Physics of Sound, The (3rd Edition)

Book Description

This book incorporates the developments in digital audio technology, including consumer products, into a firm foundation of the physics of sound. No knowledge of physics, mathematics, or music is required. Includes updated information on musical synthesizers. Provides recent information on the ear, including new advances in cochlear implant technology. Updates material for modern technology, particularly MP3. Features abundant examples, including discussion of demonstration experiments. Includes historical discussion of musical temperaments and instruments. Offers videotapes of musical demonstrations on topics discussed in the book, available from author. A useful reference for musicians or anyone interested in learning more about the physics of music.

Customer Reviews:

Class didnt reflect his own textbook........2007-03-29

Whats better than taking a course where the professor actually wrote the book. Well I did just that and was disappointed. The class had many visual demonstrations but the book had very few pictures which made me wonder why his teaching style did not reflect the textbook.

not helpful.......2006-05-17

Did they even have an editor for this book? I took a class with Dr.Berg and his class was interesting but the book was not helpful nor was it well organized.

Considerably out of date in some places.......2003-12-21

Acoustics is an interesting subject, at all levels, and very important of course due to the human love for music and the need for high fidelity sound reproduction. This book is written for a readership that does not have expertise in physics or mathematics beyond the high school level. The authors do an excellent job, and the book could be used in classes on music theory or a class in physics for the humanities. The audiophile reader will gain a greater appreciation of the physics behind quality sound reproduction. Heavy use is made of demonstrations to illustrate the properties of sound, and most of these are easily set up in the classroom. I have used most of these demonstrations in the classroom, and can highly recommend their use to reinforce the understanding of the physics of sound.

The book opens, appropriately, with a discussion of simple harmonic motion, with the properties of this type of motion related to sound waves. The nature of simple harmonic motion as periodic, in contrast with noise, which is nonperiodic, is pointed out very early on. To introduce the concept of resonance, in particular the concept of coupling resonance, the author use the coupled pendulum system. This demonstration is easily constructed for classroom use and very effective in illustrating coupled resonance. Lissajous figures, which arise in the study of the relationship between two waves, is discussed in some detail.

The difference between longitudinal waves, which sound waves are, and transverse waves (such as light), is illustrated in chapter 2. To reinforce the difference between sound and light, the authors use the "bell in vacuum" demonstration. A demonstration for measuring the speed of sound is also described. Ripple tanks are used to demonstrate Huygen's principle, interference, and parabolic reflectors. The origin of beats, so important in music theory, is discussed, along with a very detailed overview of the Doppler effect. Ultrasound, very important medically, is treated also. A very brief discussion of infrasonic waves is given. Infrasonic waves, which are outside the range of hearing since they are below 20 Hz, are only experienced as vibrations. They have recently been discussed in the popular press as being explanations behind "haunted" houses. The anxiety felt in some old houses is thought of as being due to infrasonic waves.

The origin of the overtone series, so very important in music theory, is discussed in chapter 3. The three laws of Mersenne, which govern the fundamental frequency of stretched wires, are also treated. The Kundt's tube demonstration is used to describe the properties of longitudinal standing waves, and the famous Chladni plates are used to demonstrate standing waves in two dimensions. All throughout the chapter the properties of standing waves are related to music and musical instruments.

Fourier analysis and synthesis, which is typically very formidable mathematically, is presented in chapter 4 in a manner that is very understandable to the targeted readership. The Fourier synthesis of triangular, square, and sawtooth waves, along with a pulse train, is discussed. After a treatment of Fourier spectrum of these waves, the authors discuss the factors contributing to tone quality.

In chapter 5, the authors turn to more practical considerations, wherein they discuss how to create electronic music. Analog synthesizers, although very antiquated by modern standards, are used to illustrate how to combine waves to obtain special sounds or effects. The authors then immediately turn to digital synthesizers and keyboards. They discuss the Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI), but the equipment they illustrate in the chapter is considerably out of date.

The anatomy and physics of the human ear and voice tract are discussed in chapter 6. The diagrams they include are useful, and they discuss the "place theory of hearing" , which is based on the correlation of sound frequency with position of response along the basilar membrane. The critical band, just noticeable difference, and the limit of frequency discrimination are all discussed in the context of this theory, with several different experiments proposed to illustrate these concepts. Most interesting is the discussion on periodicity pitch, which musicians seem to have a knack for. Also interesting is the treatment of vocal formants, which are frequency regions in which harmonics have large amplitudes. Due to the element of subjectivity in hearing and listening, the connection of the material in this chapter to "psychophysics" and "psychoacoustics" is readily apparent.

Most of the next chapter is out-dated since the authors discuss sound reproduction using LPs and tape recorders. However, the authors do discuss how this is done using compact disks, which though are themselves on their way out, due to the rise of the Internet, MP3 formats, and digital music files. Chapter 8 is timeless though, as the authors discuss the acoustics of auditoriums and rooms, detailing the most important acoustical characteristics that contribute to a pleasant musical experience, and some of the problems that arise in acoustical design. The last section of the chapter gives a fairly good overview of what is involved in setting up a home listening room.

In chapter 9, the authors take the plunge into music theory, discussing temperament and musical pitch. The history behind these concepts is detailed, emphasizing in particular that an ideal temperament is not available, its choice being dictated by the musical requirements at hand. Arithmetic descriptions of the Pythagorean, just, mean-tone, Werckmeister, and equal temperaments are given.

