THE SCIENCE OF MUSIC (PC1327/GEK1519)

End-of-Term Class Test, Semester 1, 2008/09

This is an open book test. The test is one hour long.
Give your answers to ALL 25 questions on the computer-readable sheet provided, using a soft (2B)
pencil to shade the appropriate choice for each question.

1. Which of the following is the most appropriate example of technology in music?

(a) A trumpeter practising for a concert on his trumpet.
(b) A folk singer devising a new tuning device for tuning her guitar strings more rapidly.
(c) An engineer practising scales on the piano.
(d) A chemist playing an oboe piece at a dinner during a chemistry conference dinner.
Answer: (b) The trumpeter, engineer and chemist are all performing essentially musical
activities. The folk singer is inventing a new device which is useful, and so she is performing
an essentially technological activity.
2. A melody is written on a staff with a treble clef and the key signature of D major with two
sharps at the beginning of the clef. Two consecutive notes in the melody are written on the
first space from the bottom and the middle line of the staff. What is the ratio of the interval
from the first to the second of these two notes?
√ 9
(a) ( 12 2) .
√ 7
(b) ( 12 2) .
√ 5
(c) ( 12 2) .
(d) None of the above.
Answer: (c) The first note is normally F4, but in the key of D major is played as F sharp
between F4 and G4. The second note is√ B4. Hence there are 5 semitones√ between these two
12 12 5
notes. As each semitone has the ratio 2, this interval has the ratio ( 2) .
3. Two soprano singers are competing to see which of them can sing highest in pitch and as softly
as possible in volume. Which of the following describes how they should be trying to sing?
(a) By singing with the lowest possible power and the highest possible frequency.
(b) By singing with the lowest possible power and the lowest possible frequency.
(c) By singing with the greatest possible power and the highest possible frequency.
(d) By singing with the greatest possible power and the lowest possible frequency.
Answer: (a) To sing with the highest possible pitch, they should sing with the highest possible
frequency. To sing as softly as possible, they should sing with the lowest possible power.
4. Two bamboo poles are swinging from side to side during a strong wind. The first pole makes
5 complete side-by-side movements or cycles in 4 seconds, while the second pole makes 3.6
complete cycles in the same time that the first pole makes 3 complete cycles. What is the
frequency of vibration of the second pole?
(a) 0.75 Hz.
(b) 1.25 Hz.
(c) 1.5 Hz.
(d) None of the above.

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 Answer: (c) The first pole makes 5 complete cycles in four seconds, and thus has a frequency
of 5 cycles divided by 4 seconds or 1.25 Hz. It will complete 3 cycles in a time given by 3 cycles
divided by 1.25 Hz i.e. 2.4 seconds. This is the time in which the second pole completes 3.6
cycles, so its frequency is equal to 3.6 cycles divided 2.4 seconds i.e. 1.5 Hz.
5. You are at a pop concert, and one of the first groups which performs is an a cappella group
which registers 78 dB on a sound level meter you are carrying with you. If a rock band which
follows the a cappella group produces sound which is a thousand times more powerful than the
a cappella group, what would you expect the reading on the sound level meter to be? (Assume
that the sound level meter reading is due only to either the a cappella group or the rock band.)
(a) 78 dB.
(b) 88 dB.
(c) 98 dB.
(d) None of the above.
Answer: (d) A ten times increase in sound power would result in a reading of 10 dB more. A
thousand times increase is an increase of 10 times 10 times 10, so the sound level meter reading
should increase by 10 dB plus 10 dB plus 10 dB i.e by 30 dB. The reading should thus be 78
dB plus 30 dB i.e. 108 dB.
6. At a football match, a referee blows his whistle, which produces a musical note at a frequency
of 600 Hz. A female football fan who is also a soprano then sings a note which is one octave
plus a Just sixth above the note produced by the whistle. What is the frequency of the note
which she sings?
(a) 1,000 Hz.
(b) 1,800 Hz.
(c) 2,000 Hz.
(d) None of the above.
Answer: (c) An octave above 600 Hz would give a frequency of 1,200 Hz, and a Just sixth
above that would give a frequency equal to 1,200 Hz times 35 i.e. 2,000 Hz.
7. A trumpet plays a folk song from a musical score which has a time signature of 11/8 at the
beginning. Which of the following combinations of notes would fit exactly into one bar of the
folk song?
(a) A minim plus 2 crotchets.
(b) A semibreve plus a quaver.
(c) 2 minims plus 4 quavers.
(d) A semibreve plus a crotchet plus a quaver.
Answer: (d) A time signature of 11/8 means that there are 11 beats in a bar, and each beat is
equal to a quaver. Hence there should be the duration equivalent of 11 quavers in each bar. A
semibreve is equivalent to 8 quavers, and a crotchet is equivalent to 2 quavers, so a semibreve
plus a crotchet plus a quaver is equivalent to 11 quavers.
8. There are two closed pipes of lengths m3 and m5 and two open pipes of lengths 2m and m3
(all lengths in cm). Which of the following gives the correct order of these pipes in order of
increasing frequencies in terms of their lengths?
(a) 2m, m3 (closed), m3 (open), m5 .
(b) 2m, m3 (closed), m5 , m3 (open).
(c) m3 (closed), 2m, m5 , m3 (open).
(d) None of the above.

