Music and Math

[bouche]

Connections between Music and Mathematics

I first saw the connections to math when I found out that the octaves on your guitar string were exactly at 1/2 half of the string length. Half of the entire string length is your first half, then half-way up from that point and the end of the string (if you could finger it) is another octave. Each note is a similar fraction of the length of the string. Obviously that directly relates to the wavelength produced.

[jayr]

It is quite interesting. On my last (broke) visit to Chapters I found an amazing book on the relation of Sacred Geometry and musical scales but had to just glance through it and put it back on the shelf. Anyways heres a couple others for those that are interested:

Music of the Spheres (also the name of Mike Oldfields latest album):

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080417142454.htm

Geometry of Music:

http://blog.sciencenews.org/mathtrek/2008/03/the_geometry_of_music.html

[backbacon]

Thorgnor after the Battleship Ethel show in Hamilton:

"Uhh, yeah, I don't know... they're too mathy."

[LJFH]

Connections between Music and Mathematics

I first saw the connections to math when I found out that the octaves on your guitar string were exactly at 1/2 half of the string length. Half of the entire string length is your first half, then half-way up from that point and the end of the string (if you could finger it) is another octave. Each note is a similar fraction of the length of the string. Obviously that directly relates to the wavelength produced.

I just learned that the other day!

[bradm]

Connections between Music and Mathematics

I first saw the connections to math when I found out that the octaves on your guitar string were exactly at 1/2 half of the string length. Half of the entire string length is your first half' date=' then half-way up from that point and the end of the string (if you could finger it) is another octave. Each note is a similar fraction of the length of the string. Obviously that directly relates to the wavelength produced.[/quote']

I just learned that the other day!

Yup, and if you place your finger on a string just above the 12th fret (the fret itself, not the fingering space behind the fret wire), and pluck the string, it's called playing a "harmonic." Make sure to pull your finger off the string just after you pluck it. There are also other natural harmonics at the 5th and 7th frets.

Aloha,

Brad

[Thorgnor]

They were fucking mathy... math rock to the max bro.

and it didn't compute

[phishtaper]

Godel, Escher, Bach by Hofstadter

[Tricky]

interesting read. what about Karnatak music though?

Edited May 31, 2008 by Guest

[Thorgnor]

what about yo momma?

[boiler]

Doesn't Brad Barr count notes in a show? "umm ahh, we played like ahh 24327 notes tonight and missed 7, not a good night." He must use some kind of system or he's autistic.

Edited May 31, 2008 by Guest

[boiler]

Anybody hear the new barenaked ladies song? I saw them perform it this morning on Saturday morning cartoons. "1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,10." "What happened to 9?"

"7 ate 9." How's that for a musical/math connection?

Edited May 31, 2008 by Guest

[bouche]

Anybody hear the new barenaked ladies song? I saw them perform it this morning on Saturday morning cartoons. "1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,10." "What happened to 9?"

"7 ate 9." How's that for a musical/math connection?

isn't that a FEIST song?

[bouche]

Tool put out a tune that fits the Fibonacci sequence (aka golden ratio/sequence)

[Thorgnor]

I was heavily addicted to repeating that song and staring out my window at the skyfor about three months, I didn't even realise the numeric arrangement because I was captured by the lyrics themselves... "swing on the spiral" references to DNA and recreating the self in the desired image... "until we are human..."