Sound and Acoustics Basics

Sound and Acoustics

• Mono refers to monophonic sound, which means one channel of audio.
• Stereo refers to stereophonic sound, which means two or more channels of audio used to create a more realistic representation of sound in the real world.
• In music, stereo typically means two channels of audio, left and right, which correspond to the left and right ears.

Sound Quality

• Hi-fi stands for high fidelity, referring to high-quality audio.
• Lo-fi stands for low fidelity, referring to low-quality audio, which may be due to poor recording technique or a creative choice.

Decibel

• dB stands for decibel, which is the unit of measurement for sound level.
• A higher decibel value indicates a louder sound.

Pop Music

• Pop music is not defined by a specific type of musical lineup, but it is often dominated by the vocalist.
• Melodic vocal writing, or 'top line' writing, is crucial to a pop record's success.
• Pop music often borrows from underground music and has a characteristic style in each decade, such as synth pop in the 1980s and electronica and R'n'B in the 2010s.

Pop Chord Progressions

• Pop songs often use four-chord loops, which are repeated throughout the song or varied in different parts of the song.
• Examples of pop chord progressions include C-I-bVII-bVI-bIII-V-VIm-IV-G-Am-F and Em-C-G-D.

Pop Basslines

• In pop music, the bass functions as part of the rhythm section, often synchronizing with the bass drum to create a groove.
• The bass typically underpins the harmony, defining the lowest note in the spectrum, which is often the 'root' of the chord or a 'chord tone'.

Vocal Harmonies

• Vocal harmonies are a common feature of pop music, particularly in eras where vocal ensembles have dominated.
• Backing vocals (BVs) can follow the words sung by the main vocal to create texture or have their own separate 'call and response' part.

Pop Drums and Percussion

• Mainstream pop music is designed to appeal to large numbers of people, with drum beats that are often 'danceable'.
• Pop drum beats typically place a solid bass-drum emphasis on the downbeat and have a consistent snare on the second and fourth beats, with sub-beats filled with more rhythmically complex material.
• Pop drum-kit parts are often augmented with percussion instruments such as shakers, tambourines, cabasas, or claves.