CHART 1
SECTION 3: GUITAR & UKULELE – STRING MATHEMATICS
When you pluck a string, it vibrates.
String instruments use vibrating strings.
When a string vibrates:
Energy moves along the string.
Sound is produced.
The pitch depends on 3 things:
* L = length of string
* T = tightness
* μ = thickness
If:
* String is shorter → pitch increases
* String is tighter → pitch increases
* String is thicker → pitch decreases
Example:
Half length → Double frequency
200 Hz → 400 Hz
Frequency depends on:
Length (L)
Tension (T)
Mass per length (μ)
Formula:
f ∝ √T / L√μ
Meaning:
Frequency increases when:
• Tension increases
Frequency decreases when:
• Length increases
• Thickness increases
Important Concept: FRETS
On guitar, frets are not random.
Each fret multiplies frequency by:
This creates 12 equal steps per octave.
This system is called Equal Temperament
(12-Tone Equal Temperament as a Universal Framework: Darren emphasizes that
the 12-tone equal temperament system is foundational to almost all Western
music, consisting of 12 equally spaced notes per octave. This system allows
instruments to be tuned in a standardized way so that music sounds harmonious
across keys and instruments)
It allows musicians to play in all keys without sounding wrong.
Advantages:
• Instruments sound in tune
• Can play any song
• Works with piano and guitar
SECTION 4: PIANO – PATTERNS & GEOMETRIC SEQUENCES
On piano:
* 12 notes repeat again and again
* Every octave doubles frequency
If Middle C = 261 Hz
Next C = 522 Hz
Next C = 1044 Hz
This is a geometric sequence:
It’s exponential growth.
(Exponential growth refers to a mathematical process where a quantity increases
at a rate proportional to its current value, resulting in rapid, accelerating growth
over time. In music, this same principle applies to sound frequency, where
musical pitches (notes) increase in frequency exponentially, rather than linearly,
to create equal intervals.)
Geometric Sequence
This is a geometric sequence.
Formula:
a × rⁿ
Where:
a = first value
r = ratio
r = 2 for octaves.
Equal Spacing
Notes increase by:
2^(1/12)
This keeps spacing equal.
SECTION 5: TABLA – RHYTHM IS FRACTIONS
Music is not only pitch. It is also rhythm.
Example:
Teentaal = 16 beats cycle
Divided as:
4+4+4+4
Each beat can be divided:
Whole note = 1
Half note = 1/2
Quarter note = 1/4
Eighth note = 1/8
Sixteenth note = 1/16
So if one full measure = 1
Then:
1/2 + 1/2 = 1
1/4 + 1/4 + 1/4 + 1/4 = 1
1/8 × 8 = 1
Also:
Tabla head is circular.
Area of circle:
Bigger drum → lower sound
Smaller drum → higher sound
Speed and Tempo-
Tempo measures speed.
Measured in BPM.
Beats Per Minute.
Example:
60 BPM = 1 beat per second
120 BPM = 2 beats per second
SECTION 6: FLUTE – AIR COLUMN PHYSICS
Flute works differently.
It vibrates air, not strings.
Formula:
Where:
* v = speed of sound
* L = length of air inside
If:
You open holes → air length becomes shorter → pitch increases.
Longer air column → deeper sound.
It’s inverse proportion.
SECTION 7: DJEMBE – MEMBRANE VIBRATION 🪘
Djembe is a drum with stretched skin.
The pitch depends on:
* Tension
* Diameter
* Thickness
Large diameter → lower pitch
High tension → higher pitch
It vibrates in circular wave patterns.
CHART 2
MATHEMATICS IN MUSIC
Music and mathematics are closely connected.
Musical instruments use patterns, ratios, waves, and formulas to produce sound.
Mathematics helps explain:
• Pitch
• Rhythm
• Harmony
• Vibrations
• Instrument design
SECTION 10: ORIGINS OF MUSIC MATH
HISTORY OF MUSIC MATH
Ancient civilizations used math in music.
Greek music used ratios.
Indian music used rhythm cycles.
