Bibliograph

The physics of musical instruments, Neville H. Fletcher, Thomas D. Rossing

Type

Label

The physics of musical instruments, Neville H. Fletcher, Thomas D. Rossing

Language

eng

Bibliography note

Includes bibliographical references and indexes

Illustrations

illustrations

Index

index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

The physics of musical instruments

Nature of contents

bibliography

Oclc number

37742255

Responsibility statement

Neville H. Fletcher, Thomas D. Rossing

Review

"Although 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. 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 tone quality, and in some cases even major features of the sounding mechanism have only recently been unraveled. This book describes the results of such acoustical investigations - intellectual and practical exercises of great fascination." "Addressed to readers with a reasonable grasp of physics who are not put off by a little mathematics, this book discusses most of the traditional instruments currently in use in Western music." "This second edition has been thoroughly revised to take into account the insights arising from recent research, and to generalize or clarify the presentation in many places."--Jacket

Table Of Contents

I. Vibrating Systems -- 1. Free and Forced Vibrations of Simple Systems -- 2. Continuous Systems in One Dimension: Strings and Bars -- 3. Two-Dimensional Systems: Membranes, Plates, and Shells -- 4. Coupled Vibrating Systems -- 5. Nonlinear Systems -- II. Sound Waves -- 6. Sound Waves in Air -- 7. Sound Radiation -- 8. Pipes, Horns and Cavities -- III. String Instruments -- 9. Guitars and Lutes -- 10. Bowed String Instruments -- 11. Harps, Harpsichords, Clavichords, and Dulcimers -- 12. The Piano -- IV. Wind Instruments -- 13. Sound Generation by Reed and Lip Vibrations -- 14. Lip-Driven Brass Instruments -- 15. Woodwind Reed Instruments -- 16. Flutes and Flue Organ Pipes -- 17. Pipe Organs -- V. Percussion Instruments -- 18. Drums -- 19. Mallet Percussion Instruments -- 20. Cymbals, Gongs, Plates, and Steel Drums -- 21. Bells -- VI. Materials -- 22. Materials for Musical Instruments

Contributor