Introduction to the Physics and Psychophysics of Music - Softcover

Inhaltsangabe

This book deals with the physical systems and psychophysical pro­ cesses that intervene in what we broadly call "music. " We shall analyze what objective, physical properties of sound patterns are associated with what subjective, psychological sensations of music. We shall describe how these sound patterns are actually produced in musical instruments, how they propagate through the environment, and how they are detected by the ear and interpreted in the brain. We shall do all this by using the physicist's language and his method of thought and analysis-with­ out, however, using complicated mathematics (this, of course, will neces­ sarily impose serious limitations on our presentation). While no previous knowledge of physics is required, it is assumed, however, that the reader is familiar with music, in particular with musical notation, musical scales and intervals, that he has at least some basic ideas about musical instru­ and that he has experienced typical musical "sensations. " ments, Until about 25 years ago, little attention had been paid to the role of the brain, i. e. , the central nervous system, in the actual perception, identification, and evaluation of musical sounds. The highly "mechanicis­ tic" approach of 19th-century researchers, notably the great von Helm­ holz (1863) persisted weIl into the first half of this century.

Die Inhaltsangabe kann sich auf eine andere Ausgabe dieses Titels beziehen.