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 Answer: (b) Let f Hz be the fundamental frequency of an open pipe with length m. Open
pipes with lengths 2m and m3 will have fundamental frequencies of f2 Hz and 3f Hz respectively.
A closed pipe of length m will have a fundamental frequency of f2 Hz. Closed pipes with
lengths m3 and m5 will have fundamental frequencies of 3f2 Hz and 5f2 Hz respectively. Hence
the frequencies in increasing order are 2m, m3 (closed), m5 , m3 (open).
9. A string which is 80 cm is vibrating with a number of antinodes between its two ends with
a frequency of 5,600 Hz. A second string which is 100 cm long is vibrating with 5 antinodes
between its two ends with a frequency of 3,200 Hz. How many antinodes are there between the
two ends of the 80 cm long string? (Assume that the two strings are the same in all respects
except length.)
(a) 7 antinodes.
(b) 6 antinodes.
(c) 8 antinodes.
(d) None of the above.
Answer: (a) The second string has 5 antinodes and is thus vibrating at its 5th harmonic, and
its fundamental frequency is equal to 3,200 Hz divided by 5 i.e. 640 Hz. The 80 cm long string
thus has a fundamental frequency equal to 640 Hz times 100
80
i.e. 800 Hz. If it is vibrating with
a frequency of 5,600 Hz, the harmonic number at which it is vibrating is equal to 5,600800
i.e. 7,
and there must thus be 7 antinodes between its two ends.
10. An open pipe has a 3rd harmonic frequency of 1,440 Hz. A closed pipe has a length double
that of this open pipe. In a diagram of the frequency spectrum of the closed pipe, at what
frequencies would you expect the first four visible vertical spectral lines to be located?
(a) 240 Hz 480 Hz, 720 Hz, 960 Hz.
(b) 120 Hz, 240 Hz, 360 Hz, 480 Hz.
(c) 120 Hz, 360 Hz, 600 Hz, 840 Hz.
(d) 60 Hz, 180 Hz, 300 Hz 420 Hz.
Answer: (c) The open pipe has a 3rd harmonic frequency of 1,440 Hz, so its fundamental
frequency must be 1,4403
Hz i.e. 480 Hz. A closed pipe of the same length would have a
fundamental frequency half that of the open pipe i.e. 240 Hz. A closed pipe double the length
would have a fundamental frequency of 240 Hz divided by 2 i.e. 120 Hz. For its spectrum, we
would expect to see only the spectral lines representing the odd harmonics, as even harmonics
are absent for closed pipes. The first four lines of the spectrum would thus be the fundamental,
the 3rd, 5th and 7th harmonics i.e. 120 Hz, 360 Hz, 600 Hz and 840 Hz.
11. A guitarist tunes the A string of her guitar using an electronic tuner to assist her, setting the
tuner to produce a musical note of frequency 110 Hz. On playing the A string, she hears beats
at a frequency of 5 Hz produced between the tuner’s note and the guitar’s A string. When
she tightens the A string slightly while it is vibrating, the beat frequency increases to 8 Hz
(without passing through 0 Hz). What was the A string’s frequency when the beat frequency
was 5 Hz and when the beat frequency was 8 Hz? (Give the answer for 5 Hz followed by the
answer for 8 Hz.)
(a) 105 Hz followed by 118 Hz.
(b) 105 Hz followed by 102 Hz.
(c) 115 Hz followed by 118 Hz.
(d) 115 Hz followed by 102 Hz.
Answer: (c) For a beat frequency of 5 Hz, the frequency of the A string would have been
either 110 Hz minus 5 Hz i.e. 105 Hz, or 110 Hz plus 5 Hz i.e. 115 Hz. When the beat

