The main difference between musical sounds and noise sounds. How to listen to classical music

Having a general nature and being wave-like flows of energy, sound and noise are perceived by the organs of the human hearing aid. Usually, sound has a certain timbre and spectral coloring, thanks to which people can quite easily determine its source. Examples include playing a musical instrument, a dog barking, or a small child crying. Noises are random processes, most often oscillatory and non-periodic, which do not always have specific sources of origin. For example, noise from the street, from construction work, from other industrial work, crowds, etc. In this regard, there is a strong impression that under noise one should usually distinguish a complex of uncontrolled sounds that adversely affect the human body, irritate it, interfere with work and rest .

Types of noise

The human ear has the ability to perceive only such noise that is transmitted through air environment, i.e. air noise. But noises are usually classified according to their sources of origin. The types of noise that cause irritation and disturbance to people are the following three main groups:

• air
• structural
• shock

Airborne noise - These are various types of noise from sources located in the air. These include loud conversations, music, working television or radio receivers, etc.

Construction (structural) noise - these are various types of noise from sound sources that affect the building structure, wall, floor, ceiling. Its sources can be the vibration of machines and mechanisms, a working drill or hammer drill, which is used to make a hole in the wall, floor or ceiling, the blow of a hammer, moving or falling furniture, stamping feet on the floor, children jumping on the floor, etc.

Impact noise - is a type of structural noise that is produced directly above rooms on the floor (moving furniture, the clicking of heels when walking, falling of various heavy objects, etc.). The impact of structural and impact noise should be taken into account, since the structure of the premises through which such sound vibrations propagate becomes a secondary source of airborne noise for each adjacent room.

Soundproofing and noise insulation

The meaning of the concepts of “sound insulation” (the same as “sound insulation”) lies in the attenuation of sound that passes through any obstacles, due to the reflection of various sound waves from them, or absorption within this obstacle and the conversion of sound into heat energy. For any type of premises, building structures (walls and ceilings) can be an obstacle, but today this does not always provide effective protection against the penetration or retention of noise. Therefore, issues with additional protection of such structures, namely sound insulation of walls, partitions, floors and ceilings, are resolved by eliminating cracks and holes, as well as by increasing mass, thickness and the right combination insulating and absorbent materials.

Sound insulation (soundproofing) is the process of reducing sound (noise) that penetrates into rooms or beyond. To determine it, special sound insulation indices are used: Rw (airborne noise) and Lnw (impact noise), which are calculated in decibels (dB).

The process of sound absorption (noise absorption) is the reduction of sound (noise) that is reflected from any internal surfaces premises. Typically, world practice most often determines it using the average sound absorption coefficient (noise absorption) - NRC (Noise Reduction Coefficient). The coefficient value ranges from 0 (minimum sound absorption) to 1 (maximum sound absorption).

Noise normalization

Technological advances and the constant increase in noise levels have led to much research and regulation to address a number of issues related to human noise exposure. Typically, noise levels are measured in a relatively dimensionless quantity - decibels (dB), equivalent and maximum sound levels are measured in dBA, where A is a scale that is close to the sensitivity of hearing and corresponds to the measurement of a sound level meter (a device for measuring sound pressure) passed through special filters.

The sound insulation parameters of the internal enclosing structure of a residential building are normalized by the airborne noise insulation index (Rw) of these enclosing structures and the indices of the reduced impact noise levels (Lnw for the floor), which are also measured in dB. Noise standards in residential and public buildings are usually divided into daytime and nighttime (the difference is 10 dBA). According to standards (SanPiN, SNiP, SN), the equivalent sound level can be allowed within 25÷95 dBA, depending on the purpose of the room.

Material type

Sound energy is reflected soundproofing materials due to having a higher surface density and greater mass. In addition, such materials can be flexible, elastic or multilayer. When used in systems with sound-absorbing materials, its main task is to “clog” the structure of the systems and prevent sound energy from passing out.

Sound-absorbing materials dampen the sound energy that passes through their structures. In combination with soundproofing materials, the resonance process is weakened and the “drum effect” is eliminated. The materials must contain big number interwoven fibers, the composition of which is usually glass, basalt or polyester. When choosing sound-absorbing materials, you should pay special attention to their composition and properties:

• convenience for installation work;
• optimal density with the necessary indicators of internal friction;
• fire safety and environmental friendliness.

Vibration damping materials reduce the transmission of vibrations, making it possible to reduce the risk of resonant vibrations of systems and their elements, making it difficult for sound waves to pass from places of excitation to places of radiation, while increasing the soundproofing capabilities of the entire structure. They must be durable, springy and resilient to maintain their shock-absorbing properties.

Universal or multifunctional materials perform simultaneously whole line functions:

• sound absorption;
• soundproofing;
• vibration damping;

Typically, such materials contain combinations of layers that have different properties.

A decrease in sound pressure by 10 dBA is perceived by the human ear as noise reduced by 2 times!

It is natural for humans to need silence. Therefore, today innovative technologies and modern materials It is possible to create acoustic comfort and silence in any room, including an apartment. It is necessary to begin the process of arranging soundproofing of an apartment by determining functional features the entire room, assessing the impact of noise and the location of its sources. For example, for a sleeping area and a children's room, it is worth blocking the possibility of extraneous noise, and in a room for a home theater, music studio and the living room, it is necessary to contain the negative propagation of sound into the adjacent room.

