OK, time to stretch the mind a little bit. Check out this demo, where Bobby McFerrin gets a random audience to provide the appropriate notes for his pentatonic scale. This was done during a neuroscience discussion at the World Science Festival, but he apparently does this in concert, too.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2009/...e_pen.html

Then check out some of the discussion on this thread:

http://www.boingboing.net/2009/08/01/bob...hacks.html

I'm still working this one over. Gotta check with a couple of friends who focus on neuroscience.

I'm gonna google me some Indonesian microtonal music.

Interesting links! I'll have to think on them a bit as well.

Most harmonious sound combinations (chords) have a mathematical basis. Presumably there is a resonance/beat frequency effect going on which can be perceived by the ear/brain. Personally I think this effect is because discordant sounds don't make nice ratios, so you can't build on them, like you can with, say a C major chord. (C-E-G).

Once you play something nasty and unharmonious, you can't lay new ratios on top -- information is lost. For example, if I play a 5-note chord, my little brother (the musician with perfect pitch) can tell me what tonic & key I'm playing. If I mash 5 random keys at once, he can't tell me what that is. I'm not sure that would just be musical training, but it might be.

I am totally conjecturing, I just play the piano and understand very basic music theory. But given the likelihood that early man developed song/speech to carry important information, it makes sense that a kind of mathematical mnemonic would emerge.

(01-14-2010 07:46 AM)emmiesix Wrote:  If I mash 5 random keys at once, he can't tell me what that is. I'm not sure that would just be musical training, but it might be.

I am totally conjecturing, I just play the piano and understand very basic music theory.

Clealy didn't take "Clapping For Credit."