ABSTRACT
Before we begin a discussion of the physiological and psychological aspects of auditory perception, we must look at what sound is, how it is produced, and how it can be modified and analyzed. After attempting to get all this information into one chapter, I gave up and split it into two. I think this level of coverage is justified, since a firm understanding of the physical characteristics of acoustic information is required before we can make sense of our perceptions. The present chapter will introduce the basic characteristics of sound and look at some typical sound waves. The important concept of the spectrum will be introduced. The next chapter will cover more advanced topics, such as resonance, sound propagation, and signal processing. Some mathematical knowledge is useful here, but I hope that the main ideas can be understood without the reader spending too much time bogged down in equations.
