Music and Math

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Monday, January 18. 2016

How is it that Beethoven, who is celebrated as one of the most significant composers of all time, wrote many of his most beloved songs
while going deaf?

Well, the math of music is fascinating but I suspect that composers hear the music in their heads before they write it down, just as writers do with words. Being, sad to say, tone-deaf and a musical no-talent, I can not assert that with any confidence.

Posted by Bird Dog at 14:25 | Comments (4) | Trackbacks (0)

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Composers can do both.

One of the loveliest pieces I ever wrote, (a classical piece), I wrote when I was seventeen and it was entirely from math. It was for a theory exam, and afterwards a friend played it for me on the piano, as my piano skills are rudimentary. I couldn't believe what I had composed.

Then again I have been driving along and a rhythm enters my head and it is vastly important to get home and get it down or it will be lost forever. One time I stopped at a music store and rushed in and quickly grabbed a guitar. The guy behind the counter was cool with it; he knew.

#1 Adam (Link) on 2016-01-18 14:41 (Reply)

A deaf person could write poetry, or oratory. Because the sound is in their heads. Even a composer who is not deaf may well do a lot of their composing while seated at a desk.

#2 jay on 2016-01-18 20:03 (Reply)

He could compose even after his deafness, but eventually he could not perform, because he could not hear the piano. He could only guess at how loud he was playing, so either he played so softly that the audience could not hear him, or he broke the piano trying to play loudly.

#3 Jeannette on 2016-01-18 20:46 (Reply)

I taught math in college for 10 years. Some of the best math students were music majors.

#4 rocdoctom on 2016-01-19 13:00 (Reply)

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Monday, January 18. 2016

Music and Math