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Cris Forster’s
Instruments and Music
Acoustic music is the most difficult music. Building musical
instruments from the ground up is an expression of freedom and,
therefore, an expression of imagination. Nothing about this art is
hewn in stone. The creative builder examines all aspects of musical
instrument construction, and on a case-by-case basis decides which
traditions to keep, and which to throw out.
I build because the tunings and timbres I want to hear do not exist on
store shelves. Robinson Crusoe built because he had no choice. And
yet, his creations also had no critics, and so his imagination became
his life. Often when I hike through forests or climb mountains, I am
reminded that only man knows what time it is. When I enter Crusoe’s
world, or when in building an instrument time ceases to exist, I live
with the knowledge that success is only a function of thought, work,
and patience.
The desire for perfection is the juggernaut of creativity. All my
instruments are flawed. A bar may not ring as long as another bar; a
canon bridge may be too high or too low; or a tone hole may be too
wide or too narrow. I know where all the flaws are, and could find
many more. But what is the point? The only thing that matters is to
build and to make a music that is sustainable in time. I was born a
musician, and have built musical instruments since 1975. In the words
of Walt Whitman (1819–1892), “I . . . begin, hoping to cease not till
death.”
I also hope that these instruments will inspire others to think
critically about acoustic music, and perhaps to build an original
instrument or two. One of the happiest moments of my life is to finish
a project, step back, and declare in a state of complete surprise,
“I’d like to meet the person who built this instrument.”
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YouTube Just
Intonation Music Videos

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Kickstarter Article

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PTC
Mathcad Article

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San
Francisco Classical Voice Article

We are pleased to
announce that Cris Forster’s book,
Musical
Mathematics: On the Art and Science of Acoustic Instruments,
Musical Mathematics is also available in
more than
140 libraries throughout the US, and in Canada,
Mexico, United Kingdom, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, Turkey,
Singapore, Hong Kong, New Zealand, and Australia. |

Musical Mathematics is the definitive
tome for the adventurous musician. Integrating mathematics,
music history, and hands-on experience, this volume serves as a
comprehensive guide to the tunings and scales of acoustic
instruments from around the world. Author, composer, and builder
Cris Forster illuminates the mathematical principles of acoustic
music, offering practical information and new discoveries about
both traditional and innovative instruments. With this knowledge
readers can improve, or begin to build, their own instruments
inspired by Forster’s creations shown in the 16 color plates.
For those ready to step outside musical conventions and those
whose curiosity about the science of sound is never satisfied,
Musical Mathematics is the map to a new musical world. |
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Published: Chronicle Books |
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Release Date: July 14, 2010 |
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Hardcover, cloth case, and dust jacket |
● Sewn binding |
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8¾ x 11⅛ x 1.9 in |
● 944 pp |
● 16
color
plates |
● 249
figures |
● 105
tables |
● 4
bibliographies |
● 8
appendices |
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Comprehensive index |
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Table of Contents
[PDF] |
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Look Inside!
[PDF] |
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Bibliography
[PDF] |
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Index [PDF] |
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July 17, 2008
KPFK, Los Angeles; the
Global Village
radio program, hosted by John Schneider, with
excerpts from our new DVD A Voyage in Music, and CD Song of
Myself: Intoned Poems of Walt Whitman, featuring original
instruments and music by Cris Forster.
The KPFK Radio Program:
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Cris Forster with Chrysalis (1981) |
Photo by Norman Seeff |
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