Aims

This course is an introduction to issues in Musical Acoustics and Organology.

Main themes

The course has two main components:
- Acoustics, covering the production, transmission and reception of sound. This part of the course also gives students an outline of the history of Acoustics, from Antiquity to the present day.
- Organology, which covers a range of issues: musical instrument classification systems, including non-European instruments; a descriptive study of orchestral instruments, how they work and their musical capabilities; the history of Western instruments and instrumentation; issues relating to the use of ancient instruments for playing ancient music (including data on the history of the tunings and temperaments); issues relating to the conservation and restoration of instruments; museological issues.

Content and teaching methods

A variety of different illustrations are used to teach this course (graphic, audio and visual). A range of key aspects in Acoustics will be addressed, including production, transmission and reception of sound, pure and complex sounds and consonance and dissonance. Students will also learn about the history of Acoustics (Pythagorean and Zarlinian systems etc). The Organology component covers musical instrument classification systems, an introduction to musical instruments and instrumentation and issues relating to the conservation and use of ancient instruments. The course also includes a number of visits to museums and musical instrument makers.

Other credits in programs