Abstract
Rational numbers with small numerators and denominators play a special role in music. For example the frequency ratio 2/1 corresponds to the interval of an octave, whilst the frequency ratios 3/2,5/4,6/5 correspond to the intervals of a major triad. These have led to various tunings of the set of notes on a stave involving rational ratios, known as just intonation. The differences between these tunings are quite subtle. Here, by the process of generalisation,we explore some other ways of using rational numbers with small numerators and denominators in music. We include a collection of tunings of the notes on the stave obtained this way, where the differences between tunings are not so subtle.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 33-50 |
Number of pages | 18 |
Journal | Far East Journal of Mathematical Education |
Volume | 22 |
Early online date | 28 Jun 2022 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 28 Jun 2022 |
Keywords
- rational numbers
- tunings of the notes