UNIDAD 1. EL ARTE DEL SONIDO

1.      SOUND, NOISE AND SILENCE

Essentially, music is sound. SOUND is produced when an object vibrates and it is what can be perceived by through its sense of hearing. It travels through PHYSICAL MEDIUMS by sound waves and it is normally a pleasant feeling. Sound propagates at high speeds. The waves travel through the air at 340 meters per second.

Sounds are picked up by a very thin membrane in our ear, the eardrum, which connects the outer and middle ear. When sound waves hit the eardrum, the information produced by its vibration is transmitted to the brain by means of nerve impulses.

NOISE is a disagreeable auditory experience but this is a subjectiveAnyway, the physical difference between sound and noise is the sort of waves: sound waves are regular and in a noise the wave is irregular (look at the pictures in your book).

definition (for instance, most of the percussion instruments produce noises when they are played).

Finally, SILENCE is the lack of hearing sensation. Actually, there isn´t such thing as absolute silence. Even if we could isolate our selves completely from outer sounds, we would still hear our own body´s inner sounds.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TO HEAR AND TO LISTEN TO

If you hear something it is because you have ears and are not deaf. If you listen TO something then you are paying particular attention to what you can hear.

The construction hear to is not possible. If you hear a concert, it is because you are near the sound of the music but you are not there in person and not paying attention to it in detail.

In pairs, make discussion about your answers to these questions:

1.     Is music important: to you, to society, to the world? Why (not)?

2.     How often do you listen to music?

3.     Do you listen to music while you study, or work? If so, how do you concentrate on the other things?

4.     Have you ever been to see your favourite musicians live? Were they as good as on the CD?

5.     What is your favourite singer?

6.     Did you like it the first time you heard it?

7.     Is there any music you can’t stand? What is it, and why don’t you like it?

8.     Do you think music can heal sick people?

9.     Do you think animals appreciate music? Why (not)?

10.  Do you like classical music? Why (not)?

To heal  /hiːl/ : curar