A molecular logic of chords and their internal harmony (Q1653559): Difference between revisions

Understanding the rules and the ``logic'' underlying musical chords is the topic of several studies. Defining chords as a formal, logic system of inferences and negations is the challenge undertaken by the author. The author, specialist in formal logic, is a professor of philosophy at the University of Leipzig. This paper describes chords as molecules and aggregates, where the overall rules are determined by the inner ones. Chords are characterized by column vectors containing their intervals; the differences between these intervals are exemplified by smaller column vectors; their differences are collected within smaller vectors, and so on. Equivalence classes of chords are modeled through matrices. The internal harmony, according to the author, is ``nothing more than the pure interrelatedness of two or more chords.'' Tonal harmony is a a special case of internal harmony. The author defines several operators acting on chords producing negations (creating matrix inversions), reversions, and cycling permutations. The {\em negation} of a major triad in first inversion gives a minor triad in second inversion (e.g., C-major first inversion to A-minor second inversion), and vice versa (e.g., C-major second inversion to E-minor first inversion). The negation of a major triad in root position gives a minor triad in root position (e.g., C-major to C-minor). The double negation gives the starting chord. The {\em reversion} of a major triad in root position gives a minor triad in root position whose fundamental and fifth are transposed by half-tone (e.g., C-major becomes C\(\sharp\)-minor). The reversion of a C-major first inversion gives a G-minor second inversion, and so on. ``Barré operators'' transpose all notes of a chord. The use of matrices or matrix-like systems to analyze musical lines, chords, sounds, or to create new ones, is pretty common in music theory -- as classic examples, let us think of Athanasius Kircher's ``Tabula Mirifica'' for counterpoint [\textit{G. Mazzola} et al., Cool math for hot music. A first introduction to mathematics for music theorists. Cham: Springer (2016; Zbl 1349.00002)], or of the probability matrices by \textit{I. Xenakis} [Formalized Music. New York: Pendragon Press (2001)]. However, the use of logic inferences jointly with the algebraic formalism looks like a promising new approach. This article can be read independently by other works, but it could (and should) be contextualized in the framework of current research. References about chords relations may remind us of studies on the voice leading, with visualizations and general theoretical explanations provided by \textit{D. Tymoczko} [J. Math. Music 7, No. 2, 127--144 (2013; Zbl 1327.00028); Lect. Notes Ser., Inst. Math. Sci., Natl. Univ. Singap. 32, 256--282 (2016; Zbl 1368.00039)]. Names of tones with integers are reminiscent of the module-notation of pitch classes, with the 12 notes of the chromatic scale distributed along a circle, and the names repeating after 12, that is, an octave [\textit{A. S. Crans} et al., Am. Math. Mon. 116, No. 6, 479--495 (2009; Zbl 1229.00013)]. The form of Max's paper is clear and the content is well-organized. As a negative side, this research is not contextualized within the literature on mathematics and music, because the references are limited to two works by the same author. This study can strengthen the connections between the world of philosophy and formal logic and the worlds of mathematics and music theory. Thus, this paper deserves to be better known among the mathematical music theory community. It should be connected with existing studies on formal language, algebra, and mathematical music theory -- mainly published in the Journal of Mathematics and Music.