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solenyaPDX t1_ixfmfo8 wrote

Reply to comment by vladivan in Music for first contact with an intelligent life form. by Signoftredici

Actually, harmonies and melodies do have math in them. There are specific frequency ratios present in those intervals, such that the peaks intermittently line up. This is why it sounds good to us, and I think they'd hear that too.

As such, I recommend Canon in D. It starts simple, one note at a time, and adds in complexity little by little. I think it an excellent option for an introduction to human music.

The other that could go with it would be somewhere over the rainbow, sung by Iz.

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Kavy8 t1_ixgdd02 wrote

Yay physics! Harmonics! Resonance!

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vladivan t1_ixgiv4a wrote

Understanding music is a learned process. Western music is different to music from the east. Music from the east often sounds weird to westerners. (This is based on research). Instruments have also been tuned in many different ways in history. So intervals have changed throughout history aswell. Matg is just one factor. If humans on earth can't fully appreciate music from different cultures, they would most likely not understand alien music.

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