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  • Logarithms and Musical Intervals

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    Logarithms and Musical Intervals

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    Logarithms and Musical Intervals

    Direitos autorais:

    © All Rights Reserved
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    Sinalizar o conteúdo como inadequado
    10 visualizações6 páginas

    Logarithms and Musical Intervals

    Enviado por

    aveiro78
    Logarithms and Musical Intervals

    Direitos autorais:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Baixe no formato PDF ou leia online no Scribd
    Sinalizar o conteúdo como inadequado
    de 6
    CHAPTER V LOGARITHMS AND MUSICAL INTERVALS The logarithm allows us to convert ratios into cents or semitones, which are the most natural representations of intervals. We will review some basic facts. In this discussion, b will be a positive mumber # 1 which will be called the base of the logarithm, Exponents. If n is a positive integer, then 6" is the n-fold prodnet b-b---b, 67" = 1/0", and b!/" — Yb, These facts, together with the the rule of exponents Exponential Functions. The calculus concept of limit provides a definition b* for all real numbers x in such a way that f(r) = b* is a continuous funetion. Its domain is the set of real numbers R and, (since b # 1) its range is the set of positive real numbers R+ f:R>R* For b > 1 the function is increasing, hence it gives one-to-one correspondents between the sets R and R*. The graph of f(x) =" is: ‘Typeset by AUS TEX 2 V. LOGARITHMS AND MUSICAL INTERVALS The number b is called the base of the exponential function, It will alwa real number, # 1, and we generally take it to be > 1. ys be a positive Logarithmic Funet function, The finetion g(r) is to say ns. Since the funetion f( is one-to-one and onto, it has an inverse ogy (2) is defined as the inverse function of f(e) = 0", that f(g(x)) =a, which says BS? = 2 and WF(x)) ‘Thus the statement log, © the range of f(r)) is R*; the range of g(r) . which says log,(b") = means exactly the same as bY = x. The domain of g(x) the domain of f(r)) is R. g:R* SR The graph of g(x) = log, x is obtained by flipping the graph of f(2) = b? around the line y = 2. Again assuming 6 > 1, we see that g(x) = logy is an increasing, hence 1 to 1, function whose graph is: ‘The number b is called the base of the logarithm. Remember that it is always positive, # 1, and we usually take it to be > 1 If we recognize a number « as a power of b then we can say immediately what log, 2 is. For example, log; 9 = 2 (since 3? = 9) and log, Vb = $ (since b3 = vb) Properties of Logarithms. In a certain sense, logarithms transform multiplication to addition; this is why they are useful in understanding and measuring intervals. The basic properties which underlie this are: (Ll) log, ty = log, + log, y (12) ogy — logy y (3) Togs(2”) = plog, « V. LOGARITHMS AND MUSICAL INTERVALS 3 for any real numbers x,y > 0 and any real number p, Property (L) derives from the law of exponents b**" = b*b! as follows: Let s = log, x and t= log, y. Then yt cote Jose p08 9 — ry, according to the above principle. But b'+! = xy means s + = log, cy, completing the proof. Logarithmic Scale for Pitch. Property (L2) assures us a pleasing outcome if we plot pitches on an axis corresponding to the logarithm of their frequency: Pairs of pitehes which have the same interval will lie the same distance apart on the axis. For suppose pitches (ie., frequencies) x and y create the same interval as the two a! and y'. This means the ratio of the frequencies is the same, ie., x/y = 2!