The solution to the problems of reducing sound pressure must be carried out comprehensively, having previously determined the types of noise and their frequency response. It is quite easy to cope with airborne noise, having modern technologies and materials. They can be isolated locally (with increasing thickness of walls and ceilings). With the insulation of structural and impact noise, the issues are much more complicated. Soundproofing an apartment in only one place on the ceiling, floor, or wall will clearly be insufficient. To achieve the desired result, it is worth using the method of circular sound insulation, entrusting its design and installation to professional workers.

In matters of design and soundproofing of an apartment, it is necessary to calculate the soundproofing capabilities of existing structures, which can be enhanced with additional materials and systems that have sound insulation and/or sound absorption capabilities. As an example, the following can be cited: reinforced concrete structures are always much more powerful in terms of insulation characteristics than structures made of wood or foam blocks.

For existing structures, integrity and tightness are especially important. Therefore, it is immediately necessary to eliminate all possible cracks and holes that are not used. The process of sound transmission through unlatched joints, uninsulated air ducts, pipelines, electrical outlets and other indirect paths of its propagation reduces the entire sound insulation of the apartment. The joint must be sealed with non-solid mastic or a special sealant.

Theoretically, according to soundproofing rules, it is necessary to take advantage of every opportunity to create a massive structure, for example, doubling or tripling the thickness and weight of the wall (or ceiling). But in practice, the prices for repairing the area of ​​a room dictate the preservation of as much usable space as possible, which will not allow increasing the thickness of the walls indefinitely, and an increase in the weight of materials with a homogeneous structure (brick, concrete) can lead to overloading the floor or foundation. That is why, for the process of soundproofing an apartment, it is necessary to use multi-layer and relatively light systems cladding (“pies”), which consist of special materials, each characteristic and properties of which, with the smallest thickness, allow them to replace a number of bulky structures.

Structurally, additional sound insulation usually consists of several layers. Protection from airborne noise requires the use of soundproofing cladding that combines elastic (dense) materials that provide sound reflection (sound insulation) and porous (fiber) materials that absorb and dampen sound waves (sound absorption). Protection against construction noise is used by multilayer “floating floor” systems, which include shock-absorbing (vibration damping) layers that allow you to decouple building structures and prevent noise from spreading throughout the building structure. Required correct selection materials, according to their acoustic characteristics and their use in combination with technological techniques and modern design solutions.

Except the right choice soundproofing and sound-absorbing materials, as well as determining appropriate structures, it is necessary to evaluate the quality of the material used. It must be intended for indoor residential use. This means that its composition should not contain elements of lead, mercury, bitumen, formaldehyde, volatile resins, EPDM compounds, etc.

To provide effective result When soundproofing an apartment, you must remember about installation operations, which can be provided by experienced employees with real experience in the field of sound insulation and repair and finishing works. In addition, you should not forget that the soundproofing of the apartment should be carried out taking into account design decisions. This should not spoil the interiors of the premises or interfere with the arrangement and installation of utility networks for apartments, offices and residential buildings.

We willingly listen to music, birdsong, pleasant human voice. On the contrary, the rattling of a cart, the squeal of a saw, the powerful blows of a hammer are unpleasant to us and often irritate and tire us.
Thus, according to the effect they have on us, all sounds are divided into two groups: musical sounds and noises. How are they different from each other?
Pure musical sound always has a certain pitch. It's like an organized sound wave. On the contrary, the noise is complete chaos. Listen, for example, to the daytime noise of a city street. In it you will hear short, quickly disappearing high sounds, and a long low hum, and a sharp clang. Noise is a variety of different sounds rushing at the same time. The faster and more sharply their height and strength change, the more unpleasant the noise affects us.
Each of you will easily discover the difference between the sound of a piano and the squeak of a boot. But it is not always possible to draw a sharp line between musical sound and noise. You can often hear musical sounds in noise. In turn, noise is always mixed with musical sounds. Even the most skillful is not free from it musical performance. Try to listen carefully to the playing of the piano, and you will hear, in addition to the sounds of music, the knocking of the keys, the striking of the fingers on them, and the rustling of sheets of music being turned over. In the same way, the sound of the singer’s breathing is always mixed with singing. But usually we focus our attention on the sounds of the music itself and do not notice this noise. It is very difficult to obtain a clear sound with a strictly defined vibration frequency, even in the complete absence of extraneous noise, and here’s why. Any oscillating body produces more than just one basic sound. It is constantly accompanied by sounds of other frequencies. These “satellites” are always higher than the main sound and are therefore called overtones, that is, upper tones. However, you should not be upset by the existence of these “satellites”. It is they who allow us to distinguish the sound of one instrument from another and voice different people, even if they are equal in height. Overtones give each sound a unique coloring or, as they say, timbre. And if the main sound is accompanied by overtones close to it in height, then the sound itself seems soft, “velvety” to us. When the overtones are significantly higher than the fundamental tone, we speak of an unpleasant “metallic” voice or sound.
The reason for the appearance of overtones is complex. It lies in the physical nature of the vibrations of bodies, and we will not consider it here.
Noise has a harmful effect on people's health and performance. A person can work in noise and gets used to it, but prolonged exposure to noise causes fatigue and often leads to a decrease in hearing acuity, and in some cases to deafness. Therefore, noise control is a very important task.
Developing technology, man tries to replace his muscular labor with the work of a machine. And the use of machines, as is sometimes imagined, entails an increase in noise. It is wrong, however, to think that the higher the technology and the more mechanical means a person uses, the more he exposes himself to noise. The history of the development of technology shows that with the improvement of the operation of individual mechanisms, the noise during their operation is reduced or completely eliminated. Along with the invention of new machines, new ways to combat noise are also opening up. Indeed, the steam engine is giving way to a silent turbine, the rumbling locomotive of the old design is giving way to a less noisy modern steam locomotive and electric locomotive. Sound signals, beeps, whistles, bells are replaced by light signals, where possible. Motors and machines that make a lot of noise are covered with sound-absorbing shells, placed on special foundations, etc. To reduce noise indoors, carpets are hung on the walls, doors and windows are draped. Telephone booths are upholstered with felt or pressed cork boards.
But it is very difficult to protect yourself completely from external noise. After all, sound penetrates into buildings not only through the air. It also makes its way through walls, through water and sewer pipes, and through fans. When it is necessary to completely eliminate all noise, for example, when recording gramophones or recording sound films, special buildings with a special foundation are built. In these buildings, individual rooms seem to “float” on elastic pads or springs. Double walls, isolated from one another, double or even triple windows and doors, a complete absence of cracks - these are the complex measures that have to be used to completely protect against noise.

