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The Science of Music
In the words of science, music has
an identifiable pitch, a pleasing
quality, and a repeated rhythm.
Musical Frequencies
The identifiable pitch in music is the musical
note. The musical note is a specific
frequency of sound, designated by a letter.
Examples: C-256 Hz
A-440 Hz
Each of these frequencies is called the
fundamental frequency.
Musical Octaves
Musical notes are arranged into octaves, a
series of eight notes of increasing
frequency (Do-Re-Mi-Fa-Sol-La- Ti-Do).
The frequency doubles from the first to last
note of the octave. The last note of an
octave is the first note of the next octave.
Musical Quality
The quality of a musical sound is a
combination of the fundamental frequency
and additional frequencies called
overtones that give each musical
instrument its own unique sound.
( A guitar never sounds like a trombone.)
Musical Rhythm
The rhythm of music is its beat. The beat is
mathematical and steady. The
percussionist in a musical group keeps the
beat steady.