The last five chapters are specialized to the principles behind woodwind, brass, string, and percussion instruments, and the piano. The discussion is purely descriptive, but some of the physical principles studied in the first chapters of the book are applied here to give an understanding of the acoustical and musical properties of these instruments.

counterbalance to the "bites my..." review.......2002-02-02

Haven't read the book, but Mr. "bites my wacker" shouldn't be allowed to lower the average score.

This is the Book if You want to Know the"Whats" of Sound!.......1999-04-09

The Physics of Sound is a great book for both musicians and nonmuscians alike. Its not a book for anyone who is afraid of a little mind work. I recommend Physics of Sound because immediately upon after reading it I gained a whole new perspective and deep appreciation for the fundamental elements,and principles that govern this wonderful phenomena we call "SOUND".

Ever wondered how fast sound travel? What about how various sound frequencies react to each other,and in rooms? What exactly is sound? All these questions and more,are answered here. Physics of sound even gives you basic formulas that allow you to manipulate sound in the real world.

Book Description

The Science of Sound is widely recognized as the leading textbook in the field. It provides an excellent introduction to acoustics for readers without college physics or a strong background in mathematics. In the Third Edition, Richard Moore and Paul Wheeler join Tom Rossing in updating The Science of Sound to include a wide range of important technological developments in the field of acoustics. New exercises and review questions have been added to the end of each chapter to help readers study the material.

Customer Reviews:

A real page-turner..........2006-12-09

An abundance of writing and grammatical errors do not make the already confusing explanations in this book any easier to grasp. I got bogged down in technical mistakes before I could begin to use the provided formulas. This is one of the worst textbooks I've ever read, and taking a supplemental course from one of the authors only added to one of the worst experiences of my college career.

Terrible.......2006-02-03

This book is terrible for beginners. It doesn't explain things well. The graphs and diagrams are hard to understand and it doesn't give enough examples to help you do the exercises at the end of the chapter. Also, there are a lot of typos and errors. For instance I tried to look up "attenuation of sound" in the index and the word was there with no page number. And I found a graph where the graph didn't match the descrpition. I have the advantage of having one of the authors of the book as my professor, and I still have a hard time understanding this book. It's horrible.

Lots of Problems.......2000-10-01

This book should have been a classic introduction to musical acoustics. Instead, it tries to hard, is convoluted, often in error, and confuses musicians.

When I taught from this book, I and the class found errors in equations, references to equations, and calculations. When undergraduates are struggling to learn, this is a very bad context.

The book is so concerned with a level of comprehensiveness, that measured clarity is left out. At the same time, for the expert, it is too little. Therefore, it appeals to neither the introductory level nor the more advanced level.

I gave up using this book.

A good elementary textbook.......2000-08-09

I have used this book as the primary textbook for an introductory course in the physics of music. It is at a somewhat higher level than some of its competitors (e.g. "The Acoustical Foundations of Music" by Backus) but still suitable for non-science majors with weak math backgrounds. It is the most thorough and informative book I have seen at this level. However, the students complained that it was somewhat dull. Also, the section on electronic reproduction of music is out of date--relatively little on CD's etc., and nothing on mp3 and related technologies. Still, I plan to use it again.

Toned down math, but still pure sound.......2000-06-13

I have taught a course entitled "Acoustics for Musicians and Recording Engineers" to Engineering, Music, and Film majors using Rossing's THE SCIENCE OF SOUND. He has toned down the equations enough that the students aren't groaning, yet he's remained true to the interdisciplinary nature of acoustics as a pursuit of physics, psychology, math, and engineering. The structure of the book provides a wonderful outline for the course and it has been an invaluable resource for both me and the students who have wished to continue with their study of acoustics.

Average customer rating:

Great starting point for studying the intersection of science and sound
Fascinating

Musical Acoustics
Donald E. Hall
Manufacturer: Brooks Cole
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0534377289

Book Description

Musical acoustics presents a unique opportunity to see science and art working together. This book is a balanced presentation of all aspects of musical acoustics. It explains how our ears and brains interpret musical events, and connects traditional physical analyses to musical reality. The purpose of the book is two fold: (1) To help readers use simple physical concepts as tools for understanding how music works, and (2) To use readers' interest in music to motivate the study and appreciation of scientific methods. Any given chapter will challenge readers with several points that are not obvious on the first reading. Starred sections are optional and are not a prerequisite to later sections.

Customer Reviews:

Great starting point for studying the intersection of science and sound.......2006-12-09

This book is an excellent starting place for someone who wants a somewhat quantitative treatment of the science of sound as it relates to music, but does not have the advanced math background necessary to digest something like "The Physics of Musical Instruments". The chapters and sections in this third edition are the same as in the previous edition, however some changes have been made to the content. The book is updated with more current references to the end-of-chapter bibliographies, and there is some new material, especially in areas affected by the personal computer's role in the digital processing of sound.

The author provides an integrated understanding of three major areas: the production of sound by various sources, the propagation of sound from source to listener, and the perception of sound by the human brain.
For easier reading, each chapter starts with an introductory section that sets up the chapter. There are also summaries and lists of symbols, terms, and relations highlighting the most important terms and quantitative expressions in each chapter. There are realistic and interesting exercise sets containing both qualitative and quantitative questions for each chapter, with most chapters containing 20-25 exercises. There are also projects included that provide out-of-class assignments that generally require students to do research. There are approximately three of these in each chapter. Finally, several new photographs have been added to this third edition, particularly of the inner ear structure and of the vocal cords in motion.

