Thursday, November 26, 2009

Music and Math

The Topic I chose is Music and Math.
I want to talk about the math used everyday with my cello and the math used to make a cello.
Now with the cello there is a lot of measuring used, more than you think. Before you even sit down with the instrument you have to measure and think about the space you want to use ( Am I going to hit the wall with my bow?, Am I going to have enough arm room?). Then once you get situated you have to think "How far do I need to take out my end pin?" and "How far does my cello need to be away from me?"

Then after you get situated and your about play, then you must measure where you want your bow to be on this certain part of your piece. It can be closer to the black finger board, in the middle or closer to the bridge. This also measures how loud you are; close to finger board=soft, closer to bridge=loud.


These are just some of the basic thoughts with playing the cello. Now with the math that actually has to be done with making a cello. When making a cello the measurements have to be exact or else it will not sound good or work very well. I want to talk about how important it is to get the measurements of the bridge and sound post as exact as you can get it. The placement of the bridge has to be exact because it has to elevate the strings and transfer their vibrations to the instrument. The sound post is crucial because it strengthens the cello and hold the vibrations between the back and front of the cello. The sound post (D arrow) has to be in perfect alignment with the bridge (thing with heart in the center). It cannot even be a millimeter off or else it will have to be fixed.

Now I bet you see that the playing and making of the cello is a lot more complicated than you originally thought and I only named the most common and major things. There is a ton more I must say. I hope this gave you a relationship between Math and Music.
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