Today, we look at the interference of sound waves! #physics #science #sound #audio #music

[kizzashammah]

Physics really is fun. Before it gets on the paper

[jokesatinappropriatetimes]

This is exactly what I tell people to listen for when tuning a guitar.

Edit to add: For everyone that says "digital tuner". I don't really care how someone tunes their guitar, but a fundamental building block of learning how to play guitar is learning how to tune the damn thing by ear. This should be the first thing you learn...even before learning Smoke on the water or Come as you are or the intro to Nothing else matters.

[swagmund_freud]

I've been using this to make my bass guitar sound like dubstep for years

[SkipFlem]

that's why they synchronize engine speeds in twin propeller aircraft.

[uncy]

The first 2 hits are so perfect that it makes the 2nd one look broken

[Google_Corporation]

Had a bad trip and now in Linus Music Tips alternate universe

[crasheffort]

On a music synthesizer, you intentionally do this with two or more oscillators slightly detuned to create a more interesting and complex tone that sounds thicker.

[Zovixi]

Musicians are taught to listen to these dissonant sound waves to check if you’re in tune, typically before a concert (like if the concertmaster is playing the tuning note) or if your in a place where a tuner cannot be used (like a marching band warmup before a show)

[munkeepilot]

As a lifelong musician, this is a fascinating demonstration!

[MyRegularNameWasTaken]

The visualization of this is incredible. If you get a chance to, graph two sine waves with very short wavelengths, that differ very slightly, on top of each other. You can literally see the beat frequency.

[SuperMickey]

Reminds me of a friend and I singing nearly the same note because the dissonance bothered the hell out of our other friend. His over-the-top reactions were hilarious!

[dxpefr]

Seeing the sine waves for these would be so cool

[coastermad]

This is exactly why some bells sound bloody terrible

[Ch-urud]

Thank you for a real demonstration. There's so much quackery when it comes to sounds and vibrations it hurts to read the internet sometimes.

[springcougar]

Sounds like every guitarist tuning up with natural harmonics.

[BobbyShnobby]

I actually exclaimed “woah that’s so cool, ” when I heard the second one at a different frequency

[jakenuno]

I discovered this phenomena when I was probably 5, now I'm an audio engineer and music producer. Crazy how things turn out due to curiosity.

[evilkermit]

This is one of the few things I enjoyed learning about in physics. Physics also sucks in school but applying it is super cool.

[laurinmueller]

as a piano technician, this is what I am listening to all day everyday, and I have to agree: physics is fun! for me it became mind-blowing when I learned that rhythm and pitch are the SAME - maybe shed some light on that. keep it up :)

[hadensnodgrass]

For those that have trouble hearing the frequency:
Dampener at the top: ~25 beats per second
Dampener at the bottom: ~1 beat per second
Dampener in the middle: ~5 beats per second

Great stuff!