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Learn about instruments and compositional techniques.

The Harp | A Minute with Miles Violin Family I | A Minute with Miles

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Violin Family I | A Minute with Miles
Episode 1
Have you ever wondered how the violin came to play such an important role in the history of classical music? Well, it starts with singing. The invention of opera, in late 16th century Florence, marks...
The Harp | A Minute with Miles Vibrato

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Vibrato
I’ve been talking this week about vibrato, the vibrato that string players use to warm up their sounds, and the vocal vibrato that’s the natural product of healthy singing. All vibrato consists of...
The Harp | A Minute with Miles Vibrato

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Vibrato
When violinists play, their left hands always seem to shake. But it’s not because they’re nervous. Violinists, violists, cellists, and double bass players all use a technique called vibrato.
The Harp | A Minute with Miles Vibrato

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Vibrato
Yesterday I talked about vibrato, the technique that string players use—rocking the fingers of their left hands back and forth to create small oscillations in pitch that result in a warmer, more...
The Harp | A Minute with Miles Sarasate Plays Premiere | A Minute with Miles

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Sarasate Plays Premiere | A Minute with Miles
On January 2, 1881, the Spanish violinist Pablo de Sarasate was in Paris to play the premiere of the Violin Concerto No. 3 by Camille Saint-Saëns.
The Harp | A Minute with Miles The Development of the Piano | A Minute with Miles

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The Development of the Piano | A Minute with Miles
The harpsichord, the keyboard workhorse of the Baroque period, is an instrument with a problem: varying the touch on the keys has absolutely no effect on volume or tone quality. Depress a key gently...
The Harp | A Minute with Miles The Clarinet | A Minute with Miles

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The Clarinet | A Minute with Miles
The clarinet was the last of the principal woodwind instruments to join the orchestra. The modern clarinet evolved from earlier forms in the early 1700's—later than the modern oboe, bassoon, and flute...
The Harp | A Minute with Miles Serenade | A Minute with Miles

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Serenade | A Minute with Miles
Serenade is one of those musical terms that has meant many different things at many different times. The term itself comes from the Italian sereno, which is from the Latin serenus, which means “serene...
The Harp | A Minute with Miles Program Notes for Non-Musicians | A Minute with Miles

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Program Notes for Non-Musicians | A Minute with Miles
A word of advice today for non-musicians reading program notes in concert programs: If the program notes are heavy on technical analysis and are loaded with terms like modulation, inversion...