Abstract

"The influence of music

on emotional condition person."

MOU DOD DSHI "Forte"

Malikova Irina Vladislavna.

March 2014

city ​​of Tolyatti

Samara Region.

Music in human life.

Introduction
The world we live in is full of all kinds of sounds. Rustle of leaves, rumble of thunder, noise sea ​​surf, the whistle of the wind, the growl of animals, the singing of birds... These sounds were heard by ancient people. He even learned to reproduce them to attract birds and animals.
But sounds in themselves are not music. In time immemorial, man realized that sounds are different: high and low, short and long, muffled and loud, clear. But it was only when he began to organize them in order to express his thoughts and feelings in them that music arose.
What is musical sound? How does a person perceive music? Why does it have such an effect on a person? Physics helps you find answers to these complex questions. The branch of physics that studies the nature of sound is called acoustics.

Properties musical sounds.

Sound travels in the air in waves. This means that from the sounding object they diverge in all directions sound waves. Vibrations transmitted through the air cause our eardrums to vibrate, as a result of which we pick up sound. Sound is propagation in gases, liquids and solids mechanical vibrations perceived by the human and animal ears.
When a sound wave travels from a sound source, air particles push each other, and the air is alternately compressed and rarefied. In other words, it vibrates. How is it different? musical sound from non-musical? We hear a certain note when a series of compressions and rarefactions follow in a regular sequence. If the sequence of such vibrations is devoid of regularity, noise reaches us.

We easily distinguish between high and low sounds. Pitch- one of its main properties. It depends on the frequency of vibrations per second. The more vibrations per unit time, the higher the sound. The frequency of oscillations depends on the degree of elasticity, length and thickness of the vibrating body: a string, a metal plate, a column of air, etc. The reference sound by which all instruments are tuned is the sound A first octave. When tuning the orchestra it oboe plays. The oboist produces a sound corresponding to 440 vibrations per second.
When playing sounds on a musical instrument (for example, a piano), it is easy to notice that each subsequent sound is higher than the previous one. Such a series of musical sounds, following each other in order of gradual increase, is called a scale. Comparing individual sounds with each other, you can notice that every eighth sound produces an impression similar to the first, the ninth - with the second, the tenth with the third, etc. This is explained by the fact that the number of vibrations in the eighth sound is exactly twice as large as in the first. Therefore, musical sounds are combined into octaves. Each octave has 8 sounds, 7 of them are different in height and the 8th is an octave - as if a repetition of the first at a new height. The A of the first octave corresponds to 440 vibrations per second, and the A of the second octave corresponds to 880 vibrations per second.

