Math and Music: The Connection

Math is in everything

Yesterday I got an email from a rather angry blog reader saying that 'music has no mathematical qualities as music doesn't follow any rules like math does' in regards to my previous post on classical music. The guy/girl has a point in that music doesn't follow any strict 'rules', but everything has a connection to math its just that we don't see it. And math and music have a rather definite connection through to the rhythm's and tones and in the design of the instruments. And this is for both acoustic and electronic instruments.




How to convert Music to Math

Converting sheet music to math means reducing the notes, pitches and chords in the music to their numerical value on the diatonic scale. Now if you don't play an instrument or know how to read sheet music this may be hard for you to understand, but if you learn how to and practise converting sheet music into math then you'll eventually get it.




1. Find out what Octave the music is in.

2. Write out the names of the notes on a piece of paper such as on piano, G-B-A-C.

3. Put the number of the Octave next to the number so for instance; G3-B3-A3-C3
(these notes are in the third Octave so I put the number three next to them).
4. Write a number below each of the letter and number combo to indicate how long  that note will be held out. Like this;

Or..... You could just put into ratio's like this dude did with the number 1.618 (the Golden Ratio)