Like the previous reviewer, I make a habit of purchasing and reading several textbooks a year, and sometimes I am very disappointed and sometimes I am not. This is one of those purchases that I found most worthwhile. If you are interested in the intersection of math, acoustics, perception, and musical instruments I highly recommend it. A math background up to the level of algebra and geometry should be sufficient to understand the quantitative portions of the book. The table of contents is as follows:

1. THE NATURE OF SOUND.
Acoustics and Music. Organizing Our Study of Sound. The Physical Nature of Sound. The Speed of Sound. Pressure and Sound Amplitude.
2. WAVES AND VIBRATIONS.
The Time Element in Sound. Waveforms. Functional Relations. Simple Harmonic Oscillation. Work, Energy, and Resonance.
3. SOURCES OF SOUND.
Classifying Sound Sources. Percussion Instruments. String Instruments. Wind Instruments. Source Size. Sound from the Natural Environment.
4. SOUND PROPAGATION.
Reflection and Refraction. Diffraction. Outdoor Music. The Doppler Effect. Interference and Beats.
5. SOUND INTENSITY AND ITS MEASUREMENT.
Amplitude, Energy, and Intensity. Sound Level and the Decibel Scale. The Inverse-Square Law. Environmental Noise. Combined Sound Levels and Interference.
6. THE HUMAN EAR AND ITS RESPONSE.
The Mechanism of the Human Ear. Limits of Audibility and Discrimination. Characteristics of Steady Single Tones. Loudness and Intensity. Pitch and Frequency. Pitch and Loudness Together. Timbre and Instrument Recognition.
7. ELEMENTAL INGREDIENTS OF MUSIC.
Organizing Musical Events in Time. Melody and Harmony. Scales and Intervals. The Harmonic Series.
8. SOUND SPECTRA AND ELECTRONIC SYNTHESIS.
Prototype Steady Tones. Periodic Waves and Fourier Spectra. Modulated Tones. Electronic and Computer Music.
9. PERCUSSION INSTRUMENTS AND NATURAL MODES.
Searching for Simplicity. Coupled Pendulums. Natural Modes and Their Frequencies. Tuning Forks and Xylophone Bars. Drums, Cymbals, and Bells. Striking Points and Vibration Recipes. Damped Vibrations.
10. PIANO AND GUITAR STRINGS.
Natural Modes of a Thin String. Vibration Recipes for Plucked Strings. Vibration Recipes for the Piano. Piano Scaling and Tuning.
11. THE BOWED STRING.
Violin Construction. Bowing and String Vibrations. Resonance. Sound Radiation from String Instruments.
12. BLOWN PIPES AND FLUTES.
Air Column Vibrations. Fluid Jets and Edgetones. Organ Flue Pipes. Organ Registration and Design. Fingerholes and Recorders. The Transverse Flute.
13. BLOWN REED INSTRUMENTS.
Organ Reed Pipes. The Reed Woodwinds. The Brass Family. Playable Notes and Harmonic Spectra. Radiation.
14. THE HUMAN VOICE.
The Vocal Apparatus. Sound Production. Formants. Special Characteristics of the Singing Voice.
15. ROOM ACOUSTICS.
General Criteria for Room Acoustics. Reverberation Time. Reverberation Calculation. Reverberant Sound Levels. Sound Reinforcement. Spatial Perception.
16. SOUND REPRODUCTION.
Electric and Magnetic Concepts. Transducers. Microphones. Amplifiers. Recording. Loudspeakers. Multiphonic Sound Reproduction.
17. THE EAR REVISITED.
Types of Pitch Judgment. Pitch Perception Mechanisms. Modern Pitch Perception Theory. Critical Bands. Combination Tones. Loudness and Masking. Timbre.
18. HARMONIC INTERVALS AND TUNING.
Interval Perception. Intervals and the Harmonic Series. Musical Scales. The Impossibility of Perfect Tuning. Tuning and Temperament.
19. STRUCTURE IN MUSIC.
Melodies and Modes. Chords and Harmonic Progressions. Consonance and Dissonance. Musical Forms and Styles.
20. EPILOGUE: SCIENCE AND ESTHETICS.
APPENDIX A. WRITTEN MUSIC.
APPENDIX B. THE METRIC SYSTEM.
Units for Physical Measurements. Scientific Notation and Computation.
APPENDIX G. GLOSSARY.
APPENDIX H. HINTS AND ANSWERS TO SELECTED EXERCISES.
Index.
The Chromatic Scale; The Chromatic Series Slider.

Fascinating.......2003-04-25

This book is a thorough overview of physics behind music. In the first part of the book, Hall lays the foundation with an investigation into waves, sound propagation, sound measurement, and the human ear. The middle third of the book takes up families of instruments, and how they work to create musical sounds. The last part of the book investigates room acoustics, sound reproduction, and the perception of intervals, tunings, and musical structure. Each chapter includes references and suggestions for further reading, numerous mathematical exercises for practicing the concepts covered in the chapter, and a list of potential projects for further investigation. The book includes a glossary and answers to selected problems, as well as an index.

