"This ain't no disco/This ain't no foolin' around"

December 4, 2005 10:40 PM

Mathematical proofs in sanus, with some visualization from Martin Wattenberg's The Shape of Song. "The music here...is a raw and unadorned representation of the mathematics itself, involving few human preconceptions beyond a basic mapping needed to accommodate the Western tonal scale."
posted by Rothko (13 comments total)

Many programmes and documentaries have been made about this subject. Because it's so strange. Or not.

I was going somewhere with this. Oh yes.

Astronomy shows that galaxies' rotation wobbles a tiny fraction every few billion years. I think, if you took each wobble and translated it into a sound wave or note, then you could use the universe as a musical instrument- but you'd have to use a lot of galaxies.

And I don't know if most garage rock bands could afford a few million-dollar radio telescopes. Meh.
posted by malusmoriendumest at 12:16 AM on December 5, 2005

Some really interesting links there, ta! Didn't get off too much on the proofs-as-music, but the proofs themselves were really interesting stuff, and the Shape Of Song visualisations were just fascinating.

Thanks to whichever wag put John Cage's "4:33" into The Shape Of Song database: i laughed, anyway...
posted by Jon Mitchell at 12:17 AM on December 5, 2005

The Space People think factories are musical instruments. They sing along with them. Each song lasts from 8 am to 5 pm No music on weekends."

--Talking Heads
posted by ZenMasterThis at 8:27 AM on December 5, 2005

I like the proof music. Some of them really work. It'd be really interesting to hear them orchestrated or used as the basis for a larger piece.
posted by ludwig_van at 9:29 AM on December 5, 2005

The Shape of Song is an interesting idea, but I'm not sure that "repeated passages" is the best element to indicate structure (unfortunately I don't know enough music theory to suggest an alternative).

And the first link reminds me of this (music generated from cellular automata, from the man who thinks the entire universe is generated from cellular automata).
posted by zanni at 9:53 AM on December 5, 2005

ludwig_van

I really don't think the orchestra performers would agree with you on that - so much in the way of repetitive diminished 7th chords... It's like Bartok, sans the whimsy.
posted by stewiethegreat at 10:18 AM on December 5, 2005

The Shape of Song is an interesting idea, but I'm not sure that "repeated passages" is the best element to indicate structure

It does seem a bit odd, intuitively, but it makes sense if you think about. Music, being linear, very often relies on repetition to create structure. We don't call something a theme unless it recurs. Musical structure is often discussed in terms like "verse verse chorus," "A B A," etc., all of which indicate repeat structure. So it makes sense.

However, classical music in particular often involves inexact repetition of thematic ideas (transposition, augmentation, diminution, etc.), and these images can't reflect that. So it's useful from a very broad standpoint, but not really at a detailed or sophisticated level (though perhaps if integrated with the actual score it would be more illuminating).
posted by ludwig_van at 10:25 AM on December 5, 2005

I really don't think the orchestra performers would agree with you on that

About what? That these pieces could be interesting if orchestrated? I only listened to a couple of them, but I'm not sure I see your point. Beethoven liked to use long passages of dim7 chords, but I didn't hear any of that in the MIDI files.
posted by ludwig_van at 10:26 AM on December 5, 2005

Sorry, I did not like the proof music. Too many thumb twiddling aimless arpeggios. If computers could masturbate, this is what it would sound like.
posted by speicus at 1:51 PM on December 5, 2005

Yeah, it wasn't Mozart, but it was generated from mathematical proofs, what can you do.
posted by ludwig_van at 3:27 PM on December 5, 2005

monkeys = mathematical proofs
typewriters = MIDI generators
Shakespeare = Beethoven
posted by Lush at 7:19 PM on December 5, 2005

monkeys = mathematical proofs
typewriters = MIDI generators
Shakespeare = Beethoven

Haha, well played.

But I think Bach might be a more realistic goal. And it wouldn't be that hard at all to make them sound like Hindemith or Babbitt.
posted by ludwig_van at 8:01 PM on December 5, 2005

ludwig_van

The sole pitch content of those midis are apeggiated dim chords, and most of them use only one dim chord all the way through. Pleasant for the players? No...
posted by stewiethegreat at 10:10 PM on December 5, 2005