Have you ever wondered why some instruments sound just great, and others not so much? Or why old instruments, like Stradivarius, tend to sound better than many modern ones?
The answer can be found in the material, from which the instrument is made and how well it resonates sound.
This course is aimed at musicians who want to understand their instrument better.
It gives a brief and basic background on the physics behind music and the materials science involved.
Course Content
This course will give musicians an understanding of the sound quality of their instrument and why there are differences between instruments. The link between material science and music is rarely covered and this course tries to link two very different fields.
The topics covered include:
1) Physics of sound
2) Relevant wood properties
3) Acoustical properties of wood
4) Determination of these properties
5) Classification of tonewoods (for all wooden Instruments)
6) The process of making string instruments
7) How to define sound quality in instruments
This course is unique in that it provides a bridge between music studies and materials science studies with a focus on wooden instruments. Often musicians do not know how their instruments were built and how the materials affect the sound.
The content is provided as class notes and a quiz needs to be completed for each section.
The course presenter
Prof. Martina Meincken
I obtained my MSc in physics and a PhD in Polymer Science. Currently I am teaching as Associate Professor for Wood Science and I focus on the physical properties of wood-based materials.
The combination of my research with my passion for music lead to the "African violin" project, in which we investigated the feasibility of indigenous wood species to make violins. This course was developed as part of the project.
The story of the African violin can
be found here: