Rudiments of Music - a music-theory overview
Introduction
Musical sound is the result of regular and periodic vibrations of air.
The loudness or softness of a sound depends upon the size, or amplitude, of the vibrations. This is called the force of the sound.
The quality or ‘timbre’ of a sound depends upon the nature of the vibrating body (i.e., the "medium by which vibration is set up, whether string or column of air) ; and also upon the presence, in greater or less degree, of harmonics.
The indication, in writing, of musical sounds requires:
- Notes, to express duration.
- The staff or staves
- Clefs
The latter two express pitch.
The articles in this series explain these concepts, and the language used to write them down.
