PHYS 1320 / PHYS 3320

Musical Acoustics

Fall 2024


Important information for the course

Basic information form about you

The video for the first week of class is HERE.

The Class Google Doc.

The Class Zoom Room

Grade Sheet


INSTRUCTORS:

Fredrick I. Olness (office 201 Fondren Science, phone 768-2500)

George Baker (SMU Meadows) gbaker@smu.edu

MEETINGS:

LECTURE: Tuesday & Thursday, 2:00 - 3:20, Fondren Science Rm. 158

LAB: Monday (1-3pm), (3-5pm) or (5-7pm), Fondren Science Rm. 60

Labs begin Monday September 9, 2024

BEWARE: On occasion, lecture and lab may be held in different rooms.

Course & Lab Schedule:

Labs and Pre-Labs

Syllabus



Link to general resources

Exam Review Material       Exam Formula Sheet

Rotating Lab Assignments for Students 2024

Suggestions for projects

Katrina & Tyler


SPECIAL DATES

Tuesday 19 November 2024
Meadows School of the Arts: Caruth Auditorium: 2:00-3:20 pm
David Brown
Assistant Director for Music Operations:
Special lecture presentation


Tuesday 3 December 2024
Meadows School of the Arts: Location TBD 2:00-3:20 pm
Professor Thomas Keck
Director of the Division of Music:
Special lecture presentation


Tuesday 12 November 2024
Perkins Chapel, 6:00-7:30pm
Professor George Baker
Perkins Chapel:
Organ Demonstration/Performance:
(Counts for 2 quizzes)
Make-up assignment if you missed Organ Demonstration (Due Nov. 21)



FINAL EXAM REVIEW:

REVIEW: Monday 16 December 2024, 8pm, on Zoom

(FINAL EXAM: Wednesday 18 December 2024, 11:30am-2:30pm, Room 158)
(You may bring a sandwich or snack if you like)



TEXT:

John Backus (Author)

"The Acoustical Foundations of Music" Hardcover: 384 pages

Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company; 2 edition (December 1977)

REFERENCES:

Selected books will be placed on reserve.

GRADES: Components are:


KNW 2305 / Phys 1320

Phys 3320

MPSY 5340

exams (50% each)

daily quizzes (20%)

Laboratory (30%)

exams (40% each)

daily quizzes (20%)

Homework (40%)

exams (50% each)

daily quizzes (20%)

paper & presentation (20%)

Laboratory (10%)



GROUP PROJECT:  Students can work in groups of 2 or 3 on a project of their choice. Suggestions for projects

PAPER & PRESENTATION (MPSY 5340 Only): Each student will be responsible for writing a paper 10 to 15 pages in length. You may, if you choose, submit your project in the form of a web page(s). The topic should be either the acoustics (psychoacoustics) of your own instrument or another acoustics topic of your choice. Presentations of this type are usually enhanced by a demonstration.

COURSE CONTENT: We will cover both the acoustics (physical sound properties) and the psychoacoustics (psychological, perceptual properties) of music. Topics will include sound in general, sound of musical instruments (including voice), sound characteristics of rooms, electronic production (synthesis) and reproduction of sound.

DEMONSTRATIONS: Demonstrations will be done in class sessions throughout the semester. You are encouraged to make suggestions about interesting ways to demonstrate the phenomena we are studying. Each class discussion will FOLLOW the reading of appropriate material, meaning that you will be expected to have completed the reading PRIOR to the class session for which it is listed. The same for tape listening assignments.

ASSIGNMENTS: Various problem sheets will be distributed for you to complete. Your completion of the problems is optional, and will be for your own benefit. As such, the problem sheets will not be graded. Other assignments, such as completing lab tasks and doing outside investigations will be considered under "participation".





Suggested Homework:


Study Problems
Physics 1320 Music & Physics Prof. Tunks & Olness

Chapt. 1: Questions: 1,2,4,5,  Problems: 1,2,9,11

Chapt. 2: Questions: 1,5,7,8,9   Problems: 4,5

Chapt. 3: Questions: 6,8,9   Problems: 1,3,4,5,8,11,13,17,

Chapt. 4: Questions: 2,3,  Problems: 1,2,4,5,6,14

Chapt. 5: Questions: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,  Problems: 1,4,8,9,10,11,12,14,16

Chapt. 6: Questions: 1,2,  Problems: 1,2,3,4,5,8,9,10

Chapt. 7: Questions: 1,2,  Problems: 1,2,3

Chapt. 8: Questions: 1,2,3,4,5,6  Problems: 1,4,7,9

Chapt. 9: Questions: 1,2,3  Problems: 1,2,3,4