声音 are 定义 by the 静音 that surrounds them And in this way 静音 itself becomes a key 元素 in 作曲


The Power of Silence

想像 an 乐队 in a packed concert hall Think of the pause where the conductor holds his baton raised and the timpanist in the 打击乐 section holds his mallet aloft above his 乐器 This moment is full of expectation of anticipation for the 声音 that will follow

In this 场景 the conductor is using 静音 to articulate and emphasise the start of the 作品 He is 制作 the 听众 wait so that when the 声音 do emerge they will appreciate them more

We can 使用 静音 in exactly the same way to emphasise 声音 at any point within a 作曲 The absence of 声音 therefore becomes just as 重要 as the sounding 对象 within a 作品


Fact
The 作曲家 Claude Debussy believed strongly in the power of 静音 and once wrote 音乐 is the 空间 between the 音符

聆听 Challenge
聆听 to these two 音频 examples

How is the 强调 different between these two 声音 files?


静音 in Composition

Often if 作曲者 feel that their 作品 is 不 quite right they rush in to add more and more 声音 When really it is just as likely that their 作品 might 需要 fewer 声音 and more 静音 Sometimes taking 声音 away can be a better 作曲 选择

静音 gives the 听众 a 偶然性 to pause absorb what has come before and to prepare for the next 声音


Activity
Try 创作 gaps and using 静音 as a 作曲 工具 in your own 作品

Identify key 声音 within your 作品 and emphasise them by inserting 静音 either before or after them


Extra
Does 静音 Even Exist?
John Cage 识别 that there was no such thing as complete 静音 in the real world Even if you don't make a 声音 there will still be the whirr of the 计算机 and 噪音 from outside Cage's 作品 4'33″ used this fact to its advantage encouraging 人 to 聆听 to the 声音 outside of the 表演者 highlighting the everyday 声音 of the 听众 as 作曲 材料