E-raamat: Physics of Music: Integrating the Technical and Artistic Aspects of Creating Music

1 Introduction

1.1 Overview of book

1.2 Motivation for the text

1.3 Role of Music in Society

1.4 Role of Physics in Society

1.5 Role of Physics in Acoustics

2 Structure of Music

2.1 Basic Language

2.2 Mathematics of Music

2.3 Sound and Feeling

2.4 Basic Elements of Music

2.5 Brief History of Musical Styles

2.6 Summary/Discussion/Problems

3 Physics Concepts

3.1 Physical Variables in Musical Acoustics

3.2 Wave Properties

3.3 Advanced Concepts

3.4 Summary/Discussion/Problems

4 Instrument Groups

4.1 Common Features of All Instruments

4.2 Overview of Brass, Strings, Woodwinds, Percussion, Voice and Elec-

tronic instruments

4.3 Discussion topics and Problems

5 Brass Instruments

5.1 History of brass instruments

5.2 Summary of key properties

5.3 Description of operation-Source, Medium and Interface

5.4 Unique characteristics of brass instruments

5.5 Discussion topics and problems

6 Stringed Instruments

6.1 History of stringed instruments

6.2 Summary of key properties

6.3 Description of operation-Source, Medium and Interface

6.4 Unique characteristics of stringed instruments

6.5 Discussion topics and problems

7 Woodwind Instruments

7.1 History of woodwind instruments

7.2 Summary of key properties

7.3 Description of operation-Source, Medium and Interface

7.4 Unique characteristics of woodwind instruments

7.5 Discussion topics and problems

8 Percussion

8.1 History of percussion instruments

8.2 Summary of key properties

8.3 Description of operation-Source, Medium and Interface

8.4 Unique characteristics of percussion instruments

8.5 Discussion topics and problems

9 Voice

9.1 Summary of key properties

9.2 Description of operation-Source, Medium and Interface

9.3 Unique characteristics of voices

9.4 Discussion topics and problems

10 Electronic Instruments

10.1 History of electronic instruments

10.2 Summary of key properties

10.3 Description of operation-Source, Medium and Interface

10.4 Unique characteristics of electronic instruments

10.5 Discussion topics and problems

11 Room and Venue Acoustics

11.1 Appropriate characteristics for room acoustics

11.2 Interference and Di_raction of Sound

11.3 Calculation of Reverberation Time and Sound Travel

12 Connecting the Concepts

12.1 Orchestration

12.2 Musical Interpretation

12.3 Connecting Project Ideas

Gordon Ramsey is Emeritus Professor of Physics at Loyola University Chicago. He received a Ph.D. from the Illinois Institute of Technology in 1982 and began teaching at Loyola. Gordon was raised in a musical household. His father was a composer and jazz trumpet player and his mother was a church organist and classical pianist. His involvement in music began at five, when his mother gave him piano lessons while his father taught him chord structures. This paralleled his interest in mathematics, which combined well with music training. Gordon began studying the clarinet at ten and played in a championship high school band while in the eighth grade. At age fourteen, his father bought a tenor sax, which became an integral part of Gordons musical experience. He has played in numerous theater orchestras and jazz bands. He enjoys doing physics and still having the pleasure of music without worrying about where the next gig is going to be. He has done musical acoustics research and published with students for the past 20 years.