Undergraduate Course: Introductory Musical Acoustics (MUSI08024)
Course Outline
| School |
School of Arts, Culture and Environment |
College |
College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Course type |
Standard |
Availability |
Not available to visiting students |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) |
SCQF Level 8 (Year 1 Undergraduate) |
Credits |
10 |
| Home subject area |
Music |
Other subject area |
None |
| Course website |
None
|
Taught in Gaelic? |
No |
| Course description |
An introduction to the nature of musical sound and the behaviour of musical instruments. |
Entry Requirements
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites |
|
| Prohibited Combinations |
Students MUST NOT also be taking
Musical Acoustics (PHYS08021)
|
Other requirements |
Only available to students on the BMus Music degree programme.
|
| Additional Costs |
None |
Course Delivery Information
|
| Delivery period: 2010/11 Blocks 1-3 (Sem 1-2), Available to all students (SV1)
|
WebCT enabled: Yes |
Quota: None |
| Location |
Activity |
Description |
Weeks |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
| Central | Lecture | | 1-11 | | | | | 14:00 - 14:50 | | Central | Lecture | | 1-11 | 14:00 - 14:50 | | | | |
| First Class |
Week 1, Monday, 14:00 - 14:50, Zone: Central. Lecture Theatre 2, Appleton Tower |
| Additional information |
8 hour(s) per week for 1 week(s). Semester 1: tutorials 1hr per week in weeks 3,5,7,9,11.
Semester 2: project 8 hrs in week 1, M,Tu,Th,F 1110-1300. |
| Exam Information |
| Exam Diet |
Paper Name |
Hours:Minutes |
Stationery Requirements |
Comments |
| Main Exam Diet S2 (April/May) | | 2:00 | 12 sides | TT before week 29 | | Resit Exam Diet (August) | | 2:00 | 12 sides | |
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course it is intended that students will be able to:
1)describe the vibratory motion of typical musical sound sources, explain what is meant by a travelling wave and a standing wave, and understand and use the formula relating the frequency, wavelength and speed of a sinusoidal sound wave
2)draw a schematic diagram of the human ear, and outline the functions of the different parts of the ear in the hearing process
3)discuss the relationships between the perceived pitch, loudness and timbre of a sound and the objectively measurable properties of the sound wave
4)understand and use the formula giving the pitch interval in cents corresponding to a given frequency ratio
5)understand and use the formula giving the decibel difference between two sounds of a given intensity ratio, and define the Sound Pressure Level of a sound
6)explain how sound is generated, transformed and radiated by bowed and plucked stringed instruments, keyboard stringed instruments, woodwind and brass instruments, percussion instruments, electronic instruments and the human voice
7)state the frequency ratios and the names of the pitch intervals between the first six members of a harmonic series, and explain the relationship between these intervals and the Just Diatonic Scale
8)explain the necessity for temperament in the tuning of keyboard instruments, and discuss the differences between Just Intonation, Mean Tone Temperament and Equal Temperament
9)define the reverberation time of a hall, understand and use a formula relating reverberation time to the volume of the hall and the absorption of its surfaces, and discuss the acoustical properties desirable in concert halls and opera houses
10)measure and comment on the timbre ofmusical instruments, using a laptop computer with frequency analysis software |
Assessment Information
Assessed work, 30%
Degree examination, 70% |
Special Arrangements
| None |
Additional Information
| Academic description |
Not entered |
| Syllabus |
Not entered |
| Transferable skills |
Not entered |
| Reading list |
Not entered |
| Study Abroad |
Not entered |
| Study Pattern |
Not entered |
| Keywords |
Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser |
Prof Murray Campbell
Tel: (0131 6)50 5262
Email: D.M.Campbell@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary |
Mr Brad Herbert
Tel: (0131 6)50 2422
Email: brad.herbert@ed.ac.uk |
|
copyright 2011 The University of Edinburgh -
31 January 2011 8:02 am
|
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