I read quite a few textbooks for work and occasionally just for interest's sake, but this one really stands out. After reading the first few chapters, I found myself wishing I could sit in on Hall's lectures. His style is intensely personal, and his explanations are incredibly clear. I'll admit that sometimes my eyes glossed over while slogging through some of the numbers and charts, but it was mainly my fault for not being a more active reader. In order to get the most from this book, you really need to read it with calculator in hand, or better yet, an Excel spreadsheet open, ready to try out the numbers and scenarios that Hall provides us with. Nevertheless, the math is kept quite simple- -no calculus; if you can do algebra, you should be able to get through the book.

Book Description

"Mathematics can be as effortless as humming a tune, if you know the tune," writes Gareth Loy. In Musimathics, Loy teaches us the tune, providing a friendly and spirited tour of the mathematics of music--a commonsense, self-contained introduction for the nonspecialist reader. It is designed for musicians who find their art increasingly mediated by technology, and for anyone who is interested in the intersection of art and science.

In this volume, Loy presents the materials of music (notes, intervals, and scales); the physical properties of music (frequency, amplitude, duration, and timbre); the perception of music and sound (how we hear); and music composition. Musimathics is carefully structured so that new topics depend strictly on topics already presented, carrying the reader progressively from basic subjects to more advanced ones. Cross-references point to related topics and an extensive glossary defines commonly used terms. The book explains the mathematics and physics of music for the reader whose mathematics may not have gone beyond the early undergraduate level. Calling himself "a composer seduced into mathematics," Loy provides answers to foundational questions about the mathematics of music accessibly yet rigorously. The topics are all subjects that contemporary composers, musicians, and musical engineers have found to be important. The examples given are all practical problems in music and audio. The level of scholarship and the pedagogical approach also make Musimathics ideal for classroom use. Additional material can be found at a companion web site.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent book combines music, math, and programming.......2007-01-11

After about a ten year hiatus on books of this type being published, this is one of several new books combining mathematics, music, and programming aimed at musicians who want to know more about the math behind their musical compositions and are not content to just know what drop-down windows to click on using the latest musical software. The book starts with the basics of music and sound and works up to basic music theory, physics and sound, and acoustics and psychoacoustics. The final chapter of the book is the most interesting, since it concerns mathematics and composition techniques using the author's C++ based library "Musimat". Both this book and Musimat have companion websites, although the Musimat site is the most interesting with plenty of downloads in case you are interested in how to use this compositional library. There is a volume two scheduled for release in Spring 2007 that gets into signal processing, the role of digital signals, and the wave equation, so together they are a very complete treatise on math, music, and programming aimed at the musical composer. I highly recommend it. Of course, if you want to dig deep into individual subjects such as acoustics and psychoacoustics, you are going to need additional references. But this text is clear enough to get you started. The following is the table of contents:

1 Music and Sound 1
1.1 Basic Properties of Sound 1
1.2 Waves 3
1.3 Summary 9

2 Representing Music 11
2.1 Notation 11
2.2 Tones, Notes, and Scores 12
2.3 Pitch 13
2.4 Scales 16
2.5 Interval Sonorities 18
2.6 Onset and Duration 26
2.7 Musical Loudness 27
2.8 Timbre 28
2.9 Summary 37

3 Musical Scales, Tuning, and Intonation 39
3.1 Equal-Tempered Intervals 39
3.2 Equal-Tempered Scale 40
3.3 Just Intervals and Scales 43
3.4 The Cent Scale 45
3.5 A Taxonomy of Scales 46
3.6 Do Scales Come from Timbre or Proportion? 47
3.7 Harmonic Proportion 48
3.8 Pythagorean Diatonic Scale 49
3.9 The Problem of Transposing Just Scales 51
3.10 Consonance of Intervals 56
3.11 The Powers of the Fifth and the Octave Do Not Form a Closed System 66
3.12 Designing Useful Scales Requires Compromise 67
3.13 Tempered Tuning Systems 68
3.14 Microtonality 72
3.15 Rule of 18 82
3.16 Deconstructing Tonal Harmony 85
3.17 Deconstructing the Octave 86
3.18 The Prospects for Alternative Tunings 93
3.19 Summary 93
3.20 Suggested Reading 95

4 Physical Basis of Sound 97
4.1 Distance 97
4.2 Dimension 97
4.3 Time 98
4.4 Mass 99
4.5 Density 100
4.6 Displacement 100
4.7 Speed 101
4.8 Velocity 102
4.9 Instantaneous Velocity 102
4.10 Acceleration 104
4.11 Relating Displacement,Velocity, Acceleration, and Time 106
4.12 Newton's Laws of Motion 108
4.13 Types of Force 109
4.14 Work and Energy 110
4.15 Internal and External Forces 112
4.16 The Work-Energy Theorem 112
4.17 Conservative and Nonconservative Forces 113
4.18 Power 114
4.19 Power of Vibrating Systems 114
4.20 Wave Propagation 116
4.21 Amplitude and Pressure 117
4.22 Intensity 118
4.23 Inverse Square Law 118
4.24 Measuring Sound Intensity 119
4.25 Summary 125

5 Geometrical Basis of Sound 129
5.1 Circular Motion and Simple Harmonic Motion 129
5.2 Rotational Motion 129
5.3 Projection of Circular Motion 136
5.4 Constructing a Sinusoid 139
5.5 Energy of Waveforms 143
5.6 Summary 147