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 frequency increases to 8 Hz, the A string’s frequency must have become further away from 110
Hz. Since tightening the A string means that the string’s frequency would have increased, this
means that the A string’s frequency must have been higher than 110 Hz initially. Therefore
when the beat frequency was at 5 Hz, the A string’s frequency was equal to 115 Hz, and when
the beat frequency increased to 8 Hz, the A string’s frequency increased to 118 Hz.
12. A closed pipe has a fundamental frequency of 360 Hz, and its 5th harmonic frequency creates
beats of 12 Hz with the 4th harmonic frequency of an open pipe. When the open pipe vibrates
with 6 nodes between its two fixed ends, what could be its two possible frequencies of vibration?
(a) 2,682 Hz and 2,718 Hz.
(b) 2,235 Hz and 2,265 Hz.
(c) 447 Hz and 453 Hz.
(d) None of the above.
Answer: (a) The 5th harmonic frequency of the closed pipe is equal to 360 Hz times 5 i.e.
1,800 Hz. If beats of 12 Hz are created between this frequency and the 4th harmonic frequency
of the open pipe, the two possible values of this 4th harmonic frequency are 1,800 Hz minus 12
Hz i.e. 1,788 Hz, and 1,800 Hz plus 12 Hz i.e. 1,812 Hz. Therefore the two possible values of
the fundamental frequency of the open pipe are 1,788 Hz divided by 4 i.e. 447 Hz, and 1,812
Hz divided by 4 i.e. 453 Hz. When the open pipe has 6 nodes, it will be at its 6th harmonic,
and the two possible values of the 6th harmonic frequency are 447 Hz times 6 i.e. 2,682 Hz,
and 453 Hz times 6 i.e. 2,718 Hz.
13. Which of the following is most inappropriate as a description of a modern grand piano?
(a) String instrument.
(b) Percussion instrument.
(c) Keyboard instrument.
(d) Wind instrument.
Answer: (d) The modern grand piano is a string instrument, and can also be described as a
keyboard instrument. It is also a percussion instrument as the hammers hit the strings. But
it is certainly not a wind instrument as the sound is not produced by an air column.
14. In a Cristofori piano, the three levers of its action cause a hammer to hit a string when a key is
depressed. The first lever of the action multiplies the distance travelled by the effort by 1, and
the third lever multiplies the distance travelled by the effort by 4.8. If the hammer rises up
with a velocity of 43.2 cm per second when the corresponding key is depressed with a velocity
of 3 cm per second, by what factor does the second lever multiply the distance travelled by
the effort?
(a) 1.5 times.
(b) 3 times.
(c) 4.5 times.
(d) None of the above.
Answer: (b) If the hammer rises at a velocity of 43.2 cm per second, when the corresponding
key is depressed with a velocity of 3 cm per second, then the three levers multiply the distance
travelled by the key by a factor of 43.2
3
i.e. 14.4 times. The first and third levers together
multiply the distance by a factor given by 4.8 times 1 i.e. 4.8 times. Therefore the second
lever must multiply the distance travelled by a factor given by 14.4 times divided by 4.8 i.e. 3
times.
15. An electronic keyboard sends a MIDI message to a synthesizer to turn on the musical note B6
as quickly as possible, in the highest numbered MIDI channel. What is the correct sequence
of numbers in decimal form making up this MIDI message?

