MUSIC IS LOGIC - A NEW THEORY OF MUSIC

 

MUSIC IS LOGIC - A NEW THEORY OF MUSIC

What is music?

In a short definition, music is a art form that utilizes recognizable patterns of sounds arranged in a logical/symmetrical construction.

 

What is art and why music is art? What differentiates art from non-art?

Music is an art form, like painting or poetry.

Art is a human-created expression of ideas and emotions in varied forms. Only humans are known to be able to create art that communicates ideas and emotions, and music is one of the most widely known art forms. Music is human created and expresses ideas and emotions through sound logic.

Music is universal, it is present in all times and cultures. What is considered music by a adult or an infant in one culture, will also be perceived as music by any other adult or infant in any other culture. Therefore, humans have an innate capacity for creating, recognizing and enjoying music.

 

What differentiates music from just noises or simple sounds?

Short answer: Logic.

Sound detected by the inner ear and interpreted by the brain is the medium for music, in a similar way photons detected by cone cells are nothing more than the medium for painting or illustrations of any sort.

What makes music is the logical relations that the brain is capable of identifying in any variations of sounds over time. Any sound, even white noise, is suitable to be arranged in a way that the brain is capable of recognizing patterns, independent of culture, or the use of any standard music theory from any culture or any recognizable musical instrument. If the sounds (any sound from noise to a perfectly executed chord progression) are arranged in a logical and symmetrical way, following a premise-conclusion structure, then it will be understood as music, if not, then they will be perceived as just random sounds.

There is no music that does not have logic in it, without a logical construction of A then B there is no music. Music can have any level of complexity, but is only interpreted as music if the listener can make sense of the logic. A well constructed or “complete” music composition with premise-conclusion structure will always be symmetrical in length. During the process of composing a “complete” music, it will always double in length or time duration. For example: while using a DAW, a musical composition that have 4 beats will feel incomplete if stretched to 5 or 6 or 7 beats and will feel complete when the logical arrangement of sounds (or the silence between or after sounds) reaches the length of 8 beats. The same process will happen at 16, 32, 64, 128 and so on.

In each half of a symmetrical composition there can be any number of intermissions and rhythms of any sounds in any time signatures, but music logic always resolves itself after each doubling of the length in time.

 

Similarity to fractals.

Well constructed or “complete” musical composition will always form the “sound over time” equivalent of geometric fractals. The smaller parts, or a “cut”, from a longer musical composition, will resemble the larger (in time) “cut” of the same composition. As an example, a composition which starts with a rapid succession of sounds, giving the idea of a high energy level for the duration of 2 seconds, evolves to a calmer and lower energy level for the next 2 seconds. This construction can be supplemented by adding another 4 seconds (to maintain symmetry) that, in order to keep its starting logical relation, will resemble the initial 4 seconds. But those additional 4 seconds will have also a lower energy level then the initial 4. The 4 initial seconds will be divided in the higher, followed by lower energy arrangement of sounds (2+2 seconds). Likewise, the initial 8 seconds (that include the initial 4) will resemble the smaller piece of the “fractal”, by also having a higher energy, followed by lower energy level half (4+4). An easy example of music that follows the logical/symmetrical pattern as described above is Beethoven’s Bagatelle No. 25.

 

Human-only innate ability.

Animals, even those that communicate using complex sounds and vocabulary, like whales and birds, do not seem to be able to process the logical relations that forms music. While even recent born babies are widely believed to enjoy music in all cultures, as shown by the widespread use of musical devices and lullabies for infants.

Physical properties of sounds and its relation to music.

Musical compositions reproduction with live instruments is the basis of what is known as western music theory, or simply: music theory. It focuses on the description and translation of sounds into music notation, for the purposes of reproduction. The process “writing music” by the norms of music theory, consists of creating music notation that is suitable for later reproduced by any performer. Music theory also follows norms for the creation of music that is composed of “pleasant sounds”, that consists of variations of sounds in one or more instruments that obey harmonic intervals with frequencies that are multiples or divisions of each other.

As said before, music does not need to follow any such rules to be created, being possible to create sound arrangements that the listener will interpret as music, even with the use of pure white noise.

The physical properties of sound propagation can be described in mathematical terms, and there is a widely known relation between the propensity or ability for mathematical problem solving and the appreciation of music. Although, unlike common sense, this relation is not derived from the physical properties of sound and its mathematical characteristics, instead, it is solely related to the capacity to create, interpret or predict music in its symmetrical and logical construction, which is more accentuated in those individuals.

 

Music as an art form that communicates emotions and ideas.

As in other art forms like poetry, illustration or comedy, music relies heavily on the elemennt of surprise. A well-constructed music will make use of the listener capacity to predict the next logical step in the arrangement of sounds, but also add unpredicted elements that will transform the current logic, like a new variable added to a mathematical formula. Music also makes use of the listener’s culture and biological aspects. Music that uses common themes and tropes give a sense of familiarity, while adding new unpredicted sounds/arrangements express new ideas and evoke new emotions. Biological responses and instincts are also used to express ideas of action, danger, calm, sadness etc. For example, by the use of very low or very high frequency sounds, usually under or above the ones often present in regular human vocal communication, or the use of musical tempos that match human movement like walking or running, around 120 and 180 beats per second respectively.

 

Conclusion

Music is not just any sound, but sound arranged in a logical form over time that requires time symmetry. Music without logic and symmetry is just random sound or noise. That is valid for any culture and any individual at any age.

Music is not dependent of “pleasant sounds” or any rules for composition derived from any music theory, or any relation of harmonic frequencies, scales, chords or progressions. Music can be created and be “effective” in communicating emotions and ideas, even with the use of noises and “out of tune” sound arrangements.

Musical “intelligence” is derived from the individual’s capacity to enjoy, create, predict or adapt the logical arrangements of sounds over time, often with the use of the element of surprise, deviating from the previously established logic and/or the use or biological and cultural responses to known themes and tropes.

There is a clear and invariable boundary between music and non-music, constant in all cultures, ages and times, that is, music is the variation of sounds over time with logical symmetry.