6 Psychophysical Basis of Sound 149
6.1 Signaling Systems 149
6.2 The Ear 150
6.3 Psychoacoustics and Psychophysics 154
6.4 Pitch 156
6.5 Loudness 166
6.6 Frequency Domain Masking 171
6.7 Beats 173
6.8 Combination Tones 175
6.9 Critical Bands 176
6.10 Duration 182
6.11 Consonance and Dissonance 184
6.12 Localization 187
6.13 Externalization 191
6.14 Timbre 195
6.15 Summary 198
6.16 Suggested Reading 198

7 Introduction to Acoustics 199
7.1 Sound and Signal 199
7.2 A Simple Transmission Model 199
7.3 How Vibrations Travel in Air 200
7.4 Speed of Sound 202
7.5 Pressure Waves 207
7.6 Sound Radiation Models 208
7.7 Superposition and Interference 210
7.8 Reflection 210
7.9 Refraction 218
7.10 Absorption 221
7.11 Diffraction 222
7.12 Doppler Effect 228
7.13 Room Acoustics 233
7.14 Summary 238
7.15 Suggested Reading 238

8 Vibrating Systems 239
8.1 Simple Harmonic Motion Revisited 239
8.2 Frequency of Vibrating Systems 241
8.3 Some Simple Vibrating Systems 243
8.4 The Harmonic Oscillator 247
8.5 Modes of Vibration 249
8.6 A Taxonomy of Vibrating Systems 251
8.7 One-Dimensional Vibrating Systems 252
8.8 Two-Dimensional Vibrating Elements 266
8.9 Resonance (Continued) 270
8.10 Transiently Driven Vibrating Systems 278
8.11 Summary 282
8.12 Suggested Reading 283

9 Composition and Methodology 285
9.1 Guido's Method 285
9.2 Methodology and Composition 288
9.3 Musimat: A Simple Programming Language for Music 290
9.4 Program for Guido's Method 291
9.5 Other Music Representation Systems 292
9.6 Delegating Choice 293
9.7 Randomness 299
9.8 Chaos and Determinism 304
9.9 Combinatorics 306
9.10 Atonality 311
9.11 Composing Functions 317
9.12 Traversing and Manipulating Musical Materials 319
9.13 Stochastic Techniques 332
9.14 Probability 333
9.15 Information Theory and the Mathematics of Expectation 343
9.16 Music, Information, and Expectation 347
9.17 Form in Unpredictability 350
9.18 Monte Carlo Methods 360
9.19 Markov Chains 363
9.20 Causality and Composition 371
9.21 Learning 372
9.22 Music and Connectionism 376
9.23 Representing Musical Knowledge 390
9.24 Next-Generation Musikalische Würfelspiel 400
9.25 Calculating Beauty 406

Appendix A 409
A.1 Exponents 409
A.2 Logarithms 409
A.3 Series and Summations 410
A.4 About Trigonometry 411
A.5 Xeno's Paradox 414
A.6 Modulo Arithmetic and Congruence 414
A.7 Whence 0.161 in Sabine's Equation? 416
A.8 Excerpts from Pope John XXII's Bull Regarding Church Music 418
A.9 Greek Alphabet 419

Appendix B 421
B.1 Musimat 421
B.2 Music Datatypes in Musimat 439
B.3 Unicode (ASCII) Character Codes 450
B.4 Operator Associativity and Precedence in Musimat 450

Average customer rating:

The most important book on sound in 150 years.

The Soundscape
R. Murray Schafer
Manufacturer: Destiny Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Audio Culture: Readings in Modern Music
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Noise: The Political Economy of Music (Theory and History of Literature, Vol 16)

ASIN: 0892814551
Release Date: 1993-10-01

Book Description

Schafer contends that we suffer from an overabundance of acoustic information and explores ways to restore our ability to hear the nuances of sounds around us. This book is a pioneering exploration of our acoustic environment, past and present, and an attempt to imagine what it might become.

Customer Reviews:

The most important book on sound in 150 years........2005-03-12

When R. Murray Schafer first published TUNING OF THE WORLD (the subtitle of this edition) in 1977, it had a stunning and lasting affect on musicians and recordists throughout the world. Every facet of this work is important to know about and the narrative still reads like a contemporary novel - impossible to put down and never dated. He informs us how to re-train our ears to listen better and more wisely. He defines, for the first time, the soundscape and the myriad ways it fits into and affects our lives.

This book is seminal to my work as a naturalist and sound designer and I have read it many times in the past three decades. It is that important.

Bernie Krause, PhD

Average customer rating:

the scientific logic behind music theory made simple !
A non-technical introduction to the physics behind music
wonderful
start here
clear, engaging book on the physics of sound, esp. music

Science and Music
Sir James H. Jeans
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0486619648

Book Description

The distinguished physicist describes the scientific principles of musical sound in a precise, non-technical way that will engage both amateur and serious musicians. Topics include development of human hearing, general properties of sound curves, transmission and reproduction of sound curves, methods of producing sound, and harmony and discord. Includes 75 illustrations.

