neighbouring vowels and vice versa. Acoustic Phonetics – science which deals with the physical property of sounds.

Affricates – noise consonants produced with a complete obstruction which is slowly released and the air stream escapes from the mouth with some friction. Allophones – variants of a phoneme, usually occur in different positions in the word, cannot contrast with each other and are not used to differentiate the meaning. Alveolar – sounds produced with the tip of the tongue against the upper teeth (alveolar) ridge. American English – the national variant of the English language spoken in the USA.

Amplitude – the distance to which the air particles are displaced from their position of rest by the application of some external force. Apical – sounds articulated with the tip of the tongue. Applied Phonetics – a branch of phonetics used for practical purposes in speech therapy and logopedia. Articulatory Phonetics – also Physiological Phonetics, a branch of phonetics which is concerned with the study of speech sounds as regards their production by the human speech organs. Ascending head – a type of head in which syllables form an ascending sequence.

Assimilation – The modification of a consonant by a neighbouring consonant in the speech chain. Auditory Phonetics – a branch of phonetics which is concerned with the way our auditory mechanism works to process speech information, also Perceptual Phonetics. Back vowels – vowels formed with the tongue in the back part of the mouth. Back-advanced vowels – vowels formed with the tongue in the back-advanced position in the mouth. Back-lingual – see velar. BBC English – the accent used on BBC radio and TV channels, is considered a standard English spoken in Great Britain, also Received Pronunciation.

Bilabial – sounds produced when both lips are active. Bilingualism – the command of 2 different languages by a person. British English – the national variant of the English language spoken in Great Britain. Broad transcription – also phonemic transcription, provides special symbols for all the phonemes of a language. Broad variations – a subclass of the vertical positions of the tongue which in this case is placed slightly lower in the mouth cavity. Cacuminal – sounds articulated with the tip of the tongue curled back.

Central vowels – sounds articulated when the front part of the tongue is raised towards the back part of the hard palate. Checked vowels – short stressed vowels followed by strong voiceless consonants. Checkness – a vowel property which depends on the character of articulatory transition from a vowel to a consonant Close vowels – sounds articulated when the tongue is raised high towards the hard palate. Closed syllable – a syllable which ends in a consonant. Coda – one or more phonemes that follow the syllabic phoneme.

Communicative centre – a word or a group of words which conveys the most important point of communication in the sentence or the utterance. Commutation test – the procedure of substituting a sound for another sound in the same phonetic environment with the aim of establishing the phonemic system of a language Comparative Phonetics – a branch of phonetics which studies the correlation between the phonetic systems of two or more languages Consonant – a sound made with air stream that meets an obstruction in the mouth or nasal cavities.

Conversational style – also conversational style, a style of speech used in everyday communication. Declamatory style – a style of speech used in stage speech, recitations, etc. Delimitation – segmentation of speech into phrases and intonation groups. Dental – sounds produced with the blade of the tongue against the upper teeth Descending head – a type of head in which syllables form an descending sequence Descriptive Phonetics – a branch of phonetics that studies the phonetic structure of one language only in its static form, synchronically.

Devoicing – a process that results in a voiced consonant being pronounced as voiceless. Dialect – a variety of language which differs from others in vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation. Diglossia – a phenomenon when an individual may speak RP in one situation a native local accent in other situations. Dynamic stress – force accent based mainly on the expiratory effect. Diphthong – a vowel which consists of two elements, strong (a nucleus) and weak – (a glide).

Diphthongoid – a vowel articulated when the change in the tongue position is fairly weak, in this case the articulated vowel is not pure, but it still consists of one element. Direct methods – methods of phonetic investigation which consist in observing the movements and positions of one’s own or other people’s organs of speech in pronouncing various speech sounds, as well as in analysing one’s own kinaesthetic sensations during the articulation of speech sounds and in comparing them with the resultant auditory impressions. Discourse – a larger context in which sentences occur.

Dorsal – sounds produced when the blade of the tongue is active. Duration – the quantity of time during which the same vibratory motion, the same patterns of vibration are maintained. Elision – complete loss of sounds, both vowels and consonants, often observed in spoken English. Enclitic – unstressed words or syllables which refer to the preceding stressed word or syllable. Estuary English – a variety of modified regional speech, a mixture of non-regional and local south-eastern English pronunciation and intonation. Estuary English speakers place themselves “between Cockney and the Queen”.

Experimental Phonetics – a branch of phonetics which deals with research work carried out with the help of different technical devices for measurements and for instrumental analysis Extra-linguistic factors – non-linguistic factors, such as the purpose of utterance, participants and setting or scene of speaking, which result in phonostylistic varieties. Familiar style – see conversational style. Forelingual – sounds articulated with the front part of the tongue Fortis consonants – voiceless consonants pronounced with strong muscular tension and strong expiratory effect.

Free variants – variants of a single phoneme which occur in a language but the speakers are inconsistent in the way they use them, as for example in the case of the Russian words “??????/ ??????”. Free vowel – a weak vowel followed by a weak (lenis) voiced consonant or by no consonant at all. Frequency – a number of vibrations per second. Fricative – constrictive noise consonants articulated when the air escapes with friction through the narrowing formed by speech organs. Front vowels – vowels in the production of which the body of the tongue is in the front part of the mouth cavity and the front of the tongue is raised.

Front-retracted vowels – vowels produced with the body of the tongue in the front but retracted position in the mouth cavity. Functional Phonetics – see phonology. General American – the national standard of the English language spoken in the USA. General Phonetics – a branch of phonetics that studies all the sound-producing possibilities of the human speech apparatus and the ways they are used for purposes of human communication by means of language. Glide – the second weak element of English diphthongs. Glottal – sounds articulated in the glottis.

