It’s been said that math is the universal language, but I’d argue that it’s music that is the ultimate form of communication. Why? Because music impacts us on an emotional level AND intellectual level.
When’s the last time algebra made you cry? Did that geometry proof in high school make you feel like you could take on the world?
On the other hand, good luck listening to Debussy’s “Clair De Lune” or “What a Wonderful World” without tearing up, or “Back In Black” by AC/DC and not feel like the toughest person in the room!
However, did you know that mathematics were used in several classical pieces of music explicity, especially the use of the golden ratio?
According to THIS article, “Perhaps the most remarkable “mathematics” in Bach’s music are the instances of the golden ratio, usually denoted with the Greek letter ø = (1 + sqrt(5))/2 = 1.6180339887…, together with the Fibonacci numbers, whose limiting ratio is equal to ø (i.e., the Greek letter phi).”
In a nutshell, the structure of Bach’s music was intentionally composed around the concept of the Fibonacci golden ratio by using a certain number of notes and measures in the piece’s sections to equal 1.6180339887. This was done not just for the sake of being ‘mathematical’ but to actually dovetail the natural beauty of the golden ration and emotionally charged melody.
And it’s not just classical composers that use mathematics to guide the creation of art.
Modern bands such as Tool, Dream Theater, and Meshuggah are often called “Math Rock” bands for a reason!
On a more simple and practical level, musical notes are broken down in fractions (1/4 notes, 1/8 notes, 1/16 notes, etc), and each note lives in a measure of a pre-determined size. The size of that measure effects the feel and even emotion of a song.
Songs in 6/8 time tend to tug at the heart strings (Piano Man by Billy Joel, We Are The Champions by Queen, Kiss From a Rose by Seal).
Songs in 2/4 have a fun sense of innocence for children (Hickory Hickory Dock, Farmer in the Dell), while songs in 4/4 can be either driving or flowing, depending on tempo (Enter Sandman by Metallica, Fields of Gold by Sting).
And, since I’m quite intimate with my own band, Delta Rae’s “Run” uses a variety of time signatures to evoke the sense of urgency and freedom.
Music is both emotional and technical, and has no limits with how it can be composed and consumed.
To quote Albert Einstein: “If … I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music.”
