How can we create musical pictures?
Musicians create musical pictures by making soundscapes.
A soundscape is where we use musical instruments to recreate the sounds of a particular place or situation, such as a city or a thunderstorm.
Unlike a lot of other music, soundscapes often don’t have a pulse running through them. Instead the sounds used are mixed together to help the listener to imagine they are in a different place.
What is a rainforest soundscape?
Join Dame Evelyn Glennie to learn how instruments can make the sounds of a rainforest.
TEACHER: Sometimes sounds can make pictures in your mind. Close your eyes, what can you imagine.
GIRL 1: Birds.
TWINS: Animals!
BOY 1: Err, rain?
GIRL 2: A rainforest!
Ooh, I should’ve brought an umbrella!
GIRL 1: But guys, it’s not raining.
TWINS: Then what’s that sound?
GIRL 2: Guys, over here!
EVELYN: Oh hello! I’m Evelyn Glennie! It’s nice to meet you.
TWINS: Whaaah! Are those snakes?!
EVELYN: Oh no… I’m trying to attract worms with my rainmaker so I can take some super snaps for my animal album!
Ooh! Here they come. Hold still you wee wrigglers. Oh dear, where are they off to?
GIRL 1: My Great Granny Gracie taught me that it’s a conga!
BOY 1: Worm conga!
EVELYN: Got it! But I need some more animals… can you guys help me out?
ALL: Yeah!
EVELYN: That’s it! Grab whatever takes your fancy!
GIRL 1: Ooh, Auntie Bee is good at playing this!
Woah!
TWINS: Snake! Woaah!
Oh, He’s actually… kinda cute!
EVELYN: Super duper cute!
Brilliant! Give me hopping! Give me hissing!
TWINS: Woaaah!
GIRL 1: That’s too loud for me!
EVELYN: You know you don’t need to hear the music to enjoy it… feel the music in your body!
GIRL 1: Oh, what does this do?
EVELYN: Now that’s what I call a super duper snap!
Using instruments to create a soundscape
See how we can use instruments to create soundscapes in this short video.
CLOGS: We are now going to look at the soundscapes. A soundscape is created when we use instruments and sounds to replicate and imitate a certain atmosphere or environment.
KATIE: How do we do that, then?
CLOGS: We can create soundscapes with instruments, special sound effects and even by recording sounds from the natural environment. Unlike a lot of music, soundscapes often don’t have a pulse or beat running through them.
KATIE: So if soundscapes have lots of different sounds, does that mean that they have thick textures?
CLOGS: They can do. Just like other musical pieces we can combine different layers of sound to create interesting textures in soundscapes. Mr Brown has got some soundscapes prepared for you.
KATIE: Oh, great. Well, let’s head to the music classroom and have a listen.
MR BROWN: Now, Katie, I want you to listen to this. What does it sound like?
WATER LAPPING
KATIE: Ah, that’s got to be the waves at the beach.
MR BROWN: Great, yes. And how do they make you feel?
KATIE: Oh, they make me feel so relaxed. It’s one of my favourite sounds. If I close my eyes, I can almost imagine I’m on a tropical beach somewhere.
MR BROWN: OK, now i want you to try to recreate the sounds of the waves using one of the musical instruments in front of you.
KATIE: Hm, OK. Er, not the triangle, I don’t think. Don’t think the drum would work. Let’s try this wooden block, maybe.
HARSH TAPPING
KATIE: Nah, that doesn’t sound like waves. Er… Oh, maybe this egg shaker.
GENTLE SCRATCHING
MR BROWN: Oh, that’s great! Brilliant, Katie. Now, musicians can use musical instruments to recreate sounds from nature, just like you’ve done there with those waves. Listen to this. What do you think this is a recording of?
MULTIPLE GENTLE TAPS
KATIE: Oh, that’s easy. It’s rain.
MR BROWN: That’s actually a recording of a rainstick - just like this one. It’s a musical instrument that sounds just like rain.
MULTIPLE GENTLE TAPS
KATIE: Oh, wow, it really does! Why would you want to recreate the sound of the rain, though, when you could just record it?
