Musical Fidelity
From Musical Thought to Acoustic Reality
A theoretical framework examining the bow as an acoustic encoder placed at the centre of musical performance.
Rethinking the role of the bow
Musical Fidelity investigates how musical intention is transformed into controlled movement, mechanical energy and acoustic information. It proposes that the bow should be understood not merely as a mechanical accessory, but as an acoustic encoder situated between the musician's movement and the instrument's radiated sound.
The paper brings together observations from acoustics, biomechanics, musical learning and bow design. It outlines a research framework for studying the relationships between musical intention, physical action, bow behaviour, acoustic signal and auditory perception.
Read the working paper
Current edition: July 2026.
The document is presented here as the first working paper of the Isophonia research initiative.
From Musical Thought to Acoustic Reality