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 (a) 9, 0, 83, 127.
(b) 8, 15, 95, 127.
(c) 9, 15, 95, 127.
(d) 9, 15, 83, 127.
Answer: (c) The first number of the MIDI message should be 9, which means that a note
is to be turned on; the second number should be 15, which means that the MIDI message is
for the highest numbered MIDI channel; the third number should be 95, which means that
the note to be turned on is B6 (C4 has the key number 60, C6 has the key number 84, and
therefore B6 which is 11 semitones above C6 has the key number 95); and the fourth number
should be 127, which means that the note is to be turned on as quickly as possible.
16. An electronic keyboard has MIDI in, MIDI out and MIDI thru sockets labeled I1, O1 and
T1 respectively. An electronic synthesizer has a MIDI in, MIDI out and MIDI thru socket
labelled I2, O2 and T2 respectively. You also have two electronic tone generators, each with
MIDI in, MIDI out and MIDI thru sockets, the first tone generator sockets labelled I3, O3
and T3 respectively, and the second tone generator sockets labeled I4, O4 and T4 respectively.
You wish to use the electronic keyboard to record a melody in the electronic synthesizer, and
then use both the tone generators to play the melody stored in the synthesizer. Which of the
following connection is not appropriate for what you wish to do?
(a) O1 to I2.
(b) O2 to I3.
(c) T3 to I4.
(d) O3 to I4.
Answer: (d) You should connect the MIDI out socket O1 of the electronic keyboard to the
MIDI in socket I2 of the electronic synthesizer to enable the keyboard to send MIDI messages
to the synthesizer. The MIDI out socket O2 of the synthesizer should be connected to the MIDI
in socket I3 of the first tone generator to enable the synthesizer to send MIDI messages to this
tone generator. The MIDI thru socket of the first tone generator T3 should be connected to
the MIDI in socket I4 of the second tone generator to transfer the same MIDI messages to the
second tone generator. Connecting O3 to I4 will not bring the MIDI messages from the first
tone generator to the second tone generator.
17. In the frequency modulation or FM synthesis technique of musical sound synthesis, a modulator
waveform changes one of the characteristics of a carrier waveform. Which characteristic of the
carrier waveform does the modulator waveform change?
(a) Amplitude.
(b) Frequency.
(c) Speed.
(d) Power.
Answer: (b) The modulator waveform changes or modulates the frequency of the carrier
waveform, which is why this technique is known as frequency modulation synthesis.
18. The frequency modulation or FM synthesis technique is used to synthesize a musical waveform,
using a carrier waveform which has a frequency of 5,000 Hz. In the frequency spectrum of the
resulting synthesized waveform, the four nearest harmonics to the carrier frequency are 4,300
Hz, 4,650 Hz, 5,350 Hz and 5,700 Hz. What is the frequency of the modulator waveform?
(a) 250 Hz.
(b) 300 Hz.
(c) 400 Hz.

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 (d) None of the above.
Answer: (d) Since the four nearest harmonics appear to be separated from the carrier fre-
quency and from each other by intervals of 350 Hz, the frequency of the modulator waveform
must be equal to 350 Hz.
19. The Yong Siew Toh Conservatory Orchestra is being digitally recorded on a notebook computer.
If the highest frequency to be prerserved in the orchestra’s performance is 18,300 Hz, what
is the sampling frequency which should be used for the digital recording, according to the
Nyquist theorem or criterion on sampling frequency?
(a) 9,150 samples per second.
(b) 18,300 samples per second.
(c) 36,600 samples per second.
(d) None of the above.
Answer: (c) The Nyquist theorem or criterion says that the sampling frequency should be
twice the value of the highest frequency to be preserved in the recording. Thus if the highest
frequency to be preserved is 18,300 Hz, the sampling frequency is twice this frequency i.e.
36,600 samples per second.
20. In the analog to digital process of digitization, the number of quantization levels is determined
by the bit length of the digital samples during the quantization process which is part of the
digitization process. If the bit length is 6 bits, how many quantization levels will there be?
(a) 16 levels.
(b) 32 levels.
(c) 128 levels.
(d) None of the above.
Answer: (d) For a bit length of 6 bits, the number of quantization levels is given by 26 i.e.
64 levels.
21. A rock concert is being transmitted digitally over the Internet. If the maximum bit rate of
the digital transmission is 580,000 bits per second, and the highest frequency which is to be
preserved in the rock band’s performance is 20,000 Hz, what is the longest possible bit length
of the digital sample which can be transmitted? (Assume that the recording is not in stereo
i.e. there is only one audio channel.)
(a) 16 bits.
(b) 15 bits.
(c) 14 bits.
(d) None of the above.
Answer: (c) If the highest frequency to be preserved in the band’s performance is 20,000 Hz,
then the sampling frequency is twice this i.e. 40,000 samples per second. Since the bit rate is
580,000 bits per second, each digital sample can have a bit length of 580,000 bits per second
divided by 40,000 samples per second i.e. 14.5 bits. As bit length has to be an integer, the bit
length of the samples can be no longer than 14 bits, as 15 bit samples would result in a bit
rate exceeding 580,000 bits per second.
22. A concert by the NUS Choir is being transmitted digitally over a communications cable. The
cable can transmit no more than 1,040,000 bits per second, and it is desired that the signal-to-
noise (S/N) ratio in the digital transmission of the concert be better than 75 dB. What is the
maximum possible frequency which can be preserved in the concert performance? (Assume
that the digital transmission is in stereo sound, with two audio channels of equal bit rate, and
that each bit of the sample bit length contributes 6 dB to the S/N ratio.)

