声 are 定义 by the 静 that surrounds them And in this way 静 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 声波 that will follow

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

We can 用 静 in exactly the same way to emphasise 声 at any point within a 作曲 The absence of 声波 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 and once wrote 樂/乐 is the 空间 between the 音符

聆 Challenge
听 to these two 為耳/音频 examples

How is the 强调 different between these two 声波 files?


静 in Composition

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

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


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

Identify key 声 within your 作品 and emphasise them by inserting 静 either before or after them


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