The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1890-01-16
RESPONSIVE VIBRATIONS
Mysteries and Nature Explained by = Pro
fessor of Music.

Mysteries and Nature Explained by q Pro-
fessOr of Music.
Remembering the old story about the
fiddler who claimed he could fiddle
down bridge, a reporter recently
quizzed a professor of the musical art
concerning the matter of responsive
vibrations. The teacher of music proved
to be no less acquainted with the sci
ence than with the art. The answers
to many questions, complied, are as
follows:
The pitch of the tone either IN sing
ing or playing depends, of course, upon
the number of vibrations in the vocal
chords or in the instrument played
upon. These vibrations are conveyed
to the molecules of the air which vibrate
in similar manner. If any resonant
object or substance be within reach of
the vibrations of the instrument or of
the secondary vibrations of the air,
that object or substance is also set in
motion. Any given elastic body can
vibrate only at d given rate, and if vi
bration of that rate reach it, the hereto
fore quiet substance also begins to vi
brate. If a violin is hung upon avail
near q piano and the violin strings
which are G, d, A and E in the scale
arc tuned to the piano, then whenever
G. ID, A and f are struck on the one
instrument the trings on the other will
vibrate similarly.
Anote which sounds in response tc
another is called an aliquot note. If
any note be sounded on the piano, its
fifth, third and octave will also vibrate
in response. There are objects in al.
most every room, some one of which
will respond to every note struck.
Glasses, lamp shades and globes, win.
dows, metallic articles, respond most
readily to vibrations communicated to
them through the air. Carpets upon
the floors, curtains upon the walls, and
other noi-resonant substances take
away and deaden the sound of musical
instruments. The larger a room is,
the louder the sound produced in it,
air being highly elastic, and its multi.
piled vibrations adding to the intensity
of the sound. In same rooDl, on the
contrary, the sound is less in intensity.
Ii the keys of an octave on the piano
be held down so that the datnDer be
raised from the wires, and if Il chord
be struck in the octave above, it Is easy
to detect that the corresponding strings
in the lower octave are sounding.
The principle of the phonograph was
discovered through the established
principle of responsive vibrations, the
vibrations of the voice being conmuni
Gated to a needle which makes inden.
tations in metallic foil. corresponding
to the vibrations, and as the foil is
turned under the needle again, tue
needle dancing back and forth il the
little indentstions, reproduces tho Vi
brations first given to the foil
When asked if it was true that vibra
tions from musical instruments some
times impair structures, the professor
of music laughed and said he thought
that impossible, and as to the story ol
fiddling a bridge down, he thought
that absolutely impossible, although
there could be no doubt that vibra,
tions in the material of bridge might
be caused by very slight sound il
that sound be pitched properly
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.