Harmonograph A Visual Guide To The Mathematics Of Music Pdf

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· 216 ratings · 12 reviews

Start your review of Harmonograph: A Visual Guide to the Mathematics of Music

Sep 16, 2021 Qonita rated it liked it

Welp i didn't understand that one bit HAHAHA. But i enjoyed the pictures (bukunya satu halaman tulisan satu halaman gitu so there's a lot) and who knows that when translated to graphs, music has such an outstanding organization to them. Pretty cool and adds a nuance to the world. The technical rambling is an otherworldly total nonsense for me it sounds poetic lmao. I had an episode of crying under the overtones too (tmi) so this book is not without a sentimental value. The production's super pre Welp i didn't understand that one bit HAHAHA. But i enjoyed the pictures (bukunya satu halaman tulisan satu halaman gitu so there's a lot) and who knows that when translated to graphs, music has such an outstanding organization to them. Pretty cool and adds a nuance to the world. The technical rambling is an otherworldly total nonsense for me it sounds poetic lmao. I had an episode of crying under the overtones too (tmi) so this book is not without a sentimental value. The production's super pretty so i'm so collecting this series in the future. 3.5/5 ...more

Pleasant read with beautiful illustrations. A little more time spent on the basics of music theory and its connection to frequencies and harmonics would have been appreciated as ratios were being thrown about all over the text with minimal introduction.

A lovely collection of methods and techniques used in early days or in other words were discovered by observing the musical harmony and notes. The illustrations illustrate the beauty of the numbers and patterns and ease with which we can find them around us via different media.

Aug 06, 2019 Len rated it it was amazing

Great book, but could have used more detailed construction pictures and plans.

Sep 26, 2021 Mafalda rated it liked it

didn't understand anything but the images were pretty didn't understand anything but the images were pretty ...more

Fascinating read, despite grammatical errors and some other minor inaccuracies

Jul 27, 2008 Deana rated it really liked it

Recommended to Deana by: Mom

This was a really cool book. My mom gave it to me many years ago, and I just not got around to reading it. Basically, it's about this really cool machine called the "harmonograph". If you've ever heard of tuning forks, this will make sense to you. If not, go here. So, a long time ago, someone set up two tuning forks at right angles to one another some distance apart. Using mirrors, a light was shone at one tuning fork, bounced off toward the second, and then finally the light bounced off that on This was a really cool book. My mom gave it to me many years ago, and I just not got around to reading it. Basically, it's about this really cool machine called the "harmonograph". If you've ever heard of tuning forks, this will make sense to you. If not, go here. So, a long time ago, someone set up two tuning forks at right angles to one another some distance apart. Using mirrors, a light was shone at one tuning fork, bounced off toward the second, and then finally the light bounced off that one and onto a dark surface. Very pretty and interesting patterns emerged when both tuning forks were set into motion, and of course different patterns emerged depending on the ratios of the vibrations.

These movements were too small and too fast for someone to record, so the harmonograph was invented. It uses the same principles except it uses pendulums swinging at different ratios to simulate the movements of the tuning forks. Pendulums can be made to swing in much longer and slower motions than tuning forks. By attaching pens and paper to the pendulums, beautiful patterns could be drawn tracing out their travels. Check out the cover of the book for one example, although trust me - the others are far more beautiful and intricate than that one.

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This is a really beautiful little book. Looking at the diagrams (of which there's plenty) and realising how these patterns and shapes are created by musical sounds left me amazed.

It is pretty heavy on the music theory though. If you're not quick at discerning between your major thirds or minor sevenths then it might feel a bit dense if you're reading all in one go.

It is very short too, so I'm not including it in my reading challenge.

This is a really beautiful little book. Looking at the diagrams (of which there's plenty) and realising how these patterns and shapes are created by musical sounds left me amazed.

It is pretty heavy on the music theory though. If you're not quick at discerning between your major thirds or minor sevenths then it might feel a bit dense if you're reading all in one go.

It is very short too, so I'm not including it in my reading challenge.

...more

Feb 08, 2008 Scott rated it liked it

This is a cool little book that discusses and illustrates relationships between music and mathematics. Like all of the Wooden Books, it's brief. This is a cool little book that discusses and illustrates relationships between music and mathematics. Like all of the Wooden Books, it's brief. ...more

Apr 19, 2008 Matt Webb rated it really liked it

I still don't understand how ratios between vibrations lead to different tones, but I have now spent a good deal of time making Chladni patterns. A happy discovery in the Wellcome bookshop. I still don't understand how ratios between vibrations lead to different tones, but I have now spent a good deal of time making Chladni patterns. A happy discovery in the Wellcome bookshop. ...more