Glottal stop – a sound heard when the glottis opens suddenly and produces an explosion resembling a short cough. Glottis – the opening between the vocal cords, through which the air passes. Hard palate – the roof of the mouth. Head – part of the intonation group, contains stressed syllables preceding the nucleus with the intervening unstressed syllables. Hesitation pause – silent or filled pause mainly used in spontaneous speech to gain time to think over what to say next. Historical Phonetics – a branch of phonetics that studies the phonetic structure of a language in its historical development, diachronically.

Idiolect – individual speech of members of the same language community Informational style – a style of speech used by radio and television announcers conveying information or in various official situations. Instrumental methods – methods of phonetic investigation based upon registering or computing machines and technical devices Intensity – a property of a sound produced by the amplitude of vibrations. Interdental – sounds articulated with the tip of the tongue projected between the teeth. International Phonetic Alphabet – a set of symbols adopted by the

International Phonetic Association as a universal system for the transcription of speech sounds. Intonation – pitch (or melody) variations used to convey meaning. See also prosody Intonation group – an actualized syntagm. Intonation pattern – pitch movements together with loudness and the tempo of speech extending over an intonation group. Intonation style – a complex of interrelated intonational means which is used in a social situation and serves a definite aim of communication. Intonogramme – the picture of the sound wave of a syllable, word or an utterance received with the help of intonograph.

Intonograph – a technical device which gives pictures of sound waves of syllables, words and utterances. Kinetic – relating to motion. Labial – sounds articulated by the lips. Labiodental – sounds articulated with the lower lip against the edge of the upper teeth Laryngoscope – a special device which helps to observe the vocal cords, epiglottis and the glottis. Larynx – part of the vocal tract containing the vocal cords. Lateral – sounds produced when the sides of the tongue are active. Lateral plosion – sudden release of air which escapes along the sides of the tongue.

Lax – historically short vowels in the articulation of which muscular tension of speech organs is weak. Lenis consonants – voiced consonants pronounced with weak muscular tension. Lip rounding – a position of the lips when their corners are brought toward one another so that the mouth opening is reduced. Loudness – the intensity of sound is produced by the amplitude of vibrations. Manner of articulation – one of the principles of consonant classifications which is connected with the type of obstruction to the air stream.

Maximum onsets principle – Medio-lingual – sounds produced with the front part of the tongue raised high to the hard palate Minimal pair – a pair of words or morphemes which are differentiated by one sound only in the same position. Modifications of sounds – positional and combinatory changes of sounds in connected speech. Monophthong – a vowel articulated when the tongue position is stable, in this case the articulated vowel is pure, it consists of one element. Mouth cavity – the cavity between the teeth and the pharynx. Narrow transcription also phonetic transcription, provides special symbols for all the allophones of the same phoneme Narrow variations – a subclass of the vertical positions of the tongue which in this case is raised slightly higher in the mouth cavity Nasal consonants – sounds articulated when the soft palate is lowered and the air stream goes out through the nose. Nasal Cavity – the cavity inside the nose which is separated from the mouth cavity with the soft palate and the uvula. Nasal plosion – sudden release of air by lowering the soft palate so that the air escapes through the nose.

National variants – the language of a nation, the standard of its form, the language of its nation’s literature. Neutral vowel – a mid central vowel, also schwa. Neutralisation – the loss of qualitative and quantitative characteristics of vowels in unstressed positions. Noise consonants – consonants in the production of which noise prevails over voice, the air stream passes through a narrowing and produces audible friction (compare with sonorants). Normative Phonetics – see Practical Phonetics. Notation – another term for transcription.

Nuclear tone – a significant change of pitch direction on the last strongly accented syllable in an intonation pattern. In general nuclear tones may be falling, rising and level or a combination of these movements. Nucleus – 1) the last strongly accented syllable in an intonation pattern; 2) the most prominent part of a diphthong; 3) the centre of a syllable, usually a vowel. Obstructer mechanism – a group of speech organs which form obstructions during articulation of consonants, it includes tongue, lips, hard and soft palate and teeth.

Occlusive – sounds produced when a complete obstruction to the air stream is formed. Onset – sounds that precede the nucleus of a syllable. Open syllable – a syllable which ends in a vowel. Open vowels – vowels produced when the tongue is in the low part of the mouth cavity. Opposition – see phonetic oppositions. Oral consonants – sounds articulated when the soft palate is raised and the air stream goes out through the mouth. Organs of speech – the human organs which together with biological functions take part in sound production.

Palatal – sounds produced with the front part of the tongue raised high to the hard palate. Palatalisation – softening of consonants due to the raised position of the middle part of the tongue towards the hard palate. Palato-alveolar – sounds made with the tip or the blade of the tongue against the teeth ridge and the front part of the tongue raised towards the hard palate, thus having two places of articulation (two foci). Paralinguistics – a branch of linguistics which is concerned with non-verbal means of communication. Perceptual Phonetics – see Auditory Phonetics.

Pharynx – the part of the throat which connects the larynx to the upper part of the vocal tract. Phonation – voicing, the vibration of the vocal cords. Phone – a sound realised in speech and which bears some individual, stylistic and social characteristics of the speaker. Phoneme – the smallest further indivisible language unit that exists in the speech of all the members of a given language community as such speech sounds which are capable of distinguishing one word of the same language or one grammatical form of a word from another grammatical form of the same word.

Phonemic transcription – see broad transcription. Phonetic mistakes – pronunciation mistakes made when an allophone of some phoneme is replaced by an allophone of a different phoneme. Phonetic oppositions – comparison of sounds, words and morphemes in order to single out their minimal distinctive features. Phonetic transcription – see narrow transcription. Phonetics – a branch of linguistics which is concerned with the human noises by which the thought is actualized. Phonetics analyses the nature of these sounds, their combinations and their functions in relation to the meaning.

Phonological analysis – analysis whose aim is to determine which differences of sounds are phonemic/non-phonemic and to find the inventory of the phonemes of this or that language Phonological mistakes – pronunciation mistakes made when an allophone of the phoneme is replaced by another allophone of the same phoneme; in this case the meaning of the word is affected. Phonology – also Functional Phonetics, a branch of phonetics that is concerned with the social functions of different phonetic phenomena.

