Table of Contents

Why these and not others? Length of strings. Harmonious intervals. Pythagoras, pentatonic and pythagorean scales. Ptolemy. Boethius. Music and scientific method: Medieval music. Josquin. Copernicus. Kepler. Galileo. Vibrations. Pendulums and strings. Consonance. Measurement of frequency. Standards of pitch. Interlude - Brass instruments. The harmonies of a mechanical universe: Mechanical forces. Energy. Oscillation theory. Mersenne's laws. Baroque music. Instruments. Equal temperament. Interlude - The piano. Overtones of enlightenment: Newton and the Age of Reason. Visualization of oscillations. Overtones. Harmonic analysis and synthesis. Rameau and harmony. End of the Enlightenment. Interlude - The violin. Over the waves: Wave theory. Speed of sound. Wave properties: reflection, absorption, diffraction. Huygens and Young. Standing waves. Interlude - Acoustics in architecture. The romance of electricity: The Romantic movement. Study of electricity, Faraday. Acoustics. Energy coupling and acoustic impedance. Mismatch theorem. Standing waves in air columns. Interlude - Woodwind instruments. Summertime in Heidelberg: Wagner and Helmholtz. Theory of resonance. Working of the ear. Pitch recognition and discrimination. Psycho-acoustics. Theory of consonance. Interlude - Percussion. A brave new world: Communication devices: microphones, gramophones, valves, transistors. Effect on music. Modern sound engineering: frequency response, transients. Technology. Interlude - Electronic instruments. I think, therefore I am: Theory of communication. Information. Computers. Computer composition. Interlude - Sublimest of instruments, the voice. Epilogue. Appendices. Bibliography. Index.