The Physics of Music and the Musical Mind

One of the things that interested me in the excellent Physics of Music series by Justice Lives Not is his mention of the Chromatic Scale.

This is found specifically in the How Harmonies Work article. As he puts it, the Chromatic Scale "contains all the "colors" of every scale used in Western Music."

It seems that, even in a discussion about the physics of music, certain imagery is still present.

Perhaps people can understand music by knowing about things like the Chromatic Scale, but they express music as a series of "colorful windmills cascading up and down the joyful or sullen valleys."

The physics of the Chromatic Scale is thus associated with the colors of musical imagination. Whereas physics offers the paintbrush, the human counterpart of imagination paints the picture.

Are there other links between the aspects of physics and the way people use these aspects to express a personal creativity?

The Physics of Music and the Musical Mind: Waveform and Musical Arrangements

Again, according to Justice Lives Not, "The sound wave each instrument makes has its own unique shape, brought about by the harmonic overtones and undertones unique to the instrument." This is what waveform is, and it accounts for how you can tell the difference between a piano and a guitar.

Think of how the musical arranger relies on this consideration of waveform when choosing the instruments which sound best for the final musical work.

Again, the physics of music accounts for the different possibilities of musical sounds. Waveform signifies that differences between musical instruments exist. It is then part of the talent of the musical arranger to draw from the rather large palette of unique shapes and tones which separate a violin from an oboe, for example.

The Physics of Music and the Musical Mind: Tempo and Musical Composition

"Time governs the tempo (or speed) of rhythm." This is why Justice Lives Not believes that music would not be possible in their absence.

If we just focus on the aspect of tempo, we can see how important it is to the composer's emotional vision.