Phonosemantics – a branch of psycholinguistics that studies the relations between the sound structure of a word and its meaning. Phonostylistics – a branch of phonetics that studies the way phonetic means of the language function in various oral realizations of the language. Phonotactics – the study of the possible phoneme combinations of a language. Physiological Phonetics – see Articulatory Phonetics. Pitch – the auditory characteristic of a sound, it corresponds to the fundamental frequency (the rate of vibrations of the vocal cords). Pitch level – a particular height of pitch.

Pitch range – the interval between two pitch levels or two differently pitched syllables or parts of a syllable. Place of articulation – the place in the vocal tract where the air stream is obstructed. Plosives – consonants produced when the air stream is completely stopped for a short time, also stops. Post-alveolar – sounds articulated with the tip or the blade of the tongue against the back part of the teeth ridge Power mechanism – a group of speech organs which supplies energy for sound production, it includes lungs, diaphragm, windpipe, bronchi.

Practical Phonetics – a branch of phonetics which teaches how to pronounce sounds correctly and what intonation to use to convey this or that meaning or emotion. It is called Normative Phonetics because teaches the “norm” of English pronunciation. Pragmalinguistics – a branch of linguistics that studies what linguistic means and ways of influence on a hearer to choose in order to bring about certain effects in the process of communication. Pragmaphonetics – a branch of Pragmalinguistics whose domain is to analyse the functioning and speech effects of the sound system of a language.

Pre-head – the unstressed syllables which precede the first stressed syllable of the head. Primary stress – the strongest stress compared with the other stresses in a word. Principal allophone – allophones which do not undergo any significant changes in the chain of speech. Proclitic – unstressed words or syllables which refer to the following stressed word or syllable Prosody – a complex unity formed by significant variations of pitch, tempo, loudness and timbre. Psycholinguistics – a branch of linguistics which covers an extremely broad rea, from acoustic phonetics to language pathology, and includes such problems as acquisition of language by children, memory, attention, speech perception, second-language acquisition and so on. Publicistic style – a style of speech used in public discussions on political, judicial or economic topics, sermons, parliamentary debates Qualitative – connected with the spectral characteristics of a sound. Quantitative – referring to the length of a sound. Received Pronunciation (RP) – the national standard of the English language spoken in Great Britain. Reduced vowel – a weakened vowel.

Reduction – weakening (either qualitative or quantitative) of vowels in unstressed positions. Resonator mechanism – a group of speech organs which can change their shape and volume, thus forming the spectral component of the sound, it includes nasal and mouth cavities. Rhyme Rhythm – recurrence of stressed syllables at more or less equal intervals of time in speech. Rhythmic group – a speech segment which contains a stressed syllable and a number of unstressed ones. The most frequent type of an English rhythmic group includes 2-4 syllables, one of which is stressed.

Rounded – a sound articulated with added lip rounding. Schwa – see neutral vowel. Scientific style – see academic style. Secondary allophones – allophones which undergo some predictable changes in different phonetic context. Secondary stress – a less strong stress than the primary one, usually precedes the primary stress in a word. Segmental Phonetics – a division of phonetics which is concerned with individual sounds (“segments” of speech) Segmentation – division of speech into phrases and intonation groups. Semantic centre – see communicative centre.

Sentence stress – the greater degree of prominence given to certain words in an utterance. Sociolinguistics – a branch of linguistics that studies the way the language interacts with society. Soft palate – the back, soft part of the hard palate. Sonorants – consonants in the production of which noise prevails over voice, the air stream passes through a narrowing and produces audible friction (compare with sonorants). Sonority – a degree of loudness relative to that of other sounds with the same length, stress and pitch.

Special Phonetics – a branch of phonetics which is concerned with the study of the phonetic structure of one language only. Spectrogram – a picture of the spectrum of sounds, their frequency, intensity and time. Spectrograph – a device which carries out the spectral analysis of speech. Stops – see plosives Stress – a greater degree of prominence which is caused by loudness, pitch, the length of a syllable and the vowel quality. Stress-timed languages – in these languages stressed syllables tend to occur at relatively regular intervals irrespectively of the number of unstressed syllables separating them.

Strong vowel – the full form of a vowel in the stressed position. Stylistic modifications – sound changes which happen under the influence of extra-linguistics factors. Subsidiary allophone – see secondary allophone. Suprasegmental Phonetics – a division of phonetics whose domain is larger units of connected speech: syllables, words, phrases and texts Syllable – a sound sequence, consisting of a centre which has little or no obstruction to airflow and which sounds comparatively loud; before and after this centre there will be greater obstruction to airflow and less loud sound.

Syllable-timed languages – in these languages all syllables, whether stressed or unstressed, tend to occur at regular time-intervals and the time between stressed syllables will be shorter or longer depending on the number of unstressed syllables separating them. Syntagm – a group of words which is semantically and syntactically complete. Tail – any syllables between the nucleus and the end of the utterance. Tamber – the same as timbre. Tempo – the rate of the utterance and pausation. Tense – historically long vowels in the articulation of which muscular tension of speech organs is great.

Terminal tone – the nucleus and the tail of the utterance. Tertiary stress – a less strong stress than the primary one, usually follows the primary stress in a word. Theoretical Phonetics – a branch of phonetics which is mainly concerned with the functioning of phonetic units in the language. It discusses the problems of phonetics in academic terms and gives a scientific approach to the phonetic theory. Timbre – voice quality. Tone languages – the meaning of words in these languages depends on the variations of voice pitch in relation to neighbouring syllables.

Tongue – the most movable and flexible speech organ. Transcription – the system of symbols to represent speech in written form. Unstressed – bearing no stress. Utterance – a spoken sentence or a phrase. Uvula – the end of the soft palate. Velar – consonants produced with the back part of the tongue raised towards the soft palate Vibrator mechanism – a group of speech organs which vibrate while the air passes through, thus producing voice, it includes larynx, vocal cords, glottis. Vocal cords – two soft folds in the larynx which can be brought together and apart, thus producing voice.

