Details

ISBN-10: 0231193793
ISBN-13: 9780231193795
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Publish Date: 04/27/2021
Dimensions: 8.90" L, 5.90" W, 1.00" H

Music, Math, and Mind: The Physics and Neuroscience of Music

Paperback

Price: $28.00

Overview

Why does a clarinet play at lower pitches than a flute? What does it mean for sounds to be in or out of tune? How are emotions carried by music? Do other animals perceive sound like we do? How might a musician use math to come up with new ideas?

This book offers a lively exploration of the mathematics, physics, and neuroscience that underlie music in a way that readers without scientific background can follow. David Sulzer, also known in the musical world as Dave Soldier, explains why the perception of music encompasses the physics of sound, the functions of the ear and deep-brain auditory pathways, and the physiology of emotion. He delves into topics such as the math by which musical scales, rhythms, tuning, and harmonies are derived, from the days of Pythagoras to technological manipulation of sound waves. Sulzer ranges from styles from around the world to canonical composers to hip-hop, the history of experimental music, and animal sound by songbirds, cetaceans, bats, and insects. He makes accessible a vast range of material, helping readers discover the universal principles behind the music they find meaningful.

Written for musicians and music lovers with any level of science and math proficiency, including none, Music, Math, and Mind demystifies how music works while testifying to its beauty and wonder.

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Reviews
It is rare that one finds a book where on opening any page, one is drawn to read on and . . . to read back. Every page has a story, every page a fascinating connection between the universal joy we find in music and some biological or mathematical fact. Here is the place to find out about the way crickets make music, and the McGurk effect! The science comes along gently, never intimidating. Only a neurobiologist who is a master composer and musician could have written this wonderful book!–Roald Hoffmann, author and recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry
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Details

ISBN-10: 0231193793
ISBN-13: 9780231193795
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Publish Date: 04/27/2021
Dimensions: 8.90" L, 5.90" W, 1.00" H
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