Understanding and Enjoying Music
SOMEONE once said: “Music and noise are like two different boys—one so delightful, the other frightful!” Though different as Abel and Cain, and opposite as day and night, yet they originate in the same physical phenomenon, “sound.” Whereas we may associate noise with sound that is harsh and upsetting (sometimes frightful), music can be soothing and relaxing (sometimes delightful). Haven’t you noticed how music can stir within us uplifting emotions of joy and exhilaration, much like an updraft that carries a soaring bird aloft? At other times though, music can bring down on us a melancholy feeling, even sadness and tears.
What Is Music?
Music has been called an “international language.” Why? Because people who do not speak the same tongue can communicate through enjoyment of the same music. Moreover, music has worldwide appeal because it touches just about every aspect of human life. We have love songs, wedding songs, cradle songs, “girl and boy” songs. We have popular and classical music, Oriental and Western music, folk songs and “rock.” There is sophisticated music, sometimes with a “Latin beat.” There is also the very lovely and captivating waltz. And, have you not tapped your toes or clapped your hands in time with a lively polka or a stirring march? Quite likely you have. Yes, a beautiful song that employs a few musical chords appeals to our ears much the same as a fine combination of colors pleases our eyes. Why, even commercial advertising tries to “hitch a ride on the bandwagon” by setting its ads to music!
In some way, due to our makeup as humans, melodious and harmonious sounds can have a deep and emotional impact on us. Especially is this so when they are coordinated with the right tempo, and perhaps accompanied with appropriate words, or lyrics. Music is “organized sound.” Some of the ingredients used in organizing the sound of music include such things as the musical staff of five parallel lines and their respective “ID cards” or “clef” signs. Then there are “sharps” and “flats” that alter the character and pitch of the notes without changing their names. The different appearances of the notes indicate varying time or duration of the sounds that they represent. Placed higher or lower on the lines of the staff, they signify higher or lower pitches of sound. This is written music. And the sound of music is the result of someone’s playing a composer’s arrangement of these ingredients in suitable patterns. Music is therefore an art form that exists in the realms of sound and time.
When sound comes to our ears, something is vibrating—a violin string, a drumhead, the reed of a pipe. What happens is that air is set in motion. Like the disturbed surface of a placid pool when a pebble is dropped in, the ripples and waves of air circle out from a source until they make our eardrums pulsate—and we hear sound! Without air there would be no sound. We can thank God for our wonderful hearing and all the related creation about us that makes such communication possible.
Tones at different pitches are sounded by a wide variety of musical instruments, the earliest of which doubtless was the human voice. When tones are arranged in a recognizable pattern for one voice, the result is “melody.” Since voice flows like a stream, melody might be said to be “horizontal music.” If different pitch-sounds are heard simultaneously, as in a chord, “harmony” has been produced and we may think of harmony as being “vertical music.”
Harmony in music is primarily of two types: “concord” and “discord.” Yes, that’s right! Discord, or “dissonance,” as it is sometimes called, is essential to music. Why? Because without dissonance there would be little or no sense of motion or movement to the music. For instance, when a piece of music comes to its end, it gives us the sense of “close,” or rest. The end has been accomplished, and we are given the feeling of satisfaction.
Counter-Melody
When “vertical music” or harmony flows in agreement with fixed rules of musical progression, very suitable accompaniment can be supplied to a well-known melody, or piece of “horizontal music.” With special attention being given to the patterns of harmony, a “counter-melody” can be devised. Our understanding and enjoyment of music are enhanced when we listen for these patterns of supporting melody as they move along with, or move in contrary motion to, the main melody. For example, as the violins of an orchestra are playing a well-recognized melody, listen to see if you can pick out a supporting melody as played by a French horn or an oboe. Thrill as you hear a passage in which flutes repeat a previously played pattern!
In this way, we are aided to appreciate the “flow,” or the forward movement, of the music. Repeating patterns serve as “mileposts,” so to speak; we become conscious of them, await their return, and enjoy the satisfaction of their fulfillment. Like prophecy of the Bible, they excite us as we learn of them; we anticipate keenly their fulfillment, and Oh, what satisfaction we realize with their blessings!
The Gift of Hearing
Without God’s gift to us of our marvelous hearing there would be no music, or, at least, we would not be able to enjoy it. To understand and enjoy music, it must all sound within the range of our capability. Though it varies from individual to individual, it is generally accepted that human limits of ability to hear range from 16 vibrations, or “cycles,” per second up to 20,000 cycles per second (abbreviated to “CPS”). A more recent term used today in electronics for “cycles per second” is “hertz” (Hz). The notes produced by all musical instruments fall well within these limits. For instance, the violin’s limit is from a mere 180 Hz up to 2,500 Hz. The guitar goes a little lower with 80 CPS up to 1,200 CPS. What goes the highest? Well, the cymbals can produce vibrations up to 20,000 Hz. In an orchestra, the piano usually has the distinction of the widest frequency range, running from 27 CPS to 4,000 CPS.
Overtones Give Qualities to Sound
Most people will agree that “live,” “in-person” music is the most delightful. Have you ever wondered why? Well, who has ever seen a painting or a photo that could equal the original scene? Something is always lacking in the copy. Even though a photo reproduces all the colors and the details of the original, it lacks the depth. In much the same way, there is something about live music that has a fullness, a richness, a depth that is difficult to equal. Why?
