Math & The Beatles (Wall Street Journal article)

Dave Muscato · #1 01-31-2009, 10:47 AM

Thought this was interesting...

http://online.wsj.com/video/math-pro...3F9A9AC00.html

Professor analyzes Beatles tunes and uses math to write a song that could pass for unreleased Beatles material.

Here's the tune itself:

http://online.wsj.com/video/math-pro...F139026DC.html

Kimpini · #2 01-31-2009, 12:01 PM

Hmm, interesting

The singer kinda looks like the singer for AC/DC

tycobb73 · #3 01-31-2009, 12:10 PM

so this is what a math band is

Ripper · #4 01-31-2009, 12:46 PM

hmm... to me its more like a beach boys song...

Nappa · #5 02-01-2009, 05:06 PM

Anyone know what kind of bass is being played in that video?

Dave Muscato · #6 02-01-2009, 07:44 PM

I was wondering that, too.

tplyons · #7 02-01-2009, 08:19 PM

The bass looks familiar, but I can't think of what it is.

The whole theory is really cool. I dig the song too.

vlxyooper · #8 02-01-2009, 08:22 PM

So ....math can make you sound like the Beatles? No wonder I could never sound as good as Paul! I mean, I thought the Rick might help, but I stink at math!

Honk'n_down-low · #9 02-01-2009, 08:29 PM

The head stock brings to mind one of the Peavey Series - I imagine he has an email at the University in Halifax so we could as him.

There is your homework assignment.

BassChuck · #10 02-02-2009, 05:09 AM

This sort of thing crops up every now and again. The examples that were used in the video could have been applied to about a million different songs. The "Here Comes the Sun" thing is the same as "In The Mood"... and well, starting a song with pick up notes is not at all new.

Back in the 60's as the Beatles grew in popularity, there was always some prof coming around saying this or that about how the music was composed. My personal favorite was the English dude who compared "She's Leaving Home" with something he had found in Mahler's "Das Lied von der Erde", but... whatever floats your boat.

All that he said that made real sense what that math has a balance and music, that some people find beautiful, has a balance too. "Yesterday" has a wonderful feeling of balance, and the phrases are an interesting study of balance and math.

I'm still waiting for the music prof to come forward and explain math in terms of music. I'm also waiting for the math prof to find beauty in things that are irregular and defy balance.

IanStephenson · #11 02-02-2009, 06:02 AM

University marketing dept's love this stuff - it's fluff, but it gets the name out. It's not about great insights but having something "cool" on the maths dept website.

At the least the guy got you to listen to his band's song! That's pretty smart.

**Howlin' Hanson** · #12 02-02-2009, 06:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ripper

hmm... to me its more like a beach boys song...

A little too much guitar twang for Beach Boys, and where are the layered harmonies?

Interesting story, though...

steamthief · #13 02-02-2009, 08:10 PM

The song that Lenny sings lead on in That Thing You Do sounds more Beatley than the one in the link.

**Chris Fitzgerald** · #14 02-02-2009, 08:13 PM

It's just a I-IV-V song in G with a modulation to Bb/Gmi in the bridge. I don't see how that "formula" is property of the Beatles in any way.

AcidShred · #15 02-04-2009, 08:21 AM

Lol. Replace basic music theory with the word 'maths' and suddenly it's news........

The song was actually good though.

anderbass · #16 02-04-2009, 10:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by steamthief

The song that Lenny sings lead on in That Thing You Do sounds more Beatley than the one in the link.

+1, and I'd probably say the same for serveral tunes on Utopia's Deface the music LP.

I thought the tune was alright and fairly Beatle-ish sounding, Of coarse it was also played by that band that does a pretty dam fine job of covering Beatle songs. (they could probably make a lot of diferent bands tunes sound Beatle-ish)

I'm guessing If the Beatles had wrote this back in the early days, it might not have been good enough to actually make the cut on an album.

cdef · #17 02-05-2009, 01:13 PM

The song is a jumble of easily recognizable early Beatles elements, but seems to owe its basics to "I Saw Her Standing There". There's also an attempt at the kind of crafty, modulating B part that became a Lennon/McCartney trademark. I agree with anderbass that this one would not have made it, but then the math guy did hedge his bets by saying he was trying for something that could pass for an "unreleased" Beatles composition.

superbassman2000 · #18 02-05-2009, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Fitzgerald

It's just a I-IV-V song in G with a modulation to Bb/Gmi in the bridge. I don't see how that "formula" is property of the Beatles in any way.

i agree...this seems more of a publicity stunt for his band lol