Voice quality – timbre. Voiced consonants – sounds produced when the vocal cords are brought together and vibrate. Voiceless consonants – sounds produced when the vocal cords are brought together and vibrate. Vowel – a sound in the production of which no obstructions are made. Weak form – the unstressed form of a sound or a word. Windpipe – trachea or air passage. Word stress – a greater degree of prominence on one of the syllables in a word. I. PHONETICS AS A BRANCH OF LINGUISTICS. BRANCHES OF PHONETICS. METHODS OF INVESTIGATION 1. 1 Introduction

Knowledge of the structure of sound system and its articulatory and acoustic characteristics is very important in teaching and learning foreign languages. The teacher has to know the starting point from which to begin teaching; he must be able to point out the differences between the pupil’s mother tongue and the language to be learnt. He should be able to choose adequate training exercises. That’s why it is vital to know, at least, the basic principles of this science. The term “phonetics” comes from the Greek words meaning “sound or matters pertaining to voice”. What does phonetics study?

It is concerned with the human noises by which the thought is actualized (that is the oral aspect of speech communication). However phonetics takes the content level into consideration too. Only meaningful sound sequences are regarded as speech and phonetics is concerned only with such sounds which are carriers of organized information of a language. Phonetics analyses the nature of these sounds, their combinations and their functions in relation to the meaning. No kind of linguistic study can be carried out without constant consideration of the material on the expression level.

Consequently, phonetics is important in the study of a language. An understanding of it is a basis for any adequate understanding of the structure or functioning of a language. It follows from this that phonetics is a basic branch – many would say the most fundamental branch of linguistics, because it gives a language a definite form. The vocabulary and grammar of a language can function only when the language has a phonetic form. So grammar and vocabulary depend on phonetics, they cannot exist outside of phonetics, because all lexical and grammar phenomena are expressed phonetically.

Neither linguistic theory nor linguistic description can do without phonetics and is complete without it. Phonetics, being a branch of linguistics, occupies a peculiar position. On the one hand it serves as a means of expressing grammatical and lexical phenomena. On the other hand it has laws of its own which are independent of grammar and vocabulary. Besides it is closely connected with a number of other sciences, such as physics, biology, physiology, psychology etc. The more phonetics develops the more various branches of science become involved in the field of phonetic investigation.

Phonetics is not a new science. It was known to the ancient Greeks and to the ancient Hindus. The scientists of that time were concerned with speech sounds only. It may be said that the orthography of all written languages which use alphabets developed in the course of a very detailed phonetic analysis. Nevertheless, phonetics as an independent science began to develop only in the 19th century, before that it used to be a part of grammar. There has been considerable progress and growth in the 20th century. New concepts, methods of investigation, new theories and schools have been developed.

Not only has the sphere of investigation in phonetics become wider, but several new branches of phonetics have also arisen. So our further point will be made on the branches and divisions of phonetics. 1. 2 Branches and Divisions of Phonetics Everyone who starts learning a foreign language first of all is introduced into practical or normative phonetics. It studies the material form of phonetic phenomena in relation to meaning. It teaches how to pronounce sounds correctly and what intonation to use to convey this or that meaning or emotion. It is called normative because we are to teach the “norm” of English pronunciation.

Theoretical phonetics is mainly concerned with the functioning of phonetic units in the language. It discusses the problems of phonetics in academic terms and gives a scientific approach to the phonetic theory. Other two important branches of phonetics are special and general phonetics. Special phonetics may be subdivided into descriptive and historical. Special descriptive phonetics is concerned with the study of the phonetic structure of one language only in its static form, synchronically and the domain of special historical phonetics is the phonetic structure of a language in its historical development, diachronically.

Historical phonetics is part of the history of a language. Its aim is to trace and establish the successive changes in the phonetic system of a given language at different stages of its historical development. It is very important for the study of the modern phonetic system because without a historical approach it is impossible to understand how this modern phonetic system has developed and what further changes it is likely to undergo.

General phonetics studies all the sound-producing possibilities of the human speech apparatus and the ways they are used for purposes of human communication by means of language, it finds out what types of speech sounds exist in various languages of the world, how they are produced and what role they play in forming and expressing thoughts; it also determines the nature, types and role of other phonetic means, such as word stress and intonation.

General phonetics is based on the material which the special phonetics of a great number of languages provides; it also uses data of other sciences: physics, biology, psychology, speech pathology, etc. So it makes a number of general conclusions concerning the complex nature of speech sounds, analyses phonetic phenomena from different points of view and formulates phonetic theories. On the one hand general phonetics is based on the data of special phonetics; on the other hand it provides valuable theoretical material which enables us to understand and to interpret correctly different phonetic phenomena of concrete languages.

Another important division is into phonology and phonetics. According to the conception of the Prague Linguistic School phonetics and phonology are two independent branches of science, phonetics is a biological science which is concerned with the physical and physiological characteristics of speech sounds, and phonology is a linguistic science which is concerned with the social functions of different phonetic phenomena. Another term for this branch is functional phonetics. The father of Phonology is Prince Nicholas Trubetskoi.

His work “Fundementals of Phonology” separates phonetics and phonology, saying that they are not related and that phonetics is not part of linguistics, but a biological science that deals only with the physiological aspect of speech sounds. Nevertheless it doesn’t seem logical to separate function from phonetic forms, thus excluding phonetics from the linguistic sciences. So nowadays most phoneticians consider both phonetics and phonology part of linguistics. Phonetics itself is subdivided into 3 sub branches, each dealing with special aspects of sounds, their production by a speaker and perception by a listener.

Phonetic processing starts on a neurophonetic level, in the brain of a speaker, where the formation of the concept takes place. The human brain controls the behaviour of the articulatory (or speech) organs and makes them move in a particular way. The branch of phonetics which is concerned with the study of speech sounds as regards their production by the human speech organs is called articulatory (physiological) phonetics. In other words it deals with the way human organs join to produce sounds.

