The Musician's Uncertainty Principle

Subject: The Musician's Uncertainty Principle
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 08 Sep 05 - 07:58 AM

Heisenberg's uncertainty principle and the musician's uncertainty principle.

Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle follows from a classical result, which is at least as old as Fourier. We prefer to introduce it as the Musician's Uncertainty Principle. This page explains the classical result and uses sound files to demonstrate it. It then shows how the Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle follows directly from the classical observation.

See the rest at at

Subject: RE: The Musician's Uncertainty Principle
From: RobbieWilson
Date: 08 Sep 05 - 08:47 AM

One of my favourite jokes, but it generally only works with people who no a bit about nuclear physics:

Q: What is Heisenberg famous for?
A: i'm not certain.

Subject: RE: The Musician's Uncertainty Principle
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 08 Sep 05 - 08:59 AM

Interesting. Thanks for posting, f-troupe.

I don't think that I listen for beats when I tune. I listen to the pitch (is it high or low?) I've discovered that when a string is a tiny bit high or low (sharp or flat) I can't tell what's wrong by listening. But if I hit the first string and sing its pitch, then hit the second and sing its pitch, then the muscles in my throat tell me whether the second one is sharp or flat.

But mostly I rely on a "black body" (electronic tuner) to do it for me. Once the instrument is tuned, my cat, Schroedinger, comes and listens.

Subject: RE: The Musician's Uncertainty Principle
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 08 Sep 05 - 09:07 AM

Very interseting but what's the point of it all?

eric

Subject: RE: The Musician's Uncertainty Principle
From: Gedpipes
Date: 08 Sep 05 - 10:02 AM

I'm not sure Eric :-)

Subject: RE: The Musician's Uncertainty Principle
From: Peace
Date: 08 Sep 05 - 10:05 AM

HUP--ya can know where someting is or how fast it's going, but ya can't know both at the same time (because the process of measuring interferes with one or other of the measurements).

Subject: RE: The Musician's Uncertainty Principle
From: GUEST,Chicken Charlie
Date: 08 Sep 05 - 03:10 PM

To Peace--

Absolutely. I can know where the pitch of a banjo string is, but not how fast it's going [flat]. Conversely, I can know how fast a banjo string is going flat, but in that case I won't know its pitch.

To Eric--

What's the point? I understand that Gertrude Stein's last words were, "What is the answer? What was the question?"

To Leeneia--

Glad to have the old question as to whether the cat is still alive or not answered--and even better, in the affirmative.

Chicken Charlie

Subject: RE: The Musician's Uncertainty Principle
From: Gedpipes
Date: 08 Sep 05 - 03:48 PM

You've missed me out Charlie - -or are you thinking about it
:-))

Subject: RE: The Musician's Uncertainty Principle
From: Crane Driver
Date: 08 Sep 05 - 05:37 PM

The Musician's Uncertainty Principle is that you can either remember the words or the tune - but not both.

Andrew

Subject: RE: The Musician's Uncertainty Principle
From: mississippitom
Date: 08 Sep 05 - 05:45 PM

music and the string theory.in the words of a 70's groupie Right on Man!Right On!
There is no doubt in my mind that music rules the universe :-))

Subject: RE: The Musician's Uncertainty Principle
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 08 Sep 05 - 07:29 PM

Chicken Charlie

the Fundamental Question: is this seat comfortable enough?