By: Melissa Bruno

Cymatics: Visualizing Sound

http://www.cymaticmusic.co.uk/gallery/page2.htm

Visualization • "the action or fact of visualizing, the power or process

of forming a mental picture or vision of something not actually present to the sight“ (OED)

Information Visualization:• "Visualization provides an interface between two

powerful information processing systems—human mind and the modern computer. Visualization is the process of transforming data, information, and knowledge into visual form making use of human's natural visual capabilities. With effective visual interfaces we can interact with large volumes of data rapidly and effectively to discover hidden characteristics, patterns, and trends" (Gershon, Eick, & Card, 1998, p. 9) (my emphasis)

Information Visualization

Field of inquiry – The study of modal phenomena

Greek: κῦμα (something swollen, or a wave)

Definitions:

• “the structure and dynamics of waves and vibrations“ (Jenny, 1967, p. 3)

• “the process of visualizing sound by vibrating a medium” (Grant)

Scientific Origins:

• Traced to da Vinci, Galileo Galilei: Observations of resonance

• Robert Hooke: Sonic vibrations

• Ernst Chladni: “'the father of acoustics,” and “Chladni figures”

• Hans Jenny: “father of cymatics” – Authored Kymatik, Vol. 1 (1967), Vol. 2(1972)

• John Stuart Reid: acoustics engineer and creator of CymaScope

What is “Cymatics”

http://www.phys.uniroma1.it/DipWeb/museo/son_last.jpg

CymaScope

http://www.cymascope.com/gallery/JSR_Erik%20Larson_B&W.jpghttp://www.cymascope.com/gallery/CymaScope_Geometry_URL.jpghttp://www.cymascope.com/gallery/19Hz_Hz_URL_small.jpghttp://www.cymascope.com/gallery/Double_Hexagon_URL.jpg

CymaScope & Oceanography

http://www.cymascope.com/cyma_research/zoologyimages/Jack-research%20assistants.jpghttp://www.cymascope.com/Dolphin_UltrasoundBeam_HRbig.jpg

CymaScope & Musicology

http://www.cymascope.com/cyma_research/musicology.htmlhttp://www.cymascope.com/cyma_research/cymascopepiano/cymapianoboardhorizontal.jpg

12 Piano Notes Made Visible