Pitch, Frequency, and Microtonality

In this independent study, I chose to study pitch, frequency, and microtonality. I learned that frequency is a physical fact of sound. It refers to the number of times a sound wave vibrates per second, measured in hertz. If the frequency is higher, we usually hear a higher pitch; if the frequency is lower, we will hear a lower pitch. However, pitch and frequency are not the same, because frequency can be measured by machines, and pitch is the auditory feeling and understanding of human sound.

Microtonality made me understand the relationship more clearly. In most Western music, an octave is usually divided into twelve equal notes. However, microtonal music uses smaller pitches between these notes. These smaller pitches are smaller changes in frequency. For example, on the piano, there are no other keys between C and C-sharp, but in microtonal music, the frequency of a sound can be between these two notes. This shows that microtonality gives musicians more pitch options.

At first, the microtonal music made me feel a little strange, because my ears were used to the twelve-tone system. But then I listened carefully and found that it was not out of tune but handled the frequency in a more detailed way.

This study has changed my view of music. I used to think that the notes were fixed. But now I understand that the pitch is actually more flexible. It has something to do with physics, culture, and the way we learn to listen.