The light we see and the sound we hear are all vibrations. In sound, not only is there a main or basic vibration, but there are also partial or secondary vibrations to the “fundamental,” as it is called. And it is these partials, or “overtones,” that give the richness, the fullness, the depth to the original, so difficult to reproduce in the copy. As a matter of interest, it is the enhancing, or the inhibiting, of these overtones in the original that causes us to understand that the music we are hearing is string music, or is flute music, or, again, can be the identical note played on a bagpipe! This quality of sound can be identified by the combination of overtones, called “timbre,” normally produced by a brass instrument, for example, as compared with a stringed instrument, or one that is a pipe of air vibrated by a reed.
How We Can Enjoy Music
Very few people have the talent or the means to enjoy live music, yet millions continue to be entertained by good high fidelity reproduction. In radio there are AM and FM stations. FM is usually preferred due to its almost noise-free reception and its wider frequency range in music transmission. In many countries now FM stereo stations are quite popular, not only because many exercise restraint in programming, but because of their ability to reproduce in large measure the overtones that we have been discussing. In addition, high fidelity records and tapes are available. The ideal of recording companies is to reproduce live music in true fidelity recording just as it was originally with all its harmonic overtones and, at the same time, to eliminate unwanted noise and distortion.
For a person who casually listens to music while he is working or doing other things, this may not be so important. A small transistor radio may be entirely adequate. Nor may he be criticized for it, for musical tastes vary greatly. To another person, however, this may be very unsatisfactory. While it produces music, to him it does not sound like the real thing. Among the reasons may be high distortion and limited range frequency. The lack of pure musical sound, along with noise and distortion, may cause this person to turn it off rather than to continue listening.
Low distortion is important in fine music reproduction. In the case of records, distortion may come from a poor quality cartridge or needle. Certain tapes are higher than others in distortion and hiss. The amplifier and speakers also have much to do with high-quality sound. If figures are available, it would be good to check the distortion level and frequency range. Some models may show a distortion level as high as 1.5 percent or more, while a superior product may read .04 percent or lower. Frequency range figures are important, too, but they can be misleading.
One authority, after much research on preference tests, put it this way: “Ninety percent of all listeners will be completely satisfied with a bandwidth of 60 to 8,000 CPS.” So it would appear that the majority of persons are not as particular as some advertisers would have us believe. Of course, this by no means applies to everyone. Some have a keen sense of hearing, and their enjoyment of music is affected by distortion and lack of full range. In which class do you belong? In the end, it is your ear that is the best judge for you. Pick from what you can afford the sound that pleases you best.
Keeping a Balanced View
Music, like other pleasures, has its limitations. After a hard day’s work it can be very relaxing before retiring. Some find it to be a stimulus from mild depression. However, it should not be looked on as the answer to everything. If one has a problem that requires action, listening to music will not get the job done. Also good to remember is that, for most persons, serious thinking and meditation require silence. However, some seem to be so addicted to music that they feel they must have it playing constantly. And a common complaint from neighbors is that music is played with too much volume by some. It would seem that some fans are oblivious to the fact that not everyone shares their enthusiasm and taste. If a person lives in close quarters with others who can be disturbed, perhaps his enjoyment of music might be solved by means of a set of headphones. If not carefully controlled, music can also consume much time and, in this way, create more problems than it solves.
To illustrate this, let’s take a brief look at some very famous people who made music their main interest in life, sometimes to the neglect of other things that should have received more of their attention. Ludwig van Beethoven is looked on as one of the greatest composers of all time, yet we are told that he had a very disorderly personal life. Another, Franz Schubert, who is said to have composed one of the most beautiful symphonies of all times, once described himself as a very unhappy man.
Nor do these emotional depressions belong only to artists of the past. The late Hank Williams, one of the most popular of Country and Western singers of his time, used to sing a religious song entitled “I Saw the Light.” But, did he? On one occasion, after singing this song, he is reported to have burst out in tears and sobbed that he saw no light. His life ended tragically from an overdose of drugs, taken while en route to a singing engagement.
Yes, these were persons who lived for music; it was their entire life. We might well say that music to them was like a few snatches of sunlight on a tempestuous and storm-tossed sea! Whatever fleeting joy they got from it was all too soon clouded over by the gloom of personal problems. For those who seek a balanced and happy life, such musicians are warning examples.
While most of us live as listeners, and not as performers, the above lesson is the same for both. Too much time spent playing, or listening to, music is not good. Music is a very beautiful thing, yes! But it is just ONE of God’s wonderful gifts to mankind. There are other gifts too—our families, our friends, our work, our Christian service. These also require our attention. If we can wisely keep music in its place—ready to be used when needed and wished for, not crowding out other responsibilities—we may well continue to understand and have a wholesome enjoyment of music throughout our years.
[Diagram on page 21]
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Cymbals—up to 20,000 Hz
Guitar—80 Hz to 1,200 Hz
Violin—180 Hz to 2,500 Hz
Piano—27 Hz to 4,000 Hz
All sound from musical instruments is made up of vibrations or cycles per second, or hertz (Hz).