[A/H Index] [^^Terms MASTER Index]Sound
See also: -[Sound Design (S/D) notes]- (my original doc on this expanded) -[LIght]- (as art material) See also: [Art Materials] [(art) concepts] NB: [Collage] [Paper] [Paper] [Paper Sculpture] [Plaster]Sound
"all sound is inerently musical" -- John Cage (not an exact quote; prob'ly) On this page: {Intro} {Physics of Sound and Hearing} (as well as noise types, etc) {Resonance} (and echo and repetition) {Noise} {Silence} {} {} {} {} {}Intro
Physics of Sound and Hearing
In this section: {Waves} {Frequency/pitch} {Volume/Amplitude} {The Score} (Musical Notations) {Hanmonics/Beat Frequenices} (two nearly equal pitches) {Tembre/Wave-Form} {} {NOise} (and types of noise) {}
Waves
Frequency/pitch
Volume/Amplitude
The Score
(Musical Notations) Briefly (and then stuff). The "time signature" of a score is marked as 3/4 or 4/4 sometimes 2/4 and even more rarely 6/8. The first number is the number of beats per measure with the last beat of the measure usually being emphasised. The second numbr is the "kind" of a note (whole, half, quarter or eighth) that gets the emphasis. Hence, 3/4 means 3 beats per measure, and a quarter note gets a full beat - usually assoicated with a waltz. 2/4 corresponds to marches, etc. Of course, from these very traditional methods, arise things like: Shubert's "Trout" Quintet Beethoven's 7th Symphony Dvorak's 9th Symphony (which contains an "homage" (aka quote) to Bee's 9th) Bach's "Jesu - "Jesu joy of man's desiring" From there, the "leap" to Jazz (and thence to interpretive and modern danse) go along lines such as: The Satie/Cocteau "Parade; ballet realiste" Arvo pArt's "Summa and Trisaion" Viktor Pendereski's "Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima" and this is not even taking into account, Elvis, Frank Zappa, the Beates, or .... the Tull, .... Other favs include: Liz Story, "Pure Liz" (esp, Wedding Rain and Toy Soldiers) Ice Tea, "I'm your pusher" (music as the ult drug) Bartok, Bruebek, Coltrane, Thelonious, and of course "and, the rest...." (are here on Giligan's Isle...) There are at least THREE major musica notations: Classical Music Jazz Music Danse Notation I am by no means an expert on any of these, and will only address the art things about them. In the "normal" presentation of music, one set of instruments play as one; eg, "first violin" might contain 8 or 10 people playing the violin with the same notes at the same time and with the same duration, etc. This was originally to create sufficient volume and "warmth" for concert halls. Thus, each instrument set was to BLEND together to sound as if they were one large (eg) violin. A second set of related sounds (eg, melody, harmony, counter-point, etc) might be designated as "second violin" and this set of violins played again as close together as possible and playing a set of notes that complemented or contrasted the first set. And so, and so on. Thus an orchestra score contains from top to bottom on each page the notes for each set of instruments. And as we read left-to-right we see the corresponding notes that each set of instruments is to play at any given time. Of course, for the most part many of the instruments are "resting" - ie, not playing anything. In the case of a SOLO (either voice or an instrument) the entire orchestra is resting except for that one sound. In JAZZ, the idea extends in the following way: The score is not finalised and in fact is quite fluid. It can be seen to have grown out of the solo-performance in classical music that is most clearly seen in the 2nd or 3rd movement of a work for orchestra and solo instrument. Hence, a Piano Concerto, a Violin Concerto, a Cello Concerto being by far the most common. In this "feauted" movement, the solo player is allowed (by the rather strict code and "law" of classical music) to "show off". But, other than the mulit-noted piano is sufficient to hold the audience's attention for long. As such in the cases of violin and cello solos, a B/G set of notes is played to extend/accenuate the solo performance. In Jazz, this "show off stage" is given in turn to each player in the "combo". In general a jazz "orchestra" (prob better refered to as a "band") would have five (maybe one or two more) and hence the "solo performance" rotates around, with each member of the group. In DANSE, the merging of sound and danse has come from classical ballet where the inter-actions have been specifically meant to convey a deep and rich story - probably well known to the audience -- to expressionist and interpretive danse that can quite literally have almost ANY meaning that might even possibly be transfered to the audience. Here, it thus begins to approach the expressionism of abstract art. In all three cases, the idea is to convey a mood or set of ideas and to have NOTATION that allows the creation and co-ordination of the various parts -- we're not in Kansas any more. Take for example Cage's version of Dvorak's 9th symphony and how the use of repetition might be used to express tragedy and enslavement - thus mimicking (methinks) Max Bekmann's "The Departure". Of course, such advanced ideas must have needs of expressions and of the way to REPRESENT this in terms of the performance. Thus, thanks (primarily) to Charles Mingus the modern jazz notation allows for complex music forms that are on par with John Cage's explorations of pure sound. Open your ears!!! Free your minds. Recommended things google, etc "Jews for Jazz" "Benedictine Monks" "Heavy Metal Islam" (how's that for featuring the "big three" of relig..?) of course we old hippies still prefer things like: "Carmina Burina" (xscribed by Karl Orff)