Ancient scientists, starting with Pythagoras, tried to “verify harmony with algebra,” studied musical intervals, and discovered mathematical relationships between individual sounds. In music, special units of measurement of intervals have been introduced - semitone and tone. Depending on the impression that intervals make on us, they are divided into consonances (from the Latin consonantia, consonant sound) and dissonances (from the Latin dissonantia, sound apart). Consonances create the impression of peace, completeness, and euphony; dissonances sound sharper, more intense, they require continuation of the melody, a transition to consonance. The various effects of intervals on our psyche depend on the ratio of the number of vibrations per second of the sounding body reproducing each sound of the interval. Thus, a sound that makes up an octave interval with a given one gives a number of vibrations twice as large (up to the first octave - 261 vibrations per second, and up to the second octave - 522 vibrations per second), therefore the sound waves of both sounds coincide. On the contrary, the difference in the number of vibrations in sounds that make up a small interval is so insignificant (up to the first octave - 261 vibrations per second, and up to sharp - 276 vibrations per second) that as a result of this discrepancy, the sound waves do not coincide, creating the impression of discordance and harshness sound.
The sounds of music are always organized into specific sound systems. Largest civilizations, national cultures created their own sound systems. Bach's fugue, Beethoven's symphony, Tchaikovsky's opera, Shostakovich's quartet, and even a cartoon song composed today - all these works, so different in time, genre, size, were written within the same sound system. While ancient greek music was created according to the laws of a different sound system, the Chinese one is also completely different.
The foundation of the sound system is the scale. The system is characterized by the number of sounds within one octave and the relationship between them. For example, traditional Chinese, Mongolian, as well as Scottish and Irish music is built on the pentatonic scale, that is, the basis of this sound system is a scale containing five sounds (do-re-mi-sol-la-do). In this scale there are no intervals of half a tone, but there are intervals of one and a half tones. There is also such a “refined” sound system - Indonesian - where the octave is divided into 22 parts.
The scale in the currently accepted system of European music (the one on which our ears are trained) consists of seven steps. Of these, stages I, III and V are stable (support), and, accordingly, stages II, IV, VI and VII are unstable. Any work cannot end at an unstable stage. Its last sounds - the sounds of the tonic - create a feeling of completion in the listener.
The two most important modes adopted in classical music are major and minor. In terms of sound color, they are very different from each other. Mode is the relationship of musical sounds of different heights, some of which are perceived by ear as stable, while others are perceived as unstable. Various historical eras and national musical cultures gave birth to peculiar frets. Each mode has a certain range of emotional and expressive means. The determinant of major and minor is a triad formed by stable degrees of the scale. The major scale between degrees I and III contains two tones, and the minor scale contains one and a half tones. A major or minor scale can be selected from any of the twelve scale degrees. Such a scale will already sound in a very specific key, which is determined by the first step of the scale - the tonic. A major scale played from the sound C will be called C major, and a minor scale played from the same note will be called C minor. Tonality expresses the specific pitch of all sounds in a series.
Each classical piece of music is written by the composer in a certain key, which to some extent determines the character of the work. For example, many lyrical bard songs are written in the key of A minor. There are 24 tones in total. All of them are widely used by composers today. The first outstanding composer to compose a cycle of works in all keys was Johann Sebastian Bach. He created works that were profound in content and varied in mood in tonalities that had not previously been used at all. Musicians and music lovers were able to feel what previously unknown images arise when using them.
When the entire system of 24 tonalities entered musical practice, it was discovered that some composers associated individual tonalities with a certain figurative sphere and even color. Beethoven, for example, called B minor the “black” key. Rimsky-Korsakov saw all tonalities in color.

The second main property of musical sound is this is its duration. Duration is the time during which we hear a sound. It depends on the duration of the oscillations maintained by the performer for a certain time. Notes are used to record musical sounds. They reflect the pitch and duration of sounds. But notes determine only the relative duration of the sound, which can vary. Different works are performed at different tempos, that is, with at different speeds. Keeping the exact tempo plays important role when transmitting the content of a musical work. Changing the tempo either faster or slower can completely distort the meaning of the music. The funeral march cannot be performed at polka tempo. In his Carnival of the Animals, Saint-Saëns achieves comic effect in the image of a turtle. To characterize it, he uses the melody of the famous cancan from Offenbach's operetta, but it is performed at a very slow tempo. As a result, the same melody produces a completely different impression on the listener. Cancan evokes excitement, fun, and “Turtle” evokes a smile.

Another property of sound is this is his strength. The strength of a sound is the degree of its volume. The volume depends on the magnitude of the vibrations of the sounding body - the amplitude of the vibrations. As the amplitude increases, the sound strength increases and vice versa.
In order for the human ear to begin to register a sound signal, a level of sound energy is required that would cause the eardrum to vibrate. If the sound strength is less than a certain minimum, we simply will not hear the sound. This minimum is called the lower threshold of hearing. There is also an upper (pain) threshold of audibility, that is, that maximum sound level above which a person ceases to feel the difference in sound strength and even experiences pain. Excessive sound volume has a detrimental effect on the perception of music. The auditory nerve becomes tired with prolonged stimulation. This happens when we receive a sound signal at high volume for a long time. This natural pattern human perception often neglected in modern variety shows, where the music and amplified voices literally deafen their listeners.
The same melody can be sung or played on an instrument louder or quieter, and the expressiveness of the performance and the impression it will make on the listeners largely depends on this. The most commonly used are a gradual increase in sound, its smooth attenuation, and maintaining a smooth, quiet or loud sound.

The fourth property of musical sound is timbre. Timbre is a special character of sound, the color of sound. Timbre makes it possible to distinguish even sounds of the same pitch, taken on different musical instruments or sung in different voices. The timbre depends on the composition of the vibrations, on the number of overtones (overtones) and the order of their occurrence.
Both timbre and sound strength depend on the design of the musical instrument and the material from which it is made. It is no coincidence that even today the old violins are considered unsurpassed Italian masters who managed to find the optimal configuration combination individual parts violin and the quality of “singing” wood.
We have long been accustomed to appearance violin, flute, piano and we don’t think about why the instruments have exactly this, sometimes bizarre shape. This is explained by the laws of acoustics.
Each instrument consists of two elements: a vibrator and a resonator. For example, in a violin the vibrator is a string, and the body serves as a resonator. Thus, the instrument of the ancient Greeks - the lyre - and the violin had the same vibrator - a string. But the bow-shaped arc of the lyre, which played the role of a resonator, could not provide the instrument with a strong sound. When aesthetic requirements for sound changed, the lyre disappeared without a trace. The guitar, like the violin, is a stringed instrument. But its timbre and sound strength are completely different, which is due to the structure of its body.
In an orchestra, each group - strings, wood, brass - is represented by several instruments. This is due to the resonance of sound in instruments. To get lower sounds you need to use larger resonators, and to get higher sounds you need smaller ones. That is why the string bodies increase in number: violin, viola, cello, double bass.

