Physics 121: Physics of Music

Fall 1995

Due Friday 1 December

Final Project

The intent of this assignment is for you to learn as much as possible, both theoretically and experimentally, about a musical instrument of your choice. For this to be relevant and interesting, you should choose an instrument that you know how to play and that you have access to. This includes all orchestral instruments, keyboard instruments [organ, piano, synthesizers, etc.], non-western instruments [ e.g. koto, sitar, etc.], bells, carillon, guitar, lute, recorder, viol, voice, the ear and psychological perceptions of sound, etc. Please register your choice with me by Tuesday 24 October. If you do not play an instrument yourself, pick one that you would like to learn about. It will have to be an instrument that we have on hand. The report that you write should be between 20 and 30 pages (double spaced) with figures. Don't panic; much of this space will be taken up with plots and figures that we will generate from experiments on your instrument. The report must include:
  1. a short history of the instrument and its present-day uses (2-3 pages).
  2. a description of how it is played, how it makes its sound, and its range (2-3 pages).
  3. a discussion of its acoustic properties: the sound generator, the resonating components, etc. (3-5 pages).
  4. the results of the experiments that we will devise to study the sound produced. This will include a discussion of the formants, harmonic series, transients, etc. (10-20 pages, including figures).
  5. a comparison to similar instruments (1-3 pages).
Read and take notes on the discussions about your instrument in at least three of the books listed below. They are in the Physics Library on reserve for this course. You may naturally use any other sources that you know about. Searching the Web with Netscape probably will locate some interesting related material. You will be signing up in groups of 2 or 3 to take data with your instrument. You'll then have a chance to analyze these data with the computer. Your report must include the results and discussion of the analysis of sounds recorded into the computer. Because each instrument is different, you will need direction and advice from your instructor. Don't hesitate to ask for it. The class periods will become less formal toward the end of the semester and other homework assignments will lighten. Good luck and have fun! 
The Physics of Sound, Berg and Stork
Musical Acoustics: An Introduction, Donald E. Hall
The Science of Sound, Thomas Rossing
The Acoustical Foundations of Music, John Backus
Fundamentals of Musical Acoustics, Arthur H. Benade
A Musician's Guide to Acoustics, Campbell and Greated
Physics and the Sound of Music, 2nd ed., John S. Rigden
The Science of Musical Sound, John R. Pierce
The physics of musical instruments, Neville H. Fletcher and Thomas D. Rossing.
The science of musical sounds, Johan Sundberg.
Exploring Music, Charles Taylor
Measured Tones, Ian Johnston.