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Hoots : What are the best mathematically enriched books for music theory? I have very basic knowledge about music theory but have a rich background on math. I was looking for books that explains music theory with the some sophisticated - freshhoot.com

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What are the best mathematically enriched books for music theory?
I have very basic knowledge about music theory but have a rich background on math. I was looking for books that explains music theory with the some sophisticated mathematical structures.
Thanks in advanced for your time.


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I have very basic knowledge about music theory ...looking for books that explains music theory

Some theory topics like rhythm and intervals have direct mathematical aspects but aren't much more than definitions: hemiola is a 3:2 relationship, or octaves have 1:2 frequency relationship, tuning systems, things like that. And some musical styles, like serial composition, have a lot of set handling. But standard music theory is more like a language system and about aesthetics. If you want to go from basic knowledge to something like standard college textbook level, it's not really a math thing.

Don't misunderstand me, there are plenty of math oriented theory books. But those tend to be specialized rather than standard theory.


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This is a good selection of books about music and math with helpful resumes:
guides.tricolib.brynmawr.edu/music-math
the last recommended book:

Music and Mathematics: From Pythagoras to fractals

John Fauvel (Editor); Raymond Flood (Editor); Robin Wilson (Editor).

"From Ancient Greek times, music has been seen as a mathematical art, and the relationship between mathematics and music has fascinated generations. This collection of wide ranging, comprehensive and fully-illustrated papers, authored by leading scholars, presents the link between these two subjects in a lucid manner that is suitable for students of both subjects, as well as the general reader with an interest in music. Physical, theoretical, physiological, acoustic, compositional, and analytical relationships between mathematics and music are unfolded and explored with focus on tuning and temperament, the mathematics of sound, bell-ringing and modern compositional techniques.

there is downloadable as Pdf (I'm not sure whether it is copyright fringing as it is from a Russian book site!)
ru.b-ok2.org/book/638996/6fbcbf
But as you can see in the views about these books most of them are concerning acoustical aspects of physics (tuning, frequency, ratio of strings, overtones). This has been developed since Pythagoras, Aristoxenos, Ptolemeus, Plutarch, Boethius, Hucbald, Glarean, Zarlino, Euler etc.) If you are interested in these questions you also find good explanations in wiki etc.

If you are really interested in music and it's concerns as scales, chords, harmony, intervals you can directly inform yourself about basic theory, about triads, tetrads, chord inversions and especially thorough bass (figured bass). Your mathematical background will help you to understand it easier than many other music students.

You'll find enough Mathematical stuff behind the music theory and the best would be you'll wrote your own book about it.


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