CHARACTERISTICS

OF SOUND WAVES
 Frequency & Pitch

•Pitch – is a description of how high or low the sound seems to a

person.
• Frequency – the number of vibrations that occur per second in
a sound wave. It is measured in Hertz. A frequency of 50Hz
means 50 vibrations per second. We hear sounds with
frequencies that are between 20Hz and 20,000Hz
• The higher the pitch, the higher the frequency. The frequency
you hear is just the number of wave fronts that hit your eardrums
in a unit of time
Frequency  Pitch
Amplitude  Loudness
 Frequency determines pitch.

A sound wave with a lower frequency and longer

wavelength is perceived to have a lower pitch.

A sound wave with a higher frequency and shorter

wavelength is perceived to have a higher pitch.
 Range of Human Hearing

The maximum range of frequencies for most people is

from about 20 to 20,000 hertz. This is called audible
range. This means if the number of high pressure fronts
(wave fronts) hitting our eardrums each second is from 20
to 20 000, then the sound may be detectable. If you
listen to loud music often, you’ll probably find that your
range (bandwidth) will be diminished.
Inaudible sound below 20 Hz is called infrasonic sound
and frequencies above 20,000 Hz is called ultrasonic
sound.
Intensity and Loudness

 Loudness- how loud or soft a sound is perceived to

be. A sound wave of greater intensity sounds louder
 Decibels (dB) – measures loudness. A sound you can
barely hear is 0 dB. 100dB can damage your ears.
 Intensity – the amount of energy a sound wave
carries per second through a unit area. Measured in
watts per meter squared. W/m²
 The Decibel Scale
The chart below lists the approximate sound levels of various
sounds. The loudness of a given sound depends, of course, on the
power of the source of the sound as well as the distance from the
source. Note: Listening to loud music will gradually damage your
hearing!
Source Decibels
Anything on the verge
0
of being audible
W hisper 30
Constant
Normal Conversation 60
exposure
Busy Traffic 70

}
leads to
Niagara Falls 90
permanent
Train 100
hearing loss.
Construction Noise 110
Rock Concert 120 Pain
Machine Gun 130 Damage
Jet Takeoff 150
Rocket Takeoff 180
Loudness of Sound in Decibels
Sound Loudness (dbs) Hearing Damage

Average Home 40-50

Loud Music 90-100 After long

exposure

Rock Concert 115-120 Progressive

Jet Engine 120-170 Pain

Quality of Sound
 Quality or Timbre- the characteristics that
distinguishes one sound from others.
 VOICE PARTS

Soprano Highest female vocal range

Alto Lowest female vocal range

Tenor Highest male vocal range

Bass Lowest male vocal range
Musical Sound
 A musical instrument is a device constructed
or modified for the purpose of making music.
In principle anything that produces sound can
serve as a musical instrument.
 STRINGS

Instruments that make sounds by

vibrating the string in one of the following
ways:
1) Drawing a bow across them
2) Plucking them
3) Striking them
 Factors that affect the pitch of a stringed
instruments

 Diameter of the string- the string with the smallest

diameter produces the highest frequency.
 Tension of the string- the string is tightened or
loosened to increase or decrease the frequency.
 Length of the string- the shorter the length of the
vibrating string, the pitch of the sound becomes
higher.
STRINGS

Guitar
Harp
Violin family
WOODWINDS

Instruments originally made from wood that are now

often made of metal or plastic. They set a column of
air into vibration by wind moving:
1) Across a mouthpiece
2) Into a whistle-like mouthpiece
WOODWINDS
Flute
Recorder
Clarinet
Oboe
PERCUSSION

These are instruments that

are struck in some ways to
produce sound.
PERCUSSION
Membranophones

Tambourine
Snare Drum
Bass
Bongo
PERCUSSION
Idiophones
Xylophone
Chimes
Triangle
Cymbals