Modern music uses tuning systems.
Mathematics helps create musical instruments.
SECTION 1: WHAT IS SOUND?
Sound is a form of energy produced by vibrations.
When an object vibrates:
1. It pushes nearby air particles
2. Air particles move back and forth
3. Waves travel through air
4. Our ears detect the waves
Sound waves are longitudinal waves.
This means particles move:
Back and forth
NOT up and down.
Sound Wave Parts
Draw and label:
• Peak (Compression) → High pressure
• Trough (Rarefaction) → Low pressure
• One cycle → One vibration
Important Formula
Frequency tells us how many waves happen in 1 second.
Where:
* f = frequency (Hz)
* T = time for one wave
More waves per second → higher pitch
Less waves per second → lower pitch
Example:
If one vibration takes:
0.002 seconds
Frequency =
1 ÷ 0.002
= 500 Hz
Example:
A = 440 vibrations per second = 440 Hz
(The musical note A4 (the A above middle C) is standardized at a frequency of
440 Hz, which corresponds to 440 vibrations per second.)
Pitch-
Pitch depends on frequency.
High frequency → High pitch
Low frequency → Low pitch
Example:
200 Hz → Deep sound
1000 Hz → Sharp sound
Amplitude-
Amplitude means height of wave.
Big amplitude → Loud sound
Small amplitude → Soft sound
Human Hearing Range-
Humans hear:
20 Hz → 20,000 Hz
SECTION 2: WHY DO NOTES SOUND GOOD TOGETHER?
Over 2000 years ago,
Pythagoras, discovered that music follows number ratios.
If one string vibrates at 200 Hz:
| New Frequency | Ratio | What We Hear |
| -------------------- | ------- | ------------------- |
| 400 Hz | 2:1 | Octave |
| 300 Hz | 3:2 | Perfect Fifth | Distance: Seven half-steps
(e.g., C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G). Structure: It is the foundational building block for Western harmony, appearing
in both major and minor chords. Sound: It is highly consonant, meaning it sounds stable, "hollow," or "pure" to
the ear.
| 266 Hz | 4:3 | Perfect Fourth | A perfect fourth (P4) is a musical interval
spanning five semitones (half-steps), creating a strong, open sound often used in harmonies, melodies, and
basslines. It is measured as the distance between the first and fourth notes of a major scale (e.g., C to F)
Simple numbers/ratios = pleasing sound.
This is called Harmony.
Why?
Because the waves align neatly.
SECTION 8: HARMONIC SERIES
When a string vibrates, it doesn’t vibrate in only one way.
It vibrates in:
These are called harmonics.
( Harmonics are extra vibrations or waves that happen alongside a main, basic
frequency. They are always whole-number multiples of that original frequency.
When something vibrates (like a guitar string or air in a flute), it doesn't just
move in one simple way. It vibrates as a whole, but it also vibrates in halves,
thirds, and fourths at the same time)
This is why instruments sound rich.
Even one note contains many frequencies.
Why Harmonics Matter-
They create:
Tone quality.
Different instruments sound different.
Even same note sounds different.
CHART 3
SECTION 9: GRAPHS YOU MUST INCLUDE
1️⃣ Wave graph (Amplitude vs Time, Wave Shape)
2️⃣ Frequency doubling chart (Frequency vs Octave, Increasing line)
3️⃣ String length vs pitch graph (Length vs Frequency, Decreasing curve.)
4️⃣ Fraction rhythm table
5️⃣ Circle diagram of drum
DO NOT WRITE THE
BRACKETS OR THE INFO IN
THE SMALL FONT SIZE. ALSO,
VEDANG ONLY MAKE CHART
1(MAIN INSTRUMENTS INFO)
AND 2(WRITING AND
BACKGROUND INFO), PLZ
JOIN CHART 1 AND CHART 2.
KAVISHA AND SHAMBHAVI
WILL MAKE CHART 3. AFTER
CHART 3 IS MADE IT WILL BE
JOINED TOO SOMEHOW IF
POSSIBLE.