Geometry, Proportion, and the Art of Lutherie: A Study of the Use and Aesthetic Significance of Geometry and Numerical Proportion in the Design of European Bowed and Plucked String Instruments in the Sixteenth, Seventeenth, and Eighteenth CenturiesThis study explores a controversial aspect of Western musical instrument design, establishing beyond question that the familiar stringed instrument outlines developed between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries were not arbitrary, intuitive shapes drawn within acoustically efficient frameworks, but were designs following a profoundly considered manipulation of plane geometry and numerical proportion. The central core of the work is the detailed step-by-step design analysis of thirty-three important historic instrument examples covering all main categories of stringed musical instruments of the period. |
Contents
Geometry a short history | 8 |
The instruments | 23 |
Analysis of instrument examples | 60 |
Copyright | |
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Common terms and phrases
Amati analysed appear arc of origin beautiful body length body outline bouts bowed BRESCIA bridge centre line century chart circle COLLECTION commensurable common completed CONSERVATOIRE construction containing continued corner counter-curve course curve discussed division drawing drawn early equal examined example fact figure four further geometry given gives governing guitar half harmonic head horizontal important instrument ITALY later length lira LONDON lower lower-bout lute luthier major MAKER mandoline mathematics means measured middle bouts mould musical neck once overall particular patterns peg-box perhaps planning position practical present PRIVATE produced proportion proportionally radii radius ratio rectangle relationship remaining rose scheme scroll seen short shown side significance simple square Stradivari string length thought unit upper upper-bout vectors Venice vertical vesica piscis viol viola violin width