Measured Tones: The Interplay of Physics and Music

by Ian D. Johnston

There has always been a close connection between physics and music. From the great days of ancient Greek science, ideas and speculations have passed backward and forward between natural philosophers (physicists) and musical theorists. Measured Tones: The Interplay of Physics and Music, Second Edition explores the story of that relationship in an entertaining and user-friendly way.

The book provides an easy-to-understand introduction to the physics involved in every stage of the music making process: from the very earliest experiments on vibrating strings and primitive sound makers to the latest concerns of digital sound recording, MP3 files, and information theory. At the same time, it examines the story of our developing concept of the universe we live in: from the ancient visions of a cosmos regulated by the music of the spheres to our current understanding of an expanding universe controlled by the laws of quantum mechanics and string theory. Running through all this is one recurring question - the so-called puzzle of consonance. Why do humans respond to music and musical sounds the way they do? It is the attempts by musicians and scientists through the ages to apply new knowledge to answer this question that gives this story its fascination.

Measured Tones should provide rewarding reading for any physics teacher or student who would like to know more about music and where it impinges on their subject as well as for anyone who is musically inclined.

Genres: Music, Science, Physics, Nonfiction, Reference, History

420 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1989

Reviews

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a solid science education but am semi-illiterate musically. This book explains the science behind music (and sometimes the music behind science), told as a history of the co-evolution of the two disciplines. Not only does it build a solid intuition for the how and why of musical physics, but it creates a fascination with the subject.

A few things that I learned from the book:
* How an opera singer can be heard over a whole orchestra
* How the acoustics of a theater work, and how a live audience can screw with them
* How standing waves can form in a pipe with open ends
* Why words are harder to understand the higher pitched singing becomes
* And so many other cool things.

I highly recommend this is you are curious at all about music.

[Kaylee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This guy did a really good job of mixing history, physics, and music theory. It was very readable, and he warns you when he is going to explain more difficult physics concepts that you can skip if you want. And he did a better job at explaining vacuum tubes than my circuits teacher did :) I played in orchestra in high school. Now I understand band instruments much better. I don't know much about music theory, but I really enjoyed learning about it with the historical context provided.

[Charl(ie|es) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Answered a few technical questions I've had about music but overall was mostly too simplistic or on occasion too complex.