On the Sensations of Tone

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By Hermann Helmholtz

On the Sensations of Tone is one of the world's scientific classics. It bridges the gap between the natural sciences and music theory and, more than a century after its first publication, it is still a standard text for the study of physiological acoustics - the scientific basis of musical theory. It is also a treasury of knowledge for musicians and students of music and a major work in the realm of aesthetics, making important contributions to physics, anatomy, and physiology in its establishment of the physical theory of music. Among the topics explored: physical phenomena, the physiology of hearing, the relation of musical phenomena to physics, and historical aspects of musical sound.

Important points in this 576-page work are profusely illustrated with graphs, diagrams, tables, and musical examples. 33 appendices discuss pitch, acoustics, and music, and include a very valuable table and study of the history of pitch in Europe between the 14th and 19th centuries.

Dover Publications, 1954 unabridged reprint of 1885 edition of the Ellis translation, softcover, 576 pages, B&W illustrations.