10-21-2009, 03:02 PM
Hoofhurr Wrote:We say that music must have structure based on math in order to be considered music. When we think about structure we think about 4/4 or 7/8 beats per measure but this is structure based on fairly simple math and its simplicity is appealing to the human ear. Isn't it conceivable that art is limited, I have to accept that human experience is limited and I just don't see that as being true. End thought.ough to write music based on more complex math that might sound like total shit to the human ear but still have structure? There are infinite aspects to mathematics. Wouldn't that make art limitless?
Good point but Music is more restrained and not infinite to the human ear. Sound has finite properties.
First the boring part for geeks like me. Skip to below if math is not your thing.
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Sound is built from 3 properties, Pitch, Loudness and Timbre. Pitch is in a fixed scale. It is measured in Hz (sound wave size or vibration speed).
We have assigned lettered values to these pitches which we call notes. Middle "C" for example (Which is the note most instruments are tuned from) is 440Hz and the basis of the measuring system. (By the way it is called middle "C" because it is the exact middle note of a piano keyboard)
The formula for determing diatonic scales (say C Major) is p=69 + 12 * log2 (f/440hz).
What this means in simple english is pitch has 12 semitones. If you are going up semitones you will go up 12 before you reach 880Hz which brings us back to C again.
This is called an octave.
We devide Octaves into 8 note scales that provide no dissidence with relationship to the starting note. (Dissidence is created when two notes (tones) are played in conjunction that create conflict with the listener. That conflict creates tumbling strains on the ear or recording device. This means some or both of the tones can cancel each other out by the Hz wave crossing. It is actually straining to listen to.
This is the most common effect when playing certain tones that are very close to each other like B and C or D and D sharp. Two tones next to each other in an octave for example.
Other notes create overtones and blend with each other. Like 3rds and 5ths. We call those Harmonies.
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Rather then continuing to make your eye's bleed on the boring shit above in a nut shell when it comes to sound you have a finite amount of options.
You have 8 notes per octave (Key) that can work in harmony with each other. You have 12 notes per octave that can possibly be played. You can jump up to other octaves however the realivte pitch is still the same. 880Hz is the same as 440Hz just a higher pitch.
There is a finite amount of combinations that 8 or 12 tones can be used.
Yes you can create music that sounds like shit by combining all possible 12 tones. The Indian Sitar music for example. They follow the rules of sound however the only difference is the vibrato of the notes are so large because of how the instrument is made it creates a vibrato that stretches from one tone to another really close to it creating dissidence. So yea you can build music with structure that incorporates sounds that would be difficult to listen to. The phone company does that with Touch Tone sounds.
Total Restrictions:
You have 8 possible notes (in a single key) played in a time signature per measure. The Time Signature (4/4. 3/4. 2/4. 7/8) is how many beats per measure. The measure is fixed (you can't change time in the middle of a measure for example)
How you play the notes is either by whole or fractions. Whole note is one note per beat, half note is two notes per beat, quarter note is 4 notes per beat, 8, 16, 32 etc.
Put all these mathematical rules together and it just isn't infinite even if you apply all of the rules that make it impossible to listen to.
Hoofhurr Wrote:Back to the first thought.
If you are going to make the argument that music is math that must be appealing to humans then again I argue, how can you separate art from the human psyche?
I guess that is the big question isn't it?
Music is limited to the ability of the human ear to comprehand sounds. What sounds good is strictly based on human physical limitations.
If some Alien Race came to earth and heard our music it may hurt them significantly. The same would probably go if we heard there music. If they were physically capable of processing half tones next to each other there music would probably hurt to listen to as humans.
Maybe Art isn't just a psyche statisfaction but it is a physical one as well.
Vllad