Customer Reviews:

the scientific logic behind music theory made simple !.......2006-12-25

If you're a technical dummy like me, but what to understand some of the basic concepts behind how music, in particular soundwaves, are created work and behave... this is a great book. - - The author seems genuinely sincere in wanting to convey the concepts behind the science of sound to the everyday people and makes no attempt to intimidate of show off. - - No, after reading the book you won't be an expert acoustic engineer, but you might want to take further steps to become one... Topics start with the human ear, how sound waves are made/what they are -- the book explains frequency, harmonics, disonance, tuning systems, how scales and chords are put together to get these waves to behave the way we want them (and what happens when they don't) and then takes a look at a wide variety of instruments - - what factors control the sound in a room and lot's more. - - The author's ability to give simple examples that are very eas to visualize is a strong point of the book. - - If you are looking for something very mathematical and that assumes that you're a physics whiz, the book might not be so interesting, however, if you're a musician, there's a lot of insight to be gained by reading the book... and to boot... its very concise and has a great flow. In conclusion: even as a music teacher I would suggest my students to give this a read - - and the abstract realm of "music theory" will suddenly begin to make sense as get to wittness the source from where it comes from and realize that all it is is a bunch of logical conclusions which you'll be able to reach too after finishing the book.

A non-technical introduction to the physics behind music.......2006-12-16

Although I'm personally a fan of Helmholtz's somewhat dated On the Sensations of Tone, "Science and Music" is in my collection because it condenses the essential physics (and a little bit of the biology) underlying music. Right from the elementary definitions of pitch/frequency/period, Sir James Jeans covers the theory of vibrations, the characteristics of strings & pipes, harmony & discord (including Helmholtz's theory of dissonance) - with a quick tour of [intonational] temperaments, and other miscellaneous topics.

The serious reader is probably better off digesting Helmholtz's detailed classic which could, however, prove to be a tedious read for the more casual reader. "Science and Music" instead presents a 'high-school' overview of the physics behind music. The non-technical way in which this book conveys its ideas also allows easy access for those students of music who have a minimal exposure to physics.

wonderful.......2001-03-31

SCIENCE AND MUSIC is great, but I should like to direct those readers interested in an in-depth more recent study to THE PHYSICS AND PSYCHOPHYSICS OF MUSIC by Juan Roederer.

start here.......1999-04-14

An especially well-written and entertaining introduction to musical acoustics. I keep a copy among my musical reference books.

Also recommended: PENTATONIC SCALES FOR THE JAZZ-ROCK KEYBOARDIST by Jeff Burns.

clear, engaging book on the physics of sound, esp. music.......1999-01-24

This book presents its material in an engaging and clear way, very interesting, but you must ignore certain outdated assertions in the introduction.

Book Description

Landmark book by leading expert, hailed for its astonishingly clear, delightfully readable explication of everything acoustical important to music-making. "Comprehensive...rigorous...well-organized...will surely be the text of choice." — American Scientist. "Recommended for music lovers and audiophiles" — Stereo Review. Over 300 illustrations. Examples, experiments and questions conclude each chapter.

Customer Reviews:

The best book I have seen.......2007-08-09

The best book on this topic that I have seen. Benade is a master of writing clearly and giving great examples that help the reader to visualize or imagine why sound is acting the way it does. I am using it in my quest to design a new kind of guitar, and it is extremely helpful. I also have Horns String and Harmony by Benade. He is a nuclear physicist with a penchant for audio, and I am glad he beat his weapons into flutes.

Just about everything.......2007-05-15

This book is close to exhaustive and can be an excellent addition to any reference library.

Excellent Introduction to Musical Acoustics.......2006-12-01

This book is an excellent introduction to the topic. Benade explains the subject assuming that the reader has no background in science (good for musicians) and no background in music (good for scientists). He writes the book as if he's translating a mathematical proof into plain English. Benade starts from scratch (even the notion of pitch is considered alien) and builds wonderfully intuitive understandings. Yes, this is an old book, so if you are NOT new to this field (and not afraid of math) then you'd be more interested in one of the Rossing books. But on the plus side, because the book was written before Benade had access to modern laboratory techniques, the "experiments" described in the book are all simple to understand and can be done at home. Unlike the Rossing books (which I also highly recommend), Benade's book does not read like a textbook or a reference source. It is very easy-to-read, so you can actually benefit from just sitting down and reading it (though Benade does provide problems at the end of the chapter for the dedicated reader).

In response to one of the unfavorable reviews posted, I do not find any fault with Benade when he states (p. 66) that "lopping off the higher frequency ... harmonics does not alter the perceived pitch of the sound." In fact, this statement comes right after an in-depth explanation of how the higher frequency partials DETERMINE the pitch for INHARMONIC sounds (e.g. chimes and bells). Perhaps the reviewer was confused by Benade's terminology. As explained on p. 63, Benade uses the word "partial" generically to describe higher frequency components. Benade reserves the term "harmonics" for partials that have whole-number relationships.

I wouldn't use this work as a college textbook, but I would certainly add it to the students' list of additional recommended references.

An Outstanding Book, Designed to Make You Think.......2004-08-03

While Benade's first book, "Horns Strings and Harmony", has some errors which he himself later acknowledged, "Fundamentals of Musical Acoustics" is one of the seminal books in the field. That doesn't mean that it is perfect in every respect, but it introduces a broad range of concepts in musical acoustics without the use of advanced mathematics, in a writing style that will appeal to the musician in addition to the scientist. The fine details of his theories regarding psychoacoustics, particularly pitch perception, have been challenged. But his general concepts are well accepted, and he presents them in a way that makes the reader think. His descriptions of experimental techniques (which generally aren't very complicated) have inspired me and others to repeat his experiments. Sometimes, results don't agree - that's when you have to think. Psychoacoustics relies on neurology and psychology, two sciences that, despite much brilliant work over the last 100 years, are still in their infancy. So, you can't judge his theories on psychoacoustics in the same light as his description of wave propagation, room modes, and perturbation functions in clarinets.

