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Re: [Phys-l] harmonics



Thanks to John Denker for that UNSW physics of music site. It looks like it has lots of useful and interesting stuff. I taught the physics of music at SFU in the seventies and eighties with great pleasure, and I have recommended this site to the professor who is teaching it now.

A book that the teacher of such a course should have on the shelf is "Music, Physics and Engineering" by Harry F. Olson*. Some of the material is out of date, and that doesn't surprise me since the photo of the cover looks exactly like my copy, less the $4.00 pricetag. The fact that this book is still in print more than forty years after its second edition attests well to its quality and utility.

Let me also add a note here about the use of the term "harmonics". I discontinued my own practice of using that term as a noun, and using instead the more general term "overtone". This practice avoids the confusion that may arise from using the two nouns somewhat interchangeably. Thus I try to say "harmonic overtones" instead of the common abbreviation "harmonics" that is heard in a musical context.

Leigh

*<http://www.amazon.com/Music-Physics-Engineering-Harry-Olson/dp/0486217698/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1208365518&sr=8-1 >