Why do musical instruments sound different
Read more about how harmonics form the basis of western music theory. Original post on Quora. Different instruments will produce different overtones more or less prominently, and will mix in some non-harmonic overtones and noise. The louder the harmonics, the brighter the sound. The quieter the harmonics, the duller the sound. The sound differences between different acoustic guitars using the same strings, however, has to do with the body shape and density of the guitars.
These factors, shape and density, determine the harmonic character of all instruments. A speaker is mounted below the plate, causing the plate to vibrate at a certain fundamental frequency. Granules of sand are spread over the plate. The granules settle in the sections of the plate that do not vibrate. The Chladni plate allows us to visualize the harmonic character of differently shaped plates! Check it out:. If you are enjoying this post, you should consider joining the email list at the bottom of this page.
If you have friends who would find Audio University interesting, please share on social media! The envelope of an instrument describes the level variation of a note or chord over time.
It is divided into three parts: Attack, Sustain, and Decay. Although the envelope of an electronically synthesized instrument is described by attack, decay, sustain, and release, the purpose of this section is to explore the variables that determine the envelope of acoustic instruments.
Attack is a measure of time. It represents the time it takes a note to reach its maximum intensity. Instruments with short attack include percussion, piano, and plucked string instruments such as guitar or harpsichord. When a note is played on these instruments, the sound quickly reaches its maximum level. Instruments capable of long attack include woodwinds, brass, and bowed string instruments such as violins. Notes played on these instruments can start quiet and slowly build to their maximum level.
Sustain is a measure of time, in the context of acoustic instruments. It represents the duration of time that the steady-state intensity of a note is held. Snare drums, banjos, and many other percussive instruments are examples of instruments with short sustain. Once the note played and reaches its maximum intensity, it quickly begins to decay. Instruments such as electric guitar, bowed string instruments, and wind instruments are capable of long sustain. Why do clarinets and flutes sound different even when they play the same note?
Why does a guitar sound different from a horn even when both play the same note? Are music notes the same for every instrument? Is flute and piano notes the same? What is the highest note a flute can play? Is flute easier than piano? Why does my flute sound fuzzy? Is the flute difficult to play? Musical instruments create sounds by making something vibrate. For example, guitars make sound when their strings vibrate.
These notes are made in a particular sequence to play a piece of music. Although the pitch how high or low a sound is will be the same, a particular note sounds different on different instruments because they produce sound waves with different patterns shapes and sizes.
Bigger instruments tend to make lower and louder notes than small ones. The flute is a wind instrument.
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