Pythagoras

and
Pythagorean
Scale
The relationship
between music and math
Outline

1 Pythagoras and his discovery

2 Mathematical and musical terms

3 How to construct Pythagorean scale

 Who is Pythagoras?
⚫ Pythagoras was an ancient Greek philosopher and
mathematician.
⚫ He is the first person who created a musical scale.
⚫ He is known for discovering the Pythagorean Theorem.

𝑐
Pythagoras 𝑏
(lived around 550 BC)

𝑎
𝑎2 + 𝑏2 = 𝑐 2
His discovery #1

⚫ Pythagoras passed blacksmiths at

work one day and heard the sound
of their hammers clanging against
the anvils.

⚫ He thought that
➢ the tones produced by the hammering was related to the weight
of hammer and
➢ the weights came in simple whole number ratios to each other.
His discovery #2

⚫ He experimented with hummers, bells,

flutes and vibrating strings.
⚫ He found that if you divide a string by a
ratio of 2:1 or 3:2, and pluck the string,
the resulting notes have a harmonious
relationship.
⚫ Based on this idea, he defined the first
twelve-tone scale which is called
“Pythagorean scale”.
Outline

1 Pythagoras and his discovery

2 Mathematical and musical terms

3 How to construct Pythagorean scale

Fraction
1 2
⚫ A fraction represents a part of a whole.
2 3
⚫ It describes how many parts of a certain size there are.
⚫ It consists of a numerator and a denominator. numerator
denominator

A cake with one quarter (one fourth) removed.

The remaining three fourths are delimited
by dotted lines and labeled by the fraction 1/4.
Ratio #1
⚫ A ratio is a way to show a relationship or compare two numbers
of the same kind.
×2
The tree on the left is half
6m
the height of the right one.
3 6
The tree on the right is twice
3m the height of the left one. × 12
×2
The number of apples is half
the number of oranges.
2 4
The number of oranges is twice
the number of apples. × 12
Ratio #2
𝑎
⚫ If we compare a and b, the ratio of a to b is written as 𝑎: 𝑏 or .
𝑏

3
3 6 3：6 or 6
1 2
⚫ For example, 1: 2 and 2: 4 are the same ratio because = .
2 4
Exercise (Calculation of a ratio)
⚫ There are apples and oranges. The number of apples is 10.
⚫ We know that the ratio of apples to oranges is 2:3.
⚫ How many oranges are there?

2 ∶ 3 = 10 ∶ ?
Solution of the exercise
⚫ Consider the fraction form and the relationship between numerators.
×5

2 ∶ 3 = 10 ∶ ? 2
3
= 10
?
3 × 5 = 15

⚫ Consider the relationship between the left and right part.

3
× 2
3
10 × = 15
2 ∶ 3 = 10 ∶ ? 2
Octave and Perfect fifth

⚫ An octave is the distance of

C# D# F# G# A# C# one note to another note
with a frequency ratio 1:2.
C DE F GAB C D

⚫ A perfect fifth is the distance

C# D# F# G# A#
of one note to another note
with a frequency ratio 2:3.
C DE F GAB
Outline

1 Pythagoras and his discovery

2 Mathematical and musical terms

3 How to construct Pythagorean scale

How to construct Pythagorean scale
⚫ Let’s start with a tone of frequency 𝑓. We call this note C.
⚫ We consider new tone with frequency 2𝑓. We call this note C’.

C C’
name C C’ C C’
frequency 𝑓 2𝑓 𝑓 ∶ 2𝑓 = 1 ∶ 2
⚫ The ratio of two frequencies is 1:2. Two notes are an octave apart.
How to construct Pythagorean scale

⚫ In the figure below, the grey part is an octave.

⚫ We are going to make a twelve-tone scale by adding
new tones within the octave.

C C’
How to construct Pythagorean scale
C G
⚫ We consider new tone G from C so that
the frequencies of two tones are in 2:3.
𝑓 ∶ 2𝑓 = 2 ∶ 3
3 3 3
⚫ Since 𝑓 × = 𝑓, the frequency of G is 𝑓.
2 2 2
C G
3
𝑓∶ 2
𝑓 =2∶3

C G C’
name C G C’
3
frequency 𝑓 𝑓 2𝑓
2
How to construct Pythagorean scale
G D’
3
⚫ Next, we consider new tone D’ from G 2
𝑓 ∶ 2𝑓 = 2 ∶ 3
so that the frequencies of two tones are in 2:3. G D’
9 3 9
⚫ D’ is not in the octave because of 2𝑓 < 𝑓. 𝑓 ∶ 𝑓 =2∶3
4 2 4

C G C’ D’
name C G C’ D’
3 9
frequency 𝑓 𝑓 2𝑓 𝑓
2 4
How to construct Pythagorean scale
⚫ We want to confine our scale within one octave.
⚫ So, we consider new tone D by moving D’ one octave down.

C D G C’ D’
name C D G C’ D’
9 3 9
frequency 𝑓 𝑓 𝑓 2𝑓 𝑓
8 2 4
How to construct Pythagorean scale
⚫ Next, We consider new tone A from D so that the frequencies of
two tones are in 2:3.
9 3 27 27
⚫ Since 𝑓 × = 𝑓, the frequency of A is 𝑓.
8 2 16 16

C D G A C’
name C D G A C’
9 3 27
frequency 𝑓 𝑓 𝑓 𝑓 2𝑓
8 2 16
 How to construct Pythagorean scale
⚫ If you repeat this, 13th tone is very close to C’.
⚫ Then, Pythagoras stopped adding new tone, and defined them
the first twelve-tone scale.

C C# D D# E F F# G G# A A# B C’

name C C# D D# E F F# G G# A A# B C’
frequ 2187 9 19683 81 729 3 6561 27 243
𝑓 𝑓 𝑓 𝑓 𝑓 𝑓 𝑓 𝑓 𝑓 𝑓 2𝑓
ency 2048 8 16384
64 512 2 4096 16 128