more written word: musical acoustics

The study of musical acoustics is, to me, extremely interesting. In fact I think that it should be taught as part of music theory in conservatories and music schools, because it really is the theory behind the theory. Yes, depending upon what instrument and the style of music you play you might not think you'll ever want or need to know what uses an oscilloscope or a band pass filter have (but if you're a synthesist, on the other, the subject may already be old hat to you). On the other hand why we perceive tones and how (and why some sounds are 'clangy' and some sounds seem to have more than one definite pitch, and so on) should be knowledge that all musicians possess.

So, for a great primer on this fascinating subject check out the seminal work simply entitled The Fundamentals of Musical Acoustics by Arthur H. Benade. You can read some of it at here at Google Books if you'd like to get a taste of what it has to offer.


The great thing about this book, besides it's clarity, is that it really invites you to do experiments with sound/music. And this sort of engaging activity is really good soil from which creativity can spring.