What does music make you feel?
Music can make you feel different emotions. Sometimes the music we listen to can make us feel happy, sad, excited, brave and other emotions.
People who write music are called composers and they write music to make you feel these emotions on purpose.
These feelings and emotions come from how the song is composed, the instruments used and how the performers play them.
Watch: Mars from 'The Planets' by Gustav Holst
Gustav Holst called this piece 'Mars: The bringer of war'. This piece was written just before World War One started in 1914.
Watch a full orchestral performance of 'Mars' from Holst's 'The Planets' from 成人论坛 National Orchestra of Wales. From Ten Pieces.
Have a listen to the piece of music, how does it make you feel? How does the music do this?
This piece of music sounds:
Fearful - Long, low notes at the start of the piece sound like something is coming and about to happen. These notes get higher as the piece goes on, like something is getting closer.
Scared - The music starts quiet and then gets louder and louder. The musical term for this is crescendo. This feels scary, like Holst sees more and more soldiers appearing.
Angry - Repeating rhythms start and continue throughout. They are played loud and angrily, to portray the war.
You can find out more about Holst with 成人论坛 Ten Pieces.
Watch: 'Short Ride in a Fast Machine' by John Adams
John Adams compared 'Short Ride in a Fast Machine' to a ride in a terrific sports car. This piece of music sounds exciting, thrilling and relentless.
Have a listen, can you describe how the music does this?
Watch a full orchestral performance of John Adams's 'Short Ride In A Fast Machine' from 成人论坛 National Orchestra of Wales. From Ten Pieces.
How does the music give us the feeling that we are driving in a fast machine?
Exciting - This piece has a fast tempo and the pulse is played on a woodblock throughout. There are moments when very high notes are played by the smaller instruments, like the piccolo. This makes it sound exciting.
Thrilling - There are lots of fast, overlapping musical ideas being played in the orchestra. This makes it sound like there are lots of cars racing around.
Relentless - This whole piece is one long section of music with no mood changes. This makes it sound like a relentless journey the whole way through.
You can find out more about Adams with 成人论坛 Ten Pieces.
Listen to this piece again and see if you can describe to a friend or family member how it makes you feel.
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