Clocks, Honeycombs and Doughnuts: An Introduction to the Music of Maths
A talk in the Ars Mathematica Vorlesung series by
Moreno Andreatta from Strasbourg
| Abstract: | This recital-lecture will focus on three main geometric representations at the service of music. We will initially discuss the relevance of the clock representation enabling, in particular, to grasp the symmetry properties of musical structures such as chords and rhythms. We then introduce the honeycomb construction of the harmonic space and show how it provides an additional theoretical model to grasp the symmetries properties of musical chord progressions. From a theoretical perspective, the honeycomb representation is equivalent to a geometric model known as the Tonnetz, which corresponds to what mathematicians call a doughnut. During the conference we will make use of two original interactive software (“The Tonnetz” and “The Rhythm Circle”) that show how these three geometric constructions can offer new stimulating perspectives in the fields of music analysis, composition and “mathemusical” pedagogy. By taking some personal compositional experiences as a starting point, we will also try to open a discussion on the underlying structural properties of popular music and the possibility of exploring new creative territories by using mathematically-based rules and constraints. |