Articulatory basis of a language is a set of articulation tendencies characteristic for a particular language community, so articulatory gesturing is culturally specific and not universal. Different articulations produce different acoustic effects, or different speech sounds. Consequently, speech sounds have a second aspect, a physical or, more exactly, an acoustic one, which constitutes the domain of acoustic phonetics. Acoustic phonetics involves knowledge of physics as it deals with the physical property of sounds. Any sound is a pressure disturbance transmitted through an elastic medium.

When articulatory gesturing starts it causes disturbance (a sound wave) in the medium, which is transmitted from one particle of the medium to another and is reproduced as a sound wave travels from the source to the listener. Perceptual or auditory phonetics is concerned with the way our auditory mechanism works to process speech information. There is a boundary line between reception (which doesn’t involve understanding) and perception (which involves decoding and understanding). Phonetic perception is a product of sensation and interpretation of speech elements which take place in a human brain.

Phonetics is also divided into two major components: segmental phonetics, which is concerned with individual sounds (“segments” of speech) and suprasegmental phonetics whose domain is larger units of connected speech: syllables, words, phrases and texts. There are a number of other divisions of phonetics. We may speak about comparative phonetics whose aims are to study the correlation between the phonetic systems of two or more languages and find out the correspondences between speech sounds and intonation structures.

Its data are extremely useful in teaching and learning a foreign language as they show differences and similarities of the phonetic systems of two or more languages and predict possible difficulties for the learners. It should be mentioned that the most difficult phonetic phenomena are those absent in the mother tongue. For example, the sounds [? -? ] cause a lot of difficulties for the Russian students of English, as there are no sounds with similar articulations in the Russian language.

On the other hand the most stable and persistent pronunciation mistakes are made in those phenomena which are similar in the two languages but not exactly the same. For example, falling intonation. In English it goes to the very bottom of the voice, while in Russian it is not so steep and it does not reach the same low note as in English. The data of applied phonetics are essential for practical purposes in speech therapy and logopedia. It helps to correct speech defects and to teach deaf-mutes (or people who do not speak as a result of an accident or some disease) to speak.

Experimental phonetics deals with research work which is carried out with the help of different technical devices, machines for measurements and for instrumental analysis. Phonetics as a whole and all of its branches have not come into being all at once: they developed gradually, and their development was closely connected with and determined by the development of other branches of linguistics and other sciences. 1. 3. Phonetics and Social Sciences So our further point should be made in connection with the relationship between phonetics and social sciences. Language is not an isolated phenomenon; it is a part of society.

No branch of linguistics can be studied without taking into consideration at least the study of other aspects of society. In the past two decades we have seen the development of quite distinct interdisciplinary subjects, such as sociolinguistics (and sociophonetics correspondingly), psycholinguistics, mathematical linguistics and others. As their titles suggest, they are studied from two points of view and thus require knowledge of both. Sociophonetics studies the ways in which pronunciation functions in society. It is interested in the ways in which phonetic structures vary in response to different social functions.

Society here is used in its broadest sense, it includes such phenomena as nationality, regional and social groups, age, gender, different situations of speaking – talking to equals, superiors, on the “job”, when we are trying to persuade, inform, agree and so on. The aim of sociophonetics is to correlate phonetic variations with situational factors. It’s obvious that these data are vital for language learners who are to observe social norms and to accommodate to different situations they find themselves in. One more example of interdisciplinary overlap is the relation of linguistics to psychology.

Psycholinguistics covers an extremely broad area, from acoustic phonetics to language pathology, and includes such problems as acquisition of language by children, memory, attention, speech perception, second-language acquisition and so on. Phonosemantics studies the relations between the sound structure of a word and its meaning. There is some data proving that the sounds that constitute a word have their own “inner” meaning, which causes certain associations in the listener’s mind. For example, close vowels produce the effect of “smallness”, and voiceless consonants sound more “unpleasant” and “rude” than their voiced counterparts, etc.

Some sounds are associated with certain colours. These data may be helpful in teaching, for example, “tying” together the sound structure of a word and its meaning, thus facilitating the process of memorising new words. Scientists have always been interested how children acquire their own language without being taught. They hope that these data might be useful in teaching grown-up people a foreign language, too. Pragmalinguistics is a comparatively new science, which studies what linguistic means and ways of influence on a hearer to choose in order to bring about certain effects in the process of communication.

Correspondently the domain of pragmaphonetics is to analyse the functioning and speech effects of the sound system of a language. Phonetics is closely connected with a number of other sciences such as physics (or rather acoustics), mathematics, biology, physiology and others. The more phonetics develops the more various branches of science become involved in the field of phonetic investigation. Phonetics has become important in a number of technological fields connected with communication.

Phoneticians work alongside the communication engineers in devising and perfecting machines that can understand, that is respond to human speech, or machines for reading aloud the printed page and vice versa, converting speech directly into printed words on paper. Although scientists are still dissatisfied with the quality of synthesized speech, these data are applied in security systems, answering machines and for other technical purposes. 1. 4. Methods of Phonetic Investigation Methods applied in investigating the sound matter of the language have changed greatly with the development of technology and computer science.

From the beginning of phonetics the phonetician has relied mainly on what he could feel of his own speech and on what he could hear both of his own and the informant’s speech. Such methods are called direct and consist in observing the movements and positions of one’s own or other people’s organs of speech in pronouncing various speech sounds, as well as in analysing one’s own kinaesthetic sensations (muscle tense) during the articulation of speech sounds and in comparing them with the resultant auditory impressions.

Investigation by means of this method can be effective only if the persons employing it have been specially trained and have acquired considerable skills in associating the qualities of the perceived sound with the nature of the articulations producing it. Instrumental methods were introduced into phonetics in the last century to supplement the impressions deriving from the human senses. These methods are based upon registering or computing machines and technical devices, such as spectrograph, intonograph, x-ray photography and cinematography, laryngoscope and some others.

