The Physics of Musical Instruments (Springer Study Edition) - Softcover

Thomas D. Rossing, Neville H. Fletcher

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0387941517 ISBN 13: 9780387941516

Publisher: Springer New York, 1991

Synopsis

While the history of musical instruments is nearly as old as civilization itself, the science of acoustics is quite recent. By understanding the physical basis of how instruments are used to make music, one hopes ultimately to be able to give physical criteria to distinguish a fine instrument from a mediocre one. At that point science may be able to come to the aid of art in improving the design and performance of musical instruments. As yet, many of the subtleties in musical sounds of which instrument makers and musicians are aware remain beyond the reach of modern acoustical measurements. Indeed, for many musical instruments it is only within the past few years that musical acoustics has achieved even a reasonable understanding of the basic mechanisms determining the tone quality, and in some cases even major features of the sounding mechanism have only recently been unravelled. This book describes the results of such acoustical investigations ss intellectual and practical exercises of great fascination.

About this title

Review

"Essentially everything you have ever wanted to know about the physics of musical instruments" PHYSICS TODAY
"a rigor, graphical detail, and verbal description." AUDIO

About the Author

Fletcher-Australian National University, Canberra, Australia

Edition details

• Publisher: Springer New York
• Publication date: 1991
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0387941517
• ISBN 13: 9780387941516
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 640