3 ms·
As both a physicist and a pianist, I have to comment that it’s not only physicists that make these assumptions.
by jeffwass 5y ago
As both a physicist and a pianist, I have to comment that it’s not only physicists that make these assumptions.
- agumonkey 5y agoBtw, do you have a reflex to model music as an abstract mathematical/geometric structure since you have a physics background ? I'm not even a physicist but I cannot help but to see non linear interpolated curves and surfaces when I hear music. (curvature being somehow related to dissonance).
- eru 5y agoWell, a lot of harmonies are built on top of the harmonic series. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wx_kugSemfY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wx_kugSemfY And tuning is all about 'numerical puns', similar to how eg 2^10 ~ 10^3, but for perfect fifths and octaves etc. Of course, our physiology and culture is a bit too complicated and convoluted to understand everything about music from first principles like this. So most of the time you are better off learning (and treating) music as music instead of as applied math or physics.