The introduction of machines for measurements and for instrumental analysis into phonetics has resulted in their use for detailed study of many of the phenomena which are present in the sound wave or in the articulatory process at any given moment. These techniques can be very useful both for discovering in detail how English speakers produce their speech sounds, and for demonstrating to learners of English their pronunciation. Computers can provide additional pronunciation training, displaying useful information on the screen and being a powerful visual aid for effective phonetic practice.

One more advantage of the modern experimental study of speech is the enormous amount of varied spoken speech data stored on computers. It facilitates the process of looking for cross-language differences and similarities. The data obtained from instrumental analysis supplement and verify those obtained by means of direct observation, thus making the research results more detailed and precise. II. THE ARTICULATORY CHARACTERISTIC OF THE ENGLISH SPEECH SOUNDS 2. 1. The Anatomo-mechanical Aspect of Sound Production Speech is impossible without the speech mechanism.

So now our attention will be focused on the articulatory aspect of speech sounds. Speech sounds are acoustic effects of the articulatory movements and positions of the human speech organs. The immediate source of speech sounds is the human speech mechanism developed and perfected in the process of the historical development of man. The organs of speech are the object of linguistic investigation mainly from the point of view of the functions they perform in speech production. So before analysing the linguistic function of phonetic units we need to know how the speech mechanism acts in producing oral speech.

According to their main sound-producing functions the speech organs can be roughly divided into the following four groups: the power mechanism (lungs, diaphragm, windpipe, bronchi), the vibrator mechanism (larynx, vocal cords, glottis), the resonator mechanism (nasal and mouth cavities) and the obstructer mechanism (tongue, lips, hard and soft palate, teeth). From the lungs through the wind-pipe the air-stream passes to the larynx, containing the vocal cords. The opening between the vocal cords, through which the air passes, is called the glottis. The linguistic function of the vocal cords onsists in providing the source of energy necessary for speech production. When the vocal cords are kept wide apart (i. e. the glottis is open) the air passes between the cords and the result is non-phonic breath. Then the vocal cords may be drawn together tightly, so that air cannot pass between them. The sudden opening of the glottis produces an explosion resembling a short cough; this sound is called the glottal stop. It often occurs in English when it reinforces or even replaces the sounds [p], [t], [k] or even when it precedes the energetic articulation of vowel sounds.

The most important role of the vocal cords is their participation in the production of voice. The effect of voice is achieved when the vocal cords are brought loosely together, creating an obstacle to the air stream; when the air pressure becomes very strong the air forces its way between the vocal cords thus making the, vibrate. When, as is usual, these vibrations are regular, they produce vocal tone, or voice, whose pitch depends on the frequency of vibrations. We are able to vary the speed of vibration of our vocal cords and thus to change the pitch.

Conscious variations of pitch are responsible for intonation. We are also able to modify the size of the puff of the air which escapes at each vibration, thus changing the amplitude of the vibration, which corresponds to the loudness of the sound heard by a listener. The air-stream, having passed through the vocal cords, is now subject to further modification, according to the shape of the pharynx, mouth and nasal cavities. The direction in which the air-stream will follow from the pharynx depends on the position of the soft palate.

When it is lowered, the pharynx opens into the nasal cavity. When it is risen, the air-stream comes to the mouth cavity. As in the mouth cavity a lot of movable speech organs are situated it can easily change its shape, thus forming the majority of speech sounds. The movable (or active) speech organs, situated in the mouth cavity are: the tongue, the soft palate with the uvula, the lips and the lower jaw. Of all the movable organs within the mouth cavity the tongue is the most flexible and active.

For convenience, the surface of the tongue or divided into several parts: the most flexible part of the tongue, which normally lies opposite the teeth ridge, is called the blade, the tip of the tongue being its extreme point. The part of the tongue next to the blade is called the front of the tongue. Then come the back and the root of the tongue. The tongue being the most active speech organ in the mouth cavity, the main principles of the majority of articulatory classifications of vowels are based on the movements and positions of the tongue. 2. 2. The system of English Vowels

The movements of the body of the tongue provide a convenient articulatory basis for classifying vowels according to two principles: 1) horizontal and 2) vertical movements of the tongue. According to the horizontal movement five classes of English vowels are distinguished. They are: 1) front [i:], [e], [e? ], [?? ], [? ] 2) front-retracted [? ], [?? ] 3) central [? ], [? :], [? ], [?? ], [a? ], [a? ] 4) back [? ], [? :], [u:], [a:], [?? ] 5) back-advanced [? ], [?? ] Not all phoneticians single out the classes of front-retracted and back-advanced vowels. So both [i:] and [? vowels are classed as front, and both [u:] and [? ] – as back. The point is that the vowels in these two pairs differ in quality which is partially due to the raised part of the tongue. So in this case a more detailed classification seems to be a more precise one, since it adequately reflects the articulatory distinctions actually present in the language. Now let’s view another articulatory characteristic of vowels, which is based on the vertical movement of the tongue. The way phoneticians of different schools approach this aspect is also slightly different.

Some scholars distinguish three classes of vowels: high (or close), mid and low (or open) vowels. But to mark all significant changes in vowel quality it is not enough to single out these three groups of vowels. For instance, both English vowels [i:] and [? ] belong to the group of close vowels, but when the vowel [? ] is articulated the front of the tongue is not so high in the mouth as it is in the case of the vowel [i:]. Russian phoneticians made the classification more detailed distinguishing two subclasses in each class: broad and narrow variations of the 3 vertical positions of the tongue.

Thus the following 6 groups of vowels are distinguished: 1) close a) narrow [i:], [u:] b) broad [? ], [? ], [?? ], [?? ] 2) mid a) narrow [e], [? :], [? ], [e? ], [?? ] b) broad [? ], [? ] 3) open a) narrow [?? ], [? :], [?? ] b) broad [? ], [a? ], [a? ], [? ], [a:]. In addition to the above-mentioned principle of the classification of vowels phoneticians suggest five other criteria: 1) stability of articulation 2) lip position 3) character of the vowel end 4) length 5) tenseness The stability of articulation specifies the actual position of the articulating organ in the process of the articulation.

