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about Music: the Art of Listening. Element 4 — Intensity (Part 1) Volume
As the 4th element of sound in the series “about Music” we explore Volume and Intensity, and how this creates emotion in music. And we indulge ourselves in a complete performance of Tchaikovsky’s first piano concerto. Don’t’ miss this stunning performance!
Welcome to our fourth investigation into the four primary elements of sound and music. Yes, I know you would rather listen to that stunning concerto than be reading this stuff, but bear with me a little longer, and we will listen to the complete performance later.
We covered Pitch first, Duration and Rhythm second, and then Colour and Timbre third, and now it’s time for Intensity and Volume. We will have an opportunity to put all four together as we listen to arguably the best-known piano concerto of all time, the first of Tchaikovsky, who would have celebrated his 183rd birthday on May the 7th 2023.
Volume, also known as amplitude or loudness, is the strength or intensity of a musical sound. It is measured in decibels (dB). The volume of a musical note is determined by the amplitude of the sound wave, which is the height of the wave from its lowest point to its highest point. A soft musical sound has a low sound wave, while a loud musical sound has a tall sound wave.
