Cymatics
Encyclopedia
Cymatics is the study of visible sound and vibration, a subset of modal phenomena
. Typically the surface of a plate, diaphragm, or membrane is vibrated, and regions of maximum and minimum displacement are made visible in a thin coating of particles, paste, or liquid. Different patterns emerge in the exitatory medium depending on the geometry of the plate and the driving frequency.
The apparatus employed can be simple, such as a Chladni Plate or advanced such as the CymaScope, a laboratory instrument that makes visible the inherent geometries within sound and music.
, a Swiss medical doctor and a pioneer in this field. The word Cymatics derives from the Greek 'kuma' meaning 'billow' or 'wave,' to describe the periodic effects that sound and vibration have on matter.
. In Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems
(1632), he wrote:
On July 8, 1680, Robert Hooke
was able to see the nodal patterns associated with the modes of vibration
of glass plates. Hooke ran a bow along the edge of a glass plate covered with flour, and saw the nodal patterns emerge.
In 1787, Ernst Chladni
repeated the work of Robert Hooke and published "Entdeckungen über die Theorie des Klanges" ("Discoveries in the Theory of Sound"). In this book, Chladni describes the patterns seen by placing sand on metal plates which are made to vibrate by stroking the edge of the plate with a bow.
Cymatics was explored by Hans Jenny
in his 1967 book, Kymatik (translated Cymatics). Inspired by systems theory
and the work of Ernst Chladni, Jenny began an investigation of periodic
phenomena but especially the visual display of sound. He used standing wave
s, piezoelectric amplifier
s, and other methods and materials.
's book influenced Alvin Lucier
and, along with Chladni, helped lead to Lucier's composition Queen of the South. Jenny's work was also followed up by Center for Advanced Visual Studies
(CAVS) founder György Kepes
at MIT. His work in this area included an acoustically vibrated piece of sheet metal
in which small holes had been drilled in a grid. Small flames of gas burned through these holes and thermodynamic patterns were made visible by this setup.
Based on work done in this field, photographer Alexander Lauterwasser
captures imagery of water surfaces set into motion by sound sources ranging from pure sine wave
s, to music by Ludwig van Beethoven
, Karlheinz Stockhausen
, electroacoustic
group Kymatik (who often record in surround sound ambisonics
), and overtone singing
.
Rosslyn Chapel
's carvings are thought to contain references to Cymatics patterns and in 2005 composer Stuart Mitchell
and his father T.J.Mitchell created a work realised by the use of matching Cymatics/Chladni patterns to the 13 geometric symbols carved onto the faces of 213 cubes emanating from 14 arches. They have named the completed work The Rosslyn Motet and has received a great deal of media publicity and acclaim from scientific and musicological sources .
Normal mode
A normal mode of an oscillating system is a pattern of motion in which all parts of the system move sinusoidally with the same frequency and with a fixed phase relation. The frequencies of the normal modes of a system are known as its natural frequencies or resonant frequencies...
. Typically the surface of a plate, diaphragm, or membrane is vibrated, and regions of maximum and minimum displacement are made visible in a thin coating of particles, paste, or liquid. Different patterns emerge in the exitatory medium depending on the geometry of the plate and the driving frequency.
The apparatus employed can be simple, such as a Chladni Plate or advanced such as the CymaScope, a laboratory instrument that makes visible the inherent geometries within sound and music.
Etymology
The generic term for this field of science is the study of modal phenomena, retitled Cymatics by Hans JennyHans Jenny (cymatics)
Hans Jenny was a physician and natural scientist who is considered the father of cymatics, the study of wave phenomena.-Life and career:Jenny was born in Basel, Switzerland...
, a Swiss medical doctor and a pioneer in this field. The word Cymatics derives from the Greek 'kuma' meaning 'billow' or 'wave,' to describe the periodic effects that sound and vibration have on matter.
History
The study of the patterns produced by vibrating bodies has a venerable history. One of the earliest to record that an oscillating body displayed regular patterns was Galileo GalileiGalileo Galilei
Galileo Galilei , was an Italian physicist, mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher who played a major role in the Scientific Revolution. His achievements include improvements to the telescope and consequent astronomical observations and support for Copernicanism...
