The Language
of Music Notation

Audio Design of the Sound Examples

Tempo: 100 BPM — A moderate tempo where one beat (a quarter note) lasts exactly 0.6 seconds. 100 BPM is an international standard for practice and learning material because it feels neither too hectic nor too sluggish. A 4/4 bar therefore lasts 2.4 seconds.

Metronome clicks — The four clicks per bar (beat 1 at a higher pitch than beats 2-4) give the ear a reference. For rest symbols the metronome keeps running while the note is silent — so the rest becomes perceptible as silence between the clicks.

Key of C major — All note examples stay in C major (C, D, E, F, G, A, B) because it is the key without accidentals and adds no extra complexity to the audio sample. This keeps the focus on the rhythm or the demonstrated symbol.

Rhythmic ratios — A quarter note lasts exactly one beat (0.6 s) and coincides with a click. An eighth note lasts half a beat — you hear two eighths per click. Sixteenth notes: four per click. 32nds: eight per click. This makes the ratio immediately understandable visually and acoustically.

Triplets, duplets, quintuplets — These deliberately play "against" the metronome: a triplet squeezes 3 notes into the space of 2 beats, a quintuplet 5 notes into 1 beat. You directly hear the rhythmic friction — that is exactly what defines these note values.

Dynamics examples (ppp to fff) — The volume symbols play the same chord at different loudness levels so the difference becomes directly audible. The scale is evenly graded from barely audible (ppp) to full and powerful (fff). A master compressor prevents distortion at the loud stages.

Timbre — Soft dynamics and notes use sine waves (smooth, round). Loud dynamics and accents use sawtooth waves (richer in overtones, more powerful). Articulation such as staccato uses triangle waves with a short envelope. This timbre choice matches musical intuition.

Why no real instruments? — The tones are synthesised with the Web Audio API directly in the browser. This keeps the page extremely lightweight (no audio files to download) and all examples work instantly without an internet connection.