How Wood Affects Music
Many music types have impacted people for centuries, whether it's a specific song that reminds you of your childhood or a song you affiliate to a significant other. Music affects many people in various ways, but did you know wood can change the way someone hears music. Today at Schneller&co. we're going to be listing the different types, and methods wood affects music and the instruments used to make music.
Guitars
When it comes to guitars, the tone produced by the instrument is affected by the wood types it's made out of. Different densities in wood types are the main reason to separate vibro-acoustic characteristics. For example, denser woods such as mahogany resonates differently compared to a lighter wood like basswood. Another example would be that tone a guitar makes also depends on the moisture content and temperature. If any of these factors is drastically different from its factory's conditions can weaken or open glue joints, depending on the change that can vary the shift in tone.
2. Acoustic Panels
An acoustic panel is are panels made of sound-absorbing material to decrease the intensity of sound. When it comes to the exterior of the acoustic panels, the type of wood used has little to no impact on performance. The interior of the diffuser, however, makes the most significant difference in terms of sound absorption and execution. The type of wood used in the diffuser impacts middle range frequency directly. It's best to use woods such as cherry to have a smooth register during a performance.
3. Pianos
A piano is made of 85% wood, so it's essential to know what types of wood affect the instrument. Different wood types affect the tone it produces and reveals the quality of the piano. Maple, Spruce, Beechwood, Basswood, and Walnut are wood types most commonly used in pianos. They are proven to best for sound quality and longevity. All the woods listed previously can all be used in a piano. The instrument shouldn't have only one specific type of wood be entirely manufactured because all have an essential role for the piano.
4. String Instruments
For string instruments such as the cello and violin, the wood type is vital to the sound quality made. When purchasing a string instrument, make sure it's either made of Walnut, Ziricote, Spruce, Ebony, Mahogany, and Maple to get the best out of your purchase.
“If there’s any object in human experience that’s a precedent for what a computer should be like, it’s a musical instrument: a device where you can explore a huge range of possibilities through an interface that connects your mind and your body, allowing you to be emotionally authentic and expressive.”
Music has the incredible power to tell a story through notes and words. With our modernized society, it has the opportunity to listen to it anywhere. Therefore, we at Schneller&co. want to inform you of each instrument's quality and how wood affects the way we hear music tremendously. During this pandemic, Schenller&co. hope you are all safe and well. Until the next blog post!
