Instrument behavior emerges from a shared set of physical mechanisms

Evidence

Musical instruments are understood through representative cases that focus on the way these instruments actually work. We trust the reader to extrapolate from trumpet to trombone, from violin to viola. This focus enriches the understanding of the important physical effects at play and explains rather than describes the instrument. Coupled resonators, Fourier analysis, autocorrelation, impulse response, impedance mismatch and reflection at open tube ends and toneholes, wall losses, phase of drives near resonance, and launching of sound by accelerating surfaces all help explain the effects of a mouthpiece, bell, violin body, the phase of the lip buzzing on a trumpet, the bending of notes on a sax, and so on. — Eric J. Heller, Why You Hear What You Hear- An…, 13

Categorization

• DEFINE: Names the core mechanism vocabulary — impedance mismatch, coupled resonators, impulse response, Fourier analysis — that structures the whole field.
• XREF: connects to: Manufactured objects channel the user’s possible movements toward ends built into their design.