A Non-Pythagorean Musical Scale Based on （一个Non-Pythagorean音阶基于）.pdf

A Non-Pythagorean Musical Scale Based on Logarithms Robert P. Schneider Department of Mathematics ● University of Kentucky Lexington, KY 40506, USA robert.schneider@ Abstract A new musical scale devised by the author, based on natural logarithms, is described. Most of the logarithmic pitches bear no correspondence to the twelve tones of the ancient tuning system attributed to Pythagoras, based on ratios of whole numbers, nor to the chromatic tones of scales in equal temperament used widely in the modern era. Logarithms obey a special arithmetic compared to whole and rational numbers, which can be heard in beat frequencies between tones of the scale, suggesting extended harmonic possibilities by incorporating the beat frequencies into compositions. The author uses the broad term “non-Pythagorean” to describe the logarithmic musical scale, as the ratios of pitches are usually irrational numbers. Introduction An interesting musical scale may be defined by letting successive tones have the ratios to one another of the natural logarithms of successive whole numbers. While melodies in the scale sound somewhat exotic, novel musical possibilities arise from mathematical properties of logarithms, particularly with respect to the construction of chords. We use the broad term “non-Pythagorean” to describe this scale, as the logarithmic pitches bear no correspondence to the tuning system based on ratios of whole numbers attributed to the Greek mathematician