Beat Frequencies/Hamonics
(two nearly equal pitches) One of the most important aspects in the production and control of sound is that of harmonics and resonance; res will be talked about below. Given a "pure tone" (eg, 440 hz) then harmonics occur at 880 1760, .... half-tone harmonics occur at 220, 110, 55, ... Unless the tone is produced by a purely electronic source, even a "pure" source such as a tuning fork is bound to produce one of the harmonic super or sub frequencies. In most cases, the VOLUME of the harmonic is much less. In some cases, the harmonic is desired since it adds to the "warmth" of the note. That is, since almost all sound and music is produced from people and the instruments that they have made, we are "used" to those harmonics and assoicate with REAL sound. It may of course, have a deeper psychological and even pysiological meaning and importance as well. If we produce two pure tones that differ by a few hertz, we get what are called "beat frequencies". Thus, if we have two tuning forks - one at 440, and the other at 460 and strike them simultaneiously, we will hear a sort of "humming" that seems to come and go. What is happeing of course, is that every so often they will in fact be IN BEAT and at that moment producing the same wave forms in SYNC as they go out, then in the next instant they are out of sync, it's this going into and out of sync that we hear. The human voice is particularly adept at producing this and the so-called "tremulo" effect is an example of this. A skilled instrument player can produce these near frequency beats as well. THe effect is least likely to occur in percussion instruments; eg, the drum. In fact, this "drift" is often NOT desirable and you will often see the musician playing the Kettle drum "tuning" it in the middle of a performace. So, powerful, are the tones produced and their standing wave harmonics that they literally stretch the drum head and throwing it slightly off key. Needless to say, such a beat-frequency could be easily be "programmed" into two kettle drums and used to great effect. Of course, it depends (most probably) on both drum players having perfect pitch. Most people with so-called perfect pitch can determine a frequency with 5 to 10 hz of its true pitch. People such as Schubert and Glazinov had such perfect pitches that they could over a period of some 80 years or so see how "middle C" (440) was actually rising. It wasn't until the wide spread use of tuning forks that this stopped. One explanation may be that as our various technologically-driven societies progressed they were in fact losing much of their upper sound frequency hearing (which often happens in aging people in general). In tribes, where most people speak only in a whisper and are in constant "tune" (no pun intended, but nice to have at the ready) with the sounds around them, these high pitches (eg, 20_000 to 25_000 hz) do NOT disappear with age. Most hearing aid devices amplify these higher frequencies more than the lower pitched ones. google: RIAA curve
Tembre/Wave-Form
As we might have guessed by this time, the only difference between a clarinet and a violin producing the same note (pitch and duration) is in the wave-form shape itself. It is in fact several factors: 1) The attack of the tone 2) The harmonics present 3) The relative strengths and persistence of the harmonics. As it turns out, the first fraction of a second of a musically produced sound gives us MUCH of the identity of its source. Thus, a violin, cello and (properly tuned) base would all be insdistinguishable if we "dropped in" on the sound without the attack of each instrument. Thus, again drawing back-and-forth on the bow of each of these instruments provides a new start of the attack and continuence of a note. And of course the physical construction of the instruments as well as to how it is producing the sound gives rise to the mixture of harmonics. Thus, like a fine violin or guitar, the body adds to the resonance values and thus the "warmth" of the note. With a wood wind (especially the flute) it more the control of the instrument player's control over their air flow as well as how carefully they apply the stops to the woodwind. A careful study of each kind of instrument, will reveal much in the way of how "normally" that instrument is played and what to expect of it. In the case of percussion instruments, their warmth depends mostly on its shape, the materials from which it is made, etc - thus echoing more the violin and stringed instruments more than wood winds. Consider a kettle drum, snare drum, a steel drum, and a trash can bottom. We can see how these BEGIN to give us a clue as to how to create new instruments in the future.
