A high pitch sound corresponds to a high frequency sound wave and a low pitch sound corresponds to a low frequency sound wave. Amazingly, many people, especially those who have been musically trained, are capable of detecting a difference in frequency between two separate sounds that is as little as 2 Hz. The pitch of a sound you hear depends on the frequency of the sound wave. A high frequency sound wave has a high pitch, and a low frequency sound wave has a low pitch. For example, soprano singers stretch their vocal cords, so they vibrate more quickly as the air rushes by them, which creates higher-frequency sound waves that have a higher pitch. Oh! I should have warned you! Here is a picture of a real vocal chord. This one is open and has air rushing through it. The next one is closed.... All sound waves are travelling at about the same speed - the speed of sound. So waves with a longer wavelength don't arrive (at your ear, for example) as often (frequently) as the shorter waves. This aspect of a sound - how often a wave peak goes by, is called frequency by scientists and engineers. They measure it in hertz, which is how many wave peaks go by in one second. People can hear sounds that range from about 20 to about 17,000 hertz. The word that musicians use for frequency is pitch. The shorter the wavelength, the higher the frequency, and the higher the pitch, of the sound. In other words, short waves sound high; long waves sound low. Human ears can only hear sounds within a certain range of frequencies. As people grow older, their hearing range reduces. A young person can usually hear sounds in the range of 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz. These piano keys demonstrate the pitch and frequency for each note. Musicians don't usually read pitch and frequency but know the sounds as the note "A" or "F#". This Hertz chart gives you an idea of what the human ear can hear in Hertz or frequency of pitch. Our lives are very enriched because we can hear a variety of pitches and enjoy a range of music from singers to instrumentalists. Maybe some of you are off to piano lessons or orchestra practice. So I'll let you go, but remember pitch is related to frequency which sometimes Hertz if the sound gets too intense. This glass was broken by an opera singer...singing....
14 Comments
Sofia
4/12/2017 04:04:40 pm
It's pretty crazy that you can break a glass with your voice, what was the pitch for that?
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jenna
4/12/2017 04:16:26 pm
what is the opera persons pitch to break glass
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Brady
4/12/2017 04:52:29 pm
I've seen an opera singer break glass.
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Katelyn Ashton
4/12/2017 08:04:42 pm
Ewwwwwwwww!! Gross!! That's inside me!!
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parker
4/12/2017 08:27:19 pm
don"t let her get near my glasses
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Caden
4/12/2017 08:46:49 pm
Pitch is very interesting to learn about!
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Stephanie
4/12/2017 09:29:08 pm
This whole thing is cool. That poor glass..These blogs help alot
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ZANE
4/12/2017 11:44:26 pm
wow thats so cool!
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Brennan
4/12/2017 11:44:48 pm
wow
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Zaya
4/13/2017 07:23:57 am
So cool! I love learning about pitch!
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Paige
4/13/2017 07:27:02 am
Wow sound is very cool and the glass breaking in slow motion interesting. Also that vocal chord looks disgusting!
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Mrs. TaylorI love science! Everything about the world is interesting and never boring. I love to study plants, animals, insects, and people. My favorite subjects are my students who are the most unique organisms on the planet! Categories |