Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover
  • Book
  • © 2005

Tuning, Timbre, Spectrum, Scale

Authors:

  1. William A. Sethares

    1. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, USA

    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

  • A unique analysis of the relationship between the structure of sound and the structure of musical scales

  • A very wide range of instruments is analysed - from existing instruments, electronic instruments, artificial sounds and the sounds and scales on non-western instruments

  • Contains the only such analysis of Indonesian instruments

Sections

Buy it now

eBook USD 139.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 179.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 179.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access

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

Table of contents (16 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages I-XVIII
    PDF

  3. The Science of Sound

    Pages 11-38

  4. Sound on Sound

    Pages 39-50

  5. Musical Scales

    Pages 51-76

  9. Adaptive Tunings

    Pages 155-178

  11. The Gamelan

    Pages 199-220

  13. From Tuning to Spectrum

    Pages 245-266

  14. Spectral Mappings

    Pages 267-290

  18. Back Matter

    Pages 327-426
    PDF
Back to top

About this book

Tuning, Timbre, Spectrum, Scale focuses on perceptions ofconsonance and dissonance, and how these are dependent on timbre. This alsorelates to musical scale: certain timbres sound more consonant in some scalesthan others. Sensory consonance and the ability to measure it have importantimplications for the design of audio devices and for musical theory andanalysis. Applications include methods of adapting sounds for arbitrary scales,ways to specify scales for nonharmonic sounds, and techniques of soundmanipulation based on maximizing (or minimizing) consonance. Specialconsideration is given here to a new method of adaptive tuning that canautomatically adjust the tuning of a piece based its timbral character so as tominimize dissonance. Audio examples illustrating the ideas presented areprovided for free on the Springer Extras website (http://extras.springer.com). Thisunique analysis of sound and scale will be of interest to physicists andengineers working in acoustics, as well as to musicians and psychologists
 


Back to top

Keywords

Back to top

Authors and Affiliations

  • Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, USA

    William A. Sethares

Back to top

Bibliographic Information

Back to top

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Back to top
Access via your institution

Buy it now

eBook USD 139.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 179.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 179.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access

Search

Navigation