Here I show the spectral make-up of ‘harmonic’ sounds (sometimes called ‘musical’ sounds, a term I dislike). Using a sample of a male choir singing a single long tone, the spectral components of the sound are revealed through a demonstration of the 3 basic parameters of E.Q. (equalisation), a studio tool that is used to shape timbre, or ‘tone colour’), which include ‘centre frequency’, ‘gain’, and ‘Q’ (quality factor). This is used to introduce the harmonic series, which will be an important reference point for many of the following videos.
VIDEO LESSON 05 – PENTATONIC SCALE FROM HARMONIC PROPORTION (Architectures of Music)
Here I show a simple mathematical description for the most common genera of pentatonic scales – the modes of the major pentatonic scale – and related the model to the harmonic series. Specifically, I describe the major pentatonic scale using a single frequency ratio of 3/2, the interval relationship found between the 2nd and 3rd partials of the harmonic series. In western terms, the 3/2 frequency ratio is called a ‘Perfect 5th’.
VIDEO LESSON 04 – WESTERN STAFF NOTATION (Architectures of Music)
An introduction to the western staff system of musical notation. It explains: the staff, treble and bass clefs (G and F clefs), note names, ledger lines, the grand staff, and how the staff maps to the equal tempered keyboard (the standard tuning for most western instruments)
VIDEO LESSON 03 – NOISE (Architectures of Music)
The acoustical properties of noise (eg. static, rain, waves, snare drums) are shown using E.Q.
VIDEO LESSON 02 INHARMONIC SOUND (Architectures of Music)
The properties of inharmonic sounds (examples include the sound properties of gongs, bells, cymbals) are revealed using E.Q.
Paul Ruston 