Dissonances in carillon chords

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Authors

  • W. BUDZYŃSKI Sound Engineering Department, Faculty of Electronics, Telecommunications and Informatics, Gdańsk University of Technology, Poland
  • M. SANKIEWICZ Sound Engineering Department, Faculty of Electronics, Telecommunications and Informatics, Gdańsk University of Technology, Poland

Abstract

The sound quality of the carillons may pose problems, the more so, as carillon music has often a large, sometimes involuntary, audience. Particular carillon chords, although composed from well tuned bells, produce more or less dissonant sounds. A performed computer analysis of such chords, recorded in the St. Catherine Carillon belfry in Gdańsk, shows origins of dissonances and characterizes their properties. Some possible solutions leading to an enhancement of quality of carillon chords are discussed.

References

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[3] E.W. VAN HEUVEN, Acoustical measurements on church bells and carillons, De Gebr. van Cleef, The Hague 1949; [in:] Acoustics of Bells, T.D. R0SSING [Ed.], Van Nostrand, N. Y. 1984.