4.22.2010

Music Notes from 4/20

Musica Mundi: Harmony entity of the world

Pythagoras: Laws of music

Musica humana: Cult of personality

A A# B C C# D D# E F F# G G# Flat is the step down

Octaves 12

Half note system

Diatonic scales:

Key C major: A B C D E F G

0-------51----------99

C C# D

C Dd D

----49-----------------

^ was changed to 50/50 (equi-tempered)

Accidental notes: Modulate between keys, goes against the melody, ‘adds a little spice’

Eastern music sounds disharmonic because of the 24 notes instead of the 12. (In general see Eric’s note below)

Eric: There are several Eastern tunings, and also many earlier Western tunings which sound dissonant to us because they divide the octave in different ways from our equal temperament. It is not always 24 vs our 12. There is not one "Eastern" tuning.


Piano Forte: Soft, Loud

Pitch: Sine wave

Eric: Pitch is related to a sine wave, but pitch is subjective and a sine wave is objective. The frequency of a sine wave determines its pitch, yet the pitch scale is linear and the frequency scale is logarithmic. For example, every doubling of frequency yields a higher octave of the same pitch. (440 Hz is the standard tuning A, and 880 Hz is an A an octave above that and 1760 is an A an octave above that.) It may seem like niggling to bring this up, but it is important to keep in mind what is subjective and objective. The parallels to this with other facets of music are timbre and loudness. Timbre is the subjective interpretation of the frequency spectrum at any given moment (ie the respective amplitudes of all sinusoids present) Loudness is the subjective interpretation of amplitude, or sound pressure levels. Loudness varies depending on the frequency of a sound. For example, we hear a sine wave at 1000 Hz as louder than the a sine wave at 50 Hz, even when they have the same amplitude, due to our ears are more sensitive at the mid-range of the audible frequency spectrum.

Over tones: Are overlapping sine waves

Eric: This is correct in a limited sense. They are overlapping and whole number multiples of the fundamental frequency that you are starting from. A non-harmonic partial (meaning not a whole number multiple of the fundamental) is not usually referred to as an overtone, yet it is overlapping.

Registrar Sound: Pure pitches overlaid

Noise: ‘White Noise’ every pitch possible,

Eric: Again this refers to the subjective interpretation, and this definition is broader than white noise. The definition of white noise is all parts of the frequency spectrum with equal power per frequency unit in a probabilistic sense. Pink noise is similar, but it has equal power per octave probabilistically. (White noise has higher power at the higher end of the frequency spectrum, as there are more frequency units at the higher audible end(because the frequency spectrum is logarithmic.) Pink noise sounds has a lower sound overall)

Panasonic

Rhythm: ‘Sound in silence arranged in time’ timing

Timbre: Unique sound of each instrument

Volume: How loud or how soft

Melody: Linear pattern

Harmony: Multi played notes at the same time.

Monody: Whistling one note at a time

Organum: two people singing but one is at a higher octave

Eric: Organum began this way, (but always allowed for more than two singers) but later allowed

fifths and further dissonances as it progressed.

Counterpoint/ polyphony: Canon, Roundabout, same sound different times

Dissent : C C# clashing notes

Assent: Notes that work together

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According to Jon the accordion is the worst instrument because it is equal tempered so and easily to transfer when people were taking over countries therefore people started to make their instruments equal tempered.

Eric: Accordions can be tuned in different ways. It is not always equal tempered. It does allow one to bring in and force equal temperament in an imperialistic fashion, but so do most other western instruments. The fretted guitar, the clarinet, I would think most instruments with frets, valves or keys is set to its particular tuning system. Perhaps this is the history of the instrument, but it is accidental to the instrument itself.

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Homophony: Independence lost, one melody, mere accompaniment (opera)

Polyphony: Canon, Roundabout, same sound different times

Homophony: Same sounding

Heterophony: (Free Jazz) characterized by the simultaneous variation of a single melodic line

Tonal complexity: Self organization through noise

Home Key: Start Key

Tonic- Subdominant, Returns to home key

Tension/ Resolution: Subplots where music strays from home key to enter subplots.

Polytonal: More than one key at the same time (Artist: Blonde Redhead)

Polyrhythmic: Different Rhythm, different tempo, (Artist: King Crimson)

Math rock: Polytonal, polyphony, polyrhythmic

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