As a musician and an engineer, I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in how music and physics intersect. This is not the book to answer all your questions - it is the book to get you started on asking the right questions.

Misleading and completely worthless book.......2002-05-28

I bought this book ...in hope to get some help in explaining basics of musical acoustics to my college-age kids in a systematic, organized manner. What a disappointment!

In page 56 the author lists "Measured Values of Components of a Set of Guitar Strings".
One would expect a discussion about string inharmonicity as an explanation why partials of different strings have different frequencies while having the same fundamental' frequency. An utterly important and well known phenomenon is "responsible" for correct musical instruments recognition and perception is completely avoided in the text. Moreover, in the page 66 we found that "It is easy to verify ... that lopping off the higher frequency members of ...harmonics does not alter the perceived pitch of the sound". This statement is simply wrong: it is an established fact that the spectrum of the sound DOES affect the perceived pith. On the page 194 another treasure left me wondering what the author meant by "Compact, small, solid objects act somewhat as new sources of sound that originate new impulses of modified shape whenever an impulse is incident upon them". Here's more of the same amusing kind on the page 574:
"Brass instruments, particularly French horns, often "talk" to one another, so that the sound radiated by one of them enters the bell of its neighbor and thence joins in at the player's lips to influence the regime of oscillation." Tell this to a brass player!

Book Description

There has always been a close connection between physics and music. From the great days of ancient Greek science, ideas and speculations have passed backward and forward between natural philosophers (physicists) and musical theorists. Measured Tones: The Interplay of Physics and Music, Second Edition explores the story of that relationship in an entertaining and user-friendly way. The book provides an easy-to-understand introduction to the physics involved in every stage of the music making process: from the very earliest experiments on vibrating strings and primitive sound makers to the latest concerns of digital sound recording, MP3 files, and information theory. At the same time, it examines the story of our developing concept of the universe we live in: from the ancient visions of a cosmos regulated by the music of the spheres to our current understanding of an expanding universe controlled by the laws of quantum mechanics and string theory. Running through all this is one recurring question - the so-called puzzle of consonance. Why do humans respond to music and musical sounds the way they do? It is the attempts by musicians and scientists through the ages to apply new knowledge to answer this question that gives this story its fascination. Measured Tones should provide rewarding reading for any physics teacher or student who would like to know more about music and where it impinges on their subject as well as for anyone who is musically inclined.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Text Book Choice.......2001-12-30

I had to buy this book for a course in Physics. It really explains things clearly and helps with understanding.

broad and quirky.......2001-12-02

this book covered more ground than i had hoped and features lucid explanations of topics traditionally belonging to a whole variety of fields, as well as substantial biographical content and historical references. at many points while reading it i found myself entraced with descriptions of clear and important aspects of music and musical instruments which i had never known about before.

i was especially interested in a book more abstract than the western musical paradigm, and it scored fairly. enough generalized explanations were included that i felt comfortable. johnston described a lot of musical instruments, but they are mostly western ones.

my only beef is with johnston's informal writing. he glosses over some details (admitting as much) and generally avoids mathematical equations. for a book which includes, for example, generalized descriptions of the movement of masses of air in adjoined chambers of varying size, it would not have been unreasonable to have more math - imho, the principal field connecting physics and music.

An unusual approach to the topic.......2000-08-09

I have used this book as the secondary text for a college course in the physics of music. There are a number of textbooks out there for courses of this sort (Rossing, Backus, Rigden, etc.) but this book takes a very different, historical approach, with a strong emphasis on scales and intonation. The mathematical level and level of detail are quite low--I found it hard to devise test questions to see whether the students had read the book. But it is written in a quirky, engaging style, and the students in the course found it a more enjoyable read than the main textbook by Rossing. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the relationship of history, physics, and music--no science background is required!

This book answered many questions.......2000-05-11

I've been trying to understand why music works like it does for several years, and stumbled onto this book by accident. It's exactly what I needed! It explains why musical scales are like they are, and how they got that way (which is important for understanding why it used to be significant which key some symphony was written in). It explains how harmony works, and melody too. And, how musical instruments work. And on top of that, it includes a very interesting history of science and of music, a very enjoyable read.

Entertaining and historically informed account.......1999-10-16

A superior and engaging account of how progress in the physical sciences is intertwined with the development of music theory and the evolution of musical instruments. The conversational tone of the text is never dry, and is liberally sprinkled with illustrations. There is music, science and history a-plenty here. You do not have to be "scientifically minded" to derive a great deal of pleasure and edification from the book, it has definitely been thoughtfully shaped by a professional educator. I first read this in 1990 and return to it time and again for reference, only to find myself absorbed in re-reading sections. Obviously a labor of love, "Measured Tones" deserves a wide audience. I wish Prof Johnston had written more!

