Symmetry in music: a new field for many
Music, like many other things in life, comes in two forms: a mirror image of the other. Whether it’s the length of time or the notes themselves that separates them, there is no denying that music is always split right down the middle.
Symmetry in music:
- Music and math work in harmony to create beautiful things, so don’t underestimate the importance of both
- Mathematicanism is about prediction, but symetry in music is about change
- Emotionally satisfying and always balanced musically.
- You may get a better understanding of music by studying mathematics
- Everything in life needs some symmetry, be it math, life, or music.
- The difference between math and music is that in math you can learn a formula, and then use it for everything. But in music the formula is different for each song; you have to learn it individually.
The symetry in music is not the same as that in mathematics — although they are often used together, the two fields have very different functions in the universe. Mathematicanism is about prediction. The symetry in music is about change.
1. Synergy in Music
The idea of synergy in music is not a new one but it has become more popular over the last few years. Synergy is when two notes are played together, usually not simultaneously, to create an effect that cannot be achieved purely by either of them playing their individual notes. For example: if you wanted to know what a major third sounds like try playing a C and E at At the same time.
In that way the synergy is a result of the simple combination of the two notes.
There are a number of possible combinations in both rhythm and harmony which can be used to create a synergy, but there are also certain combinations which are almost completely impossible to achieve (try playing 3 notes at the same time!).
Then you have a fixed number of notes on a staff, so there is a maximum possible number of combinations, which makes the search for new ones much easier.
2. Logical vs. Emotional Synergy
We live in a time where people are more interested in how their music sounds than whether or not it is logical. Historically, there has been a separation of the two (logic and emotional). But with current pop music, there have been many songs that use both to form a cohesive composition.
That being said, some songs contain only one of these elements and it is up to the listener to decide which they prefer. I would like to introduce you the two types of synergy so that you can understand which one you would prefer when listening to music for pleasure.
The logical part is where the main melody is, where there’s a clear definition to the chord progression and where the rhythm is correct. In this example, we use ‘Walking on Sunshine’ by Katrina & The Wavelets.
The emotional synergy is where there is a contrast between the main melody and the harmony. In this example, we use ‘She’s an Angel’ by Mike & The Mechanics.
The question is which synergy are you going to choose?
What synergy is for you?
The most important thing is whether or not the music can satisfy you. It can be emotional, logical or a combination of both. If you like the emotional part that means your goal is to have an emotional experience when you listen to music in order to feel happy.
