[LAD] Music, Undecidability, and the tiling problem (was Re: update: OT-ish: realtime 2d placement algorithms :-/)

[Folderol]

On Tue, 25 May 2010 12:31:57 -0700
Niels Mayer <nielsmayer at gmail.com> wrote:

> Paul Davis <paul at linuxaudiosystems.com>:
> > this might be how users of ableton live think about making music, and more generally, users of computer software aimed at pattern-based music composition/creation.
> >
> > but i would submit that if you offered this description of making music to musicians who play instruments or sing, they would find it unrecognizable.
> 
> 
> Mathematics is fundamental to music -- everything from the
> relationship of notes to frequency, to what people consider musical,
> or rhythmic... has to do with math, group theory, etc.


This is putting the cart before the horse. People were making music
long before there was any remotest concept of mathematics. Many of us
still work on the basis of just noodling about and 'ooo, that sounds
nice' without the slightest thought of relationships etc.

The only time I ever think about chords, progressions, is when I've
more-or-less finished a composition and/or want to collaborate with
someone else.

When I was a child, I put together a construction of timber and waxed
string. To this day I don't have the faintest idea what the string
tunings were. I just know it produced some lovely sound combinations.

Group/orchestral instrument & synth makers are no doubt deeply involved
in the mathematics of their designs, but the players don't necessarily
have any concept of this.

A friend of mine is a member of a local choral group. He can't read
music, just uses the dots as a vague reminder of when bits go up, down
speed up or slow down. He seems quite happy like that.

There may be incredible mathematical 'truths' in music, but I think it
will be a very sad day when people concentrate on these rather than
just having fun.

-- 
Will J Godfrey
http://www.musically.me.uk
Say you have a poem and I have a tune.
Exchange them and we can both have a poem, a tune, and a song.