Measured Tones

Book excerpt: Most books concerned with physics and music take an approach that puts physical theory before application. Consequently, these works tend to dampen aesthetic fascination with preludes burdened by an overabundance of algebraic formulae. In Measured Tones: The Interplay of Physics and Music Third Edition, Ian Johnston a professor of astrophysics and a connoisseur of music, offers an informal historical approach that shows the evolution of both theory and application at the intersection of physics and music. Exceptionally accessible, insightful, and now updated to consider modern technology and recent advances, the new edition of this critically acclaimed and bestselling classic — Features a greater examination of psycho-acoustics and its role in the design of MP3s Includes expanded information on the gamelan and other Asian percussion instruments Introduces detailed discussions of binary notation, digitization, and electronic manipulation of music We believe that order exists, and we look for it. In that respect the aims of science and of music are identical—the desire to find harmony. And surely, without that very human desire, science would be a cold and sterile undertaking. With myriad illustrations and historical anecdotes, this volume will delight those student required to approach this topic from either a physics and music concentration, as well as anyone who is fascinated with concepts of harmony expressed in nature, as well as in the instruments and composition of human expression’s purest form. A complementary website provides sound files, further reading, and instructional support.