Ever Ascending Melody

1. Can the Shepard tone drive you insane?
2. What is the risset tone?
3. What are the different direction of melody?

Can the Shepard tone drive you insane?

Shepard Madness is an example of a sound that can physically affect you. In this case, it's a bad effect: if you listen for long enough you will likely feel sick, dizzy, or even faint.

What is the risset tone?

A Shepard tone, named after Roger Shepard, is a sound consisting of a superposition of sine waves separated by octaves. When played with the bass pitch of the tone moving upward or downward, it is referred to as the Shepard scale.

What are the different direction of melody?

A melody or "theme" can have three different directions: it can be ascending, descending or horizontal. In the first example the melody alternates between ascending and descending motions. But we realize that its generally an upward curve between the first and last notes, so we have a general upward movement.