(Selections From)

THE SCIENCE
OF MUSICAL SOUNDS

1916

This 1916 text covering subjects in acoustics, music, analysis, synthesis, and psychology, is a fine glimpse into the past. I've resisted adding my own commentary on the subject except for small descriptions in the table of contents, below, and instead will present verbatim what I found to be the more interesting sections of the book. I've excerpted several photographs and sections of text for your enjoyment.

Title Page

Preface

Very dry, I don't know why I included it.

Lecture I: Sound Waves, Simple Harmonic Motion, Noise And Tone

Introduction
In which the author explains which of the arts is simply the best ever.

Lecture II: Characteristics Of Tones

Analysis By The Ear
Primitive tools for primitive times.

Standard Pitches
In which artists and engineers from competitive interests do ferocious battle to establish standards, down the centuries.

Lecture III: Recording And Photographing Sound Waves

The Phonodeik
A contraption of mirrors, springs, and photographic film.

Lecture IV: Analysis And Synthesis Of Harmonic Curves

Mechanical Harmonic Analysis
It always brings me a moment of wonder to realize how many unique, specially constructed, special purpose, fallable, slow, and innaccurate machines have been replaced by the pocket calculator. "Sperling Inside!".

Enlarging the Curves
All curves must have a wave length of about 16 inches, to be properly analyzed.

Various Types of Harmonic Analyzers and Synthesizers
Lots of things happened in 1876.

Lecture VIII: Synthetic Vowels And Words, Relations Of The Art And Science Of Music

Artificial and Synthetic Vowels
Speech synthesis, 1860's style.

Bibliography

Selected references from The Science Of Musical Sound.