Resonance
(and echo and repetition)
The Physics of Noise
(and types of noise) See: {Noise} (below) (noise and its use as an art material, psychology and psychological effect, etc) See esp: -[wiki entry]- (a bit technical and over-the top) includes "brown" (browian), purple, grey, green, and orange noise types - which are (to be Frank are "pushing it a bit) In this section: {Noise Properties} {White Noise} {Pink Noise}Noise Properties
The tecnical definition of noise involves randomeness. Note that there are two main types of noise, white noise: Ocean waves crashing quietly (or not) Pink noise: Same idea, but LIMITED to a specific set of volumes. Stark noise - my own term, disucssed first. Note: My usage my be dated/in-correct here. A "stark" noise is one that appears at random and is usually disturbing. {Noise} (below) (noise psychology, etc)White Noise
In its purest form, noise "covers up" other sounds. And the noise that does this best is the so-called "white noise". See: {Noise} (below) (noise psychology, etc) White noise consistes (theoretically and of course it can be generated via a computer or other electronics) of RANDOM frequencies and volumes. The best example of white noise is the sound of ocean waves crashing on the sea-shore.Pink Noise
In a soothing situation (with little or no major noises around), the co-called "pink noise" is soothing and helpful to go to sleep by. See: {Noise} (below) (noise psychology, etc) The difference between white (more or less random noise) and pink noise, is that the VOLUME and FREQUENCIES of the pink noise are never allowed to exceed certain maximums. Thus, its frequencies might be kept at a range so as not to be too low (which affects the body/digestion of animals/people/etc), or two high - which tend to be shrill and can liiewise cause disturbing effects; eg, shrill-ness or even "tintinitis" ("ringing in the ears").
Noise
See also: {Silence} (below) {The Physics of Noise} (above)Noise as art material
One of the primary values of noise is that of RE-FOCUSING our attention. If we are listening to something (eg, music or speaking) in the "back-ground", and we are familiar with it, we can completely tune it out - even if it's fairly loud or sometimes even more irritating almost audible. Thus, our mind (especially when asleep) tends to keep focusing on sounds around us and classifying them - all part of the "fight or flight" EVO programming methinks. However, the introduction of a sudden (stark) noise or even a slightly re-occuring noise can cause us to pay more attention to the source of sounds around us. For example, people with perfect pitch might winch physically (or at least note it mentally) if a singer's pitch wavers from "piano standard". Similarly, if you are watching an "edited" version of a film, you will probably note changes in text, or sequence if you are familiar with the film. The same applies to text (either read or spoken/listened to). Thus, a noise can re-focus and actually make us listen harder to a work of art. Of course, the concepts of design apply here; eg, establish a foreground, background, mid-ground, a pattern, break the pattern, use "tricks" to lead the "viewer" (here the listener) along, etc. This is one explanation for the so-called "warmth" of "LP's" (vinyl records) - the scratches and imperfections of the sound recording actually cause us to listen "into" the music more intensely. Just as a stark sound in the forest or even as we are trying to sleep startles us and "pricks up our ears". Cats and dogs as well as other animals exhibit this in a very physical way. We could extend this to sniffing smells, etc. Another consideration of noise, is that it tends to mask other sounds. This can be to good effect in the exmple of the "lost message" composition. For example, if a person (as part of a opera or mass) is supposed to READ a text (ie, non-musical text narration, etc). Thus, by DELIBERATELY masking some of the spoken text, we hear part of it as NOISE and thus have to "invent" what we think we heard. I have only heard this a few times in concert work -- but to with VERY good effect. Especially, since later in the work, the text can be repeated; this time without so much masking. This also is covered in film/performance work by "talking over" or "passing the conversation along" between several speakers. Classic examples, are a familiar scene of people playing poker (we don't have to hear/understand everything they are saying, we "get it") as well as when the thread of a story is put out in bits (we get interested in a bit of story/plot exposition, only to be interrupted by some other players intruding with their bit of the story). Note that in this sense, we are CONTRUCTING the noise out of non-noise elements. Of course, the limiting case is the absurd, dadaist, etc. In a classic Monty Python sketch, in a board meeting, a flunky doesn't want to get "nailed down" to disagreeing or agreeing, and says, "Splunge" (or sponge) and explains that it means that the idea is good but may have problems and that they are NOT being wishy-washy - they definitely think SPLONGE!!! Intruded/extracted noise occurs in common places where several people are working as well; the oddest case, was where some one over-heard us discussing colour design and (for what-ever reason) thought we had said, "Satanic bird calls" -- it staggers the imagination what kind of deranged KERR-SQUAAQKQQ!! might be such a thing. One should always be at the ready to take notes from the randomness of the world around us. As Picasso and Stravinski remind us: "Artists create, great artists steal.". Yet another aspect of noise, is to supply background information and of course is the very basis of sound mixing sound effects (SFX) in general. Of course, these too can be "absurdised" - take for example the (never seen) film within a film in Woody Allen's "Hollywood Ending". As well, as use of sound if off-stage or out-of-sight in film, theatre, etc. As with any other art material, we can use the expectation to full-fill the listener's need for "relaxation/resolution", and the contrasting breaking of expectation to build "tension/interest". Note too, that noises that we associate with common things, indicate (often) their state. In the film "stand and deliever" the breathing of a man indicates to us his mental state - a very common film/theatre technique. We can even extend this (non-musical) breathing of course to whistling, or visual clues -- ie, a sort of visual noise; eg, a nervous tic, a repeated gesture. Noise then added to (probably expected) behaviour can then modify the visual or auditory element and thus create a new dynamic as well. We will see this especially in the use of "silence" in the next section.
