What is Pitch (music)?
In [[music]], the '''pitch''' of a [[note (music)|note]] means how high or low the note sounds. For example, a [[violin]] usually has a higher pitch than a [[string bass]]. Pitch mostly depends on the [[frequency]] of the sound &mdash; how fast the air [[vibrate]]s back and forth. In [[physics]], frequency is measured in a [[unit]] called [[Hertz]]. A note that is vibrating at 261&nbsp;Hz will be caused by [[sound wave]]s that vibrate at 261 times a [[second]]. This will be [[Middle C]] on the [[piano]]. Not all [[musical instrument]]s make notes of a certain pitch. Many [[percussion]] instruments like [[drum]]s, [[triangle]]s and [[cymbal]]s are instruments used for [[rhythm]]s. They do not play [[tune]]s because they have no definite pitch (although often a definite pitch can just be heard when listening carefully.) Some [[musician]]s have a sense of '''absolute pitch''' or '''perfect pitch'''. This means that they always know what note is being played, even without comparing it to another note. Having a sense of absolute pitch does not necessarily make someone a good musician, although it can be very useful. There is evidence to suggest that well-known [[composer]]s of [[classical music]], such as [[Haydn]], [[Beethoven]], [[Mozart]], and [[Bach]], had developed and perhaps even mastered their sense of pitch. Pitch is not exactly the same as frequency. Frequency is used as a [[science|scientific]] means for measuring and changing sound and its possible pitches. Pitch is a more [[psychology|psychological]] quality. It depends on how the [[ear]] perceives sounds, and how the [[brain]] interprets them. ==Related pages== *[[note (music)]] *[[musical notation]] *[[scale (music)]] *[[wave (physics)]] == Other websites == * [http://en.citizendium.org/wiki/Pitch_(music) Pitch (music)] Citizendium [[Category:Sound]] [[Category:Musical terminology]]