The Elements of Sound
Propelling:
How do we hear?
Sound waves travel into the ear canal until they reach the eardrum. The eardrum passes the vibrations through the middle ear bones or ossicles into the inner ear. The inner ear is shaped like a snail and is also called the cochlea. Inside the cochlea, there are thousands of tiny hair cells. Hair cells change the vibrations into electrical signals that are sent to the brain through the hearing nerve. The brain tells you that you are hearing a sound and what that sound is.
Each hair cell has a small patch of stereocilia sticking up out of the top it. Sound makes the stereocilia rock back and forth. If the sound is too loud, the stereocilia can be bent or broken. This will cause the hair cell to die and it can no longer send sound signals to the brain. In people, once a hair cell dies, it will never grow back. The high frequency hair cells are most easily damaged so people with hearing loss from loud sounds often have problems hearing high pitched things like crickets or birds chirping.
How does sound travel?
Sound is transmitted by particles (atoms or molecules) in a solid, liquid or gas colliding with each other. It is a wave which is created by vibrating objects and propagated through a medium (solid, liquid or gas) from one location to another. A vibrating source can be sound coming from a drum, speaker of a radio, the mouth of a person (vocal chord), a car engine, a plane above the sky and so on. Although sound is commonly associated in air, sound will readily travel through many materials that are solid, liquid and gas.
What is silence?
What is noise?
Silence is the lack of audible sound or presence of sounds of very low intensity. By analogy, the word silence can also refer to any absence of communication, including in media other than speech. Silence is also used as total communication, in reference to nonverbal communication and spiritual connection. Silence also refers to no sounds uttered by anybody in a room or area. Silence is an important factor in many cultural spectacles, as in rituals.
Noise pollution is the disturbing or excessive noise that may harm the activity or balance of human or animal life. The source of most outdoor noise worldwide is mainly caused by machines andtransportation systems, motor vehicles, aircraft, and trains.
Outdoor noise is summarized by the word environmental noise. Poor urban planning may give rise to noise pollution, since side-by-side industrial and residential buildings can result in noise pollution in the residential areas.
Indoor noise can be caused by machines, building activities, and music performances, especially in some workplaces. There is no great difference whether noise-induced hearing loss is brought about by outside (e.g. trains) or inside (e.g. music) noise.
High noise levels can contribute to cardiovascular effects in humans, a rise in blood pressure, and an increase in stress and vasoconstriction, and an increased incidence of coronary artery disease. In animals, noise can increase the risk of death by altering predator or prey detection and avoidance, interfere with reproduction and navigation, and contribute to permanent hearing loss.
Guide questions:
1. What is sound? How can we produce it?
2. Why music is an art? In what medium we share music to listeners?
3. Give the elements of music and differentiate each.
What is sound?
Sound is created when an object
vibrates. These vibrations are perceived by our ears and then sent to our
brain. Our brain in turn analyzes these signals and let's us know what type of
sound we are hearing (i.e. an alarm clock ringing, a car horn blaring, etc.).
Music is differentiated from other sounds because it has certain qualities.
What is Music?
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Sound is a
sequence of waves of pressure that propagates through compressible media such
as air or water. Music inherently depends on the silence in some form or
another to distinguish other periods of sound and allow dynamics, melodies, and
rhythm to have greater impact. For example most music scores features rest
denoting periods of silence.
According to Webster’s II: New
Riverside University Dictionary, Music is the “art of arranging tones in an
orderly sequence so as to produce a unified and continuous composition”
Noise means any unwanted sound. Noise is not necessarily random. Sounds, particularly loud ones, that disturb people or make it difficult to hear wanted sounds, are noise. For example, conversations of other people may be called noise by people not involved in any of them; any unwanted sound such as domesticated dogs barking, neighbours playing loud music, portable mechanical saws, road traffic sounds, or a distant aircraft in quiet countryside, is called noise.
Noise means any unwanted sound. Noise is not necessarily random. Sounds, particularly loud ones, that disturb people or make it difficult to hear wanted sounds, are noise. For example, conversations of other people may be called noise by people not involved in any of them; any unwanted sound such as domesticated dogs barking, neighbours playing loud music, portable mechanical saws, road traffic sounds, or a distant aircraft in quiet countryside, is called noise.
When you listen to a piece of music, you'll notice that it has several different characteristics; it may be soft or loud, slow or fast, combine different instruments and have a regular rhythmic pattern. All of these are known as the "elements of music."
Musical
Elements
Pitch – is the relative lowness or highness of a sound. The pitch of a sound is based on the frequency of vibration and the size of the vibrating object.
Rhythm – means the placement of sounds in time beats in music
the time element of music. A specific rhythm is a specific pattern in time; we usually hear these in relation to a steady pulse, and mentally organize this pulse or tempo into meter (sometimes called a "time signature"). Meter organizes beats into groups, usually of two or three; beats can be divided into small units usually 2, 3 or 4 subdivisions
the time element of music. A specific rhythm is a specific pattern in time; we usually hear these in relation to a steady pulse, and mentally organize this pulse or tempo into meter (sometimes called a "time signature"). Meter organizes beats into groups, usually of two or three; beats can be divided into small units usually 2, 3 or 4 subdivisions
Rhythm is the element of "TIME" in music. When you tap your foot to the music, you are "keeping the beat" or following the structural rhythmic pulse of the music. There are several important aspects of rhythm:
• DURATION: how long a sound (or silence) lasts.
• TEMPO: the speed of the BEAT.
• METER: Beats organized into recognizable/recurring accent patterns. Meter can be seen/felt through the standard patterns used by conductors.
