Unit 2: Sound and Soundwaves

What is sound?

Sound is a moving energy that travels as a pattern of changing pressure. sound can travel through gases, liquid, and solids, but not in a vacuum which explains why there is no sounds in space. It is essential to understand that sound is not a 'thing' in itself. It is a property of the medium it is travelling through. It is common to characterise sound as a vibration, but this can cause confusion. It is true to say that an object must vibrate to create a soundwave, but it is better to think of the soundwave itself as a moving pattern of alternating high and low pressure energy.

Amplitude

The "amount" of compression and rarefaction of the air is the amplitude of the soundwave, the volume or loudness which the ear perceives. As long as the air pressure is changing, sound will be heard.

Frequency

The speed at which the source vibrates is known as the frequency of the soundwave and is expressed in hertz (Hz) or cycles per second (cps). 1000 hertz = 1 kilohertz (kHz).


Timbre

What is timbre in music? Timbre (pronounced TAM-bur) is the unique quality of the sound that a musical instrument makes. When two different instruments play the same note, the instruments can still have very different sounds

Compression

As the source expands it pushes the surrounding air molecules away causing them to "bunch" together and the air pressure to increase.

Rarefaction

As the source contracts the surrounding air molecules spreads out to fill the increasing space, causing a decrease in air pressure.

Cycles

When a source has expanded and contracted once it is said to have cycled. This is a single vibration.

Sine Wave

When a source expands and contracts absolutely consistently (unfound in nature) it is said to be moving in simple harmonic motion. The wave it produces is known as a sine wave.

Harmonics

A harmonic is a sound wave that has a frequency that is an integer multiple of a fundamental tone. The lowest frequency sound that can be produced on the tube is the fundamental tone frequency. The frequency twice that of the fundamental tone is the second harmonic, and the frequency three times the frequency of the fundamental tone is its third harmonic.

Hertz

Hertz (Hz) is a unit of measurement of sound frequency. Frequency, often measured in Hertz, is the pitch of a sound while amplitude, measured in decibels (dB), is the loudness of a sound. Both loudness and pitch are subjective attributes that allow us to hear. There is a high correlation between the two, so a change in pitch can also result in a change of loudness.


All information in this blog gathered from the following sources: http://www.planetoftunes.com/sound-audio-theory/what-is-sound.php

http://www.planetoftunes.com/sound-audio-theory/sound-waveform-diagrams.php

https://www.hoffmanacademy.com/blog/what-is-timbre-in-music-description-and-examples

https://www.yamaha.com/en/musical_instrument_guide/saxophone/trivia/trivia008.html#:~:text=Trivia-,What%20are%20harmonics?,to%20look%20like%20a%20mountain?

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