Originally Posted by dcuny
Yes, you can use and Fourier Transform to show the harmonic makeup of instrument timbre. But I doubt that "instrument designers have understood this for centuries" helped in the design of instrument.

The properties of the overtone series of come from physics, as does how our hearing works. They are inextricably linked together. The fact that melodic and harmonic systems have been developed that match properties of these overtone ([i]i.e.[i] being able to come up with a measure of harmonic consonance using the series) as well as being able to fill in the scale via the Circle of Fifths makes - to my mind, anyway - a compelling argument that this isn't something that's based in neurology.
When I say that instrument designers have understood harmonics for centuries, I wasn’t referring to a Fourier analysis understanding. Fourier invented Fourier analysis in the 1800s.

Rather I was referring to the knowledge and skill that craftsmen in Europe and elsewhere had in building instruments centuries ago. The harpsichord for example was invented in the late 1300s and around that time they had an understanding of how string length, string tension, materials, soundboard thickness, ribbing and other parameters had on the overall sound quality and hence harmonics of the instrument they were building. It was a slow, grinding process and I’m sure trial and error was a major tool in their toolbox.

But I agree, all this is not the subject of the book.

From what I understand at this point, the concepts of consonance and dissonance appear as an outcome of neurological processing resulting in to what degree we find a given audio input as pleasing. Another non-Boolean spectrum where we have degrees of pleasing (or non-pleasing) audio inputs.

Certainly, without physics, there would be no pressure fluctuations and no sound. So physics provides the input. But the brain needs to interpret said input. I doubt a tree could perceive the difference between musical consonance and musical dissonance, much less prefer one over the other. So I would say that neurology does play a major role.

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