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 (a) 10,000 Hz.
(b) 20,000 Hz.
(c) 40,000 Hz.
(d) None of the above.
Answer: (b) If the S/N ratio is to be better than 75 dB, and if each bit length of the digital
samples contributes 6 dB to the S/N ratio, then the bit length must be equal to 75 divided
by 6 i.e. 12.5 bits. As bit length must be an integer, the bit length has to be 13 bits, as 12
bits would give an S/N ratio of only 72 dB. As the cable can transmit at most 1,040,000 bits
per second, each audio channel can transmit half of this bit rate i.e. 520,000 bits per second.
Therefore the number of samples per second is equal to 520,000 bits per second divided by 13
bits i.e. 40,000 samples per second. By the Nyquist theorem, the highest frequency which can
be preserved in the performance is half of this i.e. 20,000 Hz.
23. The NUS Chinese Orchestra is performing in a concert which is being digitally transmitted
through a microwave radio link. If the highest frequency in the orchestra’s performance which
can be preserved by the digital transmission is 21,000 Hz, and if the signal to noise (S/N)
ratio of the performance is to be better than 88 dB, what is the minimum bit rate which the
microwave radio link should be capable of transmitting? (Assume that the performance is
being transmitted in stereo sound i.e. with two audio channels which have equal bit rates, and
that each bit of the bit length of the digital samples contributes 6 dB to the S/N ratio.)
(a) 588,000 bits per second.
(b) 630,000 bits per second.
(c) 1,176,000 bits per second.
(d) None of the above.
Answer: (d) If the highest frequency to be preserved is 21,000 Hz, by the Nyquist theorem,
the sampling frequency should be double this i.e. 42,000 samples per second. For a S/N ratio
of better than 88 dB, the sample bit length should be equal to 88 divided by 6 i.e. 14.66 bits,
which means that the bit length has to be 15 bits. Therefore for each audio channel, the bit
rate is equal to 42,000 samples per second times 15 bits i.e. 630,000 bits per second. For two
channels, the bit rate should thus be equal to at least double this i.e. 1,260,000 bits per second.
24. A symphony orchestra concert is being broadcast on the radio, and you wish to record the
concert digitally on your computer’s thumb drive. The bit length of the digital samples is 16
bits, and you would like to record 72 minutes of the concert on the thumb drive. If the highest
frequency you would like to preserve in the concert is 16,000 Hz, what is the number of bytes
which you need on the thumb drive for the digital recording? (Assume the recording is in
stereo i.e. there are two audio channels to be recorded, and that each audio channel has the
same bit rate.)
(a) 138,240,000 bytes.
(b) 276,480,000 bytes.
(c) 552,960,000 bytes.
(d) None of the above.
Answer: (c) If the highest frequency to be preserved is 16,000 Hz, the sampling frequency
by the Nyquist theorem is double this i.e. 32,000 samples per second. If each sample is 16
bits long, then for each second of the recording, the number of bits to be recorded is equal to
32,000 samples times 16 bits i.e. 512,000 bits per second, which for two stereo channels gives
1,024,000 bits per second, or (divided by 8) 128,000 bytes per second. 72 minutes is equal to
72 times 60 seconds, so the total number of bytes required for the recording is equal to 128,000
times 72 times 60 i.e. 552,960,000 bytes.

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25. A standard audio compact disk or CD digitally records music in stereo, with two audio channels,
at a bit rate of 1,411,200 bits per second. Which of the following MP3 bit rates would represent
a compression ratio which is closest to 11 to 1 from the audio CD track to the MP3 file?
(a) 56,000 bits per second.
(b) 64,000 bits per second.
(c) 128,000 bits per second.
(d) 192,000 bits per second.
Answer: (c) The MP3 bit rate of 128,000 bits per second gives a compression ratio of 1,411,200
divided by 128,000 i.e. 11.025, which is the compression ratio closest to 11 to 1.

END OF TEST PAPER