Found Sounds (Junior Cert Music): Revision Notes
📚Revision Notes
Found Sounds
Note
Found sounds are real-world sounds that are used as music.
What Are Found Sounds?
- Found sounds are real-world sounds that are used as music.
- These can be from everyday objects, nature, or human-made sounds.
- Found sounds are often used in film music, electronic music, and pop songs.
- There are two types of found sounds:
- Human-made sounds: clapping, light switches
- Environmental sounds: rain, wind
History of Found Sounds
- The concept of found sounds started with Musique Concrète in the 1940s.
- Pierre Schaeffer, a French composer, experimented with recording and manipulating real-world sounds.
- Example: Étude aux chemins de fer – a piece made from train station sounds.
Note
Musique concrète is a style of composition that uses recorded real-world sounds instead of traditional instruments.
Modern Found Sounds in Music
- Many artists use found sounds in their recordings.
- Example: Billie Eilish – Bad Guy (includes pedestrian crossing sounds).
- Example: Charlie Puth – Light Switch (uses the sound of a real light switch).
Creating Music with Found Sounds
- Collect Sounds – Find at least five different sounds.
- Manipulate the Sounds – Change pitch, speed, and effects.
- Arrange the Sounds – Structure them into a piece of music.
- Perform & Record – Use DAW software (GarageBand, Ableton) or write on a graphic score.