There are two possible variants: a) the tongue position is stable, in this case the articulated vowel is pure, it consists of one element and is called a monophthong; and b) the tongue position changes, in this case a vowel consists of two elements, the first one is strong, it is a nucleus, the second element is very weak – it is a glide. There exists a third variety, when the change in the tongue position is fairly weak, in this case the articulated vowel is not pure, but it still consists of one element, such vowels are called diphthongoids.

So according to this principle the English vowels are subdivided into: a) monophthongs [? ], [? ], [e], [? :], [? ], [? ], [? :], [? ], [? ], [a:] b) diphthongs [?? ], [?? ], [e? ], [?? ], [?? ], [a? ], [a? ], [?? ] c) diphthongoids [i:], [u:] Some phoneticians, however, do not share this way of thinking and do not distinguish diphthongoids. But for the learners of English it is important to know this differentiation as it is useful for teaching purposes. Besides in modern English the tendency for diphthongization is becoming gradually stronger. Another feature of English vowels is lip rounding.

Traditionally three lip positions are distinguished: spread, neutral and rounded. In English lip rounding is not relevant phonologically (it means that no two words can be distinguished on its basis). Our next point should be made about another characteristic of English vowels. It’s checkness. The quality of all English monophthongs in the stressed position is strongly affected by the following consonant. If a stressed vowel is followed by a strong (fortis) voiceless consonant it is cut off by it. In this case the end of the vowel is strong and the vowel is called checked.

If a vowel is followed by a weak (lenis) voiced consonant or by no consonant at all the end of it is weak. In this case the vowel is called free. Now it should be useful to consider another articulatory characteristic of English vowels, that is their length or quantity. The English monophthongs are traditionally divided into short [? ], [e], [? ], [? ], [? ], [? ], [? ] and long ones [i:], [a:], [? :], [? :], [u:]. It should be noted that vowel length or quantity has for a long time been the point of disagreement among phoneticians. The problem is whether variations in quantity are meaningful (relevant) or not.

Let’s look at the pairs of words: [b? d – bi:d], [s? t – si:t]. Are they distinguished from one another by the opposition of different length (that’s the approach of D. Jones, an outstanding British phonetician) or is the difference in quality (or in other words the position of the active organ of speech) decisive here? Most Russian phoneticians are in favour of the second conception. They state that a feature can be systemic if it does not depend on the context. As to the length of English vowels, it varies and depends on a lot of factors, the first being phonetic context.

The shortest are vowels followed by voiceless consonants and the longest are in free position. For example in “meat” [i:] is half as long as the [i:] in “me”, but may approximately have the same duration as the [? ] in “mid”. But still these words “mid” and “meat” are perceived as different words because the vowels are different in quality. So no matter what time is required for the articulation of these vowels, the main distinctive feature is quality, not quantity. As for tenseness we shall only mention that special instrumental analysis shows that historically long vowels are tense, and historically short ones are lax.

To sum it up we may conclude that among all the articulatory features of English vowels only two are relevant: the stability of articulation and tongue position. 2. 3. The System of English Consonants Before passing on to the classification of English consonants the difference between consonants and vowels should be considered. Acoustically consonants are noises, not musical tones like vowels. From the articulatory point of view the difference is due to the work of speech organs. In case of consonants various obstructions are made. As to the classification of English consonants there are few ways of seeing the situation.

One of them is the classification according to the type of obstacle. On this ground two large classes of consonants are distinguished: 1) occlusive, which are produced when a complete obstruction is formed: [t, d, p, b, k, g], [m, n, ? ]; 2) constrictive, which are produced when an incomplete obstruction is formed: [s, z, f, v, O, ? , ? , ? , h], [w, r, l, j]. Each of the 2 classes is subdivided into noise consonants (these are those in the production of which noise prevails over tone) and sonorants (in the production of which tone component prevails).

Noise occlusive consonants are called stops because the air stream is completely stopped at some point of articulation and then released with an explosion, that is why they are also called plosives: [t, d, p, b, k, g]. Constrictive noise consonants are called fricatives, because the air escapes through the narrowing with friction: [s, z, f, v, O, ? , ? , ? , h]. Occlusive-constrictive consonants or affricates are noise consonants produced with a complete obstruction which is slowly released and the air stream escapes from the mouth with some friction. There are only two affricates in English: [? ,? . Other phoneticians suggest that the first and basic principle of classification should be the degree of noise. So consonants are divided first into noise consonants and sonorants and then each group is divided into smaller groups. Another very important principle is the place of articulation. According to this principle English consonants are classed into labial, lingual and glottal. I. Labial consonants in their turn are subdivided into a) bilabial (produced when both lips are active) [w, m, p, b]; b) labio-dental (articulated with the lower lip against the edge of the upper teeth) [f, v]. II.

Among the class of lingual consonants three subclasses are distinguished: a) forelingual; b) medio-lingual; c) back-lingual. Forelingual consonants are also of three kinds: 1) apical (articulated with the tip of the tongue) [t, d, s, z, O, ? , ? , ? , ? , ? , n, l]. 2) dorsal (produced when the blade of the tongue is active). There are no dorsal consonants in English. In Russian these are the sounds [?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?]. 3) cacuminal (articulated with the tip of the tongue curled back). There is only one cacuminal consonant in English – [r]. According to the place of obstruction forelingual consonants may be: – interdental, rticulated with the tip of the tongue projected between the teeth: [O, ? ]; – dental, produced with the blade of the tongue against the upper teeth: the Russian [?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?]; – alveolar, produced with the tip of the tongue against the upper teeth ridge: [t, d, s, z, n, l]; – post-alveolar, articulated with the tip or the blade of the tongue against the back part of the teeth ridge: [r]; – palato-alveolar, made with the tip or the blade of the tongue against the teeth ridge and the front part of the tongue raised towards the hard palate, thus having two places of articulation (two foci): [? ? , ? , ? ]. b) mediolingual consonants are produced with the front part of the tongue raised high to the hard palate, so they are always palatal: [j]. c) backlingual consonants are also called velar, because they are produced with the back part of the tongue raised towards the soft palate: [k, g, ? ]. III. The glottal consonant [h] is articulated in the glottis. There are no glottal consonants in Russian. One more articulatory characteristic which should be mentioned is the position of the soft palate.

