> There are 12 frequencies of sound that are recognized by the human ear
> as musical notes.
Mathematically speaking, there is an infinite number of frequencies which
are perceivable by our ear (20-20,000Hz by convention, plus their decimal
subdivisions). However, not all of them are distinguishable by our ears.
Still, I would say this number is pretty large, definitely much larger than
just 12.
> The limited use of other frequencies can produce rhythms to bind the
> notes into musical compositions. Technology gives us the ability to
> turn everything into a drum, but you still need those 12 frequencies
> to produce melody.
You can use any collection of frequencies to produce melody, rhythm, or
timbre. The 12-note division is an arbitrary (alright, semi-arbitrary, to
keep Paul happy ;-) collection of pitches whose tuning is arbitrarily
assigned.
> I am sure that someone smarter than I could precisely describe
> mathematically what constitutes rhythm and melody. Not all sound is
> music, but any sound can be incorporated into music.
Actually, no sound is music unless consciously treated as such by a composer
and perceiver, in which case any sound can be music.
Best wishes,
Ico
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Received on Thu Apr 5 20:15:19 2007
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