Human perception of sound
The human hearing organ consists of the outer, middle and inner ear. The outer ear consists of the pinna and the external auditory canal. At the junction of the external auditory canal and the middle ear is the eardrum, which vibrates under the influence of sound waves.
The middle ear contains three tiny, series-connected bones: the malleus, incus, and stapes, which transmit sound waves through the middle ear cavity. The malleus is in contact with the eardrum, and the stapes is in contact with the membrane of the oval window leading to the inner ear. The inner ear is located in the pyramid of the temporal bone and consists of a bony labyrinth, which is a spirally twisted tube. This tube forms two and a half turns and is called the cochlea. Inside the cochlea there are 3 canals separated by thin membranes. Two of them are connected to each other at the apex of the cochlea, and the other ends are facing the cavity of the middle ear and are separated from it by membranes of the oval and round windows. Both channels are filled with fluid. Between them lies the third canal, also filled with fluid and containing the true hearing receptor - the organ of Corti.
This organ consists of five rows of cells with hairs. Rows of cells stretch along the cochlea's spiral along its entire length. Each organ of Corti contains about 24,000 such cells. A covering membrane hangs over the hair cells. Impulses arise in the hair cells and travel along the fibers of the auditory nerve.
In order for sound to be heard, sound waves must first pass through the ear canal and cause the eardrum to vibrate. These vibrations are transmitted through the chain of auditory ossicles, which reduce the amplitude of the vibrations, but increase their strength. Vibrations through the membrane of the oval window are transmitted to the fluids that fill the canals of the cochlea. As a result, the membrane on which the hair cells lie also vibrates, which leads to their friction against the integumentary membrane. In this case, the cells are irritated and generate nerve impulses in the processes of the auditory nerve, which lie at the base of each hair cell.
The organ of hearing allows you to distinguish all the basic properties of sound: height, strength (intensity, volume), timbre.
The fibers of the membrane on which the organ of Corti lies have unequal lengths in different parts of the cochlea's curls: they are longer at the apex and shorter at the base of the spiral, like the strings of a harp or piano. Therefore, sounds of a given pitch cause only a certain portion of the membrane to vibrate. Therefore, vibration excites hair cells only in this area.
Loud sounds cause vibrations of greater amplitude and lead to more intense irritation of hair cells. The result is a greater number of impulses per second, which are transmitted along the auditory nerve to the brain.
When the ear is exposed to strong continuous sound, the organ of Corti is damaged. When exposed to high sounds, the lower part of the cochlea is damaged, and when exposed to low sounds, the upper part is damaged. Workers exposed to loud, high-pitched sounds for many years develop high-pitched deafness due to damage to the cells at the base of the organ of Corti.
Nerve impulses generated by certain sounds have the same frequency as the sounds themselves. The brain recognizes the pitch of sounds not only based on which nerve fibers carry the impulses, but also based on the frequency of the impulses themselves. Nerve fibers from each individual part of the cochlea are connected to certain parts of the auditory zone of the cerebral cortex, so that some brain cells are responsible for the perception of high tones, while others are responsible for the perception of low tones.
The differences in the color of sound that make it possible to distinguish the same note played on different musical instruments depend on the number and nature of overtones that irritate the different hair cells in addition to the main irritation common to all instruments. Thus, differences in timbre are recognized by the relative position of several stimulated hair cells.
The human ear is capable of perceiving sounds with a frequency of 20 - 20,000 vibrations per second . The human ear is most sensitive to sounds with a frequency of 1000 - 2000 vibrations per second. In this range the ear is extremely sensitive. A comparison of the energy of sound and light waves required to produce a sensation shows that the ear is 10 times more sensitive than the eye.

Music does not use all sounds that a person can hear. There are only 8 full octaves in music, and the number of simple musical sounds is 57 (8x7+1). All these sounds can be fully reproduced on only one instrument - the organ. The piano has 7 octaves.
It is impossible to imagine a more effective hearing device than the human ear. Like the eye, it has reached such a level in its development that any further increase in sensitivity would be useless. If the sensitivity of the ear were even higher, it would pick up the random movement of air molecules, and we would continuously hear hissing or buzzing.
Perhaps such a high sensitivity of the hearing aid, capable of distinguishing shades of sound, is responsible for the enormous impact that the art of music has on a person.
The ear hardly gets tired. Despite continuous noise exposure, it maintains hearing acuity, and its fatigue disappears after a few minutes. When one ear is exposed to strong noise for some time, the other also gets tired and loses its hearing acuity. This indicates that fatigue is partly related not to the ear itself, but to the brain.
The hearing center in the cerebral cortex, where all sound information comes, is located in the temporal lobe, above the ear. Its irritation upon impact causes the sensation of sound. Damage to the hearing center on one side leads to a decrease in hearing acuity in both ears.

Human musical abilities.
Music is the art of sounds. The focus of musicians has always been sound, its most important from the point of view musical art peculiarities. These features cannot be fully explained by the laws of physics and mathematics. The sounds of music have a strong, sometimes difficult to explain, effect on a person. They are able to evoke in the listener such emotions that no other art can awaken.
One of the composer Scriabin’s contemporaries describes his playing on the piano this way: “Scriabin’s gentle and seductive sound was indescribable. He mastered this huge secret of sound to perfection. The sound in “pianissimo” revealed to him its full charm, and his virtuoso pedal enveloped these sounds in layers of which -strange echoes that none of the pianists could reproduce after that." Chopin reacted strongly to roughness in music. While listening to his students play, he sometimes shouted : “Well, the dog barked!” - and ran out of the room.
Delicate and seductive, bright and matte, light and dull, velvety and prickly, soft and hard... All shades of sound are not important in themselves, they are subordinated to the main thing - the expressiveness of the music.
“Expressiveness is a quality thanks to which a musician vividly feels and powerfully conveys all the ideas that he must convey, and all those feelings that he must express,” wrote Jean-Jacques Rousseau. “There is expressiveness of compositional creativity and performance; that which comes from the fusion of these and what makes the musical impression the most powerful and most pleasant."
Exactly expressiveness decisively distinguishes musical sound from non-musical sound. It is expressiveness that makes us excited when we come into contact with music.
By musical sound we mean the sound produced not by some instrument, but produced by a musician, a certain personality, a living person, who always conveys in sound his emotions, his attitude to the world around him.

