Book excerpt: The Physics of Sound Waves: Music, Instruments, and Sound Equipment, Second Edition describes the properties of sound waves as they relate to the production of sound by musical instruments, the perception and interpretation of sound, fast Fourier transform analysis, recording and reproduction of musical sounds, and the quality of sound in both indoor and outdoor environments. Graphics and animations are used to explain sound production in strings, percussion and wind instruments, and this knowledge is applied to describe selected instruments. Each chapter has topics for further discussion and concludes with questions and problems. Solutions for all questions and problems as well as a mathematical description of waves are provided in the appendix. Key Features Provides the basic understanding of musical sounds and the nature of sound waves. Includes musical scales with examples from around the world. Discusses digital sounds and its relevance. The book provides many worked examples, and end of chapter problems with solutions in the appendix. Applicable equations are summarized at the end of each chapter.