Spectrogram Analysis of the Resonance Duration of the Inversions of Chords Featuring the Room Mode
School Name
Spring Valley High School
Grade Level
10th Grade
Presentation Topic
Physics
Presentation Type
Non-Mentored
Abstract
Room modes are acoustic resonances proportional to the size of the space where they occur. Room modes induce negative effects on audio perception, including obscuring quieter sounds and the induction headaches and tinnitus. While sound insulation exists to target ranges of frequencies, no sound insulation specifically targets exact frequencies or forms that these frequencies can take. The purpose of this study was to determine if the position of chords in musical harmony affects the resonance duration of chords, specifically analyzing root position chords and their relative inversions. The hypothesis was that chords with the mode as the highest note would resonate longer than the chords with the mode as the middle or lowest note, as basic music theory dictates that the longer wavelengths of the low notes create longer resonances, and the resonance of the lower notes would be combined with the higher resonance of the room mode. Major and minor chords, each in root position, first inversion, and second inversion, were played thirty times each through a speaker and analyzed in real time via a spectrogram analysis software. The results of an inferential indicates no significant difference among the means of the resonance durations of the chords, F(5, 174) = 0.75, p = 0.584. Therefore, it was concluded that there was not commensurate evidence to suggest that the placement of the room mode inside of chords had a difference on the resonance duration.
Recommended Citation
Berg, Henry, "Spectrogram Analysis of the Resonance Duration of the Inversions of Chords Featuring the Room Mode" (2023). South Carolina Junior Academy of Science. 104.
https://scholarexchange.furman.edu/scjas/2023/all/104
Location
ECL 116
Start Date
3-25-2023 9:45 AM
Presentation Format
Oral and Written
Group Project
No
Spectrogram Analysis of the Resonance Duration of the Inversions of Chords Featuring the Room Mode
ECL 116
Room modes are acoustic resonances proportional to the size of the space where they occur. Room modes induce negative effects on audio perception, including obscuring quieter sounds and the induction headaches and tinnitus. While sound insulation exists to target ranges of frequencies, no sound insulation specifically targets exact frequencies or forms that these frequencies can take. The purpose of this study was to determine if the position of chords in musical harmony affects the resonance duration of chords, specifically analyzing root position chords and their relative inversions. The hypothesis was that chords with the mode as the highest note would resonate longer than the chords with the mode as the middle or lowest note, as basic music theory dictates that the longer wavelengths of the low notes create longer resonances, and the resonance of the lower notes would be combined with the higher resonance of the room mode. Major and minor chords, each in root position, first inversion, and second inversion, were played thirty times each through a speaker and analyzed in real time via a spectrogram analysis software. The results of an inferential indicates no significant difference among the means of the resonance durations of the chords, F(5, 174) = 0.75, p = 0.584. Therefore, it was concluded that there was not commensurate evidence to suggest that the placement of the room mode inside of chords had a difference on the resonance duration.
