resonance
The amplification and enrichment of sound through sympathetic vibration.
In Depth
Resonance occurs when an object vibrates in sympathy with a sound source, amplifying and enriching the original sound. The body of a guitar, violin, or piano acts as a resonator — the strings alone produce very little sound, but the wooden body amplifies their vibrations into audible music.
Different shapes, sizes, and materials resonate at different frequencies, giving each instrument its characteristic tone. Concert hall design is essentially the science of architectural resonance — the goal is to create a space that enriches musical sound without blurring it. The best concert halls (Vienna's Musikverein, Amsterdam's Concertgebouw) achieve a reverberation time of about two seconds.
The Musikverein in Vienna is considered the world's finest concert hall. Its shoe-box shape and wooden surfaces create a reverberation time of exactly 2.0 seconds — the ideal balance between clarity and warmth.