Definitions

"It is not merely that I want to tell you how it is with me, how I feel, in order to find sympathy or to be left alone, or for any other of the reasons for which one reveals one’s feelings. It’s rather that I want to tell you something I’ve seen, or heard, or realized, or come to understand, for the reasons for which such things are communicated because it is news, about a world we share, or could. Only I find that I can’t tell you; and that makes it all the more urgent to tell you. I want to tell you because the knowledge, unshared, is a burden-not, perhaps, the way having a secret can be a burden, or being misunderstood; a little more like the way, perhaps, not being believed is a burden, or not being trusted. It matters that others know what I see, in a way it does not matter whether they know my tastes. It matters, there is a burden, because unless I can tell what I know, there is a suggestion and to myself as well! that I do not know. But I do-what I see is that pointing to the object! But for that to communicate, you have to see it too. Describing one’s experience of art is itself a form of art; the burden of describing it is like the burden of producing it."

Cavell, Stanley, 1976, Must We Mean What We Say? Cambridge: Harvard University Press, pp. 192-93. See also Lewin, pp. 381-91 and Kramer, Jonathan D., The Time of Music. New York: Schirmer Books, 1988, p. 8.

For each definition there is a sound and or video example. The labeling system is related to the book page, paragraph number, and sequence of definitions. Put your cursor over the highlighted number for a link related to the word and its definition.

For example: 5-1A Page in the book is: 5

Paragraph is: 1

Sequence is: A

1 Acoustical Physics—The science of sound production and propagation.

5-1A Cents—The logarithmic division of the octave into equal half-steps of 100 cents.

5-1A

5-1B Overtone—A harmonic of a fundamental pitch (sine wave).

5-1B

5-1C Comma—The small frequency difference in cents in two pitches of the same name.

5-1C

5-1D Fundamental—The first partial and generator of an identifiable pitch.

5-1D 5-1D

5-1E Partials—The whole integer vibrations sounding above a fundamental.

5-1E

5-1F Schisma— Small frequency difference between two pitches of approximately 2 cents.

5-1F

2 Pitch

5-2A Musical—The specific vibratory frequency of a unit of sound, such as A=440.

5-2A

5-2B Perfect—The ability of an individual to discern the frequency of a pitch as different from other pitches and give the pitch a commonly held name, such as A is distinct from B.

5-2B

5-2C Absolute—The ability of an individual to discern the specific frequency of a pitch, such as A4 equals 440 or A4 equals 442.

5-2C

5-2D Relative—The ability of an individual to distinguish between pitches after the establishment of a pitch, such as A is referenced and the movement of pitch to B is discerned by individual demonstration.

5-1D

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00:00 / 00:26

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3 Tuning Systems

5-3A Just Intonation—An intonation system derived from the overtones of a given fundamental.

5-3A

5-3B Three-limit—An intonation system derived from the 2nd and 3rd partials of the overtones of a given fundamental and their multiples. Also called Pythagorean tuning.

5-3B

6-3C Five-limit—An intonation system derived from the 2nd, 3rd, and 5th partials of the overtones of a given fundamental and their multiples.

6-3C

6-3D Mean-tone temperament—An intonation system that tempers the fifths in order to preserve the pure resonances of the major 3rds.

6-3D

6-3E Well-temperament—An intonation system where the entire chromatic scale of a particular fundamental were tempered so that all the major and minor keys could be played in one tuning, while preserving distinct coloristic features of each key.

6-3E

6-3F Equal Temperament—An intonation system where the entire keyboard has been tempered into equal half-steps.

6-3F

Additional Sound Samples

Three-Limit

Ross Duffin compares the performance of the Hillier Ensemble and 3-Limit intonation.

3-Limit Harmonium

Hillier Ensemble

Equal Temperament

Score

Five-Limit

List of Five-Limit Intervals https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_intervals_in_5-limit_just_intonation