Silence
See also: {Noise} (above) "Silence can speak volumes." -- common phrase In John Cage's classic "4minutes and 33 seconds" (which i have not heard) the silence IS the performance. It is the ambient sounds that you hear around you that is the "concert experience". Take this as the ultimate minimalist end-point of the range to which a jet taking off (or heavy metal ;) being at the other end. Again, we must also consider "near silence" as a form of noise or "almost sound/music/speaking" as we saw above in the discussion of noise. The question, "What is you hear?" can thus (in a forest) have the answer "nothing" - meaning, i'm just hearing the leaves russtling, birds, etc, but nothing dangerous or un-expected. Similarly, one might (as a birder) hear the mellow sound of a meadowlark and that same sound would ilicit excitement; "Did you hear that!!!!?" Thus, levels of silence are relative but can of course (in theory in a specially designed ZERO sound room/lab) be absolute as well. An especially interesting way to construct areas of NON-sound (eg, in an installation) is to take the "pink" insulating fibre-glass "bats" and put them in a frame and cover it with loose-weave canvas. (The loose-weave canvas is to protect people from the insulation which causes itching and can in fact be an eye and respiration irritatnt - an even more health-conscious version would be to use "screen door screen" over the bats, and then use the canvas over that. The idea is that the loose-ness of the insulting bats and the porousness (to sound) of the canvas cover creates and unbelievably almost-zero sound absorbing wall. This can be used in loud noise areas - similar to the seathing material designs used to reduce echo in an auditorium, etc. People walking by the canvas structure (which might be "disguised" to look like just a pannel/wall or as art) will tend to think they've suddenly gone deaf on that side as they walk by it. Modern noise canceling devices (as i recall first postulate by Arthur C. Clarke many years ago in one of his "Tales of the WhiteHart Pub" SciFi) can be used - but are limited (presently) to head-phone use. Also, in a sense a portable headphone with music or text, etc recorded introduces a "kind" of silence and thus can isolate the listener from their ENV. We can imagine this as allowing to give a "tour" of a set of art works and each person listening to a different text description (or dialog, etc) or even music would thus have a different experience. Thus, we can use sound to create silence - even though this is a bit of metaphysical "juggline". Again, a limiting case is the "ear protectors" that people in loud noise jobs wear to blot out the sound. In performance or interactive work, it would be limited to how well the "ear plugs" work. Also, of course the so-called "sound isolation booth" is well known in classic "game shows". Again, it's simply much easier to pipe in music than to try and completely isolate the person in a sound-less ENV. Note too the work of John Lily and others on the idea of "isolation tanks" where they tried to negate not only sound but all physical sensation; viz, SENSORY DEPRAVATION. And finally, silence can be used as a contrasting element, where-in we might imagine a viewer/listener moving from one ENV of an installation into another and using silence to accentuate the differences between the areas. The use of DARKNESS with said silences, could be investigated with good effect as well since we associate silence (or lessening of the world's noise, etc) with nightfall, etc. Also, note the use of silence in essentially quiet works; eg, Arvo pArt's "Summa and Tisaion". Also, the VERY effective use of silence in jazz sets (or of course other music) where the performener's deliberately insert silence (or usually near-silence) before starting a KEYNOTE piece; eg, in the Concord Massachusetss recording of Bruebeck just before "Take Five", as well as in most recordings of live performances by Theolonious Monk before they start "Monk's Mood" or of course "The Work Song" with Cannonball Aderly. This effect is more difficult to achieve in rock work, but IS possible with a spoken phrase - here i'm thinking of Ian Anderson's comment "And here is one that you might well know........." and then they play "Thick as a Brick". It staggers the imagination that if this use of silence to totally contrast changes from one form to another at a concert (here i'm thinking of things like Islamic Heavy Metal -- see Levine's book by that title) and of course it's use in stand up comedy and theatre as well is stock. The effect should be studied in film - but more often than not specific VISUAL ques are given and ruin the purity of silence in most film work. Exceptions include the long "nothingnesses" with Lee van Cleef's performance in "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly" -- unfortunately the DVD version of this TIME COPRESSED the recording and it's almost entirely lost on anything other than the TWO-TAPE VHS version. Alas, the under-value-ing of silence. One side issue would be the use of SOUND in mime, which i shall discuss in the performed-mime. File to be written: -[here]- A final word of caution is that with continued silence, the listener becomes more sensistive to sound, and thus the sudden introduction of sound is quite disturbing. Again, refer to John Cage's work - especially the work for modified/prepared piano "The Perilous Journey".
