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Music = Math

#21
Tash said:
The simple answer is that they use different tonal and intonation systems in different cultures around the world. There are 11 unique tones in a "scale" in western music (11 half steps). In other tonal systems they divide the same "distance" into 9, or 18, or 21 distinct intervals.

This is why much eastern music sounds "out of tune" to western ears.

Obviously you can make this answer much more complicated if you want to.
Click to expand...

there are even a few cultures with non-harmonic music, which sounds extremely strange.

personally, to my ears anything except an even-tempered instrument sounds off. this isn't always a bad thing though.
 
#24
I say that they don't relate exactly but one helps you with the other. For example when you are playing bass you have to play each not confidently and correctly. Then when a bunch of these notes are played confidently and correctly a song is created. With a math problem you have to do each step of the problem confidently and correctly. When you put all of these steps together you have completed the problem, just like the song.
 
#26
I think the relationship is less prosaic than ratios and such. Both disciplines have to do with the abstraction of non-tangible material through various methods of structuring and manipulation.

In music it's sound -- math it's numbers.

bigtiny
 

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