. In Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems
Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems
The Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems was a 1632 Italian language book by Galileo Galilei comparing the Copernican system with the traditional Ptolemaic system. It was translated to Latin as Systema cosmicum in 1635 by Matthias Bernegger...
(1632), he wrote:
On July 8, 1680, Robert Hooke
Robert Hooke
Robert Hooke FRS was an English natural philosopher, architect and polymath.His adult life comprised three distinct periods: as a scientific inquirer lacking money; achieving great wealth and standing through his reputation for hard work and scrupulous honesty following the great fire of 1666, but...
was able to see the nodal patterns associated with the modes of vibration
Normal mode
A normal mode of an oscillating system is a pattern of motion in which all parts of the system move sinusoidally with the same frequency and with a fixed phase relation. The frequencies of the normal modes of a system are known as its natural frequencies or resonant frequencies...
of glass plates. Hooke ran a bow along the edge of a glass plate covered with flour, and saw the nodal patterns emerge.
In 1787, Ernst Chladni
Ernst Chladni
Ernst Florens Friedrich Chladni was a German physicist and musician. His important works include research on vibrating plates and the calculation of the speed of sound for different gases. For this some call him the "Father of Acoustics"...
repeated the work of Robert Hooke and published "Entdeckungen über die Theorie des Klanges" ("Discoveries in the Theory of Sound"). In this book, Chladni describes the patterns seen by placing sand on metal plates which are made to vibrate by stroking the edge of the plate with a bow.
Cymatics was explored by Hans Jenny
Hans Jenny (cymatics)
Hans Jenny was a physician and natural scientist who is considered the father of cymatics, the study of wave phenomena.-Life and career:Jenny was born in Basel, Switzerland...
in his 1967 book, Kymatik (translated Cymatics). Inspired by systems theory
Systems theory
Systems theory is the transdisciplinary study of systems in general, with the goal of elucidating principles that can be applied to all types of systems at all nesting levels in all fields of research...
and the work of Ernst Chladni, Jenny began an investigation of periodic
Frequency
Frequency is the number of occurrences of a repeating event per unit time. It is also referred to as temporal frequency.The period is the duration of one cycle in a repeating event, so the period is the reciprocal of the frequency...
phenomena but especially the visual display of sound. He used standing wave
Standing wave
In physics, a standing wave – also known as a stationary wave – is a wave that remains in a constant position.This phenomenon can occur because the medium is moving in the opposite direction to the wave, or it can arise in a stationary medium as a result of interference between two waves traveling...
s, piezoelectric amplifier
Amplifier
Generally, an amplifier or simply amp, is a device for increasing the power of a signal.In popular use, the term usually describes an electronic amplifier, in which the input "signal" is usually a voltage or a current. In audio applications, amplifiers drive the loudspeakers used in PA systems to...
s, and other methods and materials.
Influences in art
Hans JennyHans Jenny (cymatics)
Hans Jenny was a physician and natural scientist who is considered the father of cymatics, the study of wave phenomena.-Life and career:Jenny was born in Basel, Switzerland...
's book influenced Alvin Lucier
Alvin Lucier
Alvin Lucier is an American composer of experimental music and sound installations that explore acoustic phenomena and auditory perception. A long-time music professor at Wesleyan University, Lucier was a member of the influential Sonic Arts Union, which included Robert Ashley, David Behrman, and...
and, along with Chladni, helped lead to Lucier's composition Queen of the South. Jenny's work was also followed up by Center for Advanced Visual Studies
Center for Advanced Visual Studies
The Center for Advanced Visual Studies at MIT was founded in 1967 by artist and teacher György Kepes. Kepes, who taught at the new Bauhaus in Chicago, originally founded the Center as a way to encourage artistic collaboration on a large civic scale....
(CAVS) founder György Kepes
György Kepes
György Kepes was a Hungarian-born painter, designer, educator and art theorist. After emigrating to the U.S. in 1937, he taught design at the New Bauhaus in Chicago...
at MIT. His work in this area included an acoustically vibrated piece of sheet metal
Sheet metal
Sheet metal is simply metal formed into thin and flat pieces. It is one of the fundamental forms used in metalworking, and can be cut and bent into a variety of different shapes. Countless everyday objects are constructed of the material...
in which small holes had been drilled in a grid. Small flames of gas burned through these holes and thermodynamic patterns were made visible by this setup.
