Drones

[djm]

I don't know about Master and Commander, but that drone you hear in The Passion of the Christ is actually a guy who was hired to come in and sing those long droning notes. They are not slowed down or retouched, just layers of other sounds layed down on top of them. Let's not sell short the human voice as the oldest musical instrument. All other music, I think, is an off-shoot from that.

djm

[The Sporting Pitchfork]

Dial tone is "F" and there must be some connection although I've never really heard of the "F-pipes" ..at least not in any positive way.

I'd say the universal drone is flat for sure. Be, or be flattened. It could be a harmonic combination like DAD or BAD, but whatever, I'm sure it's no BFD.

I think most car horns are pitched in F as well.

[elbogo]

Seriously, have you ever tried humming, more torwards the upper back of your mouth, in a place (bathroom is good) where there's good acoustics, or where sound carries, and feel it vibrating in your face and brain, and kind of in the air around you?

There are certain notes, as you go up and down the scale, that seem to cause a much greater vibration all around, and seem more in sync than the other notes. Interesting phenomenon.

I read somewhere that certain vibrations are actually good for the brain.

[Davey]

I read somewhere that certain vibrations are actually good for the brain.

I can hear the beachboys now...

[AlanB]

Seriously, have you ever tried humming, more torwards the upper back of your mouth, in a place (bathroom is good) where there's good acoustics, or where sound carries, and feel it vibrating in your face and brain, and kind of in the air around you?

Sounds like they're still growing that good Oaxacan weed to me!!

But seriously, too, you are approaching part of the technique of the 'throat' singing (common of Tuva and similar).

Also, there is a programme, I am told, called 'braingen' that sends alpha waves and other things into your brain and refreshes you, and calms you, and revitalizes you and makes you a better person and richer and more attractive. The words Monkeys and Butt spring readily to mind.....

Alan

[The Sporting Pitchfork]

Perhaps even more seriously, I remember reading something a while back where some scientist was droning on about how most household appliances project discordant soundwaves and that if manufacturers were to simply "tune" appliances to play one big, harmonious chord (Terry Riley's "In C" suddenly springs to mind...), then we'd all be a lot happier.
Makes sense, I guess. But I think I'll just stick with the Oaxacan weed...

[billh]

The cosmic microwave background radiation left over from the Big Bang has its maximum at 160 Gigahertz, which is almost exactly concert D.

Make of it what you will....

[DMQuinn]

The 60 Hz hum of lights and motors in the shop fits very nicely with a B drone. Maybe one or two cycles off, or so. My shop is in B.

[Joseph E. Smith]

billh wrote:"The cosmic microwave background radiation left over from the Big Bang has its maximum at 160 Gigahertz, which is almost exactly concert D. "
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....now that's cool, my tinitis is in 'G'. I'm a thinkin' I could play a few tunes using the back of my throat and nose and have these things to provide accompaniment.....now if I could only get my hands on some truly kickin' Oxacan hooch....

[djm]

Stay away from the brown acid ... etc.

djm

[Joseph E. Smith]

....D'OH !!!!!

[reedman]

I think its "D'urr" Joseph.

[Joseph E. Smith]

....ah, right you are....don't know what I was thinking...or if I was even thinking at all...quite a common occurance, or not, ya' know.

[Lorenzo]

Too funny! A shop in B, dial tone in F, and a universe in D. That spells BFD. The ringing in the ears must be brain shrinkage from herbal divinorum. Alan, there's always Diggity Dagga and the didgeridoo...a popular combination for those in search of something better.

[Brian Lee]

There are certain notes, as you go up and down the scale, that seem to cause a much greater vibration all around, and seem more in sync than the other notes. Interesting phenomenon.

This is called a harmonic resonance. Have you ever heard a car drive down the street with a big subwoofer in the trunk, and on certain notes, it sounds like the licence plate is going to rattle itself off the back end of the car? That's caused by the frequency of the soundwave matching (at least somewhat closely) the natural resonant frequency of the metal of the trunk lid. All of a sudden it will vibrate wildly.

Everything has a relative frequency depending on what it's made of and it's density etc. Some things will vibrate at a higher frequency and others lower down. Some interesting things to try out:

Look at a computer monitor. Start humming some low notes. As you go, change the pitch slightly. It's common to actually see the scan lines appear on the screen with certain frequencies - because your head is now 'humming' at the same frequency or 'pitch' as the refresh rate of the screen.

You can also place a large floor harp in front of a monitor and pluck some of it's lower strings. If you look at the strings against the monitor (place the screen about 8-10 feet behind the harp though) you'll actually see the string in slow motion as it vibrates - similar to the strobeoscope used to check the timing on a car engine.

And lastly, if you eat Wint-O-Green certs in a dark closet, take a mirror. It has nothing to do with the harmonics of the universe, but the green sparks you'll see in your mouth are kinda fun!