Mathematics and music
by David Wright · first published 2009
75% recommend25% neutral
Many people intuitively sense that there is a connection between mathematics and music. If nothing else, both involve counting. There is, of course, much more to the association. David Wright's book is an investigation of the interrelationships between mathematics and music, reviewing the needed background concepts in each subject as they are encountered. Along the way, readers will augment their understanding of both mathematics and music. The text explores the common foundations of the two subjects, which are developed side by side. Musical and mathematical notions are brought together, such
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These books are also interesting (and require no more than elementary math): Mathematics and Music (by David Wright) http://www.math.wustl.edu/~wright/Math109/00Book Theory and Techniques of Electronic Music http://crca.ucsd.edu/~msp/techniques.htm
on “The Geometry of Musical Chords” ↗The interested reader is referred to "Mathematics and Music" by David Wright, published by the American Mathematical Society. The realization that the circle of fifths is really there because 5 and 7 (aka -5) are co-prime to 12 was worth the entire thing! Together…
on “Music theory for nerds” ↗…musician and vice versa. There are approaches to music theory based on mathematics (see book list below); here at the latest, your assumption is likely to be correct, but hardly in general. Book list: Mathematics and Music - Composition, Perception, and Performance Musimathics Volume 1 and 2 Music and Mathematics - From Pythagoras to Fractals Mathematical and Computational Modeling of Tonality - Theory and Applications
on “Music theory for nerds (2016)” ↗…mathematical depth: - Fauvel et al., Music and Mathematics - From Pythagoras to Fractals, 2003, Oxford UP - Loy, Musimatics Volume 1, 2006 MIT Press - Tymoczko, A Geometry of Music, 2011, Oxford UP - Walker, Mathematics and Music, 2013, CRC Press - Toussaint, The Geometry of Musical Rhythm, 2013, CRC Press - Chew, Mathematical and Computational Modeling of Tonality, 2014, Springer - Hook, Exploring Musical Spaces, 2023, Oxford…
on “Music and Geometry: Intervals and Scales” ↗…been in the music business for a few hundred years, Josquin, but there's no need to be so harsh about this undergrad poster! From what I could figure, it's something like a final project for a class on Mathematics and Music at UW Eau Claire. The background material on transformations of sets of pitch classes is in the course textbook. (This doesn't take away from all the citations you helpfully provided, though.)
on “Chord Transformations and Beethoven (2011) [pdf]” ↗