Musical Acoustics: from the Human Voice to Musical Instruments
Course code
MLF6111.LT
old course code
MLF6111
Course title in Estonian
Akustika muusikas: inimhäältest pillideni
Course title in English
Musical Acoustics: from the Human Voice to Musical Instruments
ECTS credits
3.0
Assessment form
Examination
lecturer of 2025/2026 Spring semester
Not opened for teaching. Click the study programme link below to see the nominal division schedule.
lecturer of 2026/2027 Autumn semester
Not opened for teaching. Click the study programme link below to see the nominal division schedule.
Course aims
To enable the acquisition of the fundamentals of acoustics.
To enable the integration of music and physics.
To create opportunities for verifying and investigating the basic laws of acoustics through practical work and demonstration experiments.
To enable the integration of music and physics.
To create opportunities for verifying and investigating the basic laws of acoustics through practical work and demonstration experiments.
Brief description of the course
Oscillations and waves. Wave properties: frequency, amplitude, period, speed. Types of waves: longitudinal and transverse waves.
Sound as a wave: sound wave as mechanical, longitudinal and pressure wave.
Sound wave properties: pitch and frequency, overtones, sound scale, sound intensity and pressure wave amplitude, decibel scale, hearing threshold, sound speed, Doppler effect and shock wave.
Wave behavior: reflection, refraction, interference and diffraction of waves.
Sound wave behavior: interference - consonances and dissonances, sound flickering (e.g. when tuning a guitar), intervals as a ratio of sound wave frequencies, sound wave behavior at edges (at the ends of an instrument string), reflection, refraction and diffraction of sound in architecture, echo and focal point of sound in space.
Natural frequency, sound shape, spectrum and timbre (why instruments have their characteristic sound), forced oscillations and resonance, resonance in music (why violins, guitars, etc. have sound boxes).
Standing waves: emergence, knots and anti-knots, harmonics, examples from music. Fundamental frequency of a string and harmonics. Standing waves on a two-level plate: Chladni plates and analogues on the example of instruments.
Physics of musical instruments:
String instruments, wind instruments. Percussion instruments: sound and noise, percussion instruments with fixed and non-fixed pitch (what distinguishes them in the sound spectrum). Keyboard instruments. Electronic music.
Sound and biology:
how a person makes a sound, how sound reaches the human ear and brain.
The subject also includes assignments and laboratory work on sound.
Sound as a wave: sound wave as mechanical, longitudinal and pressure wave.
Sound wave properties: pitch and frequency, overtones, sound scale, sound intensity and pressure wave amplitude, decibel scale, hearing threshold, sound speed, Doppler effect and shock wave.
Wave behavior: reflection, refraction, interference and diffraction of waves.
Sound wave behavior: interference - consonances and dissonances, sound flickering (e.g. when tuning a guitar), intervals as a ratio of sound wave frequencies, sound wave behavior at edges (at the ends of an instrument string), reflection, refraction and diffraction of sound in architecture, echo and focal point of sound in space.
Natural frequency, sound shape, spectrum and timbre (why instruments have their characteristic sound), forced oscillations and resonance, resonance in music (why violins, guitars, etc. have sound boxes).
Standing waves: emergence, knots and anti-knots, harmonics, examples from music. Fundamental frequency of a string and harmonics. Standing waves on a two-level plate: Chladni plates and analogues on the example of instruments.
Physics of musical instruments:
String instruments, wind instruments. Percussion instruments: sound and noise, percussion instruments with fixed and non-fixed pitch (what distinguishes them in the sound spectrum). Keyboard instruments. Electronic music.
Sound and biology:
how a person makes a sound, how sound reaches the human ear and brain.
The subject also includes assignments and laboratory work on sound.
Learning outcomes in the course
Upon completing the course the student:
- understands the physical principles of sound and can link it with music;
- knows the physical principles of producing a sound in instruments;
- can measure various physical characteristics of instruments or other sound-producing devices and analyze the results;
- understands the physical and biological principles of producing and hearing a sound.
- can solve problems on the topic of acoustics.
- understands the physical principles of sound and can link it with music;
- knows the physical principles of producing a sound in instruments;
- can measure various physical characteristics of instruments or other sound-producing devices and analyze the results;
- understands the physical and biological principles of producing and hearing a sound.
- can solve problems on the topic of acoustics.
Teacher
PhD Katrin Laas
Study programmes containing that course
Science Teacher (LTLOM/27.LT)
Integrated Natural Sciences (LTILB/27)
Integrated Natural Sciences (MLLB/26.LT)
Integrated Natural Sciences (MLLB/25.LT)
Science Teacher (MLGLM/26.LT)
Science Teacher (MLGLM/25.LT)
Integrated Natural Sciences (MLLB/16.LT)
Integrated Natural Sciences (MLLB/00.LT)
Physics (with Minor Field of Study) (MLFB/14.LT)
Integrated Natural Sciences (LTILB/27)
Integrated Natural Sciences (MLLB/26.LT)
Integrated Natural Sciences (MLLB/25.LT)
Science Teacher (MLGLM/26.LT)
Science Teacher (MLGLM/25.LT)
Integrated Natural Sciences (MLLB/16.LT)
Integrated Natural Sciences (MLLB/00.LT)
Physics (with Minor Field of Study) (MLFB/14.LT)