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, and 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! The most trusted nonfiction series on the market, Eyewitness Books provide an in-depth, comprehensive look at their subjects with a unique integration of words and pictures.

Author Biography

Neil Ardley was an English composer and author. At Bristol University he studied chemistry, piano, and saxophone in equal measure, and after graduating he wrote more than 100 books on music, technology, and science, including 101 Great Science Experiments, Eyewitness: Music, and How Things Work. By the time of his retirement he had sold around 10 million books. He died in 2004.