Guitar 3

Question 0

For our ears to be able to perceive a sound, the sound has to

Answer 0

occur in a certain frequency range. For most people, the range of perceivable sounds falls between 20 Hertz (Hz, oscillations per second) and 15,000 Hz. We cannot hear sounds below 20 Hertz or above 15,000 Hertz.

Question 1

Sound is

Answer 1

any change in air pressure that our ears are able to detect and process.

Question 2

A tone is

Answer 2

a sound that repeats at a certain specific frequency.

Question 3

A tone is made up of

Answer 3

one frequency or a very small number of related frequencies.

Question 4

The alternative to a tone is a

Answer 4

combination of hundreds or thousands of random frequencies. We refer to these random-combination sounds as noise.

Question 5

A musical note is a tone. However, a musical-note tone comes from

Answer 5

a small collection of tones that are pleasing to the human brain when used together.

Question 6

A musical note is a tone. However, a musical-note tone comes from a small collection of tones that are pleasing to the human brain when used together. For example, you might pick a set of tones at the following frequencies:

Answer 6

264 Hz
297 Hz
330 Hz
352 Hz
396 Hz
440 Hz
495 Hz
528 Hz

Question 7

This particular collection of tones is known as

Answer 7

the major scale.

Question 8

Each tone in the major scale is multiplied by

Answer 8

a certain fraction to come up with the next tone in the scale.

Question 9

Here’s how the major scale works:

Answer 9

264 Hz * 9/8 = 297 Hz
297 Hz * 10/9 = 330 Hz
330 Hz * 16/15 = 352 Hz
352 Hz * 9/8 = 396 Hz
396 Hz * 10/9 = 440 Hz
440 Hz * 9/8 = 495 Hz
495 Hz * 16/15 = 528 Hz

Question 10

Why are these particular fractions chosen in the major scale?

Answer 10

Simply because they sound pleasing.

Question 11

These particular tones of the makor scale have been given letter names, and also word names, like this:

Answer 11

264 Hz - C, do (multiply by 9/8 to get:)
297 Hz - D, re (multiply by 10/9 to get:)
330 Hz - E, mi (multiply by 16/15 to get:)
352 Hz - F, fa (multiply by 9/8 to get:)
396 Hz - G, so (multiply by 10/9 to get:)
440 Hz - A, la (multiply by 9/8 to get:)
495 Hz - B, ti (multiply by 16/15 to get:)
528 Hz - C, do (multiply by 9/8 to get:)

Question 12

One thing to notice is that the two C notes are separated by exactly a factor of

Answer 12

two – 264 is one half of 528. This is the basis of octaves. Any note’s frequency can be doubled to “go up an octave,” and any note’s frequency can be halved to “go down an octave.”

Question 13

You may have heard of “sharps” and “flats.” Where do they come from? The scale of tones shown above is “in the key of C” because

Answer 13

the fractions were applied with C as the starting note.