Spectrogram
Analysis
FAQ:
What
is
a
spectrogram?
A
spectrogram
is
a
graphic
representation
of
the
frequency
and
intensity
of
a
sound
as
it
travels
through
time.
In
other
words,
a
spectrogram
is
a
picture
of
a
sound.
Spectrograms
can
be
generated
for
almost
any
sound
or
vibration,
regardless
of
the
medium
it
travels
through,
be
it
air,
water,
cement,
or
soil.
Spectrograms
are
powerful
tools
for
studying
the
complexity
of
animal
sounds.
What
information
does
a
spectrogram
show?
Time:
The
x-‐axis
of
a
spectrogram
represents
time,
usually
in
seconds
(s).
It
shows
how
long
a
given
sound
lasts—that
is,
its
duration—as
well
as
the
rate
of
sound,
or
how
many
sounds
occur
in
a
given
time
frame.
For
example,
if
you
recorded
one
person
clapping
her
hands
quickly
and
another
clapping
his
hands
slowly,
the
spectra
of
the
person
clapping
quickly
would
appear
closer
together
on
the
spectrogram
than
the
slow
clapper’s
spectra.
Frequency:
The
frequency
of
sound
is
the
number
of
sound
wave
cycles
that
are
transmitted
per
second
and
is
measured
in
a
unit
called
“Hertz”
(Hz).
We
interpret
frequency
as
pitch.
High-‐pitched
sounds
are
composed
of
high
frequency
waves,
and
low-‐pitched
sounds
are
composed
of
low
frequency
waves.
In
a
spectrogram,
the
vertical
(y)
axis
represents
frequency.
The
spectrogram
below
shows
how
even
an
apparently
“pure”
sound,
like
the
snap
of
the
finger,
actually
spans
many
different
frequencies.
Fig
1:
Six
snaps,
each
spanning
a
20kHz
frequency
range.
Note
the
slightly
wider
frequency
bands
at
3kHz
indicating
a
longer
duration
at
that
frequency.
Amplitude:
The
amount
of
energy
being
carried
by
a
sound
wave
corresponds
to
the
height,
or
amplitude,
of
that
sound.
What
we
interpret
as
the
volume
of
a
sound
depends
on
the
amplitude
of
the
sound
wave—for
example,
louder
sounds
consist
of
waves
with
higher
amplitudes.
In
a
spectrogram,
amplitude
is
represented
by
the
contrast
between
the
background
color
and
the
color
of
the
sound
spectra:
the
louder
the
sound,
the
more
its
spectra
will
contrast
with
the
background.
How
can
I
make
my
own
spectrogram?
Though
there
are
many
freely
available
programs
for
sound
analysis,
we
suggest
using
Raven
Lite,
from
the
Cornell
Lab
of
Ornithology’s
Bioacoustics
Research
Program.
Raven
Lite
is
“a
free
software
program
that
lets
users
record,
save,
and
visualize
sounds
as
spectrograms
and
waveforms.
Raven
Lite
is
intended
for
students,
educators,
and
hobbyists,
and
can
be
used
for
learning
about
sounds,
as
an
aid
in
birdsong
recognition,
and
in
musical
instruction.”
You
can
download
it
here.
For
a
more
complete
discussion
of
spectrographic
sound
analysis
and
for
information
on
how
spectrograms
are
generated
and
interpreted,
try
this
set
of
guides
from
The
Cornell
lab
of
Ornithology
Bioacoustics
Research
Program