Professor B. Lee Roberts roberts@bu.edu

Department of Physics,  Boston University

Office: PRB 373   

PY231 is designed for music and liberal arts students, and anyone else, who is interested in learning about how their own musical instrument works, the physics behind music theory, and other topics in musical acoustics. We do not assume a prior knowledge of physics. You will learn how musical sound is produced, how it travels through the air and how it is perceived by us. We also will cover the acoustical foundations of music theory, including intervals and the building of musical scales. The prerequisite is "musical performance", which means that you play some musical instrument or sing. It does not matter how well you play. The important thing is that you at least know what a scale and a chord are, and recognize the notes on the musical clef. The emphasis is on understanding the concepts behind acoustics, and then these concepts are applied to each of the traditional musical instruments. See the class schedule for a detailed list of topics. We use simple algebra in this course, and must acknowledge exponents and logarithms when we discuss the decibel system. If you have questions please send email to roberts@bu.edu I have updated the Syllabus, where the course is described, along with a description of the project. You can access it through the pull-down menu below. Course information: Go to... -------------------- Class Schedule Books on Reserve for PY231 2024 Syllabus Discussion Section Homework Assignments Guidelines for writing up the course project The handout on linear and non-linear oscillators in music, periodic waves, Fourier analysis and exponential decay Handout on the decibel system Handout on exponential decay Hall Chapters 6 and 17 Hall Chapter 14 Voice Back Tests and Final Examinations Class Notes Worksheets --------------------