Week 4 Reading

The ability to distinguish a complex tone with particular upper partials from that same tone without those additional elements can only be attained through concerted training. Musical experience does not factor into any natural proficiency in discerning these sonic nuances. It is easier to identify odd partials such as fifths, thirds, and sevenths. The methodology to address the mental augmentation of a tone that adds perceived missing partials seems complex. The difficulty of hearing the partials on a wind instrument relative to that of hearing partials on a stringed instrument makes sense since the sound waves have a solid medium through which to emanate. The technique described to isolate the upper partials of astringed instrument has a practical application in musical performance. It is interesting that the high, singular tones of a guitar string dampened by a player’s finger has appeal to the prevailing demographic of rock music listeners. This shows how musical preferences have changed through time to focus on more unique and unexpected sounds. The human voice has been used to capture simultaneously the fundamental of a tone and harmonics on that fundamental. The multiple forms of such singing found across cultures may speak to some unity in the human methodology of music. The most notable of these instances is the Tuvan throat singing phenomenon. The mechanism of performing such sounds with a human voice is complex and most likely difficult to learn. It may be an instinctual act or something that comes from practice and emulation rather than targeted training. The biological component seems too complex for the skill to be easily transferred through edification. The concept of a call and response type of performance by a Tuvan throat singer between the singer and nature is interesting.

Questions: 

Can the construction of tones through superimposing individual signals adequately recreate the sound image of a live musical performance? Are there additional elements of senses aside from hearing that synthesize a complete soundscape with what is perceived through hearing?

Would it be possible for humans to produce three or more tones using further expanded versions of techniques such as throat singing?

Why does the addition or subtraction of a few upper partials make such a drastic change to the sound image of a signal?