To understand how the brain can learn so much from the sounds in our environment, we must first understand why objects and events around us create sounds in the first place. Physical acoustics studies the creation and propagation of sound waves. Fundamental concepts of physical acoustics are discussed in chapter 1 of "Auditory Neuroscience". This collection of web pages further illustrates ideas related to sound generation, sound propagation, and the physical description and manipulation of sounds.
Making sense of sound