DUPLE meter, TRIPLE meter and QUADRUPLE meter
Other basic terms relating to Rhythm are:
Syncopation: an "off-the-beat" accent (between the counted numbers)
Ritardando: gradually SLOWING DOWN the tempo
Accelerando: gradually SPEEDING UP the tempo
Rubato: freely and expressively making subtle changes in the tempo.
(a technique commonly encountered in music of the Romantic era)
Tempo - the Italian word at the beginning of a piece that indicates how slow or how fast the piece
Melody refers to the tune of a song or piece of music
or musical line, is a combination of pitch and rhythm (some say "duration"). Sometimes a melody is considered to be the theme of a composition. We might characterize melody by its contour (rising or falling) and the size of the intervals in it. A melody that uses mostly small intervals (or scale steps) and is smooth is said to be a conjunct melody. Not surprisingly, a melody that uses large intervals is called a disjunct melody. A motif (or motive) is either a very short melody or a distinctive part of a longer melody. I might describe the opening four notes of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony as a "motific cell."
compositions have a memorable melody or theme
or musical line, is a combination of pitch and rhythm (some say "duration"). Sometimes a melody is considered to be the theme of a composition. We might characterize melody by its contour (rising or falling) and the size of the intervals in it. A melody that uses mostly small intervals (or scale steps) and is smooth is said to be a conjunct melody. Not surprisingly, a melody that uses large intervals is called a disjunct melody. A motif (or motive) is either a very short melody or a distinctive part of a longer melody. I might describe the opening four notes of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony as a "motific cell."
compositions have a memorable melody or theme
Timbre – is also known as tone color. It refers to the quality of sound or instrument.
sound quality or tone color; timbre is the characteristic that allows us to distinguish between one instrument and another, and the difference between vowel sounds (for example, long "a" or "ee"). Terms we might use to describe timbre: bright, dark, brassy, reedy, harsh, noisy, thin, buzzy, pure, raspy, shrill, mellow, strained. I prefer to avoid describing timbre in emotional terms (excited, angry, happy, sad, etc.); that is not the sound quality, it is its effect or interpretation. Rather than describe the timbre of an instrument in other terms, it is often more clear just to describe the timbre by naming the instrument, once we have learned the names and sounds of a few instruments.
sound quality or tone color; timbre is the characteristic that allows us to distinguish between one instrument and another, and the difference between vowel sounds (for example, long "a" or "ee"). Terms we might use to describe timbre: bright, dark, brassy, reedy, harsh, noisy, thin, buzzy, pure, raspy, shrill, mellow, strained. I prefer to avoid describing timbre in emotional terms (excited, angry, happy, sad, etc.); that is not the sound quality, it is its effect or interpretation. Rather than describe the timbre of an instrument in other terms, it is often more clear just to describe the timbre by naming the instrument, once we have learned the names and sounds of a few instruments.
Dynamics – refers to the degree of loudness or softness of a piece of music. It also indicates whether there is a change in volume.
loud or soft. A composition that has extremely soft passages as well as extremely loud passages is said to have a large or wide dynamic range. Dynamics can change suddenly or gradually (crescendo, getting louder, or decrescendo, getting softer.)
All musical aspects relating to the relative loudness (or quietness) of music fall under
the general element of DYNAMICS.
The terms used to describe dynamic levels are often in Italian:
pianissimo [pp] = (very quiet) piano [p] = (quiet) mezzo-piano [mp] = (moderately quiet) mezzo-forte [mf ] = (moderately loud) forte [f ] = (loud) fortissimo [ff ] = (very loud)
loud or soft. A composition that has extremely soft passages as well as extremely loud passages is said to have a large or wide dynamic range. Dynamics can change suddenly or gradually (crescendo, getting louder, or decrescendo, getting softer.)
All musical aspects relating to the relative loudness (or quietness) of music fall under
the general element of DYNAMICS.
The terms used to describe dynamic levels are often in Italian:
pianissimo [pp] = (very quiet) piano [p] = (quiet) mezzo-piano [mp] = (moderately quiet) mezzo-forte [mf ] = (moderately loud) forte [f ] = (loud) fortissimo [ff ] = (very loud)
Texture – refers to the number of layers used in a composition and how these layers are related.
Texture refers to the number of individual musical lines (melodies) and the
relationship these lines have to one another.
Monophonic (single-note) texture:
Music with only one note sounding at a time (having no harmony or accompaniment).
Homophonic texture:
Music with two or more notes sounding at a the same time, but generally featuring a prominent melody in the upper part, supported by a less intricate harmonic accompaniment
Polyphonic texture:
Music with two or more independent melodies sounding at the same time.
Texture refers to the number of individual musical lines (melodies) and the
relationship these lines have to one another.
Music with only one note sounding at a time (having no harmony or accompaniment).
Homophonic texture:
Music with two or more notes sounding at a the same time, but generally featuring a prominent melody in the upper part, supported by a less intricate harmonic accompaniment
Polyphonic texture:
Music with two or more independent melodies sounding at the same time.
MUSICAL FORM
Strophic Form: a design in VOCAL music, in which the same music is used
for several different verses (strophes) of words.
Binary Form a two-part form in which both main sections are repeated (as
indicated in the diagram by "repeat marks"). The basic premise of this
form is CONTRAST:
Ternary Form a three-part form featuring a return of the initial music after a
contrasting section. Symmetry and balance are achieved through this
return of material:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silence
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noise
http://www.tellmewhyfacts.com/2007/09/how-does-sound-travel.html
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