No description available.

The citole, one of the foremost plucked musical instruments of the High Middle Ages, has been largely overlooked by modern scholars. This is due, in part, to disagreement as to which instrument type should be identified by that term. This work verifies and refines the definition of citole by examining three texts which link the terms citole, sitola and citola to illustrations of necked chordophones with a holly-leaf shaped body outline. By consideration of similar depictions, I propose that this strict definition should be expanded to include related body shapes and that the defining characteristics of the citole are that it is a plectrum-plucked, distinct-necked chordophone with a body-outline that is not oval. Beyond offering a definition of the citole based on the correlation of name and image in medieval sources, this thesis provides an unprecedented body of evidence from c.l200-1400 relating to this instrument type and demonstrates what sorts of information about the citole can be gleaned from these sources. There has been no comprehensive study of the citole, its morphology, use and social position, despite the wealth and variety of period sources. Each of the classes of evidence, however, has limitations and must be examined not just for content but also context. Comparison of these diverse sources shows that the citole was not an obscure 'minority interest' instrument in Western Europe during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. Documentary evidence, literary sources; and images suggest that players of the citole had a discernable social position and that the citole was considered to be an instrument which required skill, and which was usually played solo or in small consort. This is a study of whether, and in what ways, contemporaneous documentary, literary, iconographical, and material evidence are reliable and informative about instruments and what they demonstrate in the case of the citole.

The overall goal of this work is to help classical guitar makers to have better control over the potential sound of their instruments. This is done by correlating changes in the vibrational behaviour of an instrument with perceivable changes in its radiated sound. Three strategies have been employed in this thesis in an attempt to accomplish this goal. An investigation is carried out on the vibrational properties and radiated sound of a classical guitar, steel-string folk guitar and a five-string banjo. The aim here is to demonstrate how large constructional differences in plucked-string instruments lead to their unique acoustical characteristics. Results demonstrate that effective masses of low-order body modes relative to higher-order ones, internal damping of strings and amount of coupling between strings and the body of an instrument are responsible for the main characteristics of these instruments’ acoustical signatures. The problem of over-coupling a string to the body of a classical guitar is then addressed. Over-coupling creates an uneven tone quality between notes, an effect known as wolf notes. Knowledge of the perceptual threshold of over-coupling, which is found using psychoacoustical tests, can help instrument makers build a strongly radiating instrument without wolf notes. Simple remedies are suggested to minimise the effects of wolf notes on existing guitars in the most effective manner. Finally, the smallest perceivable changes are found in the parameters of a physical model of a classical guitar. The parameters that are responsible for the most perceptually obvious changes are likely to be the most important ones for the maker to control because these are the parameters to which our ears are most sensitive. The effective mass and effective area of low-order modes are studied in detail because these parameters have been identified previously as having a strong influence over the radiated sound from the instrument.

No description available.

by Robert G. Gallager. / Bibliography: leaf 29. / Grant NSF-ENG76-24447.

No description available.

by Robert C. Merton. / Bibliography: leaves [28-29].

The viola d’amore is a small bowed instrument that was in use predominantly from the second half of the seventeenth century to the end of the eighteenth. Initially, the name viola d’amore referred to a treble viol strung with wire strings, but it underwent a transformation c.1700 with the addition of sympathetic strings, with the bowed strings changing from wire to gut. The history of the viola d’amore centres on German-speaking regions of Europe, with the cultivation of the sympathetic strings stemming from Austria. While originally reserved for the wealthiest classes, evidence suggests that the viola d’amore became a widely used instrument due to the number of extant instruments in collections today. Due to the viola d’amore existing in two forms, the historical and organological context of the instrument is of paramount importance. Thus, this thesis addresses not only the viola d’amore in both its forms, but also its predecessors, the baryton and the englische violet, charting their development and ultimate influence on the invention of the viola d’amore with sympathetic strings. The suggested line of evolution is supported by measurements and observations of construction of the individual instruments, as well as physical examinations of extant specimens, and is considered in light of relevant iconography, music scores, newspaper advertisements and literary references. The research has led to the redrawing of parameters for each instrument, clearly defining the instruments’ functions and notable attributes. This thesis is the first complete organological study of the viola d’amore and other bowed instruments with additional wire strings. It presents a comprehensive review of the associated literature for each instrument concerned, as well as measurements and organological observations, with particular emphasis on design and construction. Additionally, it also considers the development of wire-strung instruments in England, briefly including: native music wire-drawing; the existence of other instruments with the name ‘d’amore’ and its variations; and lesser considered instruments with sympathetic strings such as the hardanger fiddle and trumpet marine. Finally, the conclusion is drawn that the viola d’amore with sympathetic strings may be considered as the epitome of Baroque instrumental design.

&Ccedil / ayirhan soil is a collapsible soil. Collapsible soils are generally unsaturated, low-density soils with high voids between grains where the binding agents are sensitive to saturation. When exposed to water, binding agents break, soften or dissolve such that the soil grains shear against each other and reorient in denser configurations. This reconfiguration causes a net decrease in the soil mass, resulting in large and often unexpected settlements, which can totally destroy roads, underground utilities, and structures and alter surface drainage. Uses of collapsible soils as a natural construction material in fills or embankments also may cause serious stability problems. In this study, an extensive research program was carried out to investigate some geotechnical properties such as compaction, triaxial strength, bearing ratio and permeability of collapsible soil, found in &Ccedil / ayirhan Thermal Power Plant area, by treating with Class C fly ash and desulphogypsum (thermal power plant by-products that are to be handled for environmental reasons) in various proportions. The study has revealed that 20% and 25% fly ash or 5% desulphogypsum treatments (by dry weight of the mixture) improve the strength and bearing characteristics of &Ccedil / ayirhan soil.

This thesis proposes an alternative approach to sound synthesis. It seeks to offer traditional string players a synthesiser which will allow them to make use of their existing skills in performance. A theoretical apparatus reflecting on the constraints of formalisation is developed and used to shed light on construction-related shortcomings in the instrumental developments of related research. Historical aspects and methods of sound synthesis, and the act of musical performance, are addressed with the aim of drawing conclusions for the construction of algorithms and interfaces. The alternative approach creates an openness and responsiveness in the synthesis instrument by using implicit playing parameters without the necessity to define, specify or measure all of them. In order to investigate this approach, several synthesis algorithms are developed, sounds are designed and a selection of them empirically compared to conventionally synthesised sounds. The algorithms are used in collaborative projects with other musicians in order to examine their practical musical value. The results provide evidence that implementations using the approach presented can offer musically significant differences as compared to similarly complex conventional implementations, and that - depending on the disposition of the musician - they can form a valuable contribution to the sound repertoire of performers and composers.