Science of String Instruments

by Rossing, Thomas D.

• ISBN13: 9781441971098
• ISBN10: 1441971092
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2010-12-30
• Publisher: Springer Verlag

Summary

This book will be a non-technical book on string instruments that includes some technical information as well. The emphasis will be on the practical understanding of string instruments, with the interests of performers and instrument builders in the forefront. Authors of the chapters will be musicians, scientists, and instrument designers and builders with practical experience. The mathematics will be kept as simple as possible by translating ideas from the language of physics (mathematics) to non-mathematical language. Considerable emphasis will be placed on the design and construction of string instruments. Following the structure of the author's successful Science of Percussion Instruments (World Scientific, 2000), technical ideas will be presented as "interludes." Readers who wish to go beyond the simple ideas in this book can easily follow the references to more scientific books and to the original scientific literature.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 1
Plucked Strings	p. 11
Guitars and Lutes	p. 19
Portuguese Guitar	p. 47
Banjo	p. 59
Mandolin Family Instruments	p. 77
Psalteries and Zithers	p. 99
Harpsichord and Clavichord	p. 123
Harp	p. 145
Burmese Arched Harp	p. 167
Plucked String Instruments in Asia	p. 173
Bowed Strings	p. 197
Violin	p. 209
Cello	p. 245
Double Bass	p. 259
Bows, Strings, and Bowing	p. 279
Viols and Other Historic Bowed String Instruments	p. 301
The Hutchins-Schelleng Violin Octet After 50 Years	p. 317
Hammered Strings	p. 347
Some Remarks on the Acoustics of the Piano	p. 353
Hammered Dulcimer	p. 371
Electric Guitar and Violin	p. 393
Virtual String Synthesis	p. 417
Index	p. 457
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