Music
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
Generation after generation people have been making music. Everybody knows what music is. But putting it in words sounds easier than it is.
A lot easier is describing the elements music is made of: Rhythm, melody, harmony, fantasy, lyrics, an wave emitting source in a transport medium and finally wave receptors (your ears will do fine).
Talking about music is talking about patterns of sounds.
- Rhythm: the intervals between the sounds based on repetative patterns. Most music is based on simple patterns repeated at a fixed rate. More complex compositions bring a lot of variations in the patterns and changes in speed.
- Melody: the base frequency of the sounds based on repetative patterns. The melody is played in a certain rhythm. Often melodies and rhythms are associated with moods.
- Harmony: multiple sounds played at the same time. The combinations are more or less pleasant to the ears. The combined sounds are often chosen to express or provoke a certain emotion.
An accord is combination of sounds at different frequencies. The actual frequencies are again ordered in specific patterns. The patterns used are highly cultural bound. Most western music is made from majeur and mineur accords or patterns. The names obviously are chosen because of the feeling provoked by these patterns. Western music knows more than these two patterns but all are limited to a specific set of frequencies. Oriental music has a very differing set of frequencies and patterns. Obviously this difference can be found back on the available tones on the instruments. It can be very hard to play music from one culture on an instrument from another.
Beside frequency the sounds can differ themselves. This is called the timbre of a sound. Usually an instrument will produce various sounds of differing frequencies but with a similar timbre. Different instruments will produce different timbres.
A piece of music is a combination of all above.
Why do people make music? Some play for others, some play just for themselves. What is it good for? Sometimes absolutely nothing else than a way of expressing ones deepest feelings. Sometimes it's used for communication. Beside emotions or moods music can bring the mind into other states of consiousness. Music can be used for meditation or to bring you in a trance. Music is a powerfull thing and I feel we just have began to explore the beneficial effects. Imagine a cd with music to cure a disease...
A song is a lyric put on music. The human throat can be a beautifull instrument that can produce sounds with varying timbres and tones of all known cultures. When you're like me and you sing terrible you can resort to an instrument. And if you have the musical skill of a vogon you still can call yourself lucky because there are a lot of people out there that like to make music and are waiting let you hear it.
Music, can't tell you what it is, but I love it!
A lot easier is describing the elements music is made of: Rhythm, melody, harmony, fantasy, lyrics, an wave emitting source in a transport medium and finally wave receptors (your ears will do fine).
Talking about music is talking about patterns of sounds.
- Rhythm: the intervals between the sounds based on repetative patterns. Most music is based on simple patterns repeated at a fixed rate. More complex compositions bring a lot of variations in the patterns and changes in speed.
- Melody: the base frequency of the sounds based on repetative patterns. The melody is played in a certain rhythm. Often melodies and rhythms are associated with moods.
- Harmony: multiple sounds played at the same time. The combinations are more or less pleasant to the ears. The combined sounds are often chosen to express or provoke a certain emotion.
An accord is combination of sounds at different frequencies. The actual frequencies are again ordered in specific patterns. The patterns used are highly cultural bound. Most western music is made from majeur and mineur accords or patterns. The names obviously are chosen because of the feeling provoked by these patterns. Western music knows more than these two patterns but all are limited to a specific set of frequencies. Oriental music has a very differing set of frequencies and patterns. Obviously this difference can be found back on the available tones on the instruments. It can be very hard to play music from one culture on an instrument from another.
Beside frequency the sounds can differ themselves. This is called the timbre of a sound. Usually an instrument will produce various sounds of differing frequencies but with a similar timbre. Different instruments will produce different timbres.
A piece of music is a combination of all above.
Why do people make music? Some play for others, some play just for themselves. What is it good for? Sometimes absolutely nothing else than a way of expressing ones deepest feelings. Sometimes it's used for communication. Beside emotions or moods music can bring the mind into other states of consiousness. Music can be used for meditation or to bring you in a trance. Music is a powerfull thing and I feel we just have began to explore the beneficial effects. Imagine a cd with music to cure a disease...
A song is a lyric put on music. The human throat can be a beautifull instrument that can produce sounds with varying timbres and tones of all known cultures. When you're like me and you sing terrible you can resort to an instrument. And if you have the musical skill of a vogon you still can call yourself lucky because there are a lot of people out there that like to make music and are waiting let you hear it.
Music, can't tell you what it is, but I love it!
