Searching for New Sound - Music Composition ideas

In the world of music analysis and signal processing, the Fourier transform is a powerful tool for understanding the frequency content of a sound. One of the key components of the Fourier transform is the window function, which controls how long the computer "looks" at the signal in order to determine the frequencies present. In a perfect world, a longer observation time would provide better accuracy in identifying the frequencies present in a sound. However, in the real world, musical notes from instruments are not infinitely long and their sustain is not always perfectly flat and clear. As a result, the pitch of a note can fluctuate, which can lead to a noisy spectrum when analyzing the sound. To address this problem, different window functions have been developed to control the observation time and minimize the impact of pitch fluctuations on the analysis. In music analysis, this principle can be applied to the frequency and time domain of a sound. A commonly used window f...

When the cluster is played in the low register, the harmonics of notes in the cluster interfere with each other. It creates a complex and muddy sound. The notes can be too close to each other and it can be hard to differentiate them, also the sound produced might be too dense and lack clarity. The low interval limits refer to the range of notes or pitches that are considered to be in the lower register of an instrument or voice. These limits are often established by composers and performers as a guide for creating and playing music in a specific range. For example, a composer may choose to avoid using certain intervals, such as a major third or minor second, below a certain pitch, D3 or E3 respectively, in order to produce a clear perception of an interval. The low interval limits are not hard rules, but more like guidelines, and can be broken depending on the creative intent. Some composers and performers may choose to use lower pitches and intervals in order to produce a specific...

Recently, I received a commission from Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, the alternative orchestra. The instrumentation is:     2 Piccolos 3 Flutes 1 Soprano saxophone 1 Alto saxophone 1 Tenor saxophone 1 Baritone saxophone 3 B-flat trumpets 5 Tubas 1 Piano 1 Harp 1 Guitar 1 Timpani 1 Tam-tam I had a short interview before the concert and helped me rethink the process of composing this piece Qs - Tell us a little about your piece? It is about noise. The clusters are the main material of the music. The cluster in the bass low register creates a muddy and gritty sound; while the cluster in the high register sounds piercing and edgy. Throughout the whole piece, I gradually add the cluster materials layer by layer until the breaking point everything’s messed up and ends with everyone being shaken. Qs -What attracted you to the sound of the Dung Chen? Dungchen is an instrument used in Tibetan Buddhism. It is a long trumpet, it is very long and puts one end on the ground on the ground...