1. Please be Seated

2. The physics of sound: What makes musical tones different? Special Lecture for the 2005 Year of Physics in coordination with the French National Center for Scientific Research and the French Embassy in Washington DC

3. Special Guests: Michẻla Castellengo, Research Director, Musical Acoustics Lab, University of Paris Hugues Genevoire, Research Engineer, Musical Acoustics Lab, University of Paris Charles Besnainous, Research Engineer, Musical Acoustics Lab, University of Paris Joseph Curtin, stringed instrument maker Benoît Rolland, bow maker Serge de Laubier, musician-researcher

4. The Overtone Series

5. Standing waves in a string

6. The Overtone Series

7. Standing waves in air columns

8. The Overtone Series

9. Standard electronic wave forms Sine wave Sawtooth wave Pulse train Triangular wave Square wave

10. Fourier’s Theorem: Any complex wave can be “synthesized” by adding its harmonics together with the proper amplitudes and phases. “Fourier synthesis” and “Fourier analysis”

11. Fourier Synthesis

12. Fourier Synthesis Sawtooth wave

13. Fourier Synthesis Pulse train wave

14. Fourier Synthesis Triangular wave

15. Fourier Synthesis Square wave

16. Fourier Analysis or Spectrum Analysis

17. Sine Wave Spectrum

18. Sawtooth Wave Spectrum

19. Pulse Train Spectrum

20. Triangular Wave Spectrum

21. Square Wave Spectrum

22. Analysis of Musical Sounds

23. Recorder Wave and Spectrum

24. Violin Wave and Spectrum

25. Crumhorn Wave and Spectrum

26. Clarinet Wave and Spectrum

27. Factors in Tone Quality 1. Amplitudes of harmonics 2. Attack and decay transients 3. Inharmonicities 4. Formants 5. Vibrato 6. Chorus effect

28. Vocal Formants

29. Origin of Vocal Formants (~17.5 cm closed tube) Frequency: f 1 = 500 Hz f 3 = 1500 Hz f 5 = 2500 Hz Vocal range: 150-850 Hz 500-2500 Hz 1500-3500 Hz Mode:

30. Simple formant model From Thomas D. Rossing, The Science of Sound, second edition

31. Vowel formant production Source: http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/hframe.html

32. Vowel Formant Frequencies From Donald E. Hall, Musical Acoustics, Second Edition

33. The Singers Formant Averaged spectral energy distribution: Light: ordinary speech Dark: orchestral accompaniment Brown: Good singer with orchestra Johan Sundberg: The Acoustics of the Singing Voice; Sci. Amer., March 1977

34. Sound Spectrograms

35. Vocal Formant spectra “OO” “AH” “EE”

36. Vocal Spectrogram of Formants

37. Voice and Synthesizer “wow”

38. Matching vocal spectrograms Kay Elemetrics, Computerized Speech Laboratory

39. Helium Voice Singing frequency remains the same (vibration of vocal folds) Formant frequencies rise because S he >> S air Why?

40. Vowel formant production Source: http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/hframe.html

41. Speed of Sound in Helium and Sulfur Hexafluoride HeSF 6 M/M air 1/74.6 V s /S2.60.5

43. The End Thank you for your attention We are on the web at http://www.physics.umd.edu/lecdem/ Animated Gifs compliments of bellsnwhistles.com