Measured Tones

The Interplay of Physics and Music

Ian Johnston

406 pages, parution le 22/05/2002 (2^eme édition)

Ajouter à une liste

Indisponible

Résumé

There has always been a close connection between physics and music. From the great days of Ancient Greek science, ideas and speculations have passed backwards and forwards between natural philosophers (physicists) and musical theorists. Measured Tones tells the story of that interplay in an entertaining and user-friendly way.

It 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 tells 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 human beings respond to music and musical sounds the way they do ? It is the attempts by musicians and scientists down the ages to apply new knowledge to answering this question which 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 ; and for anyone who is musically inclined who would like to find out about where physics fits into their interests.

Contents

Prologue
1. Why these and not others?
2. Music and scientific method
3. The harmonies of a mechanical universe
4. Overtones of enlightenment
5. Over the waves
6. The romance of electricity
7. Summertime in Heidelberg
8. O brave new world
9. I think, therefore I am
Epilogue
Appendix 1. Musical notation
Appendix 2. Logarithms
Appendix 3. Measurement
Appendix 4. Measurement
Appendix 5. Acoustic impedance
Appendix 6. Pentatonic scales
Bibliography
Accompanying web site
Index

Caractéristiques techniques

	PAPIER
Éditeur(s)	Institute of Physics (IOP)
Auteur(s)	Ian Johnston
Parution	22/05/2002
Édition	2^eme édition
Nb. de pages	406
Format	15,5 x 23
Couverture	Broché
Poids	738g
Intérieur	Noir et Blanc
EAN13	9780750307628
ISBN13	978-0-7503-0762-8