MR BROWN: Musical instruments, like rain sticks, are sometimes used in live performances, or they can be used by Foley artists. A Foley artist is someone who creates sounds for radio, films and television shows. Sometimes, it’s not easy to record a sound on its own, or it might not be there, so they add it in later.
KATIE: Ah, so like if you were filming a movie and it was meant to be raining outside, but actually it was quite a sunny day, a Foley artist might add in the sound of the rain using a rainstick.
MR BROWN: Spot-on! When musicians and Foley artists recreate sounds from nature, they create what we call a soundscape. Now, soundscapes can help us create an image of an environment where you might hear those sounds.
KATIE: Just like the egg shaker sounded like the beach waves and the rainstick sounded like the rain. Can we have a go at creating our own soundscape, Mr Brown?
MR BROWN: Great idea, Katie. Now, I’ve got this rainstick. So do you fancy seeing if we can recreate a rainforest?
KATIE: Ah, yes, because we’ve already got the rain from that rainstick.
MR BROWN: That’s true. What about the other sounds? Why don’t you take a look at some of the instruments in front of you? Can you see any that could help?
KATIE: Oh, OK. Let’s see what this one does. What’s this Mr Brown?
MR BROWN: Now, that’s a guiro. It’s another percussion instrument, just like a rainstick.
KATIE: Hm. OK.
HIGH-PITCHED SCRAPING
KATIE: It sounds a bit like a frog, but it’s not quite right.
MR BROWN: Well, it’s interesting you’ve noticed that, Katie. I actually have a really special guiro right here - a frog guiro. this guiro has been specifically designed to mimic the sound of a frog. Let’s listen.
KATIE: Oh, that’s so cute. It sounds like it’s croaking that is perfect for my rainforest. Hey what else could we do with? Oh, the sounds of tropical birds. OK, let’s give this a go.
MR BROWN: Ah, that’s brilliant, Katie. I love that.
KATIE: How nice is that? It would be nice to have a little stream running too, but I don’t think there are any instruments here that can do that.
MR BROWN: Well, remember you can use other objects to recreate sounds, just like a Foley artist does. Why don’t you try pouring that water from your glass into the other one?
KATIE: Oh, OK. Let’s give that a go.
WATER TRICKLES LOUDLY.
KATIE: Oh yeah, that sounds just like a trickle in a river, doesn’t it? Ah. If there were more of us, then we could play them all together and create this rainforest effect.
MR BROWN: Well, Katie. I might have sneakily been recording all the sounds that we’ve just make. Shall we hear them all together?
KATIE: Yeah! Let’s do it.
WHISTLES, CROAKS AND RUNNING WATER
KATIE: Ah, it’s just like being in the rainforest. You can hear the frog, and the bird, and the trickling stream. oh, it almost feels like i’m really there.
MR BROWN: Well done. You’ve created a brilliant rainforest soundscape by learning different instruments and objects, and it sounds great.
KATIE: Oh, thanks so much, Mr Brown. Why don’t you try and create some soundscapes using instruments, objects, or even your voice, and see where in the world it could take you.
Create your own soundscape
Now it's time to create your own soundscape.
Go outside and listen to the sounds around you.
Make a list of five or six different sounds such as the birds, the wind or a train passing by.
Now try re-creating the sounds on your list. You can do this using musical instruments, your voice or even objects around your home.
Ask yourself questions about each sound you hear.
- How high or low is the sound?
- How fast or slow is the sound?
- Does the sound change?
This will help you decide which instruments or object is best for each sound. It will also help you decide how to play it.
With your family or friends, try combining some of those sounds to create a soundscape.
Mix your own soundscape
Have a go at mixing your own soundscape with the BBC Sound Effects library.
It has a mixer you can use to layer sounds that you like.
Search through sounds recorded all over the world, including lots of animals.
Maybe you can create the sound of the desert, space or even the deep, dark jungle.
Ask a trusted adult to help you get started.
Quiz
Important words
Pulse – The steady beat that runs through the music.
Soundscape – The use of musical instruments to recreate the sounds of a particular place or situation.
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