Eyewitness: Music [Hardcover]

Neil Ardley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2000 | Age Level: 9 and up | Series: DK Eyewitness Books

Discover the world of musical sound and the amazing variety of instruments that create music.

Here is an original and exciting look at the fascinating world of sound and music. Superb real-life photographs of instruments ranging from zithers and panpipes to electric guitars and synthesizers offer a unique "eyewitness" view of ancient and contemporary music. See how strings vibrate to make a note sound, how an invisible "column" of air sounds a pipe, which instrument resembles a peacock, how sousaphone players wear their instruments. Learn who invented an important new key system, how to master the bagpipes, why pipe organs have "ears" and "mouths", and why French horns are "doubled up". Discover how a vegetable gourd charms snakes, why tangled fingers led to the invention of the piano, why spiders add a "buzz" to xylophones, where reindeer toe-bones were used as whistles, and much, much more!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-7-- Four more subject-surveys, in a handsome picture series, that will catch youthful imaginations with their wide-ranging selections of fascinating items, beautifully photographed. Topics are developed in two- to four-page groupings, with cross-references and an index--and browsers will find themselves caught and drawn into the flow. Music traces families of instruments and discusses the physics of sound with diagrams and cut-aways. From a 40,000-year-old bone whistle to components of an electric guitar, there are wonderful photos of ancient harps, bagpipes, pianos, and oriental instruments. Shell prods children to think about cases, whether egg, husk, or skull, but deals mostly with mollusks, urchins, and crustaceans. Early Humans shows early human fossils, and pictures selective topics (e.g., art, magic, tools, writing) for the human family up through the Iron Age. Examples come from Africa, Europe, the Americas, early China, the Near East, and Australia. Mammal explores that class in terms of its attributes, evolution, and variety of adapted forms. Photos of the bones of a seal's flipper, an elephant's foot, a panda's jaw, and a close-up of a whale's baleen are sure to appeal to children. While scale is infrequently given, relative sizes of objects are usually clear. A good source for often-asked-for and hard-to-find illustrations, this series could find a place in any library. --Ruth M. McConnell, San Antonio Pub . Lib .
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

...a mini museum between the covers of a book. [Eyewitness series] -- The New York Times

These books' striking visual impact will draw in even the most casual readers. [Eyewitness series] -- School Library Journal

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 64 pages
• Publisher: DK CHILDREN; 1st edition (June 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789458284
• ISBN-13: 978-0789458285
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 8.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,646,824 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful book about music, January 28, 2001

By 

yarden "yarden" (portland, or) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Eyewitness: Music (Hardcover)

DK eyewitness books are some of the greatest non-fiction books around. The distinctive white background and high-quality photography gives this book an edge over any other nonfiction picture book. And -- these pictures are real! They're beautiful photos of all things related to music, accompanied by informative captions and text.

Learn about instruments, parts of music, and everything related to music, all augmented by stunningly beautiful museum-quality photography.

If you know someone (young or old) who is fascinated by music, then you must introduce them to this book! It's a great lesson about music, and a beautiful book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another wonderful treasure for young readers, September 1, 2008

By 

Steven A. Peterson (Hershey, PA (Born in Kewanee, IL)) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Music (Eyewitness Books) (Hardcover)

The Eyewitness Books series is the gold standard for young readers. This volume focuses on "Music." The subtitle provides some context: "Discover how music is made in close-up--from the most primitive to the most modern instruments." Neil Ardley is the writer for this volume, and deserves much credit. And, as always, the illustrations are top notch.

The first segment, "Seeing sound," provides a brief introduction as to why different instruments sound differently. There are several examples showing how (Page 6) "The sound wave from each instrument makes its own kind of pressure changes. These can be shown by curved and jagged lines that are called waveforms. . . ." So, kids will learn a little physics by the side door! The examples are nicely illustrated on page 7.

Thereafter, the book explores each family of instruments, one by one. From wind instruments to pipes/flutes to brass to strings (early and later) to harps to guitars. Later the book examines electrifying music and the rock guitar! The final section focuses on "Machine music," such as synthesizers. Again, the examples illustrated on pages 62-63 will make this discussion "real" for youth who read this volume.

One nice feature is the consideration of older instruments. For instance, pages 28-29 looks at "early and unusual strings," including fiddles from Norway, the Middle East, and the Mongols. Other examples are also provided.

So, all in all, another nice book for young readers. I congratulate myself that I was wise enough to buy this and many other works for my son a decade and a half ago, even though I'm not sure that I put that much thought into acquiring these wonderful works.

5.0 out of 5 stars Depth of Context, June 2, 2011

By 

Ohioan - See all my reviews

This review is from: Eyewitness: Music (Hardcover)

This is a beautiful book chock-full of photos, illustrations, and information, packed into the pages in fascinating ways, designed to teach and to provoke thought. I love this book's organization, the way things are explained, and the little extras all over the place, diagrams that label parts and convey a wealth of information. A book to be used again and again, not just for information, but for pleasure.