Harmonics
Been listening to some music, not something I regularly do. But one thing leads to another and I've been having some interesting thoughts, which have led me into a nice fly-bottle to puzzle out of.
Why is it that harmonic notes sound so pleasing to the ear? I mean, the existence of resonant frequencies and harmonic frequencies that are in whole-integer ratios is a pretty mind-blowing fact in itself, but what is it about these buggers that, in combination and variation, they blow your mind? Tonal music, exploiting these natural harmonics sounds almost universally pleasing (and I'm sure those who dislike are only being contrary).
To take an example, there's the Prelude of Das Rheingold. Now, as I'm very well aware, Wagner isnt everybody's cup of tea either musically or dispositionally, but that entire four-minute-odd bit of music is a single E-flat chord played over and over again both up and down on a variety of instruments. And yet it always sounds bloody fantastic, and as stirring a piece of music as any of your Holst's Planets or Beethoven sonatas. Or, indeed, anything you care to name.
Now, all this begs a deeper question, one of aesthetics. There's a rum game in the field of mathematics of 'beauty' of mathematical proof, which to my mind means 'takes up a little scrap of paper', but it also illustrates the same point; what is it about something most unconnected (like frequencies in ratio, or scribbles on a piece of paper) with the psyche that elicits such a response? Why is it considered 'beautiful'? Hmmmm, one to ponder, eh? Or am I talking bollocks all over again?
It's raining in big heavy drops on my skylight now, and it's just about time for me to go and have a bath, so go and have a bath I shall! In the meantime, please all go and enjoy this fantastic solo piano arrangement of the Canon in D by some guy named Lee Galloway, one of my (cheesily) favourite pieces of music - but you'll need some kind of Java thing going on!
Bath time. Ab sofort.
Why is it that harmonic notes sound so pleasing to the ear? I mean, the existence of resonant frequencies and harmonic frequencies that are in whole-integer ratios is a pretty mind-blowing fact in itself, but what is it about these buggers that, in combination and variation, they blow your mind? Tonal music, exploiting these natural harmonics sounds almost universally pleasing (and I'm sure those who dislike are only being contrary).
To take an example, there's the Prelude of Das Rheingold. Now, as I'm very well aware, Wagner isnt everybody's cup of tea either musically or dispositionally, but that entire four-minute-odd bit of music is a single E-flat chord played over and over again both up and down on a variety of instruments. And yet it always sounds bloody fantastic, and as stirring a piece of music as any of your Holst's Planets or Beethoven sonatas. Or, indeed, anything you care to name.
Now, all this begs a deeper question, one of aesthetics. There's a rum game in the field of mathematics of 'beauty' of mathematical proof, which to my mind means 'takes up a little scrap of paper', but it also illustrates the same point; what is it about something most unconnected (like frequencies in ratio, or scribbles on a piece of paper) with the psyche that elicits such a response? Why is it considered 'beautiful'? Hmmmm, one to ponder, eh? Or am I talking bollocks all over again?
It's raining in big heavy drops on my skylight now, and it's just about time for me to go and have a bath, so go and have a bath I shall! In the meantime, please all go and enjoy this fantastic solo piano arrangement of the Canon in D by some guy named Lee Galloway, one of my (cheesily) favourite pieces of music - but you'll need some kind of Java thing going on!
Bath time. Ab sofort.
posted by J at 9:35 PM
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