/y'. According to (L2), then, we have log, « — log, y = log, x’ — log, y’, which says the distance between log, x and log, y is the same as the distance between log, x’ and log, y’. Recall that when we plot Az, As, Ay, and As according to their frequencies we get Ape As Ag As 0 10 220 440 880 If we instead plot these notes according to the logarithm of their frequencies we find that they are equally spaced. For example, choosing b = 10, we get: Aa As As As logy 110 logy 220 Tog yy 440 Jogi 880 22041 2:342 2:643 22944 Different Bases. We will need to compare logarithms of different bases. If a is another positive number # 1, we have the following relationship between log, x and log, 2 (La) log, x = 282 This is established as follows. Let w= log, .r, v = logy, and w = log, b. Then a® = x, b® = 2, and a =. The last two equations give ns x = (a")® = a" This establishes that wv = log, x = u from which (L4) is immediate. The result is that the functions log, and log, 7 are proportional as finetions, with constant of proportionality 1/ log, b. For example, if we compare the graphs of g(r) = log and log, « we see that the latter is obtained by “stretching” the former vertically by a factor of logy 6 © 1.631 Calculating Using the Natural Logarithm. Scientists often prefer use the natural logarithm, which has as its base the transcendental number e, approximated by 2.71828. This number and its logarithm age highly significant in mathematics for reasons that will not be explained here, It is common to denote log, x by In.z. Any calculator that has In as 4 V. LOGARITHMS AND MUSICAL INTERVALS a supplied function can be used to evaluate any logarithm, using (L4). Setting a = the formula reads: (Ls) log, 2 = 2 Similarly, one can calenlate any logarithm using logy, which is supplied with many calculators, Converting Intervals from Multiplicative to Additive Measurement. Suppose we want the octave interval to appear as the distance 1 on the logarithmic axis. If two frequencies we x and y are an octave apart, being the greater frequency, then we know x/y = 2. We need, then, 1 = logy. — logy y = logy(/y) = log,2. But log,2 = 1 means b! =2, ie., b=2. Therefore 2 is our desired base. Returning to a problem posed in the last section, suppose we are given a musical interval represented as a ratio r and we wish to convert it to one of the standard measurements for intervals such as octaves, steps, semitones, or cents, We have noted that if x is the measurement of the interval in cents, then r = 2*/12, Applying the function log, to both sides of this equation yields log, r = log,(2*/!2) = 2/1200, ie., « = 1200log, r. Thus we have: (41) The interval ratio r is measured in cents by 1200 log, r. Similar reasoning shows: (4.2) The interval ratio r is measured in semitones by and: (43) The interval ratio r is measured in octaves by logg r Using (L4) we can make these conversions using any base. For example, if our calenlator only provides the natural logarithm, we appeal to (L5) to make the conversion by evaluating 1 = 1200 logy r as lnr 200 (BE 200 (3) : Note that if r is is less than 1, then nr < 0, hence me is negative. This is logical, for if r is the interval from frequency fi to frequency fy we have r = f/fi <1. This says fr is less than f,, so that the interval in cents is given by a negative number. We note that the conversion in (4.1) and (4.2) can be expressed as log, r for an appro- priate base 6. For example, if we wish to the ratio r is x semitones, we have ssurement 2 in cer V. LOGARITHMS AND MUSICAL INTERVALS Applying log, with b= "JZ we get OB yar Example. Let us measure in cents the interval given by the ratio 3/2 and find the chromatic interval which best approximates this interval. If z is the measurement in cents, we have init) m2 In3—In = 1200 | ——— by (L2) 0 ( ind ) y (L2) In3 = 1200(— 5-1 (a ) a: 701.955 using a calculator. 2 = 1200 ( Thus the ratio 3/2 is very close to 702 cents. A fifth is 700 cents (= 7 semitones), so our interval is 2 cents greater than a fifth. The fifth is the chromatic interval that gives the best approximation, Exercises (1) Evaluate without a calculator by writing the argument of log as a power of the base. Write down each step of the simplification, ¢.g., log, 3¥3 = logy 3°/? = 3 log, 3 = $: (a) logyo(0.01) (b) logy 16 (c) log, ¥25 (d) log. Vet (2) Express as a single logarithin without coefficient, i.e., in the form logy x (do not evaluate with a caleulator): (a) log, 5 + log, 3 (b) log, 7 — 2log, 11 (c) log, 10 + logy 16 (d) 2log, log ya (3) Sketch the graphs of: (a) Fle) = 10" (b) gle) =logige — (e) r(x) = 2" (A) s(x) = logy x (4) For a base b with 0

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