Frequency & Pitch
This lesson is part of the Fundamentals of Sound & Music module. |
Objectives[edit]
- Student will be able to define the difference between a sinusoidal and complex wave.
- Student will be able to derive a harmonic series given a fundamental pitch.
- Student will be able to identify whether a sound is harmonic or not on a spectrogram, frequency graph, and oscilloscope.
- Students will understand how frequency relates to the aural concept of pitch.
- Students will understand how frequencies of multiple waveforms interact.
- Students will understand the difference between absolute and relative pitch.
Resources[edit]
Readings[edit]
- Smack My Pitch Up:
- Project Studio Handbook:
- Physclips UNSW: Frequency and Pitch
Listening & Videos[edit]
- Hefele, "Overtone Singing Demonstration"
Tools[edit]
- Chrome Music Lab: Spectrogram
- Academo Virtual Oscilloscope
- Szynalski Online Tone Generator
- (Software) Audacity
- Teropa Harmonics Explorer
Class Activities[edit]
- Discussion and definition of frequency, pitch, amplitude, and waveform diagrams.
- Investigation of variables using waveform diagrams.
- Demonstration of the combination of two sounds (inducing beats), and the visualization of the process as waveform diagrams.
- Demonstration of harmonic combinations and decomposition.
- Use of an oscilloscope and spectrogram to analyze and compare different sounds.
- Demonstration of harmonic series using brass instruments.
Assignments[edit]
- Drawing/analyzing waveform diagrams.
- Harmonics worksheet