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wide pitch-range, are more dull rumblings than tones, while the
highest tones of the violin and piccolo are not so much tones as
piercing squeaks.


SIMPLE AND COMPLEX TONES

Graphs obtained from vibrating bodies show that some of
them generate simple waves, and others produce waves that are
complex. A simple wave is set up by a single vibration, while


Fig. 1. A Simple and a Compound Wave. (After D. C. Miller, The
Science of Musical Sounds, New York, Macmillan, 1916)
a complex wave is produced by a number of simultaneously
present vibrations. Almost all elastic bodies, and all musical in-
struments, produce complex waves. Tones having simple waves
are known as simple or pure tones, those having complex waves
are called compound or complex tones. Since a compound tone is
composed of a number of vibrations it means that the body
generating it vibrates not only as a whole, but also in parts or
segments. The partial vibrations stand in simple ratio to the
vibration of the whole, namely, 1:2:3:4, etc. This means that
the body, besides vibrating as a whole, also vibrates in halves,
thirds, fourths, etc. A compound tone is then made up of a
series of partial tones, also spoken of as harmonics, the pitch of

-4-

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Publication Information: Book Title: The Psychology of Music: A Survey for Teacher and Musician. Contributors: Max Schoen - author. Publisher: Ronald Press. Place of Publication: New York. Publication Year: 1940. Page Number: 4.
    
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