# Music mage



## rachelwrites527 (Feb 16, 2012)

I had this great idea for a specialized type of magic involving music, or sounds, but that's as far as I got.  I don't know what kinds of abilities a music mage should have, except for one: the ability to alter the pitch of any sound to negate it.  For instance, there's a creature in my story whose cry is fatal.  The music mage in the story has the ability to alter the sound waves so that it stops the sound.  One, is that even possible.  Two, what other kinds of powers/abilities should she have?


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## San Cidolfus (Feb 16, 2012)

I wrote a story a while back that incorporated a similar magic (don't worry, it wasn't published).  My character was a minstrel and professional scoundrel, and much of the music that she played was a mild form of mind-control.  Much of it revolved around the power of suggestion, but it was also used to heighten emotion, be it to pacify or enrage.  My narrative veered away from that particular strain of magic so I didn't explore it in too much depth, but there's a lot of potential.

You could focus on the emotion of music as I wrote above, or you could also attend to the physical, aural properties of it.  In the way that you suggested, certainly, but you could go further with the concept of altering pitches.  Perhaps by increasing the fragility of certain things, like the armor of one's enemies or a hunk of wall or the archbishop's dining crystal.

There's always the potential to take battle hymns literally, as in by sheathing your heroes in heavenly glory so their enemies cannot look upon them in the crush of melee--huge defensive aid--or by summoning the heroes of the dead to fight beside your characters.  Perhaps music could also allow more direct communication with the dead.

Your imagination is the limit, sister.  Music is a very basic and universal element of inspiration.  Why not listen to all different sorts of music and see what creative juices start flowing?


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## Sheilawisz (Feb 16, 2012)

Hello rachelwrites527, and welcome to Mythic Scribes!!

This idea of yours about a type of Magic and Mages involving music is really good, I like it!! I think that other music-related Magical powers would be to control the minds of people or animals with music (like the Pied Piper of Hamelin story) to create special sounds that cause a devastating effect like that fatal cry you mentioned or maybe a special music that can freeze time or something =)

You have a really cool idea!!


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## JCFarnham (Feb 16, 2012)

I'll preface this post by saying I have a music technology degree.

Altering the pitch of a sound wouldn't stop it, not really, though I guess you _could_ knock it out of the normal range of human hearing. There is however a thing simply enough called interference where by playing a sound thats "out of step" enough (I shalln't bore you with the numbers and such, would take too long to explain heh) you can change how others would hear that sound depending on where they're standing in relation to the two sources, or cancel it out completely in certain cases (there are other factors to this of course..). This concept is why, if you ever been to a concert/gig you may have noticed that the sound isn't as good in some places in front of the stage than others. actually this out-of-step-ness is also behind discordant sounds, but thats a story for another time.

Now, in terms of your magic, is the fatal effect carried by the pitch of the sound and how it rises and falls or the simple fact the sound is heard? I'm fine with either, its magic after all right, but one would have to be "stopped" differently to the other, as I'm sure you can see.

This is definitely a fun idea! I guess the help I can give all depends whether you want to be more fantastic or more realistic with the effects of your music magic. Regardless if you ever need more help with sonic theory and so on I'm happy to help.


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## myrddin173 (Feb 16, 2012)

The thing about music is that it is a truly universal language, what effects it can have are only limited by your imagination.  Several fields that lend themselves to music based magic are enhancement (the battle hymns that San Cidolfus mentioned) and manipulation (be it mental, emotional, or physical) but others are possible (well anything is possible, but it should make _some _sort of sense...).  It seems JC is the one to ask about the actual mechanics.


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## ThinkerX (Feb 16, 2012)

'Music Mage' = (Celtic) 'Bard'

Historically, music was considered by Celts (and other societies) to be magic of sorts.


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## Kenny Smith (Feb 16, 2012)

Bard (Dungeons & Dragons) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Redirect Notice

Redirect Notice


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## SuperGamecube64 (Feb 16, 2012)

I've actually made a character like this in the past. I just used various musical terminologies to describe what he was playing.


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## Drakhov (Feb 17, 2012)

I have absolutely no musical talent whatsoever, but don't some frequencies 'cancel' others out? I think this is the priniciple used in modern 'jamming' technologies to render enemy comms useless.

Another thing i remember is a documentary - i think it had to do with a footbridge built in London / Westminster / Greenwich / wherever.  Apparently they had to close it off, as the resonance caused by people walking on it was  amplified by the materials used in it's construction - it was literally shaking itself apart.

Your noise mage might also be able to raise and lower the pitch of their voices to such as degree that they could be used offensively - ultra low or high pitches / frequencies used as a sonic weapon - can shatter stone / glass / crystal, cause severe injuries


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## SeverinR (Feb 17, 2012)

Drakhov said:


> Your noise mage might also be able to raise and lower the pitch of their voices to such as degree that they could be used offensively - ultra low or high pitches / frequencies used as a sonic weapon - can shatter stone / glass / crystal, cause severe injuries



This is the way I was thinking.  If certain tones can cause pain/death, then can't some tones mixed with the harmful ones counter act them?

If a Harpy's song enchants man, couldn't a bard(music mage) negate the affects of the song?

I was thinking it would alter a banshee scream, but then again, is it the tone that kills or the screech? If it is the right tone, then a bard should be able to counter it, but if the loudness and blast of the screech does the damage then bard would not.
(Much like the screamers in "PUSH".)


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## JCFarnham (Feb 17, 2012)

Drakhov said:


> I have absolutely no musical talent whatsoever, but don't some frequencies 'cancel' others out? I think this is the priniciple used in modern 'jamming' technologies to render enemy comms useless.
> 
> Another thing i remember is a documentary - i think it had to do with a footbridge built in London / Westminster / Greenwich / wherever.  Apparently they had to close it off, as the resonance caused by people walking on it was  amplified by the materials used in it's construction - it was literally shaking itself apart.
> 
> Your noise mage might also be able to raise and lower the pitch of their voices to such as degree that they could be used offensively - ultra low or high pitches / frequencies used as a sonic weapon - can shatter stone / glass / crystal, cause severe injuries



You're right. Like I said


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## rachelwrites527 (Feb 17, 2012)

I hadn't thought about why it's fatal, but I guess I really should.  I think it's the simple fact the sound is heard, but now that you've brought up how it could be carried by the pitch, that sounds like a really cool idea.  I would like to be sort of fantastic, but at the same time, realistic enough that it wouldn't throw someone who knows basic theory.


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## JCFarnham (Feb 17, 2012)

If you want to _do it proper_, then the kind of sound you'd need to cause a fatal effect would be very loud and significantly high pitched. Or alternatively pitch the cry at the resonance frequency of bone or the brain and watch as your characters ... don't have a fun time :s

On the other hand, magic, fantasy, music ... hell just have "the emotion of the music enchanted with magic". Or something hehe.


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## rachelwrites527 (Feb 17, 2012)

Yeah I like that first one.  Much more epic.


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## San Cidolfus (Feb 17, 2012)

Speaking of the potential for epic, what instrument does your mighty minstrel wield?


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## rachelwrites527 (Feb 17, 2012)

She can play anything, but her instrument of choice is the violin.


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## San Cidolfus (Feb 17, 2012)

Is it the electric violin?  Because in a medieval world, that _would_ be epic.  And also possible as an analogue, under the delightfully flexible tenets of magic.


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## rachelwrites527 (Feb 17, 2012)

It would be cool if it was an electric violin, but it isn't.  Just an acoustic one.  But a very beautiful one.


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