According to this principle consonants may be oral and nasal. There are only three nasal consonants in English, which require the lowered position of the soft palate: [m, n, ]. The rest of the consonants are oral because in their production the soft palate is raised and the air escapes through the mouth. Our next point will be made in connection with another sound property, that is voice-voiceless characteristic. When the vocal cords are brought together and vibrate we hear voice and the consonants are voiced: [b, d, g, v, z, ? , ? , ? . When the vocal cords are apart and do not vibrate we hear only noise and the consonants are voiceless: [p, t, k, f, s, O, ? , ? ]. It should be noted that the difference between such pairs as [p, b], [t, d] and so on is based not only on the absence or presence of the voice component, as voiced consonants are not fully voiced in all word positions, in word final position, for example, they are partially devoiced. There’s also energy difference. All voiced consonants are weak or lenis and all voiceless consonants are strong or fortis.

Summing it up, it should be mentioned that the most important articulatory features, which could serve as a criterion for grouping consonants into functionally similar classes, are: type of obstruction; place of articulation and the active organ of speech; force of articulation. The rest of the characteristics are considered to be irrelevant, as they are of no importance from the phonological point of view, but they provide necessary and useful information for teaching purposes. It is for this reason that they are normally included into the classification. III.

THE ACOUSTIC AND AUDITORY ASPECTS OF THE ENGLISH SPEECH SOUNDS The auditory aspect of any sound is inseparable from its acoustic aspect and acoustic phonetics is closely connected with auditory phonetics and both may, therefore, be considered together. Objectively sound is a physical phenomenon, a kind of moving energy generated by some vibrating body. Subjectively sound is our perception of the vibrations of the air next to our ear-drum. People can perceive not all vibrations of the air but only when they occur at the rate of sixteen to twenty thousand times per second.

Sounds may be periodical and non-periodical. If the vibrations of a physical body (vocal cords in our case) are rhythmical, the sound waves are periodical. The auditory impression of such periodical waves is a musical tone or a speech tone. If the wave is non-periodical, it is perceived as noise. Sound has a number of physical properties which all exist and manifest themselves simultaneously. They can be singled out from the others only for purposes of analysis. The first of these properties is frequency which is a number of vibrations per second.

Our perception of the frequency is the pitch of the sound. The greater the frequency, the higher the pitch and vice versa. The frequency depends on certain physical properties of the vibrator, such as its mass, length and tension. The greater the mass of the vibrator, the slower its vibrations and the lower the pitch. The longer the vibrator, the slower the vibrations and the lower the frequency and the pitch. Here the difference between men and women and adults and children voices lies. Men’s and adults’ voices are lower than women’s and children’s are, because their vocal cords are thicker and longer.

Tension depends on the elasticity of the vocal cords. The vocal cords of elderly people are not as elastic as the vocal cords of younger people, children especially, so their voices sound rather low. As the tension increases – the frequency increases and the pitch rises. The second physical property of sound is intensity, changes in which are perceived as variations in the loudness of sound. The intensity of sound is produced by the amplitude of vibrations (that is by the distance to which the air particles are displaced from their position of rest by the application of some external force).

Intensity is measured in decibels. The intensity and frequency of sound are closely interdependent. The same amount of energy will produce either greater amplitude with a lower frequency or a higher frequency with smaller amplitude. Therefore if you increase the frequency without increasing the amount of energy you will shorten the amplitude and therefore reduce the intensity, that is produce a less loud sound. People are able to produce vowel sounds of various qualities or timbres. This is achieved through the action of the resonator mechanism.

So the production and differentiation of vowels is based on the acoustic phenomenon that is called resonance. Sounds coming from different resonators travel different lengths (distances) or have different carrying power. The distance is proportional to the volume of the resonator and the size of its orifice. Any sound has a certain duration or length. In other words it can exist and move only in time. The duration or length of a sound is the quantity of time during which the same vibratory motion, the same patterns of vibration are maintained. For this reason, the duration of a sound is often referred to as is quantity.

The duration is measured in millisecond. We perceive the variations in duration as tempo or speed of utterance. In speech there are not definite boundaries between different speech sounds. So it’s very difficult to measure the length of separate sounds. In addition it should be mentioned that along with various articulatory classifications of speech sounds, there exist acoustic descriptions and classifications. The chief drawback of articulatory classifications is that they don’t describe and define all shades of typologically identical speech sounds, especially vowels.

Besides, one and the same speech sound can be pronounced by different people with slightly different positions and movements of their speech organs. Acoustic classifications seem to overcome these difficulties as they are more detailed and accurate. The first acoustic classification was based on spectrographic analysis. It was worked out by Roman Jakobson, C. G. M. Fant and M. Halle. However, acoustic classification, though more precise, are not practically applied in teaching. The acoustic features of speech sounds can not be seen directly or felt.

But there are some other fields of the application of acoustic phonetics: speech synthesis, health service, security systems, etc. IV. THE FUNCTIONAL ASPECT OF SPEECH SOUNDS 4. 1 Phoneme and Allophones Phoneticians not only describe and classify the material form of phonetic units. They are also interested in the way in which sound phenomena function in a particular language and what part they play in communication. The branch of phonetics that studies the linguistic function of consonant and vowel sounds, syllabic structures, word accent and prosodic features is called phonology.

Unlike phonetics itself, whose domain is articulatory and acoustic features, phono