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Sound Engineering Lesson 4 Slides

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22 views

Sound Engineering Lesson 4 Slides

Uploaded by

Allen John Burroughs
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Professional Diploma in

Sound Engineering
Lesson 4: Music Theory for Sound Engineers
Explain frequency and pitch
Use a piano roll in a DAW
Explain major and minor scales
Compose chords
Recall the notes in a key signature

Objectives
Lesson 4
Bright, dull, thin, and warm

Frequency relationship
of two sounds

Tone
All sounds consist of
many frequencies

Only musical sounds


have harmonics
Pitch

Increase in frequency = higher pitch

We can hear from 20 Hz to 20 000 Hz

1 Hertz = 1 complete wave (peak to peak)

A = 440 Hz
Pure tone

A = 440 Hz

Pure tone is a sine wave

Most simple type of wave


Pitch

Octaves Notes
A4

A 440 440 for frequency

A4 for register
A4 = 440 Hz A3 = 220 Hz

Divide by 2 for
lower octaves

A2 = 110 Hz A1 = 55 Hz
Multiply by 2
for higher octaves

A4 = 440 Hz

A5 = 880 Hz

A6 = 1760 Hz

A7 = 3520 Hz
Timbre
Tone colour

We all sound different due to harmonics


The fundamental
A pure tone is a simple sine wave

Root frequency is the fundamental

Fundamental is also the 1st harmonic

A3 = 220 Hz
• Fundamental is the 1st
harmonic

Overtones • 1st overtone is the 2nd


harmonic
• Different overtones and
loudness = different timbre
Based on a ratio

The harmonic series


Based on the fundamental
Overtones
• Wave 1 = fundamental
• Wave 2 = 1st overtone
• 1st overtone = 2 oscillations
• 2nd overtone = 3 oscillations

(Schmidt-Jones, 2020)
Piano and cello sound Same overtones, different
different amplitudes

Overtones
We can closely recreate most natural
tones using the overtone series
Strings Woodwinds

Instruments
and
combinations
Brass Percussion
Strings

Violin Harp

Viola Guitar

Cello Lute

Double bass Mandolin


• Piccolo
• Flute
• Oboe
• English horn
Woodwinds • Clarinet
• E-flat clarinet
• Bass clarinet
• Bassoon
• Contra bassoon
Brass
Tuba

Euphonium

Cornet

Trumpet

Flugel

French horn
Marimba Xylophone

Percussion
Pitched:

Timpani Triangle
Tambourine

Percussion Snare drum


Unpitched:

Cymbals
New timbres

Combine instruments Create specific timbres

Light melody = Thicker melody =


Normal melody = violin
violin + flute violin + trumpet
MIDI
Musical Interface Digital Instrument
Midi
Control computers, external
devices, and light shows

Compose music

Connected time oriented media


Midi is information,
not sound
Pitch, velocity,
and time 3 parameters of
midi for control
Midi: pitch
How high or low a note is

Can also assign drum sounds


Midi: velocity

Strength of Peak Lowest velocity “volume”


musical note v127elocity = =0 of a note
Midi: time

Timecode: Per quarter note beat

Control external devices

Change note lengths in DAW


Midi: controllers

Record and send Control devices and Makes using


information software midi easier
Midi applications

Musical notes
Control external
and values on
devices
software

Light show for Pitch and


your music velocity are
“switches”
Piano roll
Midi values

Pitch, velocity, and time


Chromatic
12 notes
scale

Piano roll

A-B-C-D-
7 basic notes
E-F-G
Piano roll
Semi tone = half step

Half and Up/down with one key

whole steps
Whole tone = whole step

Up/down with 2 semi-tones


Allows dynamics in Value between
digital music 0 – 127

Midi: velocity

High velocity = Low velocity =


strong signal weak signal
Midi: notes

Measures time in quarter note beats

Can work with 8th, 16th, 32nd, and 64th notes

Some DAWs support up to 128th notes


Music theory for sound engineers
A –> G# = 12 notes
Diatonic scale

7 notes

5 whole steps + 2 half steps


= Diatonic scale

Major notes = Minor notes


= different starting note
Only white notes
C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C
on a piano

C Maj
vs
a min
Your first two
A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A
key signatures!
Use this
Maj: W-W-H-W-W- Min: W-H-W-W- H -
for chords and
W-H W-W
melodies

Easy scales:
C maj A min

C–E–G A–C–E

1 + 3 + 5 = Chord

Chord: 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8/1
C Maj: C – D – E – F – G – A – B – C
A min: A – B – C – D – E – F – G - A
3 steps from 1 to 3 = min

Maj vs min
chords
4 steps from 1 to 3 = maj
C maj A min

C–E-G A–C–E

1 + 3 + 5 = Chord
Chord: 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8/1
C Maj: C – D – E – F – G – A – B – C
A min: A – B – C – D – E – F – G - A
Diminished: B
Circle of fifths
• 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
• C, d, e, f, G
• G, a, b, c, D
• D, e, f, g, A

(MusicNotes.com; 2020)
Easy rhymes
for easy scales
Sharp #: Father Charles Goes Down And
Ends Battle

Flat b: Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles’


Father

A 4th is a 5th reversed

(musicnotes, 2020)
Some notes have 2 names

Enharmonic • A# = Bb
notesertones • B# = C
• C# = Dd

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