Short entry on 13 February 2026
Name two methods or concepts for analysing sound. Provide a brief description of each, including some information on their origins.
For each method or concept, describe one scenario where you might apply it as part of your creative practice, or in everyday life.
How we listen fundamentally affects how we analyse music. In this entry, two concepts for analysing sound will be covered: Michel Chion’s ‘Three listening modes,’ and Pauline Oliveros’ ‘Deep listening.’ These two concepts suggest that sound can be analysed through perceptual categorisation and disciplined attention.
Michel Chion introduced his concept in his Audio-Vision: Sound on Screen. He believes there are three modes of listening: causal, semantic, and reduced listening (Chion 1993, 22). Causal listening refers to the act of listening to a sound to determine its cause (or source), in which this approach allows us to identify the sound of a particular object or event within our existing knowledge (Ibid.). Semantic listening, or codal listening, by contrast, refers to decoding a specific message from the sound, beyond merely identifying it (Chion 1993, 25). One common example is spoken language (Ibid.). Finally, reduced listening refers to focusing on the characteristics of the sound in isolation, detached from its cause or meaning (Ibid.). The three modes Chion illustrated were heavily inspired by Pierre Schaeffer’s idea of ‘sound objects’ – a sound as something to be analysed in itself, enabled by a rigorous reduction to acousmatic listening (Schaeffer 2017, 211). It is also relevant to Schaeffer’s approach to musique concrète and electroacoustics in the mid-20th century (Schaeffer 2017, xvi; 2). Chion applies his concept to his film sound theory, in which reduced listening is extremely useful (Chion 1993, 27). On the whole, this concept shines when used to isolate sonic qualities, which is helpful when analysing film soundtracks or field recordings, thereby allowing us to distinguish diegetic and non-diegetic acoustic elements and to critically engage with how they affect perception or impression.
Oliveros’ ‘Deep Listening’ focuses on another aspect of listening. While Chion focuses on analysing the sound itself, ‘Deep Listening’ focuses not just on the sound but also on the sonic environment it occupies (Oliveros 2005, 14). It was born of Oliveros’ engagement with sonic meditations, which formed the basis for this new concept, and allows for a transferable practice of attention and observation regarding the effects on the mind and body (Oliveros 2005, 10). Oliveros also noted a distinction between the act of hearing and listening, defining the former as simply ‘the physical means that enables perception,’ and the latter as being attentive to what is perceived, ‘both acoustically and psychologically’ (Oliveros 2005, 13), with ‘Deep Listening’ resonating with the latter, even to the point of claiming it as a form of meditation, inclusive of all perceptible vibrations (Oliveros 2005, 14). This concept is especially useful for assessing acoustic balance during rehearsals, or simply for everyday urban listening and grounding amid a busy life.
To conclude, ‘Three listening modes’ and ‘Deep listening’ each target different aspects of the listening experience: Chion categorises and analyses modes of perception, while Oliveros encourages the listener’s state of attention and awareness; yet neither is mutually exclusive. Both offer unique and valuable insights into how sound can be perceived.
Chion, M., 1993. Audio-Vision: Sound on Screen. New York: Columbia University Press.
Oliveros, P., 2005. Deep Listening: A Composer’s Sound Practice. Lincoln, NE: iUniverse. ISBN 9780595791323.
Schaeffer, P., 2017. Treatise on Musical Objects: An Essay across Disciplines. Translated by C. North and J. Dack. Oakland, CA: University of California Press. Available at: http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/j.ctt1qv5pqb [Accessed 13 Feb. 2026].
This essay was originally written as coursework at the University of Glasgow ↗︎.
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