View a Preview ClipThe Essence of an Instrument. This program is devoted to analyzing the essential features required in any instrument if a usable musical sound is to be produced. The first requirement is for a device that will produce regularity of pressure change, whether a vibration or wobble, a rotation (like the wheel of a siren), vibration of air in pipes, or tightly stretched strings, or more or less flat plates, or hollow vessels like bells. The program examines how energy can be provided to produce a continuous note, how sound can be amplified, how amplification changes the quality of sound, and the consequences for music produced by synthesizers and computers. (60 minutes)