Concert Halls and Opera Houses: Music, Acoustics, and Architecture

Average customer rating:

Deeply interesting
great book
Classic Acoustical Reference

Concert Halls and Opera Houses: Music, Acoustics, and Architecture
Leo Beranek
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Science and Applications of Acoustics
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ASIN: 0387955240

Book Description

This illustrated guide to 100 of the world's most important concert halls and opera houses examines their architecture and engineering and discusses their acoustical quality as judged by conductors and music critics. The descriptions and photographs will serve as a valuable guide for today's peripatetic performers and music lovers. With technical discussions relegated to appendices, the book can be read with pleasure by anyone interested in musical performance. The photographs (specially commissioned for this book) and architectural drawings (all to the same scale) together with modern acoustical data on each of the halls provide a rich and unmatched resource on the design of halls for presenting musical performances. Together with the technical appendices, the data and drawings will serve as an invaluable reference for architects and engineers involved in the design of spaces for the performance of music. Leo Beranek is an internationally recognized authority in acoustics who has consulted on the design of dozens of important auditoriums around the World. He has received the highest honors of the Acoustical Society of America and of the Audio Engineering Society and has just been awarded the US National Medal of Science at the White House (Oct. 2003). Advance praise for Leo Beranek's "Concert Halls and Opera Houses: Music, Acoustics, and Architecture" 2nd edition — PHILIP GOSSETT, PROFESSOR OF MUSIC, UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO Given the many controversies surrounding the acoustical properties of concert halls and opera houses, it is a relief to be guided by someone who is both a scientist and a devoted listener. Here, the mysteries of acoustics seem less intimidating: we come to understand why music sounds the way it does in various performance spaces, and what we can do about it. It's a terrific book! I. M. PEI, ARCHITECT, NEW YORK[This book] provides an invaluable reference for the understanding and design of music facilities. JOHN WILLIAMS, COMPOSER AND CONDUCTOR, LOS ANGELESDr. Beranek has created a comprehensive and fascinating study of 100 of the world's halls for music. Visiting each of these venues would be a great delight and a marvelous adventure, but such being impractical, this great book is the next best thing. All lovers of music, acoustics, architecture, and travel will enjoy this unique work.

Customer Reviews:

Deeply interesting .......2006-09-29

The author of this book greets us with an endearing smile on the back flap of the dust cover, and has every reason to. Imagine spending a significant part of your life touring concert halls and opera houses all over the world, sitting in on concerts (often changing seats in the course of the program), in order to assess the acoustic properties of the venue at hand. Fortunately, dr. Beranek has been kind enough to lay down his findings in this scholarly yet enchanting book. It offers invaluable insights into the workings of acoustics and the many factors that determine a hall's aural properties. It does so by elucidating the general principles of acoustics, and by addressing topics like building materials, hall shapes, balconies, etc., separately. But the bulk of the book is taken up by a kind of gazetteer describing in detail 100 concert halls and opera houses from around the world. Each of the descriptions includes data on all significant hall properties, as well as plans, cross sections, and (black and white) photographs looking from the auditorium towards the stage and vice versa. Yet you need not fear a dry, scientific inventory; on the contrary: the writing is never anything less than engaging, and the author never forgets that in the end it is all about the joys of music, which he clearly savours himself. The text is strewn with anecdotal quotations from conductors, players and reviewers alike - the author is acutely aware that a hall's reputation rests as much on the writings of critics and the overall audience experience as it does on quantifiable acoustical qualities. For those who like hit parades, yes, there is a top 20, though dr. Beranek is too much of a scientist to present it without heaps of caveats (though it is clear throughout the book that Boston Symphony Hall is his acoustic Walhalla).
Of course, a book like this can never be quite complete, and though I encountered the two halls I'd expected to see from my own country (the Amsterdam Concertgebouw again featuring as one of the world's top three), I was inevitably slightly disappointed to see my own town's hall disregarded, even though it is generally acknowledged to surpass the Concertgebouw when it comes to classical and early romantic repertoire. In a more general sense, the question is how random the selection was. You will find all the great halls you would expect in a survey like this (though Russia is conspicuously absent), but like me many readers are bound to be aware of hidden gems undiscovered (or at least unaddressed) by Beranek. London and Japan seem to be disproportionately represented (no less than 9 Tokyo halls are listed!), nor did I find all the US entries equally compelling (one wonders also why all countries are listed alphabetically, but after the US?). It should be noted, too, that the images serve to give a general impression of a hall, but are mostly of moderate quality, and sometimes quite bad. Finally, and then I'll stop complaining and resume the praise, opera houses are very much underrepresented and almost seem like an afterthought; they might as well have been left out, the focus is clearly on symphonic concert spaces.
None of this detracts in any significant way from the wonders of this unique book, which is, by the way, beautifully produced, featuring smooth, glossy paper. Whether an acoustic scientist, a regular concert goer or an architecture buff, this book will be fascinating reading for you. It may, indeed, even help you select the best available seat when you're booking a ticket in a hall you've never visited before (avoid those three back rows on the Boston Symphony Hall middle balcony!).

great book.......2006-08-06

FYI - I just wrote a review of the book and it got lost in cyber space. So this is my abreviated second attempt.

1- This is more thorough than Auditoria by Forsyth. It is focused soley on acoustics of the spaces, not the architecture.
2- There are 18 to 21 acoustic metrics reported for each of the halls.
3- The last sections on acoustics of concert halls and opera halls is up to date and discusses key concepts & criteria in realtion to existing facilities.

The appendices are wonderful. Appendix #2 lists additional acoutical data that is availble on the concert halls reviewed in earlier chapters. Typically this additional data inlcudes RT by octave, and may include ITDG, G (strength) & IACC.

Classic Acoustical Reference.......2006-07-20

This is a classic reference for students and practitioners working in the field. It is the most complete compendium available of acoustical and architectural data on concert and opera halls throughout the world. Each building is meticulously detailed with photographs, line drawings and technical data.

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