Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

The Physics of Musical Instruments

  • Book
  • © 1991

Overview

Authors:
  1. Neville H. Fletcher

    1. CSIRO Australia, Research School of Physical Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia

    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

  2. Thomas D. Rossing

    1. Department of Physics, Northern Illinois University, De Kalb, USA

    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Part of the book series: Springer Study Edition (SSE)

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this book

Log in via an institution
eBook USD 74.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access

Licence this eBook for your library

Institutional subscriptions

Table of contents (21 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xvii
    Download chapter PDF

  2. Vibrating Systems

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1
      Download chapter PDF

    2. Free and Forced Vibrations of Simple Systems

      • Neville H. Fletcher, Thomas D. Rossing
      Pages 3-32

    3. Continuous Systems in One Dimension: Strings and Bars

      • Neville H. Fletcher, Thomas D. Rossing
      Pages 33-64

    4. Two-Dimensional Systems: Membranes and Plates

      • Neville H. Fletcher, Thomas D. Rossing
      Pages 65-94

    5. Coupled Vibrating Systems

      • Neville H. Fletcher, Thomas D. Rossing
      Pages 95-124

    6. Nonlinear Systems

      • Neville H. Fletcher, Thomas D. Rossing
      Pages 125-135

  3. Sound Waves

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 137-137
      Download chapter PDF

    2. Sound Waves in Air

      • Neville H. Fletcher, Thomas D. Rossing
      Pages 139-155

    3. Sound Radiation

      • Neville H. Fletcher, Thomas D. Rossing
      Pages 156-171

    4. Pipes and Horns

      • Neville H. Fletcher, Thomas D. Rossing
      Pages 172-204

  4. String Instruments

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 205-205
      Download chapter PDF

    2. Guitars and Lutes

      • Neville H. Fletcher, Thomas D. Rossing
      Pages 207-234

    3. Bowed String Instruments

      • Neville H. Fletcher, Thomas D. Rossing
      Pages 235-286

    4. Harps, Harpsichords, and Clavichords

      • Neville H. Fletcher, Thomas D. Rossing
      Pages 287-304

    5. The Piano

      • Neville H. Fletcher, Thomas D. Rossing
      Pages 305-344

  5. Wind Instruments

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 345-345
      Download chapter PDF

    2. Sound Generation by Reed and Lip Vibrations

      • Neville H. Fletcher, Thomas D. Rossing
      Pages 347-364

    3. Lip-Driven Brass Instruments

      • Neville H. Fletcher, Thomas D. Rossing
      Pages 365-393

    4. Woodwind Reed Instruments

      • Neville H. Fletcher, Thomas D. Rossing
      Pages 394-425
Back to top

Keywords

About this book

The history of musical instruments is nearly as old as the history of civilization itself, and the aesthetic principles upon which judgments of musical quality are based are intimately connected with the whole culture within which the instruments have evolved. An educated modem Western player or listener can make critical judgments about particular instruments or particular per­ formances but, to be valid, those judgments must be made within the appro­ priate cultural context. The compass of our book is much less sweeping than the first paragraph might imply, and indeed our discussion is primarily confined to Western musical instruments in current use, but even here we must take account of centuries of tradition. A musical instrument is designed and built for the playing of music of a particular type and, conversely, music is written to be performed on particular instruments. There is no such thing as an "ideal" instrument, even in concept, and indeed the unbounded possibilities of modem digital sound-synthesis really require the composer or performer to define a whole set of instruments if the result is to have any musical coherence. Thus, for example, the sound and response of a violin are judged against a mental image of a perfect violin built up from experience of violins playing music written for them over the centuries. A new instrument may be richer in sound quality and superior in responsiveness, but if it does not fit that image then it is not a better violin.

Authors and Affiliations

  • CSIRO Australia, Research School of Physical Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia

    Neville H. Fletcher

  • Department of Physics, Northern Illinois University, De Kalb, USA

    Thomas D. Rossing

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: The Physics of Musical Instruments

  • Authors: Neville H. Fletcher, Thomas D. Rossing

  • Series Title: Springer Study Edition

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-2980-3

  • Publisher: Springer New York, NY

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

  • Copyright Information: Springer-Verlag New York Inc. 1991

  • eBook ISBN: 978-1-4612-2980-3Published: 06 December 2012

  • Series ISSN: 0172-6234

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XVII, 620

  • Number of Illustrations: 77 b/w illustrations

  • Topics: Acoustics, Engineering, general

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Back to top

Search

Navigation