Based on work done in this field, photographer Alexander Lauterwasser
Alexander Lauterwasser
Alexander Lauterwasser is a German researcher and photographer who based his work on work done by Ernst Chladni and Hans Jenny in the field of Cymatics....
captures imagery of water surfaces set into motion by sound sources ranging from pure sine wave
Sine wave
The sine wave or sinusoid is a mathematical function that describes a smooth repetitive oscillation. It occurs often in pure mathematics, as well as physics, signal processing, electrical engineering and many other fields...
s, to music by Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...
, Karlheinz Stockhausen
Karlheinz Stockhausen
Karlheinz Stockhausen was a German composer, widely acknowledged by critics as one of the most important but also controversial composers of the 20th and early 21st centuries. Another critic calls him "one of the great visionaries of 20th-century music"...
, electroacoustic
Electroacoustic music
Electroacoustic music originated in Western art music during its modern era following the incorporation of electric sound production into compositional practice. The initial developments in electroacoustic music composition during the mid-20th century are associated with the activities of composers...
group Kymatik (who often record in surround sound ambisonics
Ambisonics
Ambisonics is a series of recording and replay techniques using multichannel mixing technology that can be used live or in the studio. By encoding and decoding sound information on a number of channels, a 2-dimensional or 3-dimensional sound field can be presented...
), and overtone singing
Overtone singing
Overtone singing, also known as overtone chanting, or harmonic singing, is a type of singing in which the singer manipulates the resonances created as air travels from the lungs, past the vocal folds, and out the lips to produce a melody.The partials of a sound wave made by the human voice can be...
.
Rosslyn Chapel
Rosslyn Chapel
Rosslyn Chapel, properly named the Collegiate Chapel of St Matthew, was founded on a small hill above Roslin Glen as a Roman Catholic collegiate church in the mid-15th century...
's carvings are thought to contain references to Cymatics patterns and in 2005 composer Stuart Mitchell
Stuart Mitchell
Stuart Mitchell is a Scottish pianist and composer, best known for his Seven Wonders Suite . The Seven Wonders Suite has been recorded by The Prague Symphony Orchestra conducted by Mario Klemens. A performance of part of the Suite was performed in The Dvorak Hall in Prague in 2005...
and his father T.J.Mitchell created a work realised by the use of matching Cymatics/Chladni patterns to the 13 geometric symbols carved onto the faces of 213 cubes emanating from 14 arches. They have named the completed work The Rosslyn Motet and has received a great deal of media publicity and acclaim from scientific and musicological sources .
See also
- List of wave topics
- OscillonOscillonIn physics, an oscillon is a soliton-like phenomenon that occurs in granular and other dissipative media. Oscillons in granular media result from vertically vibrating a plate with a layer of uniform particles placed freely on top...
- Mode shape
- Music visualizationMusic visualizationMusic visualization, a feature found in electronic music visualizers and media player software, generates animated imagery based on a piece of music...
- Visual musicVisual musicVisual music, sometimes called "colour music," refers to the use of musical structures in visual imagery, which can also include silent films or silent Lumia work. It also refers to methods or devices which can translate sounds or music into a related visual presentation...
- Cymatic therapyCymatic therapyCymatic therapy or "cymatherapy", is a scientifically unsupported alternative medicine technique using acoustic waves which was developed in the 1960s by Sir Peter Guy Manners.-Background :...
- Harmonic analysisHarmonic analysisHarmonic analysis is the branch of mathematics that studies the representation of functions or signals as the superposition of basic waves. It investigates and generalizes the notions of Fourier series and Fourier transforms...
External links
- Global Cymatics Community
- Cymatics, A Study of Wave Phenomena
- Cymatics Conference
- Cymatica.net : Architectural thesis investigation into the synthesis of space and form generated from sound
- Cymatics.org: Cymatics images & video capturing the interaction of sounds with liquids
- Video of Cymatics of salt grains on vibrating square metal plate
- DIY Cymatics
- TED Talks: Evan Grant: Making sound visible through cymatics