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Free course
Creating musical sounds
Free statement of participation on completion
How do different instruments produce the sounds we classify as music? How do we decide whether something whether a piano or a vacuum cleaner is actually a musical instrument? In this free course, Creating musical sounds, we investigate the way vibrations and sound waves are harnessed to create music.
Please note: This course contains several Flash activities which are no longer playable. These are being updated. This course can still be studied, but you may like to postpone your study for now if you would rather have the full experience.
Course learning outcomes
After studying this course, you should be able to:
- Explain correctly the meaning of the emboldened terms in the main text and use them correctly in context
- Identify whether a given sound source can be classed as a musical instrument and explain why (Activity 2)
- Identify the primary vibrator and any secondary vibrators in the most common types of instrument (Activity 3)
- Appreciate that, when a note is played, a musical instrument vibrates strongly at certain specific frequencies and that these frequencies correspond to the natural frequencies of the primary vibrator; (Activity 4)
- Determine whether the sound from a given instrument is transient or sustained (Activity 5)
First Published: 10/08/2012
Updated: 12/09/2017
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David Crawford - 12 April 2017 1:43pm
RATING * * * * *
A highly informative course discussing the psychoacoustics of sound.
The physical and mathematical properties relating to acoustics are explored including, the relationship of sound to music.
It would be advantageous to study this course in tandem with the “Sound for Music Technology” course. A fundamental grounding in high school physics would also be of benefit when undertaking the study material.
Additionally, a wealth of recommendations for further reading and research is provided.
David Crawford - 12 April 2017 1:43pm
RATING * * * * *
A highly informative course discussing the psychoacoustics of sound.
The physical and mathematical properties relating to acoustics are explored including, the relationship of sound to music.
It would be advantageous to study this course in tandem with the “Sound for Music Technology” course. A fundamental grounding in high school physics would also be of benefit when undertaking the study material.
Additionally, a wealth of recommendations for further reading and research is provided.