Physics of the Piano

Nicholas J. Giordano (Department of Physics, Purdue University, USA)

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English

Oxford University Press
29 October 2016

Music; Keyboard instruments; Wave mechanics (vibration & acoustics); Condensed matter physics (liquid state & solid state physics); Acoustic & sound engineering

"Why does a piano sound like a piano? A similar question can be asked of virtually all musical instruments. A particular note-such as middle C-can be produced by a piano, a violin, a clarinet, and many other instruments, yet it is easy for even a musically untrained listener to distinguish between these different instruments. A central quest in the study of musical instruments is to understand why the sound of the ""same"" note depends greatly on the instrument, and to elucidate which aspects of an instrument are most critical in producing the musical tones characteristic of the instrument. The primary goal of this book is to investigate these questions for the piano. The explanations in this book use a minimum of mathematics, and are intended for anyone who is interested in music and musical instruments. At the same time, there are many insights relating physics and the piano that will likely be interesting and perhaps surprising for many physicists."

By: Nicholas J. Giordano (Department of Physics Purdue University USA)
Imprint: Oxford University Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 247mm, Width: 189mm, Spine: 10mm
Weight: 362g
ISBN: 9780198789147
ISBN 10: 0198789149
Pages: 184
Publication Date: 29 October 2016
Audience: College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , A / AS level , Further / Higher Education
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

1: Introduction 2: Waves and sound 3: Making a musical scale 4: Why the piano was invented: A little history 5: Vibrating strings 6: Hitting strings with hammers 7: The soundboard 8: Connecting the strings to the soundboard 9: Evolution of the piano 10: Psychoacoustics: How we perceive musical tones 11: The magic of Steinway 12: What physics can and cannot teach us about music and musical instruments

Nicholas J. Giordano, Sr. is Hubert James Distinguished Professor of Physics at Purdue University, Indiana. He joined the Department of Physics there as an Assistant Professor in 1979, becoming an Associate Professor in 1982 and Full Professor in 1985. He served as an Assistant Dean of Science from 2000-2003, and became Head of the Department of Physics in 2007. His research includes nanoscience and conduction in small metallic systems, micro- and nanofluidic systems, musical acoustics, and computational biophysics. He was an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Fellow (1979-1983), received a Computational Science Education Award from the U.S. Department of Energy in 1977, and was named Indiana Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching in 2004.

Reviews for Physics of the Piano

In just over 150 pages, Physics of the Piano manages to deliver remarkable depth for a text aimed at a broad audience, anyone who is interested in understanding how and why the piano was invented, how it evolved, and how different parts of the instrument contribute to the sound it produces. I highly recommend Physics of the Piano. It is an accessible introduction to many standard and some esoteric principles involved in creating the piano sound. Physics Today Nicholas Giordano has written a brief and excellent account of the physics of this instrument. Times Literary Supplement