Soprano, alto, tenor, and bass. These are the four voice parts which are often associated with music, specifically choir and other forms of vocal music. Few people realize, however, that these same tonalities and voicings are present in all forms of music, including band and orchestra music.
These voicings are organized into a specific tonality, with soprano voices occupying the upper ranges, altos occupying the middle to lower-upper ranges, tenors occupy the middle up to upper-lower ranges, and basses occupying the lower ranges. These voicings are further arranged into what is known as the pyramid of sound, as illustrated and taught by composer W. Francis McBeth (Source).
The voices are arranged in the pyramid in order to achieve the perfect balance and blend in the music. “Balance” refers to the strength of various sections within the music (Source), such as the balance between soprano and bass or clarinets and tubas, for example. This balance constantly changes in order to bring out certain elements within the music, such as the melody or a specific harmony. “Blend” refers to the process of merging the sounds of contrasting tone colors in such a way that they produce a sound that is quite different from the mere sum of their parts, and furthermore, the extent to which the sounds produced by instruments (or voices) of similar tone color merge together to form a homogeneous timbre such that none of the performers dominate (Source).
This balance and blend is critical in creating the homogeneous, distinct sound of what we call music.
This balance and blend is achieved by adhering to the pyramid of sound, as pictured above. In the pyramid of sound, the bass voices provide the foundation and should be the loudest; furthermore, everyone in the group should listen down to the bass voice. This is because as voices move higher in the tessitura, or higher into the range of notes, less volume is needed for it be heard distinctly due to the higher frequency of the sound (Source). It is also useful in tuning, as instrumentalists and vocalists should always tune to the lowest pitched instrument. By adhering to this period of sound, each instrumentalist and vocalist is able to know their role in the overall sound and is aware of the sound of ensemble (Source); it forces musicians to actively listen, while also creating a pleasurable, homogenous sound for the audience.
The solid foundation offered by the bass voices gives music a sense of grounding and stability, which is why it is so critical to the pyramid of sound. Furthermore, humans are naturally drawn to low bass sounds in music, hence, why humans love to “drop the bass.” According to a study conducted by Canada’s McMaster Institute for Music and the Mind, which investigated how the brain reacts to low and high-pitched tones, found that people follow deep bass sounds much easier than they do the rhythms presented in higher pitches (Source). Essentially, the bass not only provides foundation to the entire ensemble, but it grounds the audience into the sound as well and orients them to the sound.
Perhaps the greatest example of what happens when this bass line isn’t present, or is at least diminished, can be found in the group Pentatonix. In May of 2017, the groups bass vocalist, Avi Kaplan, left the group (Source). A comparison of the music before and after his departure from the group shows the drastic difference in a group when the bass line is weakened and the foundation for the pyramid of sound is no longer there.
This song was produced before Avi’s departure:
This song was produced after Avi’s departure:
While both are traditional Christmas hymns and both arrangements are certainly beautiful, the second piece—post departure – lack the grounding of the arrangement produced with the bass vocals. It lacks a sense of stability and is not as pleasing to the ear as the songs produced with the bass vocals. The pyramid of sound has been upended, as the three vocalists with upper ranges (a soprano and two tenors) now dominate the sound of the baritone voice.
While anyone who is not a musician does not normally think of this pyramid of sound on a daily basis, the above example clearly demonstrates how easily our perception of music can be changed simply by changing the dynamics of the pyramid of sound. A more top-heavy pyramid produces a sound that is unstable, uneasy, and overall not as pleasing and balanced; conversely, a pyramid of sound as depicted above produces a sound that is pleasing, balanced, and stable. It is a such a simple balance, but it can have such a powerful effect on music, and it is a fundamental principle in what makes music work.
Alaina, I love the idea of the sound pyramid! I was never sure about the physics of why it existed, but what you said about frequencies and volume makes a lot of sense now. It makes sense that in band I always loved trying to focus my sound on the tubas, and it makes sense that in orchestra I loved focusing on the basses. The way it feels, listening and tuning into low, rich, vibrations somewhat reminds me of the symbol for Hinduism; the Om symbol. In Hinduism, people believe that it is a sacred sound that created the whole universe, and that is why they chant it during prayers. A low, Om sound allows devotees to feel centered, focused, and clear-minded for meditation or other prayers. I know that was such a weird connection, but I really think they have similar aspects!
Yay! I’m glad that you enjoyed this post and found it interesting!
I decided to look up the Om sound that you spoke of and it was so interesting! It gave me cold chills when it started, admittedly, and I love that you introduced me to a new style of music and spirituality in this. I had never even thought of this sound’s use as a way to become centered, focused, and clear-minded, but such a low, tonal sound would certainly make sense. This same tuning is used in our band pieces to center and focus our sounds, but as musicians, it also helps us get focused and ready for rehearsals and performances. I would definitely say that it is a distinct connection, and not really weird at all! I’m looking forward to when I get to study Eastern music in my music classes, so this was an interesting connection that I thoroughly enjoyed!
I would never have guessed that there was a scientific explanation for why we like to drop the bass – I always thought of it as a more recent phenomenon! I wonder if this perception was misconstrued and heavy baselines are present in much earlier music as well? I also never thought about why I think of the ideal narrator’s voice as male, but I’d bet that the concept in this post is at least part of the reason why!
I’m glad that this post enlightened you a bit and offered you a new perception! “Dropping the bass” and heavy bass lines have definitely been around for years. Gustav Holst’s piece “Mars” from his The Planets Suite has an extremely heavy baseline and has a number of “drop the bass” moments, even though it was written in 1916. The bass line also sets up the iconic, rhythmic groove that audiences just about everywhere recognize. Here’s a link to a recording, if you’d like to hear it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jmk5frp6-3Q
After being in choir for so long, this post really opened my eyes to the science of voice parts. I’m an alto and I always felt like my section faded into the sopranoes. But in actuality, my choir was not following the sound pyramid. My choir director took a lot of time and effort to try and create a balance between our group because we were acapella, but with so many voices it is so hard to do so. I think the way you spoke about your topic was well done and easy to understand. Even people who know zero about musical terms will know what a “homogenous” group sounds like. The Pentatonix comparison video made me sad, but it is okay! We can remember the good old days with Avi. Loved this post!!!!
I can definitely understand the whole thing of altos being swallowed up by the sopranos. It is a pitfall of many choirs, unfortunately, and I feel like a lot of sopranos feel the need to belt and, well, admittedly, a lot of the time many singers view altos as a somehow “lesser” voice part when, in all actuality, there should be more of an alto, bass, and tenor sound than the screaming sopranos. However, it is also true that, as a soprano, it is more difficult to be quiet because the higher frequency and pitch carries better than the lower pitched alto line.
I’m glad that you enjoyed my post though! It will never be the same without Avi, but at least we can still listen to old recordings, and their new music is still better than most people’s!
As a bass singer, in a tiny choir, this! Lower voices need to be heard. Also I know the whole Avi leaving thing is super old at this point, but I miss him so much. Even with the new bass singer, his sound is just different.