Simplifying Complexity The geometry of music
Jan 22, 2024
Dmitri Tymoczko, Professor of Music at Princeton University, explores the geometry and patterns in music and its history, including the influence of non-Western music on jazz and popular music. He analyzes the mathematical aspect of rap music and discusses the challenges faced in replacing traditional classical music in the early 1900s.
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Early Musical Shift to Guitar
- Dmitri Tymoczko switched from piano to electric guitar in junior high, which made him fall in love with music through improvisation.
- He designed his own college major focused on composition and theory with guidance from David Lewin.
Music Balances Math and Enjoyment
- Music balances mathematical complexity with human perceptual limits to maintain enjoyment.
- Periodically, music simplifies after reaching complexity limits, reflecting tension between logic and embodied experience.
Nested Musical Patterns Explained
- Music moves along multiple note collections or 'alphabets' simultaneously, creating nested patterns.
- These patterns, like transposing and shifting scales or chords, underlie a wide range of musical styles.