Therefore, musical sounds combined together, unlike non-musical ones, differ in content. That is why words such as “mysterious” or “enigmatic” sound not only have a right to exist, but also carry a very specific meaning.
Can a computer compose music? Certainly. Created special programs who, based on existing music theory, can write a melody, even a good short piece. It will sound right, but it is unlikely to touch the listener's soul. No computer program can go beyond what already exists or create something fundamentally new. A talented work that goes beyond the boundaries of the ordinary, that makes you empathize and take a fresh look at the world can only be created by a person who has invested his feelings and his worldview into it.
A person’s hearing is not able to determine the volume of sound or frequency of vibrations sounding string as accurately as the corresponding instruments will do. But people who feel and understand music can accurately distinguish many subtle shades in color and sound character.
The most important sign of a person’s general musicality - ear for music. IN in a broad sense under musical ear understands a person's sensitivity to music. In a narrow sense, it is the ability to reproduce the pitch of musical sounds. One of the rare types of hearing is absolute pitch. It manifests itself in a person's ability to accurately recognize the pitch of individual sounds. Not all even great composers and musicians have perfect pitch. Often those who cannot correctly repeat a melody simply do not have control of their vocal apparatus. To some extent, everyone has an ear for music. There are no people who are deprived of natural musical inclinations, who are absolutely incapable of perceiving works of musical art and enjoying them. Even those who seem not to be touched by music can, if they wish, fall in love with it and learn to understand complex works. "People are not born lovers and connoisseurs of music, but become"- said Shostakovich. People who do not listen to music deprive themselves of enormous pleasure, the opportunity to discover those aspects of life, those areas of feelings and moods that, perhaps, they have not experienced before.

The influence of music on a person
From ancient times there was military music. She always performed two important tasks: she raised the morale of the soldiers and controlled them during battles; with her help, communication was established, various signals and commands were given.
Previously, the army had no signal flares, no radio, or other similar means communications. In the noise of the battle, only the calling voice of the trumpet could be heard. Just a few short sounds - and the participants in the battle knew that they needed to rebuild, go on the offensive or retreat.
During long marches, soldiers on the march were helped by a marching song or rhythmic drumming. In ancient times, when there were no military marches, musicians accompanied soldiers on campaigns, playing different instruments: Greeks - on the flute, Carthaginians - on the zither. The Romans - on the trumpet and horn. To the music, the fighters walked easier and more confidently.
Music can unite people in a single emotional impulse and inspire confidence in victory. It expresses the joy of victory and helps to overcome the grief of those killed in battle.
Role military music increased when mercenary armies appeared and a general system of military training arose. It gained particular popularity during the turbulent era of the Great french revolution. Famous composers began to write music for military bands.
IN Russian army in the XVIII - 19th centuries music was given great importance. At this time, Russia participated in numerous wars. The famous Russian commander A.V. Suvorov said: “Music doubles and triples an army. Music in battle is necessary and useful, and it must be the loudest. With unfurled banners and loud music, I took Ishmael.”
Now, of course, musicians do not participate in hostilities, but music continues to play a big role during drills, military ceremonies and parades.
The sounds of the national anthem can have a special impact on a person. The sound of the anthem is solemn. It often starts with an interval of 2.5 tones - a quart. The anthem evokes a feeling of pride and unites people.

Scientific data is gradually accumulating, confirming the knowledge of the ancients thatMusic is a powerful source of energies that influence a person.
Back in the 19th century, the scientist I. Dogel established that under the influence of music, blood pressure, the frequency of contractions of the heart muscle, the rhythm and depth of breathing change, both in animals and in humans.
The famous Russian surgeon Academician B. Petrovsky used music during complex operations: According to his observations, under the influence of music the body begins to work more harmoniously.
The outstanding psychoneurologist Academician Bekhterev believed that music has a positive effect on breathing, blood circulation, eliminates growing fatigue and gives physical vigor.
Since 1969, there has been a music therapy society in Sweden. Thanks to the employees of this organization, it became known to the whole world that the sounds of a bell containing resonant ultrasonic radiation kill typhoid bacilli, jaundice pathogens and influenza viruses in a matter of seconds; that under the influence of certain styles of music, the protoplasm of cells, plants, and much more accelerates its movement.
At the Moscow Eidos Center, music therapy is used to treat diabetes. It has been found that there is a direct connection between blood sugar levels and mental health. Thus, changing and adjusting your mental condition, a person may change their blood sugar levels. In that great help The sounds of natural noises have an effect: surf, birdsong, the roar of ocean waves, thunder, the sound of rain.
Recently, scientists from the University of Göttingham in Germany conducted an interesting experiment: they tested the effectiveness of various means for sleeping and recording lullabies. To the surprise of experts, the melodies turned out to be much more effective than medications: after them, the subjects had a strong and deep sleep.
Interesting results have been obtained in studies of the music of the peoples of the East.
It is known that among the Chinese, Indians, as well as among the ancient Egyptians, the sounds of nature and music were in direct connection with astronomy and mathematics, with the “ether of space”.
In India there is the Samma Veda, one of the four Vedas, which consists of chanting. This is a collection of hymns and mantras that are sung during sacrifices. In these mantras, every sound, the slightest transition has its own meaning; cause and effect.
Indian ragas, of which there are about 3,500, are performed at strictly defined times of the day and year, since the psychophysical state of a person caused by the raga must correspond to the position of forces in nature and space - untimely performance of a raga has always been considered harmful, violating the natural order.
Taking into account ancient traditions, scientists are conducting intensive research in the field traditional music East.
Particular attention is paid to the impact of classical music on living organisms. Here are just a few observations.
The creator of musical pharmacology, the American scientist Robbert Schofler, prescribes for therapeutic purposes to listen to all Tchaikovsky’s symphonies and Mozart’s overtures, as well as Schubert’s “The Forest King” and Beethoven’s ode “To Joy” from his 9th symphony. Shofler claims that these works help speed up recovery. Scientists from Samarkand came to the conclusion that the sounds of the piccalo flute and clarinet improve blood circulation, and a slow and not loud melody string instruments lowers blood pressure.
According to French scientists, Ravel's Daphnis and Chloe can be prescribed to people suffering from alcoholism, and Handel's music stabilizes the behavior of schizophrenics. Mikhail Lazarev, pediatrician, director of the children's rehabilitation treatment center, describes the impact music has on pregnant women:
Classical music has a great effect on the formation of the bone structure of the fetus. To the sounds of harmonious music, the child, while still in the womb of the mother, will develop harmoniously spiritually and physically. Research by the center under the leadership of Lazarev has shown that musical vibrations have an effect on the entire body. They have a beneficial effect on bone structure, thyroid gland, massage internal organs, reaching deep-lying tissues, stimulating blood circulation in them. Listening to individual classical works, pregnant women are cured of cardiovascular diseases, various nervous disorders, the same thing happens with the fetus. It is especially recommended that expectant mothers listen to Mozart's works.
By the way, experts consider Mozart’s music to be a phenomenon in the field of the influence of music on living organisms. For example, not long ago, the world's oldest British scientific journal, Nature, published an article by an American researcher from the University of California, Dr. Frances Rauscher, about positive impact Mozart's music on human intelligence. After listening to Mozart’s piano music for 10 minutes, tests showed an increase in the so-called “intelligence quotient” of the students participating in the experiment by an average of 8-9 units.
An interesting fact was that Mozart's music increased the mental abilities of all participants in the experiment - both those who love Mozart and those who do not like it.
At one time, Goethe noted that he always worked better after listening to Beethoven’s violin concerto.
Experts say: “When music rejoices and laughs, a person laughs and rejoices with it.” Shakespeare spoke about this in the tragedy “Romeo and Juliet”: “Only the silver sounds of music are removed, as if by hand, my sadness."
Installed , that Tchaikovsky's lyrical melodies , Chopin's mazurkas , Liszt's rhapsodies help to overcome difficulties , overcome the pain , gain mental fortitude .

A person receives most information about the world around him through vision. Light is electromagnetic waves, and sound is mechanical waves traveling through a medium. Since ancient times, this similarity has forced us to look for ways to combine the effects of sound and visual images on humans. Isaac Newton after his famous experiments on decomposition using a prism white light on the components noted that “the width of the seven primary colors is proportional to the seven intervals between the notes of the octave.” Various types of synthesis of music and light form the basis of color music. Even the grandfather of the great naturalist Charles Darwin, Erasmus Darwin, in his book “The Temple of Nature,” published in 1803, pointed out the possibility of creating a practical color-musical device. In this device, light from a powerful lamp passes through colored glass and falls on a white wall. Movable grilles are placed in front of the glasses, connected to the keys of the clavichord, and “produce simultaneously audible and visible music in unison with each other.”

The first who tried to substantiate the psychoaesthetic foundations of color music were the Russian musical geniuses Scriabin and Rimsky-Korsakov. They took, first of all, the correspondence of musical tones and certain colors as the basis for light and sound associations. At the beginning of the 20th century, synthetic musical works using color, image, spatially organized light, for example, Scriabin’s poem “Prometheus”, Schoenberg’s “Lucky Hand”.

The number of possible light-sound associations is enormous. For example, a certain rhythm of music, the dynamics of sound corresponds to a certain rhythm, the dynamics of a light spot; a certain sound volume - the corresponding size of the light spot. Color music effects are widely used in rock music and the staging of mass shows to enhance the impact on the people's psyche.

Under the influence of excessively loud, rhythmic music, the crowd often becomes aggressive. Such a mental impact occurs at the concerts of many modern groups, which take place at large cluster listeners, for example in stadiums

Music has long been used for psychotherapeutic purposes. It is used in the treatment of nervous disorders. Calm melodic music has a beneficial effect on a person. It does not interfere with work performance and promotes concentration. Research has shown that drivers who listened to soft music while driving responded to danger 10% faster than drivers who heard loud, rhythmic music in the cab.

Since ancient times, people have noticed the influence of music on humans. Who can answer the question why, when we listen to this or that melody, tears come to our eyes, or suddenly our hearts are filled with a great feeling, everything around becomes joyful and sunny, we want to say: “People, I love you!”?

Music, penetrating into the hidden corners of our soul, awakens the best, brightest, noblest in it.

With the help of music, feelings such as sensitivity and love for the Motherland are brought up, and in order to understand and love music you do not need to know languages, because the language of music is the language of the soul.

References.

· Efimov V.A., Elementary music theory; "State Publishing House of the BSSR", Minsk, 1948;
· Blaze O.S., All about music; "Astrel", Balashikha, 2000;
· Zilberkvit M., World of Music; "Children's Literature", Moscow, 1988
· Willy K., Dethier V., Biology; "Mir", Moscow, 1974;
· BES; "Soviet Encyclopedia", Moscow, 1976

Glazunova O.V., Cherednichenko T.V. "Music in the history of culture

D. Monroe "21 lessons of Merlin. Magical knowledge of the Druids",

Blavatskaya E.P. "Isis Unveiled", "From the Caves and Wilds of Hindustan",

Magazines "Miracles and Adventures" 1/96, "Be Healthy" 1/95, "Family Doctor" 6/96, " Healing powers" 1/96.

It is said that Pythagoras was the first to discover the interesting fact that the simultaneous sound of two identical strings of different lengths is more pleasant to the ear if the lengths of these strings are related to each other as small whole numbers. If the lengths of the strings are in a ratio of 1:2, then this is a musical octave; if they are in a ratio of 2:3, then this corresponds to the interval between the notes C and G and is called a fifth. These intervals are considered "pleasant" sounding chords. Pythagoras was so impressed by this discovery that on its basis he created a school of “Pythagoreans,” as they were called, who mystically believed in the great power of numbers. They believed that something similar would be discovered in relation to the planets, or “spheres.” Sometimes you can hear the following expression: “music of the spheres.” Its meaning is that nature assumed the existence of a numerical connection between the orbits of planets or between other things. This is considered something of a superstition by the ancient Greeks. But how far has our current scientific interest in quantitative relationships gone from this? The discovery of Pythagoras, besides geometry, was the first example of the establishment of numerical relationships in nature. It must have been truly amazing to suddenly discover that there are facts in nature that can be described by simple numerical relationships. The usual measurement of lengths makes it possible to predict something that would seem to have nothing to do with geometry - the creation of "pleasant" sounds. This discovery led to the idea that arithmetic and mathematical analysis seemed to be good tools for understanding nature. The results of modern science fully confirm this point of view.

Pythagoras was able to make his discovery only through experimental observations. However, the full significance of this discovery was apparently not clear to him. And if this had happened, the development of physics would have begun much earlier. (However, it is always easy to talk about what someone once did and what should have been done in his place!)

One more, third side of this can be noted interesting discovery: It concerns two notes that sound pleasant to the ear. But how far have we come from Pythagoras in understanding why only some sounds are pleasant to the ear? The general theory of aesthetics does not seem to have advanced much since the time of Pythagoras. So, this one discovery of the Greeks has three aspects: experiment, mathematical relationships and aesthetics. Physicists have so far achieved success only in the first two. In this chapter we will talk about modern understanding discoveries of Pythagoras.

Among the sounds that we hear, there is a type called noise. It corresponds to some kind of irregular vibrations of the eardrum, caused by irregular vibrations of nearby objects. If you draw a diagram of the air pressure on the eardrum (and therefore its movement) versus time, then the graph corresponding to the noise will look like it is shown in Fig. 50.1, a. (Such noise can, for example, cause foot stomping.) But musical sound has a different character. Music is characterized by the presence of more or less sustained tones, or musical "notes." (By the way, musical instruments They also know how to make noise!)

Fig. 50.1. Pressure as a function of time.

a – for noise; b – for musical sound.

The tone may last a relatively short time, as when we strike a piano key, or indefinitely, when, say, a flautist plays a long note.

What is the feature musical note in terms of air pressure? Musical sound differs from noise in that its graph is periodic. The shape of air pressure fluctuations over time, even if somewhat irregular, must be repeated again and again. An example of pressure versus time for a musical sound is shown in FIG. 50.1, b.

Typically, musicians, when talking about musical tone, define its three characteristics - loudness, pitch and “quality”. “Loudness,” as is known, is determined by the magnitude of the pressure change. “Pitch” corresponds to the period of time of repetition of the main form of pressure (“low” notes have a longer period than “high”). And the “quality” of a tone refers to the difference that we are able to perceive between two notes of the same volume and pitch. We can perfectly distinguish the sound of an oboe, violin or soprano, even if the pitch of the sounds they produce seems to be the same. Here we are talking about the structure of a periodically repeating form.

Let's take a quick look at the sound produced by a vibrating string.

If we pull back the string and then release it, the subsequent movement will be determined by the waves that we excited. These waves, as you know, will travel in both directions along the string and then be reflected from its ends. So they will run back and forth for quite a long time. And no matter how complex these waves are, they will repeat periodically again and again.

The period of these repetitions is simply the time it takes for the wave to travel twice the entire length of the string. After all, this is exactly the time that is necessary for any wave, reflected from each end, to return to starting position and continued moving in the original direction. The time required for a wave to reach the end of the string in any direction is the same. Each point of the string, after a whole period, returns to its original position, then again deviates from it and again, after a period, returns, etc.

The resulting sound should also repeat the same vibrations; That's why, when we touch a string, we get a musical sound.