Science & Music

By James Hopwood Jeans

Book Overview

Originally published in the 1930s. A fascinating book describing the main outlines of such parts of science, both old and new, as are specially related to the questions and problems of music. It conveys such information in a simple non-technical manner making the subject matter of interest to both the amateur and serious student of music. The illustrated contents include detailed chapters on: Tuning Forks and Pure Tones - The Vibrations of Strings and Harmonies - The Vibrations of Air - Harmony and Discord - The Concert Room - Hearing etc. Many of the earliest music books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. Home Farm Books are republishing many of these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1444656058
• ISBN13: 9781444656053
• Release Date: January 2010
• Publisher: Read Books
• Length: 286 Pages
• Weight: 0.81 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

A great introduction to mysticism!

If your into mysticism, metaphysics, and related subjects, and are tired of throwing around words who's meaning you still don't really understand, such as "resonance" "harmony" "harmonics", "scale", "vibration", "tone" and et all, this book will make it all come to life for you. Not the authors intention to encourage such thinking at all, deep and profound metaphysical principles are nonetheless on every single page for those with the ears to hear. New Age groupies: Learn the definition of the words you use first, and you will be all the better for it.

Science Shewn Delightfully

There are numerous books on music theory and the science of sound, but what this book brings to the table is leaving mathematical treatment of the subject to geometry, and only geometry. Its presentation of simple harmonic motion, and then the superposition of multiple harmonic motions using circles and simple lines with geometric truths provides explanations that resonate with intuition.

the scientific logic behind music theory made simple !

If you're a technical dummy like me, but what to understand some of the basic concepts behind how music, in particular soundwaves, are created work and behave... this is a great book. - - The author seems genuinely sincere in wanting to convey the concepts behind the science of sound to the everyday people and makes no attempt to intimidate of show off. - - No, after reading the book you won't be an expert acoustic engineer, but you might want to take further steps to become one... Topics start with the human ear, how sound waves are made/what they are -- the book explains frequency, harmonics, disonance, tuning systems, how scales and chords are put together to get these waves to behave the way we want them (and what happens when they don't) and then takes a look at a wide variety of instruments - - what factors control the sound in a room and lot's more. - - The author's ability to give simple examples that are very eas to visualize is a strong point of the book. - - If you are looking for something very mathematical and that assumes that you're a physics whiz, the book might not be so interesting, however, if you're a musician, there's a lot of insight to be gained by reading the book... and to boot... its very concise and has a great flow. In conclusion: even as a music teacher I would suggest my students to give this a read - - and the abstract realm of "music theory" will suddenly begin to make sense as get to wittness the source from where it comes from and realize that all it is is a bunch of logical conclusions which you'll be able to reach too after finishing the book.

wonderful

SCIENCE AND MUSIC is great, but I should like to direct those readers interested in an in-depth more recent study to THE PHYSICS AND PSYCHOPHYSICS OF MUSIC by Juan Roederer.

start here

An especially well-written and entertaining introduction to musical acoustics. I keep a copy among my musical reference books.Also recommended: PENTATONIC SCALES FOR